Hi, I'm new to wood stoves. My wife and I have a vacation rental and would like to install a freestanding woodstove. There is an existing brick chimney that the former owner had for a wood stove so it will be a through the wall installation. The wall is sheet rock. The room is about 600 sq ft. We want to install the stove partly for heating but more for atmosphere. We need it to be a releiable stove because it will be used mostly by vacationers who don't always treat vacation homes as nicely as they would their own and may not have a lot of experience with a wood stove. What brand/models would you recommend for this situation? Thanks for your help.
Stove for a Vacation Rental
- Thread starter JIm Hewitt
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Welcome Jim. The first thing you need to do is assert that the chimney is clean and safe to direct connect a stove to. Have a professional chimney sweep come out to check the chimney. He will check to see if the chimney is tile-lined or not and its condition. If the chimney is in great shape, the next thing to check is the inside dimension of the chimney. These factors will determine whether you need to put a stainless liner in the chimney for best stove performance. Many modern stoves are draft sensitive. They need a properly sized and height chimney to work well. How tall is this chimney?
A nice, sturdy small stove is the Morso 2110 if you are looking at cast iron stoves. If the budget is tight then take a look at the Englander 17VL. It's a good performer.
A nice, sturdy small stove is the Morso 2110 if you are looking at cast iron stoves. If the budget is tight then take a look at the Englander 17VL. It's a good performer.
clemsonfor
Minister of Fire
clemsonfor
Minister of Fire
I saw the 600 part. Go for the 13 or whatever small one is. You can always open the sliding door! 
A stove in small space will not be atmosphere. It will command attention depending how hot you keep it and for what length of time
Thanks guys. The living room and the open kitchen that is connected combine for a total of about 600 sq. ft. I was out looking at stoves and found one that might fit the bill. It is a True North.
(broken link removed to http://www.pacificenergy.net/truenorth/tn19.php) Any thoughts on this brand?
(broken link removed to http://www.pacificenergy.net/truenorth/tn19.php) Any thoughts on this brand?
I was going to suggest the True North. Nothing wrong with the Englander, but the R2.5 hearth can be a pain.
I would want something easy to control, and able to leave easy, simple, written instructions for. A supply of good, dry wood will also be a necessity. That way the users will be able to get it burning and settled in in a timely fashion. That may lessen the chances of being distracted and coming back to an over-firing stove.
Dry wood, by the way, is under 20% moisture content. The most reliable way to get it is to have it already split and stacked in the wide open since last year. Or three years ago for oak. Truly dry wood is almost impossible to buy. It is best to be a couple of years ahead on your fuel supply.
We are planning on renting our place, hopefully by next summer. I also hope it will be a year 'round thing, since it is really close to a good network of snowmobile trails. I'm still unsure if we will allow the stove to be used. Maybe if it is rented to someone we know.
Where is the place, anyway?
I would want something easy to control, and able to leave easy, simple, written instructions for. A supply of good, dry wood will also be a necessity. That way the users will be able to get it burning and settled in in a timely fashion. That may lessen the chances of being distracted and coming back to an over-firing stove.
Dry wood, by the way, is under 20% moisture content. The most reliable way to get it is to have it already split and stacked in the wide open since last year. Or three years ago for oak. Truly dry wood is almost impossible to buy. It is best to be a couple of years ahead on your fuel supply.
We are planning on renting our place, hopefully by next summer. I also hope it will be a year 'round thing, since it is really close to a good network of snowmobile trails. I'm still unsure if we will allow the stove to be used. Maybe if it is rented to someone we know.
Where is the place, anyway?
Welcome to the forum Jim.
Your comment:
That statement says a lot and for that very reason, I would be very hesitant to install a wood stove in a rental unit. And if you do install one, what are you going to use for fuel? Are you aware wood should be dried, anywhere from a year to 3 years depending upon the variety? For sure if you do, stay away from oak. The reason is that it takes so long to dry. If you intend on buying wood, good luck. That wood has a 99% chance that it is freshly cut and/or split which means it is not good to burn.
Good luck.
