thoughts on papa bear stove
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Yes, that's a good deal on a papa, yes it will burn all night, if it doesn't heat that sized house, you are leaving the windows open.
That said, I hope you have a big wood pile. They heat great, but they use wood. Also, especially the first year, if you choose to go this route make sure you are running that brush through the chimney regularly (as in monthly) until you get a handle on the creosote situation.
pen
That said, I hope you have a big wood pile. They heat great, but they use wood. Also, especially the first year, if you choose to go this route make sure you are running that brush through the chimney regularly (as in monthly) until you get a handle on the creosote situation.
pen
i have roughly 3-4 cored of wood now and im getting a few more loads before snow fall, my 18-tr is a good stove but too small id rather open a window cause its too warm than struggle to keep the house warm
My friend has a Old Mill step stove - I believe its fairly similar to the Papa in size. He has a typical sized ranch style house. He heats with it from the basement. That thing throws off nuclear heat - however he still has to have a box fan blowing towards the stairwell to the upstairs. That equals a basement temp in the 90's and the upstairs around 68F in the cold weather (we're both just north of boston).
Heating from the basement is tough. His basement is concrete blocks - not insulated.
His cats have moved from the first floor to the basement couch opposite the stove.
Heating from the basement is tough. His basement is concrete blocks - not insulated.
His cats have moved from the first floor to the basement couch opposite the stove.
i have vents threw the floor my small 18-tr was making the basement about 80 my bedroom above the stove was 72 and the far side of the house was 66-68 the guy im getting the papa bear from says he used to heat his 2 story house with it the problem he had was the finshed basement was 90 the first floor was 85 the top floor was 70 he seems to think it will be too much stove for my house
If you're heating two 996 sf. floors, 1992 sq. feet is fine for the Papa with 1970 or 80's insulation and windows. You won't need to burn it hard. Llke Pen says, watch the creosote since you will likely be burning smaller fires than optimum hot ones for cleaner burning.
They were advertised to heat "approx. 2000 sf." Other Fisher literature recommends that model for "up to 2250" or "1750 to 2250". No BTU ratings were given.
I've often wondered about a stack of firebrick in the back to take up space, and make the firebox area about the size of a Mama. 24 inch logs would fit easily, and It would keep the fire forward, away from the outlet.
Papa and Mama both will have plenty of coals in the morning, and you learn to pull the coal bed ahead near the door where it will burn to ash. If you load the stove in the morning without pulling it ahead, the deep coal bed will build up, and take up the room for loading. Sooner or later, you will need to wait for it to burn down to ash to empty. By removing the ash in the front in the morning, then pulling the coals ahead before loading, you can burn 24/7 without a huge pile of glowing coals. I've waited until 3 PM the next day on warmer winter days to rake it forward and throw kindling on from the fire the night before. That was a Mama Bear with less wood than you will be using if you fill it.
400 to 500 is the normal price around here in NE PA. for any condition Papa.
They were advertised to heat "approx. 2000 sf." Other Fisher literature recommends that model for "up to 2250" or "1750 to 2250". No BTU ratings were given.
I've often wondered about a stack of firebrick in the back to take up space, and make the firebox area about the size of a Mama. 24 inch logs would fit easily, and It would keep the fire forward, away from the outlet.
Papa and Mama both will have plenty of coals in the morning, and you learn to pull the coal bed ahead near the door where it will burn to ash. If you load the stove in the morning without pulling it ahead, the deep coal bed will build up, and take up the room for loading. Sooner or later, you will need to wait for it to burn down to ash to empty. By removing the ash in the front in the morning, then pulling the coals ahead before loading, you can burn 24/7 without a huge pile of glowing coals. I've waited until 3 PM the next day on warmer winter days to rake it forward and throw kindling on from the fire the night before. That was a Mama Bear with less wood than you will be using if you fill it.
400 to 500 is the normal price around here in NE PA. for any condition Papa.
If it has been sitting without firing quite a while, the bricks will absorb moisture from the atmosphere and it takes quite a while burning to evaporate them dry. It makes a big difference and sometimes takes a fire or two if it has been stored someplace damp or outdoors covered up.
Also, the chimney is the engine that drives the stove. No stove will work well with a poor drafting chimney, or one that has openings into it allowing indoor air to cool the inside killing the draft. Do you have an inline exhaust damper? Nothing else connected to chimney? Is there a baffle plate in the stove? (not required but makes a big difference in smoke output)
Don't worry about your $200. I am 271 miles away, 4 hours and 50 minutes. I can be there before it cools down. Cash in hand, and you can watch me remove it from your basement.
Also, the chimney is the engine that drives the stove. No stove will work well with a poor drafting chimney, or one that has openings into it allowing indoor air to cool the inside killing the draft. Do you have an inline exhaust damper? Nothing else connected to chimney? Is there a baffle plate in the stove? (not required but makes a big difference in smoke output)
Don't worry about your $200. I am 271 miles away, 4 hours and 50 minutes. I can be there before it cools down. Cash in hand, and you can watch me remove it from your basement.
Oldhippie
Minister of Fire
- Dec 18, 2011
- 570
Zach, my usual technique is the get the stove very hot, with the initial load of wood. then reload as the first load chars and is burning nicely so you've got a full hopper. At that point you can turn down the inlets to just keep that puppy cruising. If you've got a good draft it should warm the basement within the first load.
Is it generating a strong fire in the box?
i finily figured it out with all your help,thank you, and i got the house a toasty 75 upstairs and a killer 85 downstairs but i had a guy offer to double my money and i found a like new ashley from a friends house that is being foreclosed on for 75 bucks and it being christmas and me being poor i think im swapping one more time, i figure buy the stove for 200 sell for 400 and get a stove just as capable for 75 i cant complain and my kid will get spoiled from "santa"
Oldhippie
Minister of Fire
- Dec 18, 2011
- 570
You must be one BIG dude to be moving these woodstoves around like they're checkers on a checker board! LOL!
I hope the Ashley works out as well. I'm at 590 Piper if you want to stop by and say Hi sometime. It's marked on the mailbox.
Great that you are now in the "family is toasty" mode.
i turned the inlets at 2 turns closed the damper almost completely and just kept feeding it the bricks must have been wet it slowly just kepped getting hotter when it got the house around 72 i turned the inlets in a turn and stuffed it with wood and the house went to 75 and stayed there every 4 hours id throw a stick or 2 in it worked great. also im not small and i have a walk out basement if i didnt i wouldnt be swapping them. i actually moved 4 stoves saturday i sold my 18-tr sold my wooodstoker and got the fisher and moved some weird stove for my uncle. the ashley stove i think will be good and very easy its very much like my dads king circulator and that stove is really easy and effiant. if i wasnt going to pocket 325 on top of swapping i wouldnt do it
Oldhippie
Minister of Fire
- Dec 18, 2011
- 570
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