What would YOU do? Small corner, long flue run, mild climate, new home.

[Salty in Spicewood]

Hey firey folks! Good to be aboard here and I hope my dumb questions are just dumb and not *spectacularly* stupid. :D

This is a long-player, so buckle up and pray I gave all the info I could give. Hehe.

My wife and I are just now diving into all things wood stove, and we are in a bit over our heads.

We are in the very late planning stages of a custom-built home in the Hill Country outside of Austin. It is our first time to build (and probably last - we are no longer spring chickens) and we want a wood stove for the following:

1. Ambiance - We are doing "Modern Farmhouse", erring to the side of modern.

2. "Backup" heating and cooking - We will be all-electric (boo!) and (feel free to snicker) we had a rough run of things this year in Texas. How 'bout that for hell freezing over?

3. Actual heating in the winter - My parents have a wood stove in their home and they literally never use the heat. It is remarkable. We would like to at least supplement our heating system, and perhaps usurp it on some days.

We are reading and learning all we can, and we paid a visit to one of the few specialty fireplace stores here in the Austin area today. The salesperson was extremely helpful and much of what he said is echoed here.

However, we are trying to wedge this stove into a corner of the great room where it will likely partially block a window, etc, and we aren't quite sure how to best proceed.

Here's what we've got going on:

1. ~2,700sf of house, with the stove going on the ground floor, which is mostly open. Ground floor is probably 1,500sf, give or take. The great room, dining, and kitchen are an "L" and there is a split-level entry and an upper-level game room that are all without walls. There is a small utility room and a bedroom downstairs as well.

2. Ceiling height in the great room is 20'6", with the roof surface being just a few feet higher than that.

3. We will have foam insulation and the windows along the back side of the house (where the stove will be) are facing *just about* due north.

And finally, we have no idea what we're doing. We have certainly read up here and elsewhere about everything from making sure our wood is properly split and seasoned, to the cost of curved glass, to proper installation. But we are still trying to get it all to stick.

So...a few questions:

1. What would you recommend for a modern stove (or really any good modern-ISH stove) that will fit with the least clearance in our corner (image attached)? We really don't want to "encroach" too far into the built-in area to the left with any floor protection, but realize we may need to.

2. Are there any construction considerations or recommendations in/around the area we should be thinking about, since we will have an opportunity to build things from "scratch"?

3. We plan to have a record player and some books in a built in just to the left of the stove (also visible in the screen shot). If the records are stored on the far left of that built in, will they get too hot? I know, silly question.

4. Are there any questions we should be asking ourselves, our builder, or stove retailers during this process?

I know this is an earful, but any help is super duper appreciated.

Best and good to be here,

-Eric

 

[begreen]

Don't worry about blocking the view, the intrusion will be minimal. The house will support a 2-3 cu ft sized stove. Find out what dealers are in your area and what they sell. Many stoves just need ember protection for the hearth. If you get a model with this minimal requirement then it will be easy to have the hearth flush with flooring and quite unobtrusive. With a little planning it could be integral to the home design that could continue under the windows say for plants. If the concern is about side heat to the records, stick with a convective stove and avoid more radiant models. Convective models will have sides that reduce the heat radiated from the stove body. These stoves will have shorter clearance requirements also. Examples: Regency 2500 or 3500, Pacific Energy Neo 2.5, Quadraife Discovery III, Lopi Evergreen NexGen, Blaze King Chinook 30, Hearthstone GM60 or 80,

Plan on having a couple of ceiling fans to help move the heat that is going to pocket at the top of that very high ceiling.
Any modern stove is going to need fully seasoned firewood to perform well. Now would be a good time to get some. It is best stored in a woodshed.

