Trying to figure out how big of stove to buy

[madison]

Many stoves offer this option, but the experience of most is that this is used once or twice to justify buying the screen and then not used again. I wouldn't place it high on the importance list.

x2, I couldn't agree more, once you start heating with the stove you will have no interest in burning it like a fireplace.

x3 Even if either of my woodstoves had the option of "open door burning", I'd never use it. Rick

Out of curiosity, How do the stoves with a screen option, prevent over burning when using the screen with the door open? Do they all have a damper, if yes, doesn't the room then fill with smoke?

We briefly looked at the Bennington which I believe had this option but went with another stove without the screen.

 

[DBoon]

The Republic 1250 would probably be fine for you in Middle Tennessee. But the Republic 1750 would probably not be oversized either for "normally" cold days and give you a little more heat on colder days.

If your house is not well-insulated, I would go with the 1750.
If your windows are drafty, I would go with the 1750.
If you are burning softer woods, I would go with the 1750.

As far as overnight burns, I can't get my Lopi Answer (same as Republic 1250) to generate usable heat for 8 hours in an overnight burn, but I can get it to keep the temperature drop to something reasonable, and there are still embers in it after 8 hours for a relight (using hard maple).

On this site, there are hard-core 24/7 burners who will never use a drop of fuel oil, propane or natural gas under any circumstances, and there are people who are using wood to supplement 30-90% of their heating. If you know which of these types you plan to be, then that will help you sift through the advice and make the best choice for yourself.

I freely admit that I fall into the 2nd category, so my advice on stove size is usually contrary to those who recommend upsizing.

 

[firefighterjake]

I know it's small but seems a good price and since I'm not going to burn overnight, it might fit the task. What do you think?

You may not plan to burn overnight BUT when you start burning this will be something that you'll want to do rather quickly. I had a couple fires where I let the stove go cold in the fall, after that it was pretty much 24/7 burning till spring. It gets addicting rather quickly, dealing with building a fire daily will also get old fast. I planned on burning 24/7 "sometimes" when I got the stove but not for months on end like it worked out.

+1 . . . my original intent was only to burn on weekends and evenings in my effort to combat the high cost of heating oil . . . it didn't quite work out that way though . . . once I realized how easy it was to keep my home warm with wood I pretty much switched over to burning 24/7 . . . I think the change over took two days before I realized how much I liked saving money and watching the fire.

And +1 to starting new fires every day . . . the only time burning seems like a chore for me is typically in the Spring after a long season of burning and only a single fire is needed to take the chill out of the air . .. and even then I sometimes find my wife turning up the thermostat to the oil boiler since at that point she just wants some quick, easy heat. I think it's actually easier to be burning 24/7 rather than constantly building new fires and letting them go out.

 

[Swedishchef]

I know it's small but seems a good price and since I'm not going to burn overnight, it might fit the task. What do you think?

You may not plan to burn overnight BUT when you start burning this will be something that you'll want to do rather quickly. I had a couple fires where I let the stove go cold in the fall, after that it was pretty much 24/7 burning till spring. It gets addicting rather quickly, dealing with building a fire daily will also get old fast. I planned on burning 24/7 "sometimes" when I got the stove but not for months on end like it worked out.

+1 . . . my original intent was only to burn on weekends and evenings in my effort to combat the high cost of heating oil . . . it didn't quite work out that way though . . . once I realized how easy it was to keep my home warm with wood I pretty much switched over to burning 24/7 . . . I think the change over took two days before I realized how much I liked saving money and watching the fire.

And +1 to starting new fires every day . . . the only time burning seems like a chore for me is typically in the Spring after a long season of burning and only a single fire is needed to take the chill out of the air . .. and even then I sometimes find my wife turning up the thermostat to the oil boiler since at that point she just wants some quick, easy heat. I think it's actually easier to be burning 24/7 rather than constantly building new fires and letting them go out.

+10000
When I first bought my stove 1 year ago, I simply wanted to "make the odd fire in the basement to help with the heating bill". I had absolutely no intentions of burning more than 1-1.5 cords per year. That quickly changed. To the point that my wife now says "NO MORE WOOD! THE PAINT IS MELTING ON THE WALLS". I find it very primitive and enjoy being independant from utility companies. I always throw a load in the stove before going to bed and again when I get up. Working all day makes it hard to burn 24/7 but I always make a fire after work, every day.

Andrew

 

[begreen]

We heated with a small stove for a few years. But a week long power outage convinced me that 24/7 burning needs a larger firebox. I'd go for a 2 cu ft stove. It will give you a stove you can enjoy evenings and weekends for now. And it will have the ability to burn longer when you want or need it to.