Will it provide enough heat?? VC DW

[Archer39]

My fiance and I are currently in the process of buying our first home and i am looking for a wood stove to heat our home. The house is a colonial style home built ~ in 1940 it has a stone foundation with vinyl siding i don't know what if any insulation is between the stone and siding. It has all new windows that were installed in 2004 when the house was rehabbed. The house is ~ 1600sq ft. There is a working oil furnace but i want to cut down on as much oil consumption as much possible.As long as the stove will provide enough heat to keep the majority of the house around 70 degrees that will be fine.

I am looking at a VC DW the smallest model that they offer. I have read a lot of comments on here about this particular stove and feel confidante that maintaining a efficient fire won't be a problem. We both have been around wood stoves our entire life. Below is a picture of the stove i am looking at. The seller is asking 300 dollars for it. Is this a fair price if it is good condition? Also is there special things to look at while looking at the stove? Also below is the room in which i would like to install the stove. The current gas stove will be removed and i would like to install the wood stove between that wall and the door if the clearances work out. Does any see any installation problems in this given situation?

any other suggestions or comments would be helpful.

 

[strawman]

How old is the stove? I just sold a 1987 VC DW xtra large cat stove for $400 that needed a combustor. If that stove is newer and in good shape I think $300 is a steal. If it's a cat stove and the combustor is good, even sweeter. It may be on the smaller side for your sq footage but I would think it would do fine. When all's said and done, I doubt you'll pay less than $1500 for anything new that's the equivalent of that. Even if it doesn't meet your needs. You should have no problem reselling for that amount, maybe make a couple bucks to boot. Good luck

 

[Archer39]

Yes it is a cat stove. I don't know what it was made i will find out when i go to look at it. Is it pretty easy to inspect the cat and combustor?

 

[SolarAndWood]

Those stone walls are beautiful...they were still building like that in 1940? I would start by looking at the previous owners utility bills and figure out how much fuel they were consuming to heat it. It will give you a much better idea of how big a stove you need than just square footage especially with an old house.

As for the stove, you might want to consider one of the new steel stoves from one of the big box stores. With the tax credit, you will get down in the range of the used stoves and you don't have to worry about the unknown. Best of luck with your house.

 

[Wet1]

Those stone walls are beautiful...

As for the stove, you might want to consider one of the new steel stoves from one of the big box stores. With the tax credit, you will get down in the range of the used stoves and you don't have to worry about the unknown. Best of luck with your house.

+1

 

[Archer39]

I don't think I can go back and look at past utility bills because the house
is a forclosure. No one had lived in the house for 2 year. As far as I know it was built in the early 40's. Would a new steel stove be as efficient as this fc dw? I really I'm tying to find my best bang for my buck and don't mind buying used . I get pride out of taking other peoples used stuff and making it like new.

 

[Hogwildz]

Chances are, if all the walls are stone, there is no insulation.
There may be a 1/2" or maybe even 1" board type insulation behind the siding, that they may have installed when the siding was installed.
Peek up in the attic if you can and see what if any insulation is up there.
Not sure how much rehab may have been done, whether minimal or extensive. But also check the electrical wiring, is there a fuse panel or breaker panel?
That stone is beautiful. If they covered it on the outside that is a shame. But most likely needed to be re-pointed. And might have been painted over during the years it sat there.
I never agreed with painting over beautiful natural materials such as cedar, stone or slate. But that s a personal opinion that not everyone views the same.
If the interior walls are lath & plaster, keep in mind alot of the plaster used back then contained asbestos.
Not knocking the stove, but the box store stove suggestion is a good one also, with the tax credit, and having a new stove you need to do nothing with to make it ready and you know its new and no surprises.
You can get a 3.5 cf stove at Lowes or HD for anywhere from $800.00 to $1000.00 or so. Don't rush your decision just to get wood heat this winter. Take your time to limit regrets & extra work.
If ya get in a rut at time of install, let me know. I might be able to help if needed.
Pottstown is nice, hope your not too close to the projects though.
Congrats.

 

[Slow1]

. Would a new steel stove be as efficient as this fc dw? I really I'm tying to find my best bang for my buck and don't mind buying used . I get pride out of taking other peoples used stuff and making it like new.