 

[Salty in Spicewood]

Don't worry about blocking the view, the intrusion will be minimal. The house will support a 2-3 cu ft sized stove. Find out what dealers are in your area and what they sell. Many stoves just need ember protection for the hearth. If you get a model with this minimal requirement then it will be easy to have the hearth flush with flooring and quite unobtrusive. With a little planning it could be integral to the home design that could continue under the windows say for plants. If the concern is about side heat to the records, stick with a convective stove and avoid more radiant models. Convective models will have sides that reduce the heat radiated from the stove body. These stoves will have shorter clearance requirements also. Examples: Regency 2500 or 3500, Pacific Energy Neo 2.5, Quadraife Discovery III, Lopi Evergreen NexGen, Blaze King Chinook 30, Hearthstone GM60 or 80,

Plan on having a couple of ceiling fans to help move the heat that is going to pocket at the top of that very high ceiling.
Any modern stove is going to need fully seasoned firewood to perform well. Now would be a good time to get some. It is best stored in a woodshed.

Thank you so much!

The note on convective types is uber helpful, as side clearance is going to be critical if it's going to set farther back in the corner.

The brands the shop we visited today sold were Jotul, Vermont, Hearthstone, Lopi, and Stuv. The Vermont Casting were a bit too ornate and traditional for us. There were certain models of the others we liked. The Hearthstone Bari caught our eye.

Another question we had was around how helpful some of these bells and whistles are in day to day use. In particular ash catchment. Hard to tell if these are useful or not.

I hadn't thought about the ceiling fans. We had planned on having one, but perhaps another is in order.

We are down a rabbit hole tonight looking at those you've listed. I don't know how difficult it is to have some of these units shipped, but our selection here is limited it seems. Which makes some sense given the climate.

Thank you again. Eager to hear more as we continue to investigate.

 

[begreen]

The Bari is attractive, but this stove and many other contemporary European heaters are room heaters with small fireboxes. If the goal is mostly an ambient fire, then it would be ok, but note that curved glass is hard to get and very costly if it needs replacement.

 

[Salty in Spicewood]

The Bari is attractive, but this stove and many other contemporary European heaters are room heaters with small fireboxes. If the goal is mostly an ambient fire, then it would be ok, but note that curved glass is hard to get and very costly if it needs replacement.

Noted, begreen. Thank you.

My wife and I both like the look of the GM60. Simple, large window. We don't like the lack of a catchment tray.

And it so hard for me to discern from the literature how close we can place it to the wall. It *appears* from the documentation that we should be able to get it 7" from each wall from the back corners if we mounted it at a 45-degree angle. IF that is true, I think it might work for us.

 

[EbS-P]

Couple things IF IT WERE ME. The modern farm house design is neat. I think the overall design would probably lean either modern or farm, that said I might choose a stove design that reflects the lesser used. Ie for a really modern looking house having a wood stove that looks “farmy” might bring balance to the design. Other thing that popped into my head was cookstove. Probably not what I would choose but I would go down that shopping aisle.

https://mlxa7amwpccx.i.optimole.com/zR33-RY-zZmrnk2b/w:auto/h:auto/q:uauto/https://cookstoves.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/america_cookstove_4.jpg

Things to consider from a relatively new wood stove owner. It’s a lot of work. Here in the south I can probably burn 1-2 cords easy. We heat about 2000 sq ft ranch built in 1965. The third “winter” here is now over and I’m guessing the stove carried 70-80% of our heating. I will probably add a second stove to heat the basement this year.

Who’s going to clean the flue? Only ask because some stoves are easy to clean from the bottom up others are not as easy. If it’s not a DIY job it probably doesn’t matter but You should at a minimum at least know how it should be done. I don’t think I want to be on that tall of a roof that near the edge.

If it were me today It would be a tough choice. I’d probably fall in love with a cookstove and make them re-design the kitchen or fight the never end battle with my Wife as to why there was a cook stove in the great room.

