some stoves have a bypass (Avalon, Lopi and VC) along with an air intake lever. Both play a role in starting a fire, reloading. And some do not have a bypass (Jotul and Enerzone). Why do some have bypass and others do not? Advantage or disadvantage?
stove bypass
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Excellent question, Netmouse! You have provided most of the answer. . .it helps with starting and reloading. Bypassing the restrictive secondary burn baffle/plumbing gives the exhaust a straight shot up the flue for better draft when things have cooled off, draft has slowed, and it's time to reload. I've pointed this out a few times when folks whine about cat stoves having an extra lever to operate. "It's a good thing." 
(People pay extra to get this feature on a Lopi.)
(People pay extra to get this feature on a Lopi.)
On some stoves the bypass is to ease starting. On others it's essential to its operation, much like shifting gears. On cat stoves the bypass is to allow the stove to get up to temperature before engaging the cat. On downdraft stoves it serves a similar purposed. These afterburners need hot flue gases to operate efficiently. And on top loading stoves the bypass is to prevent you from getting a snootfull of smoke when reloading.
As BeGreen mentioned (my stove is fairly deep) it will help prevent smoke from rolling when reloading, you open the bypass and smoke goes up it instead of up the front and over the baffle.
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Yes, use of a bypass is not optional on cat stoves. . .necessary to avoid gunking up the cat before it's hot enough to light off and burn the gunk. Still true that the bypass helps with draft. Being required doesn't mean that it's not a good thing. Let's not pretend like a bypass is only useful for cats and downdraft stoves. You have observed that some non-cat stoves, like the Isle Royale, are more "easy-breathing" than others, and therefore less sensitive to draft problems. I think having a bypass on more stoves would address many draft issues that are now addressed by swapping stoves.
Most of the drafting issues are flue related. Replacing the stove is usually the last resort. The remedy depends on the installation. Often it just requires waiting a few weeks until it gets colder. In other cases it may be remedied by adding a length of pipe or eliminating some 90 deg. turns. In others it may take insulating the liner.
FWIW, almost all stove replacements we have seen are for more heat or longer burns.
FWIW, almost all stove replacements we have seen are for more heat or longer burns.
netmouse said:
I vaguely remember having this discussion several years ago. Are you still nursing the old Defiant along? Describe the current flue setup from stove to chimney cap.
I burn in two different non-cat steel stoves...a big Lopi Liberty which has a bypass, and a smaller Century shop stove which does not. While I really like having the bypass on the Liberty, and always use it, I don't really miss having one on the Century. I don't have any trouble with firestarting or reloading with either stove...very rarely even a whiff of smoke spillage. I attribute this to good draft in both flues. If the system is put together intelligently, I wouldn't call a bypass a deal-maker/deal-breaker in a non-cat stove. Rick
Yeah, I'm not saying it should be a deal braker, just that it would be nice to see a bypass on more stoves. BG, yes, Nonprophet swapping the Oslo for the Isle Royale was a rare case, but some other Oslo owners did add that they had experienced draft issues. I'm just saying that if the stove had a bypass, allowing more flexibility in its operation, maybe he would not have felt the need to swap, and maybe others would not need to wait as long for colder weather, etc. to get enough draft. Netmouse, I believe that more mfrs do not use a bypass so that their dealers can point to the stove and say,"Look, only ONE lever! Any idiot can operate this stove!"
Besides the flue, it is also influenced by the stove design. It would be an additional and unnecessary expense to add a bypass to many stoves. For example, we had the F400 prior to the T6. The Castine has a shallow firebox and a big wide door. One had to be careful in mild weather to open the door very slowly or there could be some smoke spillage. Part of this was my lack of knowledge about the stove. I wanted rear exit to bring it forward on the hearth to increase side clearances. The stove would have vented better if it was top vented. Contrast this to the T6 with a nice deep firebox. We get almost no spillage with the T6 in spite of there now being an offset in the flue (to align with the flue setup for the Castine rear vent.) I'm glad the T6 doesn't have a bypass. It's one less thing to forget. And I already have an ashpan that I never use.
BeGreen said:
Boy, you are good. Yes, each Fall I keep trying to make a decision, and the Defiant really can't be used any longer. With few stores, the choice seems down to Jotul, Avalon/Lodi or new here this year the Enerzone (VC is at this store also). Each has an issue that has stopped me and I've a big scar on my forehead from repeatedly smashing it against a wall. I've read a lot of posts here.
