Been looking online for a BTU calculator but they all seem to be for sizing stoves to a room and not a house! I have a century old 2 storey sea captain's house with lots of big windows. Blown in insulation in the walls and all new windows within 2 years. I also have high ceilings (9 and 9.5 foot). With higher ceilings and many windows I don't know how much greater heating capacity I need. House is around 2300 sq ft.
Sizing wood stove properly
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The right way to do it is do a heat loss calculation for the house splitting it up room by room. The problem is dependent on the interior layout heat may not go where you need it so its judgement call on how much stove you can put in one area and get the heat spread around.
Lot to be said for a properly designed wood boiler as you can put the heat where you need it
Lot to be said for a properly designed wood boiler as you can put the heat where you need it
ratsrepus
Minister of Fire
I had two different wood furnaces, and they work well, but make sure you have lots of wood, they like to be fed. My wood consumption got cut in half with a free standing stove
With what you described I'd go for the biggest beast of a stove I could find (large old house in Canada with tons of windows)!
You can install a hot water coil in your forced air ductwork. People do this intentionally. Not saying you should but you could.
My thinking as well, at 2300 sq ft I know of a stove for sale that is rated for 3000 and was leaning towards that.
This is big stove territory if the heat can circulate around the house well. How open is the floorplan and stairwell?
Your house sounds similar to ours in size, age, insulation and windows. We have a 3 cu ft stove with an open floorplan and stairwell.
It is a centre hall plan with hallways up and down of just under 6 feet wide so plenty of space to move heat and I have a ceiling fan to install upstairs. Old photo before the windows updated.
![[Hearth.com] Sizing wood stove properly](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/234/234203-695cc15ce715133965fa139d2a7843ab.jpg?hash=t9wc45aRo2 "[Hearth.com] Sizing wood stove properly")
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Go big, or go home, applies here.
I've got 2000 SF, and wish at times, I had gone bigger with both stoves.
I've got 2000 SF, and wish at times, I had gone bigger with both stoves.
I have a pellet stove now but just not big enough to heat far reaches of the upstairs. I like it warm and my wife is from Texas so she really likes it warm. The living/dining areas are connected by pocket doors and each room would be around 13 x 14 is my guess. All the rooms are large.
![[Hearth.com] Sizing wood stove properly](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/234/234206-ce89f2a2860187616b01445fc6c95353.jpg?hash=ytf6-dO694 "[Hearth.com] Sizing wood stove properly")
Years ago the original VC Defiant was the default choice for big old homes. Still a nice fit if you can find one with a two piece back and in good condition.
If your budget allows, I'd go new, but that's me.
What about a NC-30
(broken link removed to https://heatredefined.com/collections/englander/products/englander-1-800-2-400-sq-ft-wood-stove)
What about a NC-30
(broken link removed to https://heatredefined.com/collections/englander/products/englander-1-800-2-400-sq-ft-wood-stove)
I am looking new but will buy used if a good deal for a great stove. The englander is 2400 sq ft top end and with my old house I worry I will need extra. It isn't a cold house but it does have high ceilings and granite/stone foundation.
AlbergSteve
Minister of Fire
Great-looking house and pocket doors! Do you know anything about the sea captain?
A friend in CT has a sea captain out of Mystic, CT as an ancestor. I mentioned he should go to Mystic Seaport and ask the archivist help him learn about the captain.
A friend in CT has a sea captain out of Mystic, CT as an ancestor. I mentioned he should go to Mystic Seaport and ask the archivist help him learn about the captain.
I haven't much info on the captain, just that he was on a fishing boat so likely a schooner. I do have the family name so hope to learn more. Its important to know what kind of captain he was here as where I live was a major spot for smuggling rum during prohibition era and Al Capone is said to have visited the local hotel more than once during his heyday.
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