 

[clancey]

I think the opposite--lol...With a large home that you have I really think that you would want to go "modern" and that Bari looks beautiful to me and also you can twirl it in any direction. You have a very large room for it to heat and it would take care of that area--I believe. I cannot picture you out there chopping wood because in my mind you would have more of a log cabin type of look or a very large older traditional type of home. Your home is modern one that is used for entertainment and the enjoyments of life and I would put my vote in for the bari..Heck if you power goes off again like it did last time because of the politics then get a solar generator to back up the power and save you some money too. I am in the mist of getting prepared myself for a emergency and buying a wood burning stove and its all because of what happen in Texas in those freaky freezing temperatures and I want to be warm and not have to go to warming station to save my life if I can avoid it.. I have a stand by generator and that's defense number one but if everything goes off even the natural gas --then I am in trouble so I understand you wanting a wood stove but I vote for you people a Bari..--get a pretty color too and it has less of a footprint but more beautiful for your entertainment and guests and would be a talking piece...I vote for the Bari...clancey..

 

[begreen]

Noted, begreen. Thank you.

My wife and I both like the look of the GM60. Simple, large window. We don't like the lack of a catchment tray.

And it so hard for me to discern from the literature how close we can place it to the wall. It *appears* from the documentation that we should be able to get it 7" from each wall from the back corners if we mounted it at a 45-degree angle. IF that is true, I think it might work for us.

Yes, that is correct, 7" from the back corners of the stove. The long connector needs to be double-wall stovepipe in this setup. Ashpans are overrated in my opinion. I have not used them in the last two stoves we have owned. Our T6 has a large one, which at least is big enough to second as a good bun warmer.

Another contemporary stove is the MF Fire Nove 2 which is available with short or long legs and also as a tower with wood storage below. Note that the short legs require additional hearth protection.

Nova Wood Burning Stove

An efficient wood burning stove with a massive glass area for viewing the fire. Clean and easy to use, just light it and enjoy - no adjustments needed.

mffire.com

 

[nortcan]

They mentioned ;Backup for heating and cooking, so impossible to cook with with a Baril and many other stoves.

 

[Woody5506]

Look into the Pacific Energy Alderlea stoves - the 3 different sizes all allow tight clearances. My Alderlea t5 for example allows 3" from back corners of the stove to combustible as a corner install. I was in the predicament of needing something that allowed for a tight clearance and this stove was the best I could find locally.

 

[clancey]

Yea thanks true Nortcan its not a cooking stove but at this point they are reminiscing about the old cook stoves that their family in the farmhouse once had and they would like to maybe heat their house as well. That's a beautiful room for entertainment for people to get together and something like a cooking stove in crammed into a corner is not going to get it for my judgement. That cooking stove that one of the other posters put on is just beautiful and ornate.. They want something that they can use that does not leave a big footprint and I really think they should stay with the design of their lovely home. Heck if they want to eat they have dining areas and pantries with a kitchen area in among all that set up for convenience and cooking on a cooking stove and having it there all the time is not fast or convenient--these seem to be busy folk and they do not know nothing about stoves but they are learning like me--as I am slowly going out of my min----kidding here jest intended.. That small corner will not house properly a cooking stove of any kind and I know that the Bari will be able to keep their large room warm and if they want something to heat the whole house then in my judgement they might as well find another location for it.. They have things in the area to the left that will not take a lot of heating action that they are concerned about as well and also the footprint going into another area so they have lot to decide about. clancey.

 

[Woodfire2019]

Yes, that is correct, 7" from the back corners of the stove. The long connector needs to be double-wall stovepipe in this setup. Ashpans are overrated in my opinion. I have not used them in the last two stoves we have owned. Our T6 has a large one, which at least is big enough to second as a good bun warmer.

Another contemporary stove is the MF Fire Nove 2 which is available with short or long legs and also as a tower with wood storage below. Note that the short legs require additional hearth protection.

Nova Wood Burning Stove

An efficient wood burning stove with a massive glass area for viewing the fire. Clean and easy to use, just light it and enjoy - no adjustments needed.

mffire.com

We still love our Nova wood stove. We picked it due to its modern appeal and love it. Super easy to use and a big glass in the door to see the fire. Highly recommend it! @Salty in Spicewood

 

[DuaeGuttae]

You are planning a large house, and that high ceiling really will eat up the heat. Stoves are rated by square footage, but they heat cubic footage, so you really want to consider going large. The climate is mild (we’re expecting 80’s today on the edge of Hill Country), but we have so appreciated having wood heat for the past year, especially during the freeze last month.

