I am new to the Hearth Forum. I recently purchased a home on 4 acres in Wisconsin with a lifetimes supply of dead ash trees. I have two open fireplaces in my house and a large energy bill. I am looking for the best way to supplement my energy bills as best as possible. I have always enjoyed cutting wood having grown up in a house with a Vermont Casting as well as owning a hunting cabin that is heated by a Vermont casting as well. My older brother swears by the blaze king insert that he put in his open fireplace. I am also open to putting a stove in the corner of the family room. I would love any and all advice anyone can give. I am looking at purchasing and installing over this summer.
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Wood Stoves and Fireplaces - WOOD STOVE SHORT INTRODUCTION
Wood stoves are wood-burning appliances that sit on the floor of the room, usually away from the wall. Some of the newer models may now be placed as close as 8 inches from the wall. Because they must be certified by the EPA, most newer wood stoves are clean burning and have relatively high...
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Take time to peruse the thousands of threads here by using the search function to narrow down questions. Then describe the home floorplan and size and the fireplace sizes so that some suggestions can be made.
Woody Stover
Minister of Fire
Welcome to the forums, NDeBaker (did you have an NDE??)
Where in WI are you? Big difference in heating requirements between northern and southern..I lived there for 30+ years, and my brother and my friends are still up there. Then again, the weather is changing so you might be in the sub-tropics soon without having to move.
Hard to imagine you have a lifetime supply of firewood on just four acres, unless you have access to other woods as well. But you need to get it split and stacked ASAP because White Ash doesn't hold up forever, lying around or dead-standing. I hope you don't have a job because you have a lot of woodwork to do if you want to get a lifetime of Ash stacked before it's all gone!
One quick observation is that Vermont Castings stoves when they first came out in the late 1970s and 80s were great stoves once they worked out the rear fireback problem. They got less great as the years went on and they went to various emissions upgrades. and most folks avoid the later designs. Hope springs eternal for some and with new owners of VC comes new hopes that they are building quality stoves again.
The old VC original designs are no longer the most efficient in town, but they are far more tolerant of wet wood. That doesnt mean they will burn wet wood efficiently but they will burn it. The new EPA stoves are more efficient but they are unable to burn wet wood.
My two cents is a freestanding stove is going to be a more useful heating unit than an insert. Wood stoves are both a radiant and convective heater, an insert inherently has a tougher time getting the heat out into the room but they do take up a lot less space. They also can normally reuse the chimney in the firebox. A lot of folks get shocked by the cost of installing a wood stove chimney.
The old VC original designs are no longer the most efficient in town, but they are far more tolerant of wet wood. That doesnt mean they will burn wet wood efficiently but they will burn it. The new EPA stoves are more efficient but they are unable to burn wet wood.
My two cents is a freestanding stove is going to be a more useful heating unit than an insert. Wood stoves are both a radiant and convective heater, an insert inherently has a tougher time getting the heat out into the room but they do take up a lot less space. They also can normally reuse the chimney in the firebox. A lot of folks get shocked by the cost of installing a wood stove chimney.
I am located in Port Washington and have at least 30-40 dead ash trees on my property. We have access to other woods as well. I already have about 3 cords of wood split and stacked. Just trying to determine the best way to heat the main floor of the house. It has a pretty open concept.Welcome to the forums, NDeBaker (did you have an NDE??)
Where in WI are you? Big difference in heating requirements between northern and southern..I lived there for 30+ years, and my brother and my friends are still up there. Then again, the weather is changing so you might be in the sub-tropics soon without having to move.
Hard to imagine you have a lifetime supply of firewood on just four acres, unless you have access to other woods as well. But you need to get it split and stacked ASAP because White Ash doesn't hold up forever, lying around or dead-standing. I hope you don't have a job because you have a lot of woodwork to do if you want to get a lifetime of Ash stacked before it's all gone!
Thank you for your reply. I am leaning towards the free-standing stove for all of the reasons that you mentioned. The question is which one? I am leaning away from the Vermont. The one that we have at our hunting cabin is new and puffs terribly. They look good but I feel there has to be a better option out there.
How tall is the chimney on the new VC? Is it straight up interior or with some 90º turns? How dry is the wood?
Still need a description of the home floorplan and size and the fireplace sizes so that some suggestions can be made.
maple1
Minister of Fire
Go freestanding, then decide if you want a catalytic stove, then we can recommend makes and models. Welcome from Erin, WI!
The VC in the hunting cabin has been burning oak that's been dried for 4-5 years. The chimney on it is 20-25 feet straight up.
The floor plan of the house is about 2600 sqft ranch. The family room has vaulted ceilings and the fireplace is in the center of the room. Not sure about the exact dimensions of the fireplace but will definitely get them when I get home.
That's a nice setup for a stove, just about ideal. You'll want a large 3 cu ft stove for that space. There are many to choose from depending on the budget and visual factors desired. Drolet makes good heaters on the low-cost end. If a classic style is desired then look at the Hearthstone Manchester. Also look at jacketed stoves like the Jotul F55 and F600, PE Alderlea T6 and Blaze King Ashford 30 (cat). In more standard style there are choices from Regency, Quadrafire, Osburn that all will do the job well too. Lots of options to choose from.
