I've been burning with a Century stove for about 6 seasons now. I am heating an 1100 sq. ft. ranch home with the stove in the basement. I have a blower a few feet from the stove blowing the heat into my furnace ductwork. I burn about 4 cords a year and this is my main heat. I supplement with gas forced air furnace. The stove is made of steel, and beginning to corrode inside. Basically, some of the air injection tube brackets are slowly rusting/oxidizing away. The main body is still in great shape. At some point I will need to do some repair to the stove or replace it. I don't think there is anything wrong with my burning technique, wood etc.... like too much moisture. I just think this stove was not designed to last forever and the price reflected that. So, I'm looking around for a replacement. I have found a couple of Lopi Endeavor stoves used in excellent shape, but they are steel as well if I"m not mistaken. SHould I be looking for a cast stove? I would like to buy a good stove that will last me many years. Any recommendations?
Recommendation for replacement stove
- Thread starter bjorn773
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Hindsight is 20/20. I should have installed one, but now the system is installed at the opposite end of the house. I'd rather not get into a complete reinstall. Plus we like the visual appeal of having a fire going while we watch tv.
I did forget to mention that I'd like to find something that would retain heat longer. My wife and I both work full time during the day, so there are extended periods where the stove does not get refueled. I'm wondering if a cast or soapstone stove may serve me better than steel in this regard.
I did forget to mention that I'd like to find something that would retain heat longer. My wife and I both work full time during the day, so there are extended periods where the stove does not get refueled. I'm wondering if a cast or soapstone stove may serve me better than steel in this regard.
Cast and soapstone will hold heat longer, but for your purposes using a blower, I think steel is fine too - you need a bigger firebox. Englander will give best bang for the buck. Blaze King for longest burn.
Bjorn, for the size you are speaking, I doubt you could go wrong with a soapstone stove. However, most folks have not had really good luck blowing heat into the furnace heat ducts. Usually much better to blow the cooler air towards the stove room.
We are close to the same size and we have a fairly long hallway. Sitting a very small fan at the edge of the hallway blowing cool air into the stove room heats the rear of the house extremely well. Trying to blow the heat back there; well, some does get there but nothing like reversing the air flow.
You want something that will heat longer and like watching the fire. It sounds like you have described the Fireview stove exactly. We put one in 2 years ago and love it. It cut our fuel needs in half and we stay much warmer too.
Yes, they are expensive, but should last your lifetime very easily. They are also a beautiful stove and you can choose different colors. Check some of the other posts on here and you'll see that Woodstock is an excellent company and no other company that I am aware of can match their guarantee. Use it for 6 months and if not happy, return it for full refund. They will bend over backwards trying to satisfy their customers and their products are the tops.
Good luck on whichever way you go.
We are close to the same size and we have a fairly long hallway. Sitting a very small fan at the edge of the hallway blowing cool air into the stove room heats the rear of the house extremely well. Trying to blow the heat back there; well, some does get there but nothing like reversing the air flow.
You want something that will heat longer and like watching the fire. It sounds like you have described the Fireview stove exactly. We put one in 2 years ago and love it. It cut our fuel needs in half and we stay much warmer too.
Yes, they are expensive, but should last your lifetime very easily. They are also a beautiful stove and you can choose different colors. Check some of the other posts on here and you'll see that Woodstock is an excellent company and no other company that I am aware of can match their guarantee. Use it for 6 months and if not happy, return it for full refund. They will bend over backwards trying to satisfy their customers and their products are the tops.
Good luck on whichever way you go.
Dennis, the way it's set up, the blower next to the stove pulls cool air from upstairs down the staircase into the family room where the stove is located. The blower is a chopped down furnace and the intake air comes from right next to the stove. Basically, the staircase acts as my return duct. So, we are pretty much talking about the same thing. I'll look into those stoves. Thanks, Bjorn
I would look at a better quality steel or cast iron stove with a true convection system. Buy something from a hearth dealer, not a tool catalogue or a tractor store. By true convection system, I mean a built in designed heat exchanger. Not a stove with a heat shield and a blower tossed on the back. For your sized home, I would suggest the Regency Hampton medium stove. The blowers are free for a few more weeks and you will be creating tons of very hot air, which is what you want to move around your home. Very hard to move radiant heat.
I'd see your local Regency dealer.
As far as moisture in the basement goes, with a good stove making serious convection heat, I doubt you'd have a moisture issue during the heating season. In the summer months I would always suggest a dehumidifier.
I'd see your local Regency dealer.
As far as moisture in the basement goes, with a good stove making serious convection heat, I doubt you'd have a moisture issue during the heating season. In the summer months I would always suggest a dehumidifier.
You have a 6 inch flue and a smaller home so big stoves are out. You are trying to heat the whole house with it so radiant stoves are not ideal and convection is better. You, like everyone, wants long burns and the longest burns come from cat stoves with big fireboxes. You have a few options and all of them are made of steel. Any modern steel stove should last much more than 6 years so I am not sure how you rusted out the century except that maybe it only looks rusted out. It is normal to see surface rust inside a stove.
You have a few choices among steel cat stoves but only one has an automatic thermostat and that is the blazeking princess. It will cost more than the century but much less than the Lopi or woodstock unless you are a victim of the east coast price fixing scheme. The BK cat stove is known for 12-20 hour burn times.
You have a few choices among steel cat stoves but only one has an automatic thermostat and that is the blazeking princess. It will cost more than the century but much less than the Lopi or woodstock unless you are a victim of the east coast price fixing scheme. The BK cat stove is known for 12-20 hour burn times.
I am not quite understanding the difference between radiant and convection stoves. Aren't all stoves radiant heaters? My century is far from rusted out. When I had it apart to replace the baffle last year, the brackets that hold the secondary air tubes were pretty rusted. They are still holding, I just figure at some point I will have to weld in new brackets or get a different stove. What exactly does the thermostat do on the blazeking?
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