What will the foundation of your home be? Ours is built on a uninsulated slab, and it absorbs heat (our main living area where the stove is located is about 800 sq. feet with 10 foot ceilings and has a ceramic tile floor, so that doesn’t insulate). We have a fireplace insert rather than a freestanding stove, but I am very glad that it has a 2.5 cubic foot firebox. I really wouldn’t want to go smaller.

What kind of wood are you likely to be burning? We use wood from our own property, and the vast majority is cedar and oak. A lot of it is smaller diameter, so we leave it unsplit. The oak is very twisty and hard to split. It’s a blessing to have a larger firebox to accomodate the wood that can’t be split and has funny gnarled elbows in it.

The GM60 is a good-looking stove. We were really tempted by that when we were considering a freestander, but I think we ruled it out because the firebox is either small or difficult to load. It’s been a few years now, so I’m not sure that I remember the details. Can you ask the salesperson to measure the dimensions of the firebox and post them here? That might give you some good feedback.

Two things I would want to check with any retailer: What are the inside dimensions of the firebox? Can the wood be loaded N/S (straight in with ends facing the glass), or does it need to be E/W (sides facing the glass) to maximize loading? Lots of people do just fine with E/W, but I really prefer N/S with extra room.

 

[begreen]

The GM60 is a good-looking stove. We were really tempted by that when we were considering a freestander, but I think we ruled it out because the firebox is either small or difficult to load. It’s been a few years now, so I’m not sure that I remember the details. Can you ask the salesperson to measure the dimensions of the firebox and post them here? That might give you some good feedback.

I thought about this, but considering this will be a new, well-insulated home, in Texas, I suggested mid-size. There is the GM80 if a larger capacity is desired. I agree with you on the preference for N/S loading, but it sounds like the stove will be more for ambiance burning and chill chasing than 24/7 heating. Ultimately the choice will come down to weighing what is most important, function or form.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

I thought about this, but considering this will be a new, well-insulated home, in Texas, I suggested mid-size. There is the GM80 if a larger capacity is desired. I agree with you on the preference for N/S loading, but it sounds like the stove will be more for ambiance burning and chill chasing than 24/7 heating. Ultimately the choice will come down to weighing what is most important, function or form.

Yes, well-insulated will make a huge difference. Our house suffers from too much glazing, and so we lose radiant heat through the slab and the windows. I think it would have been hard to oversize a stove in our conditions.

I think the GM60 firebox might be kind of small, though, when it comes to actual measurements. I’m not sure, though, but I though it was under 2 cubic feet when actually measured, but it really has been years since I had the conversation with the dealer.

@cabinwarmer, would you tell us about your firebox size, ease of loading wood, and burn times? Do you see your stove as being a good fit for the OP?

 

[cabinwarmer]

I can only comment on the GM stoves. The GM 60 firebox is 2 cubic feet. The unit takes 45 minutes to come up to heat, then time to engage the CAT. Ease of loading E/W is just a matter of how you do it, and how hot the flue is for me. If done in a the proper manner, I have no issues. If done in a hurry, yes, smoke enters the room. The owners manual is very specific on procedures, and if followed, no problems. Clearances are closer then other type stove as begreen mentioned. The looks of the fire with the full glass is nice as well. The glass needs cleaning, if this is something you want to enjoy, on a regular basis. I do not burn overnight. So burn times are not of concern and are fine for me. I usually put in two/three splits and time various according to air intake settings. I am very satisfied with burn time. The GM 80 would act the same I would guess, but of course larger. I use a ceiling fan in my cathedral ceiling and air flows just fine. I happen to like the soapstone heat generation. It is a different type of heat then my older baked enamel cast iron. A good fit for your records! There is a learning curve with the new CAT stoves I believe. I also have a very strong flue draft, which I am coming to believe is very important.