Your comment:
That statement says a lot and for that very reason, I would be very hesitant to install a wood stove in a rental unit. And if you do install one, what are you going to use for fuel? Are you aware wood should be dried, anywhere from a year to 3 years depending upon the variety? For sure if you do, stay away from oak. The reason is that it takes so long to dry. If you intend on buying wood, good luck. That wood has a 99% chance that it is freshly cut and/or split which means it is not good to burn.
Good luck.
fox9988
Minister of Fire
Good information folks. I am embarassed to say I have not checked with our insurance company. Doh. Our cabin is in Cle Elum Wa. Also near a lot of good snowmobiling. Maybe I'll get one of those electric fake flame one . Nah, just kidding. How easy is it to over heat and ruin a wood stove?
The reason we were considering wood is that we thought if we installed a gas one they would turn it on as soon as they check in and leave it on the whole time. That could be very expensive.
. Nah, just kidding. How easy is it to over heat and ruin a wood stove?The reason we were considering wood is that we thought if we installed a gas one they would turn it on as soon as they check in and leave it on the whole time. That could be very expensive.
Forgot to add: it is a one story house with an existing brick chimney for a wood burning stove. Wood should not be a problem. This is out in the country in a heavily wooded area. The thing about the wood available out here is that you have mostly pine trees of one kind or another. The creosote build up concerns me.
Creosote buildup is from burning green wood and/or poor burnng habits. The burning of pine doesn't contribute anything extra, unless that pine isn't dry.
If the chimney is short, I am wondering if the PE Super 27 would be better with the weaker draft.
It would be safer to have an electric fireplace for sure. It is pretty easy to run a stove poorly. Add drinking and you have no idea how that stove will be run. If you don't have wood already the odds of getting dry, seasoned wood now are slim. That usually spells creosote with a capital C. Personally I would pass on the stove for this year. With the short chimney, poor wood possibility, rental tenants, etc. you could be asking for more problems than it's worth. Contact the insurance company and see what they think.
Good information folks. I am embarassed to say I have not checked with our insurance company. Doh. Our cabin is in Cle Elum Wa. Also near a lot of good snowmobiling. Maybe I'll get one of those electric fake flame one
The reason we were considering wood is that we thought if we installed a gas one they would turn it on as soon as they check in and leave it on the whole time. That could be very expensive.
It would be safer to have an electric fireplace for sure. It is pretty easy to run a stove poorly. Add drinking and you have no idea how that stove will be run. If you don't have wood already the odds of getting dry, seasoned wood now are slim. That usually spells creosote with a capital C. Personally I would pass on the stove for this year. With the short chimney, poor wood possibility, rental tenants, etc. you could be asking for more problems than it's worth. Contact the insurance company and see what they think.
clemsonfor
Minister of Fire
If all u have is softwood there is a chance that it will be dry of I cut standing dead!
teutonicking
Feeling the Heat
How easy is it to over heat and ruin a wood stove?
The reason we were considering wood is that we thought if we installed a gas one they would turn it on as soon as they check in and leave it on the whole time. That could be very expensive.
For someone who doesn't know what they are doing (like most of your renters) it is very easy. Even if 9/10 of your renters gets it right, it only takes one person to ruin your stove. I just think this is a really bad idea.
The reason we were considering wood is that we thought if we installed a gas one they would turn it on as soon as they check in and leave it on the whole time. That could be very expensive.
For someone who doesn't know what they are doing (like most of your renters) it is very easy. Even if 9/10 of your renters gets it right, it only takes one person to ruin your stove. I just think this is a really bad idea.
Nick Mystic
Minister of Fire
I would never install a woodstove in a rental due to the reasons already stated. In fact, when my wife and I bought a new home about ten years ago we decided to rent our old home for a couple of years before selling it. I had a woodstove in the house, but removed it before we rented it. Anyone who's been a member of the forum for any period of time knows how common it is for new wood burners to post problems they are having with their new stove, etc. These are problems encountered by people who just spent thousands of dollars installing a woodstove, so they have some motivation to learn how to properly heat with a stove. Weekend renters aren't likely to know what they are doing and big problems can result in minutes. All it takes is for someone to think it makes sense to use the stove to burn up some scrap paper they don't want to stuff in the trash can and you can have a chimney fire on your hands!
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