Still looking for new furnace....

[Chad_lew]

so closing on the new house Monday, and still have not decided on which furnace to go with. My choices have actually went up not down.... although the kuuma is not completely out of the running my main fear is it won’t keep up on the very cold nights and weeks we get here. Central Ohio with a well insulated 3000 sq ft home not counting basement. Next is the max caddy which I’m leaning more toward since today I found a deal at a dealer for $3650 out the door with all the accessories needed to run. However with this stove same issue minus price is I’m affraid it won’t keep up on extreme cold weeks. Last option is the ds stove kozy king 400, good price at 3350 and will put out more than enough heat and still has an efficient rating of just over 85%. However I feel this stove will use more wood than the other two and not quite the set it and forget it like the other two. Anyone have experience with the kozy king? Maybe compared heat output to the maxcaddy?

Also one final question is the max caddy has a rating called maximum input btu of around 400k btu and another btu rating of only around 67k can any one break this down for me? Also the Kozy king has a 205k btu where the kuuma has only a 30-40k btu rating can someone break these numbers down?

 

[brenndatomu]

Unless you can see light through the gaps in the walls in this house, I'd bet there won't be 7 days in 10 years that a Max wouldn't keep up...and a Kuuma pretty close to that too...is it really the end of the world if the fossil fuel furnace kicks on at 5 AM for 20 minutes, every couple years?
Ask @JRHAWK9 , he heats a big ole leaky cabin in central WI with a VF100...IIRC it is around 3000 SF too.
As far as the DS furnace...I'm throwin the BS flag on being 85% efficient.
And don't get too wrapped up in the numbers, that is one thing that has been a real PITA for years when it comes to wood heat appliances...most of 'em kinda pull these numbers out of their rear. Kuuma is the only one with any data to back up their claims...well, there may be some data on the Max now too since they ran it through the EPA test.
One thing to keep in mind is that the BTU numbers from a wood furnace will look lower than the numbers on a fossil fuel furnace (FFF)...the FFF only runs so many minutes per hour, but the wood furnace is putting out BTUs non stop until the load burns out...it does start out slow, then peaks out around 2 hours into a load, tapering off to the end, completely different than the on/off of a FFF...the house feels warmer even at the same temp just because with heat coming non stop the air the house doesn't get a chance to stratify warm/ceiling, cold/floor.

 

[laynes69]

You'll be surprised, even in the worst weather if you build correctly (have a blower test done before closing up the walls) and have adequate insulation you will not have an issue heating your home. There was a poster who lived in Minnesota that built a SIP home that was around 3500 square feet with good solar exposure. Even in the dead of winter he would fire his furnace and let it burn out. His home had a heat loss of under 30,000 btus an hour. I don't have an issue with our old Victorian and the smaller version of the Max Caddy. I ran our furnace 3 single cycles last winter.

 

[Chad_lew]

You guys are right. I think I was getting hung up on the fact that I’m spending this much money on a stove and it would still allow the furnace to kick on every now and again. But In reality if it runs a total of a few hours all winter long what’s that really matter to me.... as far as the ds numbers I was kind of figuring that just waiting for someone else to agree with me. So as i sit right now I think I’m gonna go with the max caddy I just can’t over look the guy who’s selling them for $3650 out the door. To cheap to pass up. Would really like a vf100 but just don’t see spending an extra $1500 now maybe later on down the road something will convince me to try it.

 

[brenndatomu]

I think I’m gonna go with the max caddy I just can’t over look the guy who’s selling them for $3650 out the door

I don't think you will be disappointed...the guy I bought my Tundra (Caddy) from liked it...but he loves the Max he replaced it with!
And if you eventually want to do a lil automation to it, click the link in my sig line...it will take you to the glossary for the big Tundra thread, which has the info you need to do what I and quite a few others here have done to "automate" our Tundra's...and the Max would be almost exactly the same to do...

 

[Chad_lew]

I don't think you will be disappointed...the guy I bought my Tundra (Caddy) from liked it...but he loves the Max he replaced it with!
And if you eventually want to do a lil automation to it, click the link in my sig line...it will take you to the glossary for the big Tundra thread, which has the info you need to do what I and quite a few others here have done to "automate" our Tundra's...and the Max would be almost exactly the same to do...

What’s there to automate? The way the sales rep explained it with the pc board it pretty much does everything as in I can’t control the draft or furnace fan just adjust the thermostat and walk away? Was I mislead?

 

[brenndatomu]

What’s there to automate? The way the sales rep explained it with the pc board it pretty much does everything as in I can’t control the draft or furnace fan just adjust the thermostat and walk away? Was I mislead?

No that about sums it up...and depending on their current configuration, it very well be the cats pajamas right outta the box...but if not, come back n see us...there are pretty easy/cheap fixes for these things
I probably mis-spoke when I said "automation"...they are automated...just need a lil fine tuning sometimes
There have not been too many people with the newer ones that have the control boards in them now report back in...so one can only assume they must work fine...because you know the old saying, if someone is happy with a product they will tell a couple people...if they are not happy then they will tell ten people...so you need to report back here with a review (and pics ) once you get 'er running!

 

[woodey]

You guys are right. I think I was getting hung up on the fact that I’m spending this much money on a stove and it would still allow the furnace to kick on every now and again. But In reality if it runs a total of a few hours all winter long what’s that really matter to me.... as far as the ds numbers I was kind of figuring that just waiting for someone else to agree with me. So as i sit right now I think I’m gonna go with the max caddy I just can’t over look the guy who’s selling them for $3650 out the door. To cheap to pass up. Would really like a vf100 but just don’t see spending an extra $1500 now maybe later on down the road something will convince me to try it.

I think you would be happy w/ either furnace. A few years ago I was looking into a new wood furnace and was torn between the VF100 and the Caddy. I decided on the Caddy as there is a distributor in my area and it was less expensive. I called the local dist. and asked if the Caddy would operate properly w/ my current chimney (38' inside masonry block chimney w/ 7x11 liner) and was told it would be fine. Before purchasing the Caddy I decided to call and talk to a company rep. and was told that It would not draft properly w/ my set up and would require a 6" SS liner. I called on the VF and was told it would work fine w/ my existing chimney, which it does. In my case it was less $$ to go w/ the VF than to put $$ into 40' of SS liner . Make sure the quote on the Caddy includes the blower motor.

 

[brenndatomu]

Yeah and Lamppa claims to have people in northern states heating 4k sq ft (+) with the VF100...I suppose it all come down to insulation and air sealing...

 

[JRHAWK9]

I'm heating an ~31,000 CF log cabin (32'x42' footprint, with basement, main level and loft) with my VF100. We have a 12/12 pitch roof with loft....means not a whole lot of insulation/airspace separates the heated envelope from the outside at the roof, where one would want a lot of insulation.

 

[LarryDix]

Have you purchased a new furnace? Choosing a good furnace from different furnace options is always difficult. I am also looking for different furnace options as my old furnace is not working properly. I will hire the furnace installation NJ for getting the furnace installed. Soon I will finalize a furnace and will get it installed.

 

[salecker]

I'm heating an ~31,000 CF log cabin (32'x42' footprint, with basement, main level and loft) with my VF100. We have a 12/12 pitch roof with loft....means not a whole lot of insulation/airspace separates the heated envelope from the outside at the roof, where one would want a lot of insulation.

I have a 12/12 pitch roof with R120 in it.It can be made efficient.