 

[Salty in Spicewood]

Oh my gosh, y'all. I have had a nutty busy weekend (rebuilding our deck, kid stuff, and a 3-yo's birthday party) and I am AMAZED to see so much wonderful feedback here. A huge thank you to all of you (including some PM/DMs) for showing us that there is a lot more out there in terms of choice. We are at analysis paralysis point now. Lol.

@clancey may be barking up the right tree here, as although we would certainly *like* to have "backup" in the rare case of electricity loss (hopefully it's only rare - this is our first non-gas stove home, rent or own), but the main goals are for ambiance and supplemental heat. I think in a normal winter down here, it may actually serve as primary heat on many cold (to us) but not very cold days. Our biggest hurdle we've seen so far is making sure we have small-ish wall clearance measurements so we don't protrude TOO far into the living space. Although it seems large, there are de facto walkways on both sides of the space (patio exit, passthrough from kitchen to study on the right).

It isn't on the screengrab I posted, but there is an open landing/game room area directly above the kitchen, which connects to bedrooms 2 and 3 (kiddos). I am pretty sure that open space will be well heated by even the smaller stoves here. But I'm less sure about the rest of the downstairs and bedroom 1 (on the opposite side, upper floor). I do not know if our slab will be insulated @DuaeGuttae, but the windows and walls should be pretty darn efficient. We are on a hill and the slab is going to be kind of ridiculously tall. Not sure how/if that matters. I suspect we will need an outdoor air intake (not sure of the actual term - I spent a long time in performance automotive, so that's what I call it ) due to vacuum issues with a well-sealed space. But I do not know for sure.

After researching the GM60 a little more, it does make me a little nervous as a novice stove user, based on reviews here on the forum. That being said, many of the issues do seem to be installation-related, but it is a little hard to discern.

I suspect we will be buying our hardwood, as our place isn't super huge, and it is Hill Country scrub. Read: Cedar juniper, and then some more cedar juniper, and then some more, with a few yucca, agave and scraggly live oaks to round it out. So really nothing large enough and worthy of burning that won't clog the flue.

I was also able to quiz my parents a little more this weekend about how they use their stove, how it is set up, and any issues or learning curve pain points they've had. They have a larger Lopi, unsure of the model, and generally speaking, they are very happy with it. They are also using it as their primary heating in the winter, so their model is larger.

So...basically we now have quite a few more options to look at, except with a bit better understanding of loading options, radiant vs convective, and firebox size.

Again, thank you all and if you have more to add based on this, we are all ears. For now, we are continuing to research and shop and we very much appreciate your expertise and generosity.

 

[Texas123]

I live north of you in Central Texas and here is my recommendation.
I would place the stove to the left of the outside corner door into the great room. This could be a decorative centerpiece for that part of the room.
As for which model, I would get the biggest, most powerful BTU rated wood stove you could find. You might even want to think about the larger BTU coal models from Messick Stoves; which can burn wood in place of coal. Some of these convection models approach 100,000 BTUS per hour with enough fuel.
Needing a rear vent stove, I purchased a 2016 model Jotul Oslo 500 and it can heat my 1600 square foot ranch home to 75 degrees in the hallway, using only the central fan for circulation with it being in the 20s outside.

When we have a life or death situation as in February, it is a battle between heat loss and the stove supplying the heat.
A smaller stove for a corner installation might not be enough for even a "normal winter" Texas night.

Texican.

 

[Salty in Spicewood]

I live north of you in Central Texas and here is my recommendation.
I would place the stove to the left of the outside corner door into the great room. This could be a decorative centerpiece for that part of the room.

Do you mean smack dab in the middle of the row of windows, Texican? We actually entertained that idea, but already had plans for furniture that would make ingress/egress pretty dicey if we put it there.