Fellow wood stove rookie here - thought I'd restart this thread. I have read dozens of forum posts on this website, which I find mostly leads to more questions/thoughts and less answers, haha! I have also read the article suggested by begreen at the top of this thread.
I have never lived with a wood stove but know I want one in our house (wood burning). I tend to over-research things and would love some simple, straightforward guidance for picking a stove. I thought wood stoves were fairly straight forward, turns out I was mistaken... cat vs. non-cat / cast iron vs. steel vs. soapstone / new 2020 EPA rules (which seem to have altered product lines), etc...
House: Located about 90 minutes directly west of Washington, DC. 40+ acres of forest for fuel. Roughly 1,750 sq.ft on two levels (775 first floor, 975 second floor). As our family grows I could see expanding the lower level by adding about 500 sq.ft., so maybe as big as 2,200 sq.ft. in the near-ish future. The second level does have ceilings that go from 8ft to 14 ft. Wood stove chimney pipe is already installed and in place. We built the house in 2019. Wood stove will sit on the lower level, in the center of the home, near a stairwell. House is heated by a heat pump with ducts throughout the whole house. The lower level return duct would be on the opposite side of the wood stove room so I think we could circulate the warm air through the house by running the HVAC fan-only setting. The house is mostly open floor plan except for the bedrooms and bathrooms.
I'd love to heat the house entirely with the wood stove if possible, but it could serve a supplementary role if needed since we do have the heat pump. Given the size and layout of the house I think exclusively heating with the wood stove would be possible. I'd also like the wood stove for power outages because the last couple years we have had some long ones. The house is equipped for easy generator hook-up so the well and refrigerator could function during a power outage.
I know I'd like a wood stove with a glass door, ashpan, and I think the firebox should be at least 2.0 cubic feet minimum. I'd say I'm looking for a "medium" stove. I've gone back and forth about the material and the cat vs. non-cat option. And I'm sure there are other details I'm not even aware of at the moment.
What I'd really like is a well-built, very low maintenance wood stove that will last me a very long time. I don't consider myself terribly handy and I currently know nothing about rebuilding a stove.
Any suggestions on brands, models, materials, things to consider would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks!
I have never lived with a wood stove but know I want one in our house (wood burning). I tend to over-research things and would love some simple, straightforward guidance for picking a stove. I thought wood stoves were fairly straight forward, turns out I was mistaken... cat vs. non-cat / cast iron vs. steel vs. soapstone / new 2020 EPA rules (which seem to have altered product lines), etc...
House: Located about 90 minutes directly west of Washington, DC. 40+ acres of forest for fuel. Roughly 1,750 sq.ft on two levels (775 first floor, 975 second floor). As our family grows I could see expanding the lower level by adding about 500 sq.ft., so maybe as big as 2,200 sq.ft. in the near-ish future. The second level does have ceilings that go from 8ft to 14 ft. Wood stove chimney pipe is already installed and in place. We built the house in 2019. Wood stove will sit on the lower level, in the center of the home, near a stairwell. House is heated by a heat pump with ducts throughout the whole house. The lower level return duct would be on the opposite side of the wood stove room so I think we could circulate the warm air through the house by running the HVAC fan-only setting. The house is mostly open floor plan except for the bedrooms and bathrooms.
I'd love to heat the house entirely with the wood stove if possible, but it could serve a supplementary role if needed since we do have the heat pump. Given the size and layout of the house I think exclusively heating with the wood stove would be possible. I'd also like the wood stove for power outages because the last couple years we have had some long ones. The house is equipped for easy generator hook-up so the well and refrigerator could function during a power outage.
I know I'd like a wood stove with a glass door, ashpan, and I think the firebox should be at least 2.0 cubic feet minimum. I'd say I'm looking for a "medium" stove. I've gone back and forth about the material and the cat vs. non-cat option. And I'm sure there are other details I'm not even aware of at the moment.
What I'd really like is a well-built, very low maintenance wood stove that will last me a very long time. I don't consider myself terribly handy and I currently know nothing about rebuilding a stove.
Any suggestions on brands, models, materials, things to consider would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks!
For a first stove, I would look stoves that function well with a simple design. Parts of West VA can get pretty cold in the winter, but your home is new and hopefully well insulated. A 2 cu ft stove will work for maybe 80+% of your winter heating, but may need some supplementation on the coldest few days. A 3.0 cu ft stove will be overkill for the mildest days, but will handle the coldest days better. Given that you have a modern heat pump you may just skip burning until temps get below 40º, except for a partial fire on nights and weekends. That will depend on your lifestyle and the house.
Regardless of stove choice, the quality of the fuel is going to determine whether this is a pleasurable experience or a pain. Modern wood stoves need fully seasoned firewood at 20% or less moisture content to perform best. Most wood that is sold as seasoned is not, so having a stash of at least a few cords of fully seasoned wood is going to make a very big difference in satisfaction.
