What size stove?

[kMD]

I am trying to determine best size stove for my house. The house specifications are:
40*40 two story house (gambrel roof) with walk out unfinished basement. Walls 2*6 (r19) with r4 foam board on outside,
. Older windows but double pane with a third pane storm window. Un heated basement (r38) between basement floor and first floor (12 inches). Second floor barn roof sides have r38, r50 cielinng. Side walls upstairs r19 with r4 foam.

first floor has 2 bedrooms huge open living room/kitchen,
. Second floor has master bedroom second living room and another bedroom, master and hall bath.
Current heating system two separate heat pumps one for upstairs one down stairs.

The house has never been lived in I am finishing it now (it sat half done for 30 years). I would say it's above average in insulation but not super tight.

I am in southern md it doesn't get too cold but we do get a few days a year where at night it might get down to 10 deg f but for the most part it's mild compared to northern climates (25 to 35 f) at night as the coldest.

I don't plan on using the stove as the primary heat source, it will be placed in a corner of the first floor ( this is a huge room combo kitchen/living room). I don't mind if I have to run the upstairs heat pump some my biggest concern is if I get a stove too big is the main living area is going to be too hot. I also don't want a stove too small whee the main floor area is too cold. I just wanted some opinions on what size stove I should look at ( it will be a free standing stove). I have Been reading posts for weeks now but this is my first post. I have been looking at lopis, woodstocks, hearthstonnes, etc....

Thanks
Kmd

 

[begreen]

Welcome. For an area heater you'll be ok with a 2-2.5 cu ft stove. If the stove can be somewhat centrally located and if there is an open staircase in the combo room then go for a 3 cu ft stove for whole house heat. I would add some cast iron clad stoves to your search. They behave like soapstone, but have a welded steel box inside. Some models to consider are the Jotul F55, Pacific Energy Alderlea T6 and the Enviro Boston 1700.

 

[kMD]

There is not a door going upstairs but the stairway is open and its a 42" wide stairway, but it is on the opposite side of the house from where the stove will be. I hought of possibly putting a couple floor grates with possible fans to help get the air upstairs. The house has no insulation between the first and second floor so maybee that will also help some air get upstairs. I did a heat loss calculation on the house and the first floor heat loss is 38000 btu, and the seond floor heat loss is 25000 btu. Of course this is worse case (5 percent of the time), the other 95% of the time the heat loss would be much smaller. Again if I can heat both floors great I just dont want a stove so big the main living area is 80 degF and it is too hot, but I am afraid too small it wont keep the first floor comfortable. Just trying to get opinions before I pull the trigger. I am in no rush I wont have the house done for a few more months soi really this planning is for next year. I am a novice wood burner.

I will check out the other stoves you mentioned.

Thanks again

 

[begreen]

I should have added the Hearthstone Mansfield in soapstone. Is there a particular style you prefer - steel, cast iron, soapstone? Would you consider running a catalytic stove?

 

[Oregon aloha]

Better too large then too small. My stove is more then enough to heat my house, so we build smaller fires. But when we need the heat we have it. Go big and build small.
If your not burning full-time I would staff away from soap stone as it takes to long to give out heat.

 

[kMD]

I want an efficient stove, if I wanted an older stove I see craigslist is loaded with old technology stoves. I see some have new burn technologies, others have new technologies with a cat also, I am not opposed to cat stoves but as I said I am a novice and have been trying to read this site to educate myself better. When I say I wont use the stove fulltime, what I mean is its not like I am in Canada where the stove will be fired up in November and not turned off until, spring. If its cold I plan to run it 24/7. I would like a long burn time if possible so it doesn't go out overnight and I can add wood before going to work and it will last until somebody gets home. I am still trying to decide what is best between cast iron, steel or soapstone. The wife likes the looks of the soapstones (hearths and woodstocks). The only for sure thing at this moment is it has to be a free standing stove.

Thanks

 

[andrewporto]

I purchased a Hampton HI300 last season on the recommendation of a dealer. I have a 3200 sq ft house and only wanted to keep living room warm. The stove was rated at 2000 sq ft. The problem is the open floor plan. The heat goes up the center hall and the living room does not heat up. When the temp drops into 30's, the house warms to 65-68 running full blast. When temp raise into 40's, I can get house into 70's. Make sure you get a stove rated for the sq footage of your house. You don't want to have to constantly load and adjust stove just to get adequate heat. If you get the proper stove, you should be able to heat without the fuss.

 

[prezes13]

I have a raised ranch my living floor is roughly 1200sf. Kitchen, dining room, living room one open space with a cathedral ceiling. I get that room to 74 no problem (don't like to go much higher because its uncomfortable for us above 75) with 2.2 cf fire box insert. When I was looking for a stove I went for the looks not performance. I wasn't even planing on heating the house with it. I didn't know much about wood burning just knew enough that fireplace sucks all the heat out of the house and we like to have some fire going for ambiance etc. Now when I got addicted to wood burning I run the stove almost 24/7. if knew then what I know now I would have had purchased a BK stove. I can get 8-10 hours burn, but sometimes I am out of the house for 12 hours. Sometimes I am gone for more and I don't really want my wife to run the stove. BK stoves offer such a long burns and are so easy to operate that I would feel comfortable having my wife running it.

 

[mark cline]

Hearthstone Mansfield . To move heat upstairs , you would need to have a convective loop. The heat needs to get to the upstairs with the return air coming down the stairs , back towards the stove . Sizing a grate and or fan , as big as possible , I would say , how ever it fits the house design .

 

[rijim]

While figuring it out start searching for true seasoned wood; no matter what stove, this will make a hugh difference.
As far as stoves the Woodstock with the CAT would allow you to control heat in the main room without the worry of creosote; check out the BK line also.

 

[JA600L]

Get a big stove with a lot of low end control. Ideally this would be a cat stove.

 

[BradleyW]

We have floor grates for our upstairs bedrooms and they are surprisingly effective. If you have decent air movement you shouldn't have to worry about overheating the room that the stove is in. Yes, it will be warmer there, but I kind of like that.
All these stoves are great. I second the idea of getting a good source for wood. I would get the best stove you can afford in the 2.5 cubic foot range from the dealer you trust the most.