Well, consider yourself lucky, all good choices. FWIW, I haven't heard a bad word about the big Enerzone.
I guess we're all entitled to our preferences, BG. Like some folks say about having a stove that is "too big," I would rather have the (bypass) capability and not need it, than need it and not have it. Of the stove mfrs listed, I'd probably go with a Lopi/Avalon with a bypass. . .or maybe a VC 2n1, if they offered me a generous discount to try their relatively new stove. If you don't like anything available locally, you could do mail-order. www.chimneysweeponline.com www.woodstove.com is having a particularly good sale.
Den said:
I can't do mail order. I'm a little old lady who could never hook up a stove. Well, a tall strong Jersey Girl who hauls wood in from the backyard in a snow storm, but that is it. I mean, Jersey Girls don't pump gas, either (well, we are one of the few states with it outlawed and you should hear the uproar when the legislators suggest changing that).
I use my bypass. It's great during startup and reloading. That said, if I were buying a stove today, it wouldn't be a deal-breaker. It's a bonus, not a necessity.
Sure ya can, Jersey Girl! Just hire a local chimney sweep to do the install. People can say what they like about Jersey, but the last time I was there, NJTP offered the best deal in the mid-Atlantic on petrol. Woohoo!
Like I said, you have good choices locally. Any one of those stoves are good. While at the Jotul dealer, also look at the new Rangeley stove. It offers top loading and ... a bypass. But don't let that stop you from looking at the F600 which is a good replacement for the Defiant.
Oslo owner here . . . only time I have any problem with the draft is during the shoulder season . . . no bypass to open, but opening a nearby window a crack until the fire gets going works pretty well and easily enough.
!BeGreen and all - I made my decision. After 3 years of exploring, getting some great feedback here. Whew. Done. This forum was really helpful as well for my decision on insulating my old house last year - again after 3 years of exploring. I guess 3 is the magic number.
I've ordered the enerzone Solution 3.4 - that is the firebox size, it is huge, and very air tight. The warranty (titled "Best in Class Warranty") is stepped up now, lifetime for welds (combustion box), ceramic glass, secondary burn tubes, plating. The fan blower is included in their very competitive price. There are some attractive door overlay molding choices, so for a really big box it is a nice looking stove. Their 2011 brochure is a gem to read. Also great inserts and pellet stoves, the largest is marketed as the closest you can get to a furnace.
Thanks, everyone.
I've ordered the enerzone Solution 3.4 - that is the firebox size, it is huge, and very air tight. The warranty (titled "Best in Class Warranty") is stepped up now, lifetime for welds (combustion box), ceramic glass, secondary burn tubes, plating. The fan blower is included in their very competitive price. There are some attractive door overlay molding choices, so for a really big box it is a nice looking stove. Their 2011 brochure is a gem to read. Also great inserts and pellet stoves, the largest is marketed as the closest you can get to a furnace.
Thanks, everyone.
The Jotul 600 would be an excellent choice, except the side door is on the right which is the wrong side for me as it is against a wall. My old Defiant has the door on the left, but the new Defiant has it on the right so I can't get a new Defiant as my chimney sweep did. And here the 600 is more expensive than the larger solution 3.4 (which is priced similar to the medium stoves like Jotul 500 and medium size Avalon/Lopi's). The most expensive stove in this area for stoves I researched is the large Avalon Olympic. Price may be in part how the individual stores price stoves.
The Jotul Rangley is a similar size as the Jotul 500, and I am going for a bigger stove. Rangley's advantage would be the bypass and any preference for steel versus cast iron.
About Avalon/Lopi - the store here has a price that is high - The Olympic is well above what my sister paid in NY state a year ago and was the highest priced stove of all I priced. It may be because the people at the store sell on commission and they are not the same people I saw last year, which made me nervous. At the other area stores, you talk to the store owner and the stores have been there many years.
The Jotul Rangley is a similar size as the Jotul 500, and I am going for a bigger stove. Rangley's advantage would be the bypass and any preference for steel versus cast iron.
About Avalon/Lopi - the store here has a price that is high - The Olympic is well above what my sister paid in NY state a year ago and was the highest priced stove of all I priced. It may be because the people at the store sell on commission and they are not the same people I saw last year, which made me nervous. At the other area stores, you talk to the store owner and the stores have been there many years.
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