Size and heat, space and layout

[newheatcoalwood]

Looking at buying a Hitzer, have two models in mind. One does 65k-75k BTU's and the other does 100k-125k BTU's.
Our main floor is 2400+ sq ft. It is laid out with three bedrooms on one side down a hall and one bedroom on the other end of the house...
I know you can't give definitive answers, but should we worry about heating the aux. rooms?
I guess I don't want to "overheat" the main area in order to get some heat to the bedrooms...
One salesperson said it is better to get a larger fire in a smaller unit than the reverse. But what if we had a larger fire in a larger unit? Would that help use get heat to the other rooms? Or would it burn us out of the main area?

At the end of the day, should we just use the square footage of the main open area to calculate the stove size? Or should we use the entire main floor square footage when buying?

 

[bholler]

Looking at buying a Hitzer, have two models in mind. One does 65k-75k BTU's and the other does 100k-125k BTU's.
Our main floor is 2400+ sq ft. It is laid out with three bedrooms on one side down a hall and one bedroom on the other end of the house...
I know you can't give definitive answers, but should we worry about heating the aux. rooms?
I guess I don't want to "overheat" the main area in order to get some heat to the bedrooms...
One salesperson said it is better to get a larger fire in a smaller unit than the reverse. But what if we had a larger fire in a larger unit? Would that help use get heat to the other rooms? Or would it burn us out of the main area?

At the end of the day, should we just use the square footage of the main open area to calculate the stove size? Or should we use the entire main floor square footage when buying?

With coal you can generally run the stove pretty low without issue so I really wouldn't worry about going with the larger unit

 

[begreen]

For more even heat in the house put a table or box fan at the far end of the hallway, placed on the floor, pointing toward the woodstove. Run it on low speed. It will blow the cooler air down low, toward the stove. The denser cool air will be replaced with lighter warm air from the stove room. Running this way you should notice at least a 5F increase in the hallway temp after about 30 minutes running.

If there is a basement this might be possible to set up using a ducted system. Look up Moving the Heat threads in this forum for suggestions.

 

[newheatcoalwood]

For more even heat in the house put a table or box fan at the far end of the hallway, placed on the floor, pointing toward the woodstove. Run it on low speed. It will blow the cooler air down low, toward the stove. The denser cool air will be replaced with lighter warm air from the stove room. Running this way you should notice at least a 5F increase in the hallway temp after about 30 minutes running.

If there is a basement this might be possible to set up using a ducted system. Look up Moving the Heat threads in this forum for suggestions.

We are thinking of how this unit would run if the power was out and how it would all disapate in that environment... That situation is at the heart of our purchase decision.

 

[begreen]

The house layout doesn't sound ideal for heat distribution. It will be hot at the core and cool in the bedrooms based on the description, the far bedrooms being the coldest. Is the ceiling height fairly conventional or is there a cathedral ceiling?

 

[newheatcoalwood]

The house layout doesn't sound ideal for heat distribution. It will be hot at the core and cool in the bedrooms based on the description, the far bedrooms being the coldest. Is the ceiling height fairly conventional or is there a cathedral ceiling?

There is a cathedral in the room next to where the furnace will go, the rest is flat. The room with the cathedral is maybe 15' by 20' and the cathedral might be 14' at the peak.

 

[bholler]

We are thinking of how this unit would run if the power was out and how it would all disapate in that environment... That situation is at the heart of our purchase decision.

It's a space heater. You aren't going to get even heat distribution through a house without fans especially with a cathedral ceiling.

 

[newheatcoalwood]

It's a space heater. You aren't going to get even heat distribution through a house without fans especially with a cathedral ceiling.

So the answer is to get a unit sized to heat the open area around the stove, and don't worry about heating the aux rooms in a situation without power (where fans can't be used to assist in distributing the heat).

 

[bholler]

So the answer is to get a unit sized to heat the open area around the stove, and don't worry about heating the aux rooms in a situation without power (where fans can't be used to assist in distributing the heat).

Possibly. You also need to figure in the fact that the square footage you are trying to heat isn't equal to what is specified because the specified square footage is for 8' ceilings.

 

[newheatcoalwood]

Possibly. You also need to figure in the fact that the square footage you are trying to heat isn't equal to what is specified because the specified square footage is for 8' ceilings.

Right, but I need to dance with the partner I brought.
Growing up, we lived for a year in a 16x20 cabin with a vaulted ceiling and a loft, I slept in the loft, it was always toasty up there... and smoky, I smelled like beef jerky for a couple years...
The stove was an OLD Earth stove. big heavy sucker. I'm sure it was terribly inefficient by today's standards.

 

[stoveliker]

On the other hand, you can buy a stove larger than what that one space needs, and have fans for when you want heat elsewhere. And build smaller fires to not overheat when you don't.

Or you buy a stove with a large turndown capability.

 

[bholler]

Right, but I need to dance with the partner I brought.
Growing up, we lived for a year in a 16x20 cabin with a vaulted ceiling and a loft, I slept in the loft, it was always toasty up there... and smoky, I smelled like beef jerky for a couple years...
The stove was an OLD Earth stove. big heavy sucker. I'm sure it was terribly inefficient by today's standards.

Probably more efficient than a Hitzler burning wood.

 

[newheatcoalwood]

and have fans for when you want heat elsewhere.

At the heart of all this, is trying to decide on the right stove if power was out and fans where not available.

 

[newheatcoalwood]

Probably more efficient than a Hitler burning wood.

Do you dislike Hitzer stoves for many reasons, or is it more personal dislike? Do you dislike them for coal, too? Is there a reason? A full service local chimney sweep company recommended them to us, says he installs quite a few and gets many people that speak highly of them.

 

[bholler]

Do you dislike Hitzer stoves for many reasons, or is it more personal dislike? Do you dislike them for coal, too? Is there a reason? A full service local chimney sweep company recommended them to us, says he installs quite a few and gets many people that speak highly of them.

They are fantastic coal stoves. They are not wood stoves at all. Coal stoves are horrendously inefficient at burning wood. But I have absolutely nothing against them when they are used with the fuel they were designed for

 

[newheatcoalwood]

Coal stoves are horrendously inefficient at burning wood. But I have absolutely nothing against them when they are used with the fuel they were designed for

Coal will be our primary fuel source for sure, the discussion about wood as an option is a last resort... We do not have a woods or anything to easily get wood, but our neighbor said he would love to have a wood cutting buddy and he finds free wood all summer when the farmers are clearing areas.

 

[begreen]

There is a cathedral in the room next to where the furnace will go, the rest is flat. The room with the cathedral is maybe 15' by 20' and the cathedral might be 14' at the peak.

Furnace? Is that the area where the stove will be located? If so, ceiling fans will be a necessity. Without them running, hot air is going to pocket up near the roof peak, while it feels cooler at floor level.

 

[newheatcoalwood]

Furnace? Is that the area where the stove will be located? If so, ceiling fans will be a necessity. Without them running, hot air is going to pocket up near the roof peak, while it feels cooler at floor level.

I meant stove, no idea why I typed furnace. Yes, that is the most central location.