That is a monster stove you have. I can't imagine that even with a small stove it could be much worse than waking up in 34F with ice on the inside of the windows this time. It was more than a minor miracle that we didn't lose any pipes. I'm glad I was unable to log in at work. It was a full-time job just trying to keep ourselves fed and warm, with someplace to use the restroom. Sponge baths are not for me.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

If you’re buying most of your wood, it will probably not be all twisted and gnarly like the oak we burn. It makes great firewood, but it’s nice to have extra space in the stove when your wood looks like an ”S” or an “L.” The firewood processors stay away from that stuff, I’m sure, so that might mean getting a larger stove is less of an issue, especially if you’re not planning to be full-time heaters. Nevertheless, the smallest I would want would be two cubic feet, and I’d prefer larger if I could fit it, especially with 20 foot ceilings. That’s more than double the square footage of that room for stove ratings, if that makes sense.

We do burn the Texas Cedar/Ashe Juniper (juniperus Ashei) that we are clearing off our land. A lot of it is small and scrubby (though we’ve taken some big ones, too). It actually makes good firewood for a woodstove. (I’d be more cautious recommending it for an open fireplace because it does throw more sparks than some other woods.). The idea that it’s going to make more creosote in your chimney really isn’t true if you’re burning well seasoned wood in a modern stove. (Wood gets well seasoned in Texas pretty quick, in my experience. Cedar really only needs one good hot, dry summer.)

If you’re confident that you’ll have dealer/installer support behind you, I don’t think you really need to be nervous about any good quality stove. If you have concerns about smoke rollout, you might ask the dealer what reports they’ve had of the stove, and what support they offer. I haven’t needed support for my stoves after installation (and in my location, I really wouldn’t be able to get it), but it’s definitely worth asking about as you make your decision.

Have you looked at any of the Blaze King line? Their Chinook/Sirocco/Ashford are more attractive than their earlier stoves. They need ember protection only, have close clearances, and have thermostatic control of the temperature to some degree, which could be a big plus in a well-insulated Texas house. There is a member in Mississippi, @Tron, who has been very happy with his install, I believe. I think they would also qualify for the new tax credit, which would give a rebate not only on the stove but also on the piping (not insignificant by any means) and the installation, if I understand correctly. I’m sure the dealer could give exact details. (Even if your shop doesn’t stock them, they ought to be able to order them. Georgetown Fireplace and Patio was the dealer Blaze King recommended to me.)

 

[clancey]

Well I check into a solar generator and that's not enough for your lifestyle and they seem to be portable or something which you might not want. I have my number one defense in my home that is a standby generator so when the power goes off I do nothing for it automatically comes on with a low car motor sound on the side of my house I can hardly hear it. I have had mine now for eleven years and people told me it was a waste of money but I was stubborn and bought one anyway---I do not regret it and in this time I only had to depend on it about 8 or 9 times for a few hours because the electricity came back on but on a few of these occasions it was in the coldest darkest days of winter in CO and the electricity outage lasted for about 8 hours and there were people in the middle of the street calling to other neighbors asking---"Is your electricity on yet as they flashed their flashlights to the other people neighbors?" ...On and on they asked other people across the street: "do you know when it will be fixed did they tell you?. This what you see after a few hours in the cold--flashlights in the dark..I was sitting in my home keeping my lights on low because I did not want them to know that I had full lights and full use of my stove and my heat was on normally and had full hot water. I was watching tv and eating some food as I waited for the lights to come back on..I e-mailed my friends made phone calls and was perfectly normal..I have natural gas and I realize you do not but you could have a set up with LP gas tank of so many gallons buried underground and the generac generator put on a slab permanently next to your home and it by the way is very pretty..There are all kinds of different sizes so you size this by your home use and what you want for me I have full electricity and full heat and it just continues to run until the power comes back on---automatically...-----------you do nothing but live your life normally. These generators exercise once a week for 20 minutes and it is a car engine type of deal with full computer workings and it has a battery that recharges like a car and a clear window that tells you whatever its doing--running or needs new battery or needs a thing of a jig etc--no worries---its wonderful...I have Gen Tech come out once a year for about 100 on a plan and clean it and oil it and check things out and get it ready for the next year and in eleven years I have never had any problems except buying a new battery--one time...I have natural gas and I worry that if everything went out even the gas then my generator would not run but with LP Gas buried you would not have this concern therefore you could get any pretty wood burning stove just to keep you "great room warm a small one like the beautiful bari-----I love that one for its not intimidating but in my case I need one with more strength because of my hot water heating and plumbing pipes freezing after such a time of not having my natural gas if that happens my wood stove is a bit larger to heat my area of about 700 or 800 square feet with my porch to keep my pipes warm as well as me...Back up number one my stand by generator and back up number two my wood stove that will be installed in the coming months...But in Texas you get cold but not like here in my state...So this is still the same suggestion but put with more example...Its expensive to hook this generator up but I think well worth it in the end...The first time the electricity goes off and you hear that hum---you will love it....clancey

