Should I get a new more efficient stove?

[bikedennis]

I'm newly registered here, and decided to ask for help. For 15 years I've been using a Century 3000 here in the Trinity Alps in Northern Ca, My house (cabin) was built in the 1800's and I insulated the attic and below the hardwood floors. I have a 20 foot double wall flue with two 45 degree bends in the single wall portion inside. I burn mostly fir and pine (various species). I cut my own wood. I have to clean the flue every 2 months, The inside single wall portion every month. It's a PITA. So, I decided to get either a Hearthstone GM 60, Hearthstone Heratige ,or Woodstock Ideal. Increased burn time, less wood consumption, and way less cleaning are my motives for getting a new efficient stove.

My neighbor bought a BK King last year and told me his flue cleaning requirement hasn't been reduced from his old clunky stove. How could that be? Will a new stove reduce my need to clean? My burn time now with a loaded stove is 7 hours at best. 6 cords last winter. Is $3000 a worthwhile spend? I can get the Hearthstones tax free and delivered to my house for free. I must pay tax and a $350 delivery fee for a BK. Woodstock shipping to Ca. is $800. Any input is appreciated.

 

[Prof]

Yeah that is a lot of chimney cleaning. If your wood is well seasoned (Below 20% moisture content), I can't imagine cleaning as often as your neighbor does. I don't have personal experience with stoves you mentioned, but the BK stoves have a good reputation on here. With any new stove it is a good idea to keep an eye on the chimney, but I clean mine every other year, and even then it doesn't need it, but I figure I may as well clean it since I have the pipe off (I'll get about a coffee mug full of light fluffy creosote). I can't see how you wouldn't cut your wood usage as well as cleaning interval.

 

[peakbagger]

IMHO, a new more efficient stove is not going to solve your creosote issue. Creosote is usually related poor stove operation (controlling output by cranking the air down) or poorly seasoned wood.

 

[bikedennis]

IMHO, a new more efficient stove is not going to solve your creosote issue. Creosote is usually related poor stove operation (controlling output by cranking the air down) or poorly seasoned wood.

I never gave seasoning wood much thought. All of my wood cutting pals including me usually start cutting in October, spilt, and then begin burning. Nobody I know lets the wood season for a year. Thanks. This makes a lot of sense.

 

[stoveliker]

Pine can be good to burn (cleanly!) in a year that includes a wam, dry (top covered) summer. Otherwise, two years.

Using dry wood will cut your consumption too as you'll waste less heat to evaporate the 30% or so water in your splits.

So I would first get ahead by stacking two years of wood, to burn properly dry wood. And only then reevaluate whether you want to spend a few grand.

And tell you BK neighbor to dry his wood too. Compare how it is going over a beer around Christmas 2022...

 

[peakbagger]

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner !!
One year minimum covered on top after cutting and splitting if its green wood to begin with.

I never gave seasoning wood much thought. All of my wood cutting pals including me usually start cutting in October, spilt, and then begin burning. Nobody I know lets the wood season for a year. Thanks. This makes a lot of sense.

 

[Bad LP]

I never gave seasoning wood much thought. All of my wood cutting pals including me usually start cutting in October, spilt, and then begin burning. Nobody I know lets the wood season for a year. Thanks. This makes a lot of sense.

There's your problem.

 

[bholler]

Yeah season your wood properly before changing anything else

 

[begreen]

I never gave seasoning wood much thought. All of my wood cutting pals including me usually start cutting in October, spilt, and then begin burning. Nobody I know lets the wood season for a year. Thanks. This makes a lot of sense.

Your dry climate will help. If you cut, split and stack your wood in March or April it will be ready to burn by October. We have been burning doug fir this way for several years and barely get a cup of soot burning 3 cords. I think you will find a huge improvement with much less creosote and more heat. The overall wood consumption will go down too. You might just want to keep the Century for another season and try this out.

 

[qwee]

You are probably burning some sort of conifer. According to wiki,

"The Trinity Alps section of the Klamath Mountains Ecoregion is botanically outstanding by having the second greatest number of conifer species of any place in the world. Russian Peak, in the Russian Wilderness just north of the Trinity Alps, has the greatest number of conifer species in North America.[4] So many genera and species of conifers exist together because the Trinity Alps are at the intersection of the Mediterranean climate of the south and the Northwestern coastal climate, which has a shorter dry season.
Northern tree species, such as subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis), and Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) are found here, as well as southern trees, such as incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), and white fir (Abies concolor), plus unique populations of foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana) and weeping spruce (Picea breweriana)."

 

[marty319]

I never cover my wood,mostly pine,cut split and stack in the fall and 1 year later in the woodshed.wood is between 12 to 18 % moisture.i burn 4-5 cords a year and probably get a coffee container of creosote.

 

[bholler]

I never cover my wood,mostly pine,cut split and stack in the fall and 1 year later in the woodshed.wood is between 12 to 18 % moisture.i burn 4-5 cords a year and probably get a coffee container of creosote.

Yes some people do perfectly fine uncovered. But generally you can dry wood much faster by keeping water off of it

 

[begreen]

Yes some people do perfectly fine uncovered. But generally you can dry wood much faster by keeping water off of it

Some parts of the west see little rainfall from June through August or Sept. and have very low humidity levels. IIRC the OP is in the area of intense wildfires last year. It looks to be drier and hotter there this year. This is the 10-day forecast for nearby Redding, CA.

 

[Rickb]

I cant imagine trying to use my BK with newly split wood....... I can tell the difference between 2 and 3 year seasoned wood.

And I ussually have/use silver maple and ash which dry pretty fast.