What should I get? That is in stock.

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ke4rzi

Member
Nov 28, 2008
8
Down the road from Saturn
I've got a 2,200 sq ft. ranch style home with a full unfinished basement. I have a chimney on the end of my house and a 6 inch thimble in the wall of my basement and I was thinking that I would want to get a pedestal type wood stove or possibly the Ashley/Wonderwood style of stove to put in basement. I'm having a little difficulty finding a large pedestal stove from Lowe's/Home Depot since most of them that are rated for over 2,000 sq ft are out of stock. It would be nice to find a model with an ash pan that is a non-catalytic model. I live in Columbia, TN which is around 45 miles south of Nashville. Any suggestions on where to get a stove to suit my needs? I do work somewhere that has a fork lift and loading dock that could unload a stove.
 
We are in an unprecedented situation this year. Stove inventories have been depleted early. You can try online and see what some places still have in stock. Try Obidiahs, Northern Tool, and WoodstovePro.com. An Englander 32-NC, Drolet HT3000 or Austral/Legend III would work.
 
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I will add don't worry much about the ash pan most people find many of them are not convenient to use at all and end up shoveling into a bucket anyway
 
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Honestly I’d probably be waiting until next year. Spend some money and time air sealing and insulating this winter. I’d be looking to take advantage of the tax credit next year as well.

Adding a mr cool diy heatpump is also an option I would consider if your trying to save on heating bills.

Evan
 
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This would be a great time to get ahead on your wood processing! It's never too soon to get wood stacked and drying.
 
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These guys have some stuff in stock...and some of the stoves that aren't have a short lead time...
 
Why is that?
What is wrong with these grates and pan systems that people don't like or want to use?
I may be one of the few who does like and uses the ash pan all the time. Mine does not leak air or have other problems some stoves might have. Many guys here like keeping an ash layer on the bottom of their stoves to both slow any air leaks an ash pan door and or housing may have, and to protect the base from excess heat, and to prolong coaling burn times. (Making coals buried in ash last longer)

For me pulling the ash pan and carrying it outside to dump, dramatically reduces the Ash dust in my house. When i shoveled ash, even when i put the bucket inside the firebox, and shoveled very carefully, it would send ash dust inside. I'm choosing a cleaner house over extended burn, but that may change.
 
I may be one of the few who does like and uses the ash pan all the time. Mine does not leak air or have other problems some stoves might have. Many guys here like keeping an ash layer on the bottom of their stoves to both slow any air leaks an ash pan door and or housing may have, and to protect the base from excess heat, and to prolong coaling burn times. (Making coals buried in ash last longer)

For me pulling the ash pan and carrying it outside to dump, dramatically reduces the Ash dust in my house. When i shoveled ash, even when i put the bucket inside the firebox, and shoveled very carefully, it would send ash dust inside. I'm choosing a cleaner house over extended burn, but that may change.
Same here, I use mine all the time and it keeps the ash dust lower in the house.
I'm just curious what specifically is the problem with some of the ash pan designs that make them problematic on some of the stoves. I think some people just don't like one more potential place for an air leak.
 
I personally feel like having a nice 1/2 to 1" layer of ash on the bottom of the stove prolongs my burn times. Ash is an excellent insulator and reflects the heat back into the wood/firebox promoting more secondary combustion and longer coaling. It also prevents some wear and tear on the stove and bricks. It just seems natural.

I will agree it's definitely messier shoveling though. I am careful when I shovel but sort of just accept that it's part of wood burning life. We use the ashes in our gardens or on the driveway. Any extras I just toss in the firepit and we'll do a big cleaning in the spring.
 
I may be one of the few who does like and uses the ash pan all the time. Mine does not leak air or have other problems some stoves might have. Many guys here like keeping an ash layer on the bottom of their stoves to both slow any air leaks an ash pan door and or housing may have, and to protect the base from excess heat, and to prolong coaling burn times. (Making coals buried in ash last longer)

For me pulling the ash pan and carrying it outside to dump, dramatically reduces the Ash dust in my house. When i shoveled ash, even when i put the bucket inside the firebox, and shoveled very carefully, it would send ash dust inside. I'm choosing a cleaner house over extended burn, but that may change.
The issue for me is I burn 24/7 so from November till end of April stove is never cooled down.to pull the ash plug to rake ashes in the pan and clean the are where the plug is just takes too long .and it's hot in that stove.
 
