which stoves are designed to burn with doors open?

[John Ackerly]

I always hear that people don't want to give up their fireplace because they like the open hearth atmosphere that you don't get from a wood stove. I always thought that some wood stoves like Vermont Castings models that come with a screen were designed to be able to use with the doors open. Granted, I'm sure you get less efficiency and more smoke, but if it doesn't damage the stove, isn't it a good option for people who would otherwise just keep using their fireplace and lose lots of heat up the chimney?

John

 

[grommal]

I always hear that people don't want to give up their fireplace because they like the open hearth atmosphere that you don't get from a wood stove. I always thought that some wood stoves like Vermont Castings models that come with a screen were designed to be able to use with the doors open. Granted, I'm sure you get less efficiency and more smoke, but if it doesn't damage the stove, isn't it a good option for people who would otherwise just keep using their fireplace and lose lots of heat up the chimney?

John

Basically, any stove that has an optional screen available is designed in such a way that it CAN be burned with the doors open. But, it will STILL be a giant waste of energy, sucking all that heat up the flue. Granted, perhaps a bit better than a fireplace, since a freestanding stove can radiate heat in all directions, but way worse than with the doors closed.

I bought the screen for my old VC stove back in 1986. Used in one time, and the novelty quickly wore off. What's the desirable "open hearth atmosphere" that you lose with the doors closed? Smoky smell in the house? Small burns in the floor from embers that were small enough to pass through the screen?

With a modern stove, and especially with one that has the secondary air tubes in the firebox ceiling, the visual impact of the fire is at least as good, if not better, than with the doors open. About the only thing you'd miss is the crackles and pops.

Well, at least that old VC screen works nice for screening potting soil.

 

[firefighterjake]

Never having had a fireplace originally I was toying around with the idea of buying the screen for my Oslo . . . but a) after hanging around here long enough I realized most folks who had bought the screen rarely if ever used them and b) the whole purpose of going with a woodstove is to have heat and c) I get all the ambiance I need with the door in place -- sight of the fire roaring away in full secondary mode (check), sound of the fire popping and snapping as the wood catches (check), smell of the wood smoke (well I have to go outside to get that, but check . . . I do get the smell of the potpourri in the steamer though.)

 

[Highbeam]

The PE T5 has an open door option but not my heritage. I would prefer the option. I like to hear the fire and our softwoods make lots of nice noise. Also, the front glass on our stoves blocks some of the color and brightness from an open flame. I think it is a good feature for those nights that you don't want or need heat but would it's too cold or rainy to sit outside at the campfire.

 

[EJL923]

Im gonna bet that you woud be plenty happy with a stove or insert with glass doors. It's the flicker of the flames that gets you. I had also toyed with leaving the fireplace open, but installing the Rockland made it look even better.

 

[begreen]

We've had the screen option for two stoves. And the screens got used exactly twice. Once for each stove. All one gains is an occasional crackling sound, but loses hard earned heat up the flue with a lot more pollutants. Close the door and put on an audio tape of a fire cracking instead.

 

[celtica]

I was a fireplace guy for 10 years before changing houses and installing a stove. I put in a Quadrafire Yosemite and paid $100+ on a screen that I only used one time. Skip the screen and keep the glass clean.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

I just had my first burn in this stove this weekend. I wish it had a glass door option. But I think mica was the only option when it was made and I do not know if Round Oak's even offered that. But I was supprised once I got it hot. And it was burning and drafting good I did not get any smoke in the room while taking pictures of the fire.

Billy

 

[John Ackerly]

Thanks for the info and insights. My stove can't be used with a screen and I wouldn't do it anyway. But I find it troubling that companies certify that their stoves get such and such grams per hour of particulates, and then provide screens so that they can be used with doors open. It may be that these companies never actually recommend doing that and walk some fine line between doing what EPA wants them to do, and what some customers may want to do. I wish someone could design a stove that could be used with doors open and still be 75% efficient or better and under 7.5 grams per hour as a way of converting more fireplaces users over to wood stoves.

 

[BrotherBart]

But I find it troubling that companies certify that their stoves get such and such grams per hour of particulates, and then provide screens so that they can be used with doors open.

They don't certify that it "does get" they certify that it "can get" the published particulate number. Offering a screen isn't any more out of line than allowing anything other than dry Douglas Fir four by fours, like those used in certification testing, to be used every day as fire wood. Or allowing use of a chimney that isn't exactly 15 feet tall or...

 

[cycloxer]

To answer your original question: NONE. Now you can run most stoves with the doors open, of course they run like crap, smell like crap, and pollute like crap. Most people have done it once or twice and that's about it. You need a sealed combustion chamber to get the proper clean burn.

I came from an open fireplace and I didn't even bother purchasing a screen for my stove. Opening the door defeats the whole purpose of the design intent of the stove.

 

[begreen]

Hey John, not trying to give you flack. There are several units out there that will be well behaved with a screen providing they have the right flue setup. Your Resolute is one of them.

However, I would think this usage would be contrary to what your organization is about, no? Why the inquiry?

 

[fredarm]

I just had my first burn in this stove this weekend. I wish it had a glass door option. But I think mica was the only option when it was made and I do not know if Round Oak's even offered that. But I was supprised once I got it hot. And it was burning and drafting good I did not get any smoke in the room while taking pictures of the fire.

Billy

Love the old Round Oak! My Great Grandpa had one in his dining room that I remember when I was a kid. He always kept it about 90F in there. He heated with wood until he was well into his 80's.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

It seems to me that a screen blocks the view more than a glass. Maybe its just me but I have a hard time seeing through metal? Honestly the only one I can remember is my cousins el cheepo insert and the screen is more like a piece of sheet metal with lots of little holes punched in it.

Thanks Fred

I like antiques and it gives me a warm feeling in more way's than one to use it. Its in great shape although I had to reseal the bottom to the center section. The last patent date on it was 1878 so it could be up to 131 years old.

Billy