What is the downside of getting a stove that heats up to 1600sf as opposed to one that heats up to 1300sf if in fact you are only trying to heat 1000sf? If it starts to get really hot in the area where the stove is located can't you simply close the damper and enjoy the fire without getting the heat output? I certainly don't want to be in a situation where I am opening windows ....
Sizing a stove
- Thread starter Jotulf3cb
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
Well, with today's EPA certified stoves you can't really just "close the damper" and lower the heat. Well, let me qualify that by saying that you can close off the primary air intake on them and perhaps smolder the fire, but since the stove will still allow in secondary combustion air you really can't just shut them down like the old air tight stoves. Today's stoves are designed to burn hot and to burn clean. If you want to have more refined control and a more "gentle" heat, look at soapstone and a catalytic stove, like the Woodstock Fireview.
madison
Minister of Fire
I think most would rather have to open their windows than replace a stove that is insufficient. If in doubt, size it up.
Take some time a read, or do a search for the many postings here on sizing a stove.
Take some time a read, or do a search for the many postings here on sizing a stove.
Mine puts out more heat when the primary air is shut down. I think the primary open pushes too much heat up the flue before it can be absorbed and radiated out of the stove.
Matt
Matt
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Yaron2 said:
Some of the best advice I got here before I bought my stove was to figure out the size stove I would need and then go up one size . . . as it turns out it was great advice.
The thing to remember is that the size/spacing figures thrown around by the stove manufacturers don't really take into consideration every one's particular needs. For example, I may have a 1,400 square foot house . . . but the manufacturer doesn't consider your house lay-out (open vs. closed construction), insulation (little to lots) or winter conditions (heavy snow/winds, lots of sub-zero days vs. little to no snow/wind, temps hovering around the freezing mark.)
If you go too small in size you risk not heating your area sufficiently and over taxing the stove.
If you size the stove at your exact spacing needs there is a chance you may over-tax the stove on those especially frigid days . . . this may be more of an issue especially for a poorly insulated home.
If you size too large you will either be building small, inefficient fires which will not last long or achieve secondary combustion as long or as well . . . or conversely you will be building too large of a fire and will be driven out of your house by the heat (or will be wasting the BTUS . . .. aka the firewood you took the time to cut up or buy as you will have to open your windows.)
And so, I tend to advise folks to figure out the spacing needs, carefully consider what their house is like (insulation and lay out) and their climate needs . . . and then go one size larger.
The problem with simply "closing the damper" is that if you're talking about the air control on a modern EPA stove, closing the damper (they don't close off the air completely) will actually increase the heat if you've already reached that temperature at which secondary combustion will occur. For example, on my stove I have the air all the way open when I'm getting the fire started -- a good part of the heat goes up the stack . . . the stove will heat up some. When I close the air control to halfway, the temp in the stack begins to fall and the stove temp begins to rise signficantly. Once the stove top temp is hot enough (400-600 degrees in my case) I can close the air control to a quarter to completely closed and the stove top temps really begin to climb as the light show begins.
- Status
Similar threads