I'm just curious what specifically is the problem with some of the ash pan designs that make them problematic on some of the stoves.
If you have a sealed ash drawer and a nice big grate, then its likely you will use it...but for the stoves that don't have a sealed pan area, they have a sealed plug that has to be dug out of the ashes, then ashes chased into the little hole (fiddly operation) then the hole cleaned up enough to get the plug back in and sealed. Real PITA! Much easier to just carefully shovel them out and be done with it! I used my ash plug and pan exactly once.
Oh, and if their were some live coals in the ashes you just put in the pan, since its not sealed, there could be a CO2 risk...not idea how they get away with this design!
 
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If you have a sealed ash drawer and a nice big grate, then its likely you will use it...but for the stoves that don't have a sealed pan area, they have a sealed plug that has to be dug out of the ashes, then ashes chased into the little hole (fiddly operation) then the hole cleaned up enough to get the plug back in and sealed. Real PITA! Much easier to just carefully shovel them out and be done with it! I used my ash plug and pan exactly once.
Oh, and if their were some live coals in the ashes you just put in the pan, since its not sealed, there could be a CO2 risk...not idea how they get away with this design!
Exactly last 3 stoves I had I never used the ash pan.ever.
 
If you have a sealed ash drawer and a nice big grate, then its likely you will use it...but for the stoves that don't have a sealed pan area, they have a sealed plug that has to be dug out of the ashes, then ashes chased into the little hole (fiddly operation) then the hole cleaned up enough to get the plug back in and sealed. Real PITA! Much easier to just carefully shovel them out and be done with it! I used my ash plug and pan exactly once.
Oh, and if their were some live coals in the ashes you just put in the pan, since its not sealed, there could be a CO2 risk...not idea how they get away with this design!
Makes sense. A sealed plug sounds as you say fiddly.
 
Is your unfinished basement insulated? If not That's what I would do first if you plan on heating the basement and having the heat go upstairs.
 
I may be one of the few who does like and uses the ash pan all the time. Mine does not leak air or have other problems some stoves might have. Many guys here like keeping an ash layer on the bottom of their stoves to both slow any air leaks an ash pan door and or housing may have, and to protect the base from excess heat, and to prolong coaling burn times. (Making coals buried in ash last longer)

For me pulling the ash pan and carrying it outside to dump, dramatically reduces the Ash dust in my house. When i shoveled ash, even when i put the bucket inside the firebox, and shoveled very carefully, it would send ash dust inside. I'm choosing a cleaner house over extended burn, but that may change.
I like my pan. I keep a good layer in the stove too. I just push the ash away from the doghouse to clear a path for the air inlets. Push it away from the front of the stove and stir a bit down the grate each load.

I can open ashpan door, pull the tray and have it closed again in 3 seconds. Repeat process is the same. This means I really don’t have to let the stove get too cool before emptying ash.

I will say a makes a real mess to over fill the ashpan The mound on the top gets scraped off and ends up on the bottom of the housing and then get shoved to the back when you put the pan in. Do it more than once and you might not get the door closed all the way causing a leak and or overfire. At the end of the not a feature I would use in making a purchasing decision.
 
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I will say a makes a real mess to over fill the ashpan The mound on the top gets scraped off and ends up on the bottom of the housing and then get shoved to the back when you put the pan in. Do it more than once and you might not get the door closed all the way causing a leak and or overfire. At the end of the not a feature I would use in making a purchasing decision.
I agree, the trick is to empty the pan as soon as you see ash fill to the top center of the pan. Otherwise you get issues like you described.
 
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Why is that?
What is wrong with these grates and pan systems that people don't like or want to use?
Problems with ash pan doors leaking. Ash behind the pan not allowing it to go all the way in. Etc. I really don't see ash removal as an issue I do it every 2 to 3 weeks and it only takes a couple mins. It's just not worth the down sides of an ash pan to me.
 
Problems with ash pan doors leaking. Ash behind the pan not allowing it to go all the way in. Etc. I really don't see ash removal as an issue I do it every 2 to 3 weeks and it only takes a couple mins. It's just not worth the down sides of an ash pan to me.
I have experienced the ash behind the pan problem and a leak one time so I agree with those issues.
I still prefer the pan, we get much less ash in the house since we added the trays.
My shoveling skills are not that great I guess :oops:
 
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