Trying to pick a stove to purchase

[krondalou]

Hello! Sounds like this place is the answer to my prayers...
I have a single story 567 soft house in the woods (yay!), it isn't insulated though I am working on that.
I am considering a PE Alderlea T4, VC Intrepid, or Jotul F3CB, all new from local fireplace store.
I have burned with wood in other places I lived (VC Defiant) but not much or enough to really understand all there is to understand about it.

One of my main desires (not in life but for wood stove) is to have minimal clearances as my living area is quite small. And also I obviously want the best stove I can possibly get with an affordable price tag (up to ~$2000).
I simply don't know enough and get confused by people saying different things about all the different stoves etc..
Any recommendations or advice is most welcome

I am also confused whether single or double walled pipe is best; is it worth paying double the amount for double or does it not make that much of a difference? The installer likes double wall because "You don't want your pipe to be heating your house, you want your stove to" thus installing single wall to get heat off of it, he thinks is silly.

I got a VC Resolute I for free, though I am deciding against it b/c the hearth pad and clearance requirements are insane and take up too much of my living space. Also the stove has some issues (small fixable hole, 3 of the flu collar screws are not budging, and I need to switch the 2 plates around to make the stove ready for a top installation rather than side, the other flue collar screw unscrewed but the iron lip where the screw end hits broke-does that make sense?)

 

[begreen]

MI gets very cold in the winter. If the place is uninsulated and the intent is to live in the house with this as the sole source of heat, go big.

 

[krondalou]

I have a furnace that runs on propane, so I would like to heat with wood primarily, but I do have the furnace option. I am slowly insulating the outside walls and have 2 porches on front and back that buffer some heat loss

 

[begreen]

How will you be depending on the stove? Running 24/7 or mostly supplemental on nights and weekends? Any plans on expansion or is this it?

 

[krondalou]

Not 24/7, b/c I will be gone at work 3-4 days a week, but I would like to use it as my heat source when I am home. So supplemental sounds like a good description.

 

[krondalou]

No real plans on making my house bigger

 

[begreen]

At first , in winter you are going to need all the heat you can get. As the house gets better insulated, it's going to be harder to not overheat the space, especially in milder weather, but you will figure it out by burning smaller and shorter fires. In very cold weather I think you'll be fine. If it gets too hot, open a window. Of the stoves listed the Alderlea T4 would be my choice for longer burn time and softer heat.

 

[Ashful]

On single vs double wall, this is a big deal when running very efficient stoves on lower heat settings, the primary issue being keeping enough heat inside the pipe to properly draft. But you’re not going to be running on super low, with your uninsulated place, so this becomes a little less important.

Double wall is nearly always better, but its degree of importance drops as your burn rate increases or stove efficiency decreases.

 

[begreen]

How tall do you estimate the flue system will be from stove top to chimney cap? Will this be a straight-up system or one that goes out the wall, then up?

The installer is correct. Sufficient draft is important for modern stoves. If the house is one story and the height of the flue system marginal, go with double-wall stove pipe. It will help keep flue gases hotter which can improve draft.

 

[krondalou]

On single vs double wall, this is a big deal when running very efficient stoves on lower heat settings, the primary issue being keeping enough heat inside the pipe to properly draft. But you’re not going to be running on super low, with your uninsulated place, so this becomes a little less important.

Double wall is nearly always better, but its degree of importance drops as your burn rate increases or stove efficiency decreases.

That is really helpful--thank you.

 

[krondalou]

At first , in winter you are going to need all the heat you can get. As the house gets better insulated, it's going to be harder to not overheat the space, especially in milder weather, but you will figure it out by burning smaller and shorter fires. In very cold weather I think you'll be fine. If it gets too hot, open a window. Of the stoves listed the Alderlea T4 would be my choice for longer burn time and softer heat.

Thanks---I am leaning towards the T4, but I also have been thinking maybe I don't need such a grand unit,,my neighbor has a Dorlet--which you can get at a farm store, and they love it---and its $1,000+ cheaper, and maybe something in that price range is good enough for me.

 

[krondalou]

How tall do you estimate the flue system will be from stove top to chimney cap? Will this be a straight-up system or one that goes out the wall, then up?

The installer is correct. Sufficient draft is important for modern stoves. If the house is one story and the height of the flue system marginal, go with double-wall stove pipe. It will help keep flue gases hotter which can improve draft.

I estimate the flue system will be about 15ft, I believe that is what the installer said. Straight system out the top of the stove.
Thank you--this forum is so incredibly helpful....

 

[moresnow]

Many happy Drolet users here.
Without researching I must ask? What is a "soft house" ? No insulation in MI?

 

[Ashful]

That is really helpful--thank you.

I should have added, even when efficiency or low burn aren't an issue, sometimes double wall pipe is required to achieve reduced clearance to combustibles.

 

[blacktail]

If minimal clearances are a priority, then double wall is probably what you want.

 

[krondalou]

Many happy Drolet users here.
Without researching I must ask? What is a "soft house" ? No insulation in MI?

Hehe, well, the house was built as a summer cabin (its in the woods) and the guy I bought it from never insulated it; I spent last winter in it with a propane furnace and it was great but probably not efficient...I have no idea what a "soft house" is, where do you see that in the string?

 

[krondalou]

If minimal clearances are a priority, then double wall is probably what you want.

Thanks-sounds like double wall is the ticket

 

[brenndatomu]

I have a single story 567 soft house in the woods

I have no idea what a "soft house" is, where do you see that in the string?

In your first post quoted above...after re-reading it again, it is obvious that it was supposed to be sq ft.
I mis-read it too and assumed you were referring to a yurt

 

[krondalou]

In your first post quoted above...after re-reading it again, it is obvious that it was supposed to be sq ft.
I mis-read it too and assumed you were referring to a yurt

I didn't even notice that---oops!