I'm thinking (again...it happens every couple years) about putting a stove inside my fireplace. I am considering a stove rather than insert for aesthetic reasons and because my hearth, though slate + 5-7" of concrete (tapered), is supported in the crawlspace by wood. I am assuming that something like the Jotuls with bottom heat shields will be OK without a hearth pad or hearth rebuild, and without concerns about mantle clearance and whatnot. But please correct me if I'm wrong. Firebox opening is 36w x 30h x 24d, so most small- or medium-sized stoves with short legs should fit OK.
Given that I'm aiming to keep the stove inside the fireplace opening, how would you size out a stove for this sort of application, in terms of BTU and firebox size:
1. Room - 15x30, 8' ceilings.
2. Airflow to remainder of house mediocre and not readily subject to structural improvement.
3. Mid-Michigan location, USDA zone 4a. November-March is main snow season.
4. 1930s house, little or no insulation, and original windows+storms. 1100 square feet, of which 350 square feet is finished upstairs bedroom.
5. Aiming for nightly/overnight and weekend burns. Primary goal is wintertime recreation + emergency heat. Might end up going 24/7, if work schedules become conducive to such.
6. Reasonable heating goals - we keep the house at 68* (main living area) which usually translates to 62-65* in the bedrooms. A few extra degrees would be nice, but not aiming for 80* temps in January. We turn the furnace down during the day while at work.
7. Fireplace is located in the center of the home, rather than on an outside wall, so any heat that gets absorbed by mass of the fireplace will not be lost to the outside.