 

[Salty in Spicewood]

I think we have narrowed it to two:

1. MF Fire Nova 2 Tower

2. Green Mountain 60

My wife loves the look of the former (I do too) and I like the height/ease of load on it, too. I'm a tall fella and my back isn't getting any more flexible these days.

I like the higher level of control, longer burn times, and longer market experience (company-wise) of the GM60. She likes the big ol' window.

Both of them would fit well in our space. The GM60 will heat far more of the house. I have some concern about how well we can control overheating with the Nova 2, but I assume over time we can learn how much is too much without airflow control.

Both are eligible for the tax credit.

GM60 is a local buy and install. Nova 2 would be a ship and install (no local dealers).

 

[clancey]

Well I think both of those choices are just beautiful and will look just lovely in your home--either one of them--and by the spec's they seem to be real environmentally friendly as well as a tax deduction and rebate...O Boy O Boy---what a good pick and can't wait to hear what the others on this forum have to say....Good for you and now let the work begin...lol lol.....clancey

 

[DuaeGuttae]

I think we have narrowed it to two:

1. MF Fire Nova 2 Tower

2. Green Mountain 60

My wife loves the look of the former (I do too) and I like the height/ease of load on it, too. I'm a tall fella and my back isn't getting any more flexible these days.

I like the higher level of control, longer burn times, and longer market experience (company-wise) of the GM60. She likes the big ol' window.

Both of them would fit well in our space. The GM60 will heat far more of the house. I have some concern about how well we can control overheating with the Nova 2, but I assume over time we can learn how much is too much without airflow control.

Both are eligible for the tax credit.

GM60 is a local buy and install. Nova 2 would be a ship and install (no local dealers).

Do you have someone who would install the MF Fire Nova 2 Tower if you got it shipped? Or can you do it yourself?

I’ve seen a few mentions of that company and its stoves on this forum, and they’ve been pretty positive. I don’t know anything more than you would find on a search here, though.

What is the size of the firebox? The page I brought up that had specifications made me think it was 2.4 cubic feet as opposed to just 2.0 for the GM60. That would lead me to think that it would heat more of your house than the Hearthstone, but you said it the other way around. Am I wrong on the specifications for the MF Fire?

 

[Texas123]

Do you mean smack dab in the middle of the row of windows, Texican? We actually entertained that idea, but already had plans for furniture that would make ingress/egress pretty dicey if we put it there.

That is a monster stove you have. I can't imagine that even with a small stove it could be much worse than waking up in 34F with ice on the inside of the windows this time. It was more than a minor miracle that we didn't lose any pipes. I'm glad I was unable to log in at work. It was a full-time job just trying to keep ourselves fed and warm, with someplace to use the restroom. Sponge baths are not for me.

I am back after a few days. I was thinking of an installation on the wall to the left of the main entrance door.
You are correct. Having any good stove is better then 34 degrees and ice on the inside of the windows.
My son and his family stayed alive with an old fashioned cast iron fireplace during the power off times. Not wood efficient but it worked.

There is a Truth often stated by the professionals here. You can build a smaller fire in a larger stove but not
a larger fire in the smaller stove. To use two examples of the same company. A Jotul 602 might have heated the corner this
past February, a F55 or F500 would have been better.

One thing, this is a long term bordering on 'permanent' investment in your new home. Don't be in a rush to choose. Spring is arriving here in Texas and what is a crisis at 15 degrees is a think longer at 75 degrees.