Time for new stove and need options

[Chas0218]

So I'm on my 2nd englander stove the wife and i love the thing but with only 4.5 years out of the firebox before it started cracking had me thinking about the future. We heat our large 2 story 3200 sq.ft. home completely with the England's Stove Works Summers Heat 50-SHSSW01. It does a great job and want to replace it with something similar with the large viewing window. Not sure if anyone has heard but englander is out of the stove game.

I have only a few stipulations for our new stove. Must have around a 2.5 cu.ft. firebox, large viewing window, non catalytic, and 6" flue.

Anyone have some recommendations?

 

[begreen]

Englander was bought by SBI, they are still in the game and selling stoves. SBI also makes Drolet stoves which are a viable alternative. Their Escape 1800 is around 2.4 cu ft. I would also look at their HT-3000 and the Legend III. Based on the house description and climate zone, a 3 cu ft stove shouldn't be too large.

 

[TomMcDonald]

So I'm on my 2nd englander stove the wife and i love the thing but with only 4.5 years out of the firebox before it started cracking had me thinking about the future. We heat our large 2 story 3200 sq.ft. home completely with the England's Stove Works Summers Heat 50-SHSSW01. It does a great job and want to replace it with something similar with the large viewing window. Not sure if anyone has heard but englander is out of the stove game.

I have only a few stipulations for our new stove. Must have around a 2.5 cu.ft. firebox, large viewing window, non catalytic, and 6" flue.

Anyone have some recommendations?

Shouldn't those cracks be covered by a warranty?

 

[Poindexter]

I had to google your town, but I agree with begreen a 3.0 cuft firebox is not unreasonable for your sqft in your location, and I wouldn't go any smaller than 3 cuft firebox unless all your kids are fully grown, established, and unlikely to move back home.

The vast majority of 3.0 cuft fireboxes are designed for a 6" chimney, I do not know of an exception to that rule.

Have you got at least one year of utility data to know how many BTUs you could think about replacing with a wood burner?

 

[armanidog]

You may be able to find an original used Englander 32 NC this spring .
But anyways they are still selling their stoves:
https://www.englander-stoves.com/us/en/heaters/wood-stoves/ . Not a bad price compared to other stoves.

 

[Chas0218]

Shouldn't those cracks be covered by a warranty?

The 1st stove was but once the 2nd stove cracks they wont warranty it again as far as I'm told. It's bound to happen with a steel stove that is bent into shape.

 

[begreen]

The 1st stove was but once the 2nd stove cracks they wont warranty it again as far as I'm told. It's bound to happen with a steel stove that is bent into shape.

It's not bound to happen. I have worked 30+yr old steel stoves that are still in good shape. And the classics forum is full of them from the 70's. Our steel stove is going on its 14th season.

 

[Chas0218]

Englander was bought by SBI, they are still in the game and selling stoves. SBI also makes Drolet stoves which are a viable alternative. Their Escape 1800 is around 2.4 cu ft. I would also look at their HT-3000 and the Legend III. Based on the house description and climate zone, a 3 cu ft stove shouldn't be too large.

Didn't realize they were continuing to build stoves, tried finding the model I have but i think they discontinued it. I currently have the England's Stove Works Summers Heat 50-SHSSW01. I will look into drolet, are they cat stoves? I don't mind going to a larger stove just can't really go much smaller.

I had to google your town, but I agree with begreen a 3.0 cuft firebox is not unreasonable for your sqft in your location, and I wouldn't go any smaller than 3 cuft firebox unless all your kids are fully grown, established, and unlikely to move back home.

The vast majority of 3.0 cuft fireboxes are designed for a 6" chimney, I do not know of an exception to that rule.

Have you got at least one year of utility data to know how many BTUs you could think about replacing with a wood burner?

We have a fairly open floor plan so the heat distributes nicely. Granted the stove room gets to around 76 but the rest of the house will be around 72 at its warmest. I would say around 80,000 btu stove fits the bill. Current stove I believe is 78,000 btu and a 2.4 cu.ft. firebox. I have the room to go larger and have a 6" triple wall chimney. I burn mostly 1 year dried ash all 20% moisture content or lower.

I have been looking at the Jotul F55 not settled on it yet but anything similar I'll look into as well. The drolet looks like a nice stove the escape 1800 or 2100 works fit the bill. That 2100 is a BIG stove. Lol

 

[Chas0218]

It's not bound to happen. I have worked 30+yr old steel stoves that are still in good shape. And the classics forum is full of them from the 70's. Our steel stove is going on its 14th season.

Are you talking plate steel or cast iron? This is 3/16 steel, the stove cracked where they work hardened it from welding.

 

[begreen]

Are you talking plate steel or cast iron? This is 3/16 steel, the stove cracked where they work hardened it from welding.

Plate steel. My error, I thought you had the 30-NC. The Summers Heat 50-SHSSW02 is not the same stove. We saw several reports of the door warping on this model and it often would overfire as a result. The 30-NC did not have these issues.

 

[bholler]

Are you talking plate steel or cast iron? This is 3/16 steel, the stove cracked where they work hardened it from welding.

There are many many 40+ year old plate steel stoves out there that have been in constant use. My father recently replaced his last quadrafire after 25 years. It developed cracks in the last couple years

 

[Poindexter]

@Chas0218 , I was asking if you know how much propane or electricity or boiler fuel or whatever was used last year.

I got no idea how thick your insulation is, or how good your air sealing is. You certainly could look for something similar to your outgoing Summer's Heat, I had previously missed the point that you are heating entirely with wood.

 

[cahaak]

A decent steel plate stove should not crack at all. But, ideally the whole entirety of the firebox is line with firebrick and ceramic insulation in remaining spaces (except for the top secondary air burn system). A correctly lined plate steel stove should not get that hot (steel, relatively speaking) when fired correctly. The firebox itself will be much hotter than most of the steel, although the top can certainly get 700F+. If you have had two stoves "crack", I would be concerned that you are not firing it correctly.

 

[begreen]

A decent steel plate stove should not crack at all. But, ideally the whole entirety of the firebox is line with firebrick and ceramic insulation in remaining spaces (except for the top secondary air burn system). A correctly lined plate steel stove should not get that hot (steel, relatively speaking) when fired correctly. The firebox itself will be much hotter than most of the steel, although the top can certainly get 700F+. If you have had two stoves "crack", I would be concerned that you are not firing it correctly.

This particular model did have an issue with warped doors leaking too much air into the firebox. This could be the cause of the cracks due to overheating in some areas.

 

[Rickb]

He might also be running the heck out of it to heat that much area. lol

 

[bholler]

He might also be running the heck out of it to heat that much area. lol

Yeah I have a feeling the stove is being pushed pretty hard

 

[begreen]

I was thinking a 3+ cu ft stove based on the description. That had me thinking he had the 30-NC.

 

[brickie]

Lopi Endeavor too small for you?
I have one and it’s pretty stout.

 

[begreen]

The Endeavor is a great stove, but I think it's undersized for this setup.