stove recomendation

[Wildbil]

Hello!
I have a split level that I heat from the basement. I'm heating 2400 sq. ft. I bought a Buck Stove Model 81 and altho it's a great stove, it doesn't heat near as well as our old stove. If I bank it w/some white oak or hickory it'll last on low almost 8 hours but it doesn't produce very much heat like that. And it really struggles when it's very cold outside, say 25 or less and especially if there's very much wind. I have an 8" flue w/a 6" thimble. Suggestions?
Thanks!

 

[begreen]

A 3.5 cu ft Drolet or Osburn stove would boost the firebox capacity by a full cu ft or about 41%.

What was in there prior to the Buck? How hot is it in the basement in order for the upstairs to be at 70º? How does the heat get upstairs from the basement. Are the basement walls insulated?

 

[Wildbil]

The previous stove was a wood circulator, with a guesstimated fire box size of around 4cubic foot. I had that stove for around 20+years and don't remember the brand name of it to be honest. To keep the upstairs at least 70 with the outside temps around 20-30 the basement temps would usually be around 75-80 degrees. The basement is unfinished with bare block walls but again, the old stove would have usuable heat coming up the steps in a few hours even if the basement was cold.

 

[kborndale]

The previous stove was a wood circulator, with a guesstimated fire box size of around 4cubic foot. I had that stove for around 20+years and don't remember the brand name of it to be honest. To keep the upstairs at least 70 with the outside temps around 20-30 the basement temps would usually be around 75-80 degrees. The basement is unfinished with bare block walls but again, the old stove would have usuable heat coming up the steps in a few hours even if the basement was cold.

Insulate the basement before you get a new stove. Heating the earth uses a lot of wood.

 

[stoveliker]

If you filled that 4 cu ft stove previously. How long were you able to heat with that? That gives you a measure in cubic ft of wood consumed per hour.
With that you can see what the highest rate is that the new Buck can provide heat (burn that wood). If that highest rate is significantly lower, you indeed won't get enough BTU per hour out of it for what you are used to.
(Yes, the efficiency of the Buck will be better, but this exercise will give you a rough estimate.)

Indeed, as mentioned above, insulating the basement will decrease your need for BTUs by 30 % or so (!).

 

[begreen]

The previous stove was a wood circulator, with a guesstimated fire box size of around 4cubic foot. I had that stove for around 20+years and don't remember the brand name of it to be honest. To keep the upstairs at least 70 with the outside temps around 20-30 the basement temps would usually be around 75-80 degrees. The basement is unfinished with bare block walls but again, the old stove would have usuable heat coming up the steps in a few hours even if the basement was cold.

In an unheated basement, up to a third of the heat generated (one cord in three burned) is heating up outdoors via the uninsulated walls. Insulate them and the Buck 81 may be able to heat the place well.

 

[Wildbil]

In an unheated basement, up to a third of the heat generated (one cord in three burned) is heating up outdoors via the uninsulated walls. Insulate them and the Buck 81 may be able to heat the place well.

Most of my basement is underground so I'd think that would help? I guess where these new stoves don't put out the BTU's they struggle. I've actually thought about selling my Buck and getting a non EPA stove again. At least they heat! Or I guess I'll save my pennies and get some lumber and insulate and finish those walls which would make the wife happy!

 

[kborndale]

Most of my basement is underground so I'd think that would help? I guess where these new stoves don't put out the BTU's they struggle. I've actually thought about selling my Buck and getting a non EPA stove again. At least they heat! Or I guess I'll save my pennies and get some lumber and insulate and finish those walls which would make the wife happy!

Most of the basement being underground makes it worse. It's quite difficult to warm the earth. When your walls and floors are in the 50s, it's much more difficult to get the air in the 70s.

 

[epontbriand]

We're using Bricks to heat, and they key for us is to just load it up. We're using half a bale at a time, much more going in than the small fires our neighbor has going with his pellets.

 

[begreen]

Most of my basement is underground so I'd think that would help? I guess where these new stoves don't put out the BTU's they struggle. I've actually thought about selling my Buck and getting a non EPA stove again. At least they heat! Or I guess I'll save my pennies and get some lumber and insulate and finish those walls which would make the wife happy!

This is an option, but insulating the walls will make a day and night difference. The choice is to burn more wood or burn smarter.