Rear venting, and the correct Jotul for the job

[woodgood]

Hello All,

Need a little help or nudge. Currently thinking about a Jotul 400 or 500 (possibly even an f3). Have been doing my homework, now have to make a decision.
I have a ~1300 sf split level. Masonry fireplace on W end of home in lower level (garden level/walkout) w/ exterior chimney. I'm not a big fireplace fan, and would prefer to use the chimney to run something that will give me more in return. Not really interested in an insert. Much prefer a freestanding stove.
I plan to mount the stove on hearth, then rear vent to a tee, run a 6" liner up the entire length of the 25' chimney.
After reading several threads, It's clear that neither exterior chimney, nor rear vent configuration are ideal for draft (especially for the castine?).
I currently heat with propane, so want to supplement. I don't have a free source of wood, so will be buying (have good hardwood source). Not currently thinking about primary at this point, but the ability to supply a good deal of my heat with wood during certain times of the year would be nice.
Anyway - I originally targeted a stove in the ~30-40k btu range to be an occasional burner. Then thought something in the castine size would be the best of both worlds for me (sometimes primary). After deciding on it, then doing a little homework I realized that I could be asking for trouble by putting it in a situation without ideal draft. That turned me on to the 500 oslo. A little bigger than I'd like, but I could accommodate. Also open to the F3. Here are my questions:
With my current setup (thinking draft limits here) which stove will likely perform best? I know there are many other considerations - burn time - firebox size - heat output - but I'd like to start with which stove will perform best with my setup (since I know it's less than ideal). It also sounds like it would be smart to use an insulated liner considering this will be in an exterior chimney with a 12" clay liner. Would appreciate thoughts on that.
I should point out that I've listed only Jotul models because I have a nearby shop that I like that carries mostly jotul and VC, and I just like the Jotuls.

I know this subject has been broached several times here, but any input specific to my situation is much appreciated

 

[begreen]

The Castine should draft fine using a short rear exit pipe and up a 25' insulated liner. That's plenty chimney. So would the F500 Oslo. Just be sure that the horiz. run is as short as possible and that the pipe is pointed up hill toward the chimney at least 1/4" per foot. The F400 might spill a little smoke if the door is opened too quickly during mild (above 40F) days. Both will do the job but you will find the F500 better for less frequent reloads. MI is a cold state. When temps are in the teens or lower you may need to refill the F400 every 4 hrs to keep the house warm. Regardless of which stove you choose definitely be sure to install a block-off plate at the damper level to keep the heat in the house.

The F3CB is a willing heater but with a small firebox. The burn times were only about 2-3 hrs. when the stove was being pushed for steady heat. This was burning softwood. We had the F3CB for a season and replaced it with the Castine in 2006. That would heat the house well until temps dropped into the lower teens. After a couple seasons I decided to go for 24/7 winter heating with wood and bumped up to the larger PE T6.

There are some other stoves you might want to consider for this task like the Quadrafire Explorer II, Hearthstone Shelburne, Hampton H300.

 

[woodgood]

The Castine should draft fine using a short rear exit pipe and up a 25' insulated liner. That's plenty chimney. So would the F500 Oslo. Just be sure that the horiz. run is as short as possible and that the pipe is pointed up hill toward the chimney at least 1/4" per foot. The F400 might spill a little smoke if the door is opened too quickly during mild (above 40F) days. Both will do the job but you will find the F500 better for less frequent reloads. MI is a cold state. When temps are in the teens or lower you may need to refill the F400 every 4 hrs to keep the house warm. Regardless of which stove you choose definitely be sure to install a block-off plate at the damper level to keep the heat in the house.

The F3CB is a willing heater but with a small firebox. The burn times were only about 2-3 hrs. when the stove was being pushed for steady heat. This was burning softwood. We had the F3CB for a season and replaced it with the Castine in 2006. That would heat the house well until temps dropped into the lower teens. After a couple seasons I decided to go for 24/7 winter heating with wood and bumped up to the larger PE T6.

There are some other stoves you might want to consider for this task like the Quadrafire Explorer II, Hearthstone Shelburne, Hampton H300.

Thanks! Great to have input from someone experienced with these stoves. So, you think the insulated liner plays a big part in making this work? Stove shop doesn't carry them, and didn't see the need when I asked. Seems like a worthwhile investment to me.

 

[begreen]

Thanks! Great to have input from someone experienced with these stoves. So, you think the insulated liner plays a big part in making this work? Stove shop doesn't carry them, and didn't see the need when I asked. Seems like a worthwhile investment to me.

Yes, definitely. Same with the block-off plate. I hate to say it but it sounds like the stove shop may be doing some non-code installations. I shudder to think of them installing a bare liner in an unlined chimney. It could be that you got a rookie salesperson. If the boss says no insulated liners I'd try some other shops and consider having a certified chimney sweep do the install as another option.

 

[begreen]

An insulated liner is going to keep the flue gases hotter. That means less creosote accumulation and better draft in addition to greater safety.

 

[woodgood]

Yes, definitely. Same with the block-off plate. I hate to say it but it sounds like the stove shop may be doing some non-code installations. I shudder to think of them installing a bare liner in an unlined chimney. It could be that you got a rookie salesperson. If the boss says no insulated liners I'd try some other shops and consider having a certified chimney sweep do the install as another option.

Could be. I thought that seemed strange too. Great. Glad to hear this can work, done properly. I'm having the local steel fab/weld shop put together a block-off for me. I didn't mention that I'm tearing out a rusty metal heatform, so have a little remedial masonry work to do before install anyway. This will at least allow a good fit for the liner exit, rather than trying to mess around with the heatform damper. Thanks again for all the great info.