What size is the heat pump? Have you gone through a full winter with it and if so, how did it work out? I would look at stoves by Drolet, Englander, Pacific Energy, Jotul and Quadrafire for starters. A mid-sized Buck 74 non-cat would also work out.
Regardless of stove choice, the quality of the fuel is going to determine whether this is a pleasurable experience or a pain. Modern wood stoves need fully seasoned firewood at 20% or less moisture content to perform best. Most wood that is sold as seasoned is not, so having a stash of at least a few cords of fully seasoned wood is going to make a very big difference in satisfaction.
What size is the heat pump? Have you gone through a full winter with it and if so, how did it work out? I would look at stoves by Drolet, Englander, Pacific Energy, Jotul and Quadrafire for starters. A mid-sized Buck 74 non-cat would also work out.
Thanks for the suggestions! I honestly have no idea what size our heat pump is but it seemed to do well last winter. Our electric bill last winter never got out of control. I know a couple people in the area with similar size homes and their heat pumps look slightly smaller than ours, so I think ours is substantial.
I was gravitating toward Pacific Energy, Jotul (although no non-cat options in "medium" size from what I can tell, due to 2020 EPA changes), and Lopi. These seemed to be highly recommended on many of the forum threads. I'll have to check out Drolet, Englander, Quadfire and Buck. Those are new names to me.
Any thoughts on material. At first I all-in on soapstone/Hearthstone but now I'm thinking steel. Cast iron sounds like it will require more rebuilding.
Thanks!
How much of a difference am I going to experience between a Jotul F45 and F55 (2020 versions)? My home's size is between these two stoves. The F45 seems a bit too small and I imagine I'd really be pushing it most of the time. But the F55 seems like it may be too large. According to Jotul the F55 in my region has a heating capacity of about 2,300 sq.ft. and the F45 about 1,500 sq.ft.
Could I make the F55 work at 1,750 sq.ft. or would I have to run it too low to be worth it (and worry about excessive creosote)?
My second level does have ceilings that go from 8-14 feet, averaging 11-feet (shed roof) so this extra cubic feet makes me think the F55 could fit the bill. The home may also be about 2,200 sq.ft. one day (growing family) so it would be great if I could make the F55 work right now. Thanks!
Could I make the F55 work at 1,750 sq.ft. or would I have to run it too low to be worth it (and worry about excessive creosote)?
My second level does have ceilings that go from 8-14 feet, averaging 11-feet (shed roof) so this extra cubic feet makes me think the F55 could fit the bill. The home may also be about 2,200 sq.ft. one day (growing family) so it would be great if I could make the F55 work right now. Thanks!
How open is the floorplan? Is there a ceiling fan at the high roof point?
Both will work, it's how you run them. The F45 may need supplemental heat on a few very cold days and will have a shorter burn time. The F55 will be idling on small loads during mild weather, but will have more reserve for the very cold weather.
If you have a good mix of wood you could run low btu wood during the shoulder season in the larger stove.
Both will work, it's how you run them. The F45 may need supplemental heat on a few very cold days and will have a shorter burn time. The F55 will be idling on small loads during mild weather, but will have more reserve for the very cold weather.
If you have a good mix of wood you could run low btu wood during the shoulder season in the larger stove.
The upper floor is almost completely open. Kitchen, dining and living area are all one big room with one fan hanging 18" down from the ceiling which is about 11-12 feet at that spot. There is an extra "TV-room" separated by a wall, but no door. This room also has a fan at the same height. Bathroom is enclosed and very small.
Downstairs is a den (where stove will sit), two modest bedrooms off the den and a bathroom. 8 foot ceilings. The wood stove will sit near the stairs.
If my math is correct, I think our house is currently about 16,700 cubic feet, for what it's worth. About 10,700 upstairs and 6,000 downstairs.
I'm leaning toward the F55, especially since our house may be larger in the future, but what are the chances that it's way too much heat for the space?
Downstairs is a den (where stove will sit), two modest bedrooms off the den and a bathroom. 8 foot ceilings. The wood stove will sit near the stairs.
If my math is correct, I think our house is currently about 16,700 cubic feet, for what it's worth. About 10,700 upstairs and 6,000 downstairs.
I'm leaning toward the F55, especially since our house may be larger in the future, but what are the chances that it's way too much heat for the space?
So there is no downside to running small loads in the F55 and "idling" as you put it?
Thank you for your patient answers. This is all very new to me.
Thank you for your patient answers. This is all very new to me.
Not really, as long as the fire is hot enough to burn cleanly. We have a 3 cu ft stove and it work fine with 4-5 splits fires. If we need a little more heat later in the day then I put on 2-3 more splits. When it is cold out and we are burning 24/7 the stove always gets a full load.
The most important thing is to have fully seasoned, dry wood.
The most important thing is to have fully seasoned, dry wood.
It is a little easier to do with a cat but not hard in a noncat. And cat stoves aren't very low maintenance. Good ones aren't bad as far as maintenance but absolutely take more than good non cats
As far as 2020 versions I really don't know yet.
Previously if the draft was right regency quad lopi jotul pacific energy or any of the mid level or up tube stoves gave decent control.
We will have to wait and see now. My father has a 2020 pe that worked well last season.
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