stove upgrade

[brule1]

Need to replace my hearthstone 2 wood stove.I live in northern vermont and try to run the stove almost 24/7.I also have a force air oil furnace,which I LIKE TO KEEP AT 65 TO 70.The house is a average size farm house with the normal problems of this type of home,which is still in the fix up stage.My two options I am looking at are both hearthstones,the manfield and the phenix.My hearth pad will be good for the phenix but to small for the mansfield.Also the stove will be in a area in which we spend alot of evenings relaxing since we do not have tv,our sitting area will be only a few feet away from the stove,which is fine with our hearthstonr 2.My feelling is that if we were to go with the mansfield it might get to hot to spend time in this area.Need help

 

[suematteva]

Hello Brule,

Welcome to the forum..another vermonter(rutvegas) and mansfield user..

How big is the house and the room it is in?

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

I like the full soapstone boxes my self, The phoneix is 60K btu's and the Mansfield is 80K. What about the heratige? is the side load clearacne messin you up with your hearthpad? If i had a option, i woulndt pick a stove witha comsumable part like firebrick, if my other choice within the same manufacure didnt use firebrick. THe phoneix is the only stove hearthstome makes that has firebrick. But, the phoenix heats up faster.. so there is pros and cons to all the models.

 

[Roospike]

Yes , Would need to know more about the lay out of the room the stove is in . Open ? 2 story ? stove by the stairs ? stove in the middle of the house ? far end of the house on the far wall ?

 

[brule1]

The house is two floors,the second floor has floor ducts from furnace in each room,the upstairs stays nice and warm ,the only exception is when it drops to 25 below and more,then we just add a lay of clothing like most vermonter who live in a house that was built around 1845.The stove will be located at the back of the house in a area which is about 9feet by 14 and getting larger.The main floor is a open concept ,very roomy.Sorry I dont know the axact square footage.Also the house is not completely air tight yet,still a few draft,s but very comfertable.

 

[suematteva]

Brule,

Our Mansfield is about 20 miles over the quebec border from Richford..Two years ago remember we had that cold snap, we were -35,,so I hear ya!

Ours is in a basement install, well insulated, house is pretty tight, and the sq ft is 1800,1900 ranch..running 24/7...Hearthstone says mansfield good upto 2500-3000 sq ft? We used to have a big french canadian M1 abrams stove that made the mansfield almost look small..

Wood consumption went down 30 percent..going from non epa stove to non cat secondary burn system made big efficiency improvement. and the stove room is comfortable now..

Been a while since i seen the H2 but that is non epa approved? The mansfield is physically bigger?

 

[brule1]

Good day everyone,beautiful afternoon here in vermont.Talked to sales person at stove shop that carrys hearthstone in vermont,we both came to conclusion that the mansfield might be a little over powering for were our stove is presently and we do not wish to change the spot.So this has me thinking the PHOENIX is the way to go,but the HERITAGEis also a option.Ant thoughts.Brule

 

[Rhone]

I don't like the idea of the Phoenix. If you'll be next to it and wanting it to heat a lot of area, the Heritage is the same size but all soapstone. It will buffer the heat better, gorgeous year round, has a bigger firebox, and the Heritage is one of Hearthstone's most useful and versatile stoves. If you'll be sitting right next to it the Heritage is a wiser choice.

 

[Steve Rea]

There is nothing better that sitting around a real wood fire, but why limit yourself to a stove? There are a number of very competent fireplaces that will heat your entire home. Some of these units can be tied into your furnace system and you will get the benefit of heating remote parts of your home, something that is difficult to do with a wood stove. A fireplace can be finished with a large variety of materials and actually increases the property value because it’s built in. I am biased, but RSF builds units that hit a range of price points, offer features a wood stove can’t match, are clean burning, have large viewing areas and can get heat into places that would be tough to do with a wood stove. Fuel for thought....

 

[brule1]

Thanks Rhonemas for your input,when we decided to buy a new stove over rebuilding our hearthstone 2 we wanted to increase the btu,s produced,as well buy a stove that was better for the enviroment.Looks like the pros and cons balance out between the stoves I am looking at.Does this sound right?Fireaddict we also have a fire place that we do not use,we plan on installing a gas incert donw the road,which is in the center of the house,this might compensate for the lack of heat produced by not buying the biggest hearthstone stove.Does this make any sense.Brule

 

[DonCT]

The Heritage is a very good stove as Rhonemas said. Good average size, but performs very well.

I'm sure others can give more input on their recommendations.

 

[Rhone]

Both the Heritage & Phoenix are 73% efficient, I think you're looking at the max btu's which is like judging a unit by it's top speed. [url ="http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/wscompha.htm"]This site shows it pretty well.[/url] If you notice, the Phoenix has a higher MAX btu's, but the Heritage has a higher AVERAGE btu's/hr. That means the Phoenix can heat up faster but over the burn the Heritage puts more heat into the living area. If you want to quickly heat the place then the Phoenix is okay, but you'll be sitting right next to it and you have a good chance of being roasted while doing it. If your goal is to burn 24/7 and be comfortable sitting next to it, the Heritage puts out more btu's into the living area/hr and does it more comfortably than the Phoenix, just means you'll be more comfortable around it and the Heritage will heat your house a little better.

 

[Todd]

I would just ignore the BTU differences, they don't mean anything in the real world. I don't think you will notice much of a difference between the Phoenix or the Heritage unless you run them full blast all the time. Most people burn on low to medium. My old Homestead had alot of cast iron like the Phoenix, but had plenty of soapstone to balance out the heat. I never got roasted out of the small room it was in. I would buy the one you like the looks of best.

 

[brule1]

Thanks to every one who sent me input.Just want to let you all know I am the owner of a new hearthstone,we bought the phoenix.We bought it last friday so we bet the increase,plus ten percent of the retail price.Can not wait to start burning.Brule

 

[Roospike]

Thanks to every one who sent me input.Just want to let you all know I am the owner of a new hearthstone,we bought the phoenix.We bought it last friday so we bet the increase,plus ten percent of the retail price.Can not wait to start burning.Brule

Congrads ......... enjoy your new stove , you got in on a good price and a good stove .