As to efficiency - I thing you will find that modern EPA stoves are all going to be fairly close on the numbers. There are some differences but how you operate the stove will make as much of a difference as the raw capabilities of the stove.

IF you buy the used stove, however, you won't know how well it was maintained and if it has any leaks or other issues your maximum efficiency will plummet - until you identify and resolve those issues.

No matter what stove you go with you will need to be sure your chimney is proper and well maintained as well - make sure you have that well covered.

And last, but perhaps MOST important: How is your wood supply? If you want "the best bang for your buck" then you had best be sure you have well seasoned wood to feed your stove. The one way to be sure and ruin the efficiency of any stove (new/old EPA or not) is to burn wood that has excess moisture in it. It is hard to get wood too dry (debateable on if this really is possible without extraordinary or artificial conditions in most climates) but it is all too easy to find wood sold as 'well seasoned' that is not at all really ready to burn. If you don't have good wood ready to go for this year then get it lined up first, worry about the stove second.

 

[Archer39]

Chances are, if all the walls are stone, there is no insulation.
There may be a 1/2" or maybe even 1" board type insulation behind the siding, that they may have installed when the siding was installed.
Peek up in the attic if you can and see what if any insulation is up there.
Not sure how much rehab may have been done, whether minimal or extensive. But also check the electrical wiring, is there a fuse panel or breaker panel?
That stone is beautiful. If they covered it on the outside that is a shame. But most likely needed to be re-pointed. And might have been painted over during the years it sat there.
I never agreed with painting over beautiful natural materials such as cedar, stone or slate. But that s a personal opinion that not everyone views the same.
If the interior walls are lath & plaster, keep in mind alot of the plaster used back then contained asbestos.
Not knocking the stove, but the box store stove suggestion is a good one also, with the tax credit, and having a new stove you need to do nothing with to make it ready and you know its new and no surprises.
You can get a 3.5 cf stove at Lowes or HD for anywhere from $800.00 to $1000.00 or so. Don't rush your decision just to get wood heat this winter. Take your time to limit regrets & extra work.
If ya get in a rut at time of install, let me know. I might be able to help if needed.
Pottstown is nice, hope your not too close to the projects though.
Congrats.

There is no attic but there is insulation above the drop ceiling in the second story. There is all new electric in the house it was completely redone. I agree with painting over the natural materials. That will be sanded and stained as soon as we get into the house. We are all but out of the borough we can see the upper pottsgrove sign from my front yard on Manatawny Street. It is a nice area but not what I really am used to. we had to give up the location because of money.

Thanks for the offer with lending me a hand.

 

[Archer39]

. Would a new steel stove be as efficient as this fc dw? I really I'm tying to find my best bang for my buck and don't mind buying used . I get pride out of taking other peoples used stuff and making it like new.

As to efficiency - I thing you will find that modern EPA stoves are all going to be fairly close on the numbers. There are some differences but how you operate the stove will make as much of a difference as the raw capabilities of the stove.

IF you buy the used stove, however, you won't know how well it was maintained and if it has any leaks or other issues your maximum efficiency will plummet - until you identify and resolve those issues.

No matter what stove you go with you will need to be sure your chimney is proper and well maintained as well - make sure you have that well covered.

And last, but perhaps MOST important: How is your wood supply? If you want "the best bang for your buck" then you had best be sure you have well seasoned wood to feed your stove. The one way to be sure and ruin the efficiency of any stove (new/old EPA or not) is to burn wood that has excess moisture in it. It is hard to get wood too dry (debateable on if this really is possible without extraordinary or artificial conditions in most climates) but it is all too easy to find wood sold as 'well seasoned' that is not at all really ready to burn. If you don't have good wood ready to go for this year then get it lined up first, worry about the stove second.

I have about 2 cords of popular, oak and birch that is well seasoned. I have another 2 cords of mixed hardwoods that still need a few more months of seasoning to be dry. I also have access to as much wood as I want that was cut in 8 foot lengths last winter. A good friend of mine sells fire wood for a living in the winter and i can have as much as i want as long as i help him cut equal to what I take. He has a wood processor, skid loader and a front end loader that makes cutting wood a breeze. I don't think wood will be too much of an issue until later in the year.