Would a Jotul Rangely F50 TL be too BIG???

[openplanet]

Hello All--First time poster here. I'm building a small, south-facing, super-insulated off-grid house (enough dashes?!). The Jotul Rangely F50 TL is the most appealing stove I've seen so far, both aesthetically and functionally. The fact that it's designed to allow both surface cooking and grilling is a real bonus.

The entire house is just under 1000 sf (not including daylight basement), and the main living area (open plan kitchen - dining - living) is only about 600 sf. And as I said, super instulated (with triple pane windows to boot).

So my question (which may seem kind of stupid to those in the know...but hey, I'm posting here 'cause I'm NOT in the know!) is: given that the Jotul is rated for 2000 sf, will it be too big for the space? Of course I can modulate the size of the fire, and therefore the output...but I guess what I'm wondering is whether it will still be possible to have nice fires on winter nights without turning the place into a sweat lodge.

If the very fact that I'm asking this question is diagnostic of some misconception(s) I have about the whole process of heating with wood, please set me straight. I'm here to learn.

Thanks in advance--Paul

 

[begreen]

Welcome Paul. In this case I would say yes, with a super-insulated small space you could end up overheating. We have had folks with this stove that have downsized and they had a larger area with less perfect insulation. I would recommend you consider a small catalytic stove instead. It will burn at a steady low temperature more easily. A couple to look at would be the Woodstock Keystone and the Blaze King Sirocco 20. If you want non-cat I would stay at around 1.5-2 cu ft. max.. Some stoves in that size would be the Quadrafire Yosemite, PE Alderlea T4, Hampton H300 and the Jotul F400 and F45.

PS: What is the current source of heat? What size is it in btus/hr.?

 

[openplanet]

Welcome Paul. In this case I would say yes, with a super-insulated small space you could end up overheating. We have had folks with this stove that have downsized and they had a larger area with less perfect insulation. I would recommend you consider a small catalytic stove instead. It will burn at a steady low temperature more easily. A couple to look at would be the Woodstock Keystone and the Blaze King Sirocco 20. If you want non-cat I would stay at around 1.5-2 cu ft. max.. Some stoves in that size would be the Quadrafire Yosemite, PE Alderlea T4, Hampton H300 and the Jotul F400 and F45.

PS: What is the current source of heat? What size is it in btus/hr.?

WOW...I almost wonder whether I should start with the Morso 1410 "Squirrel" that I already own, and have been using in the tiny camp I built a few years ago on the property. This will be the only heat source besides solar (and the heat generated by people, appliances, etc., which actually is a factor because it's super-insulated).

 

[begreen]

You could try it. The trouble with the 1410 is that it can't hold a fire for long. That makes for frequent wake-up in the middle of zero degree nights. This can get old quickly. I think what you want is thermal storage. That's why I recommended the Keystone. Its soapstone body holds the heat well, then slowly releases it.

Do you have electricity or are you off the grid? If you have power the little Morso combined with an oil-filled radiator could do the trick nicely. If off the grid then consider the Keystone or perhaps build a cob stove masonry heater? Or maybe build in more solar hot water storage?

 

[firefighterjake]

Normally I say to figure out the size of the home and then go one stove larger than the space . . . but factoring in the super insulation and small space I would say going with the Rangeley would be too much stove for the home.

 

[begreen]

Note the other current thread where a fellow put an F50 into a super insulated home. He is far south of Maine but said it was too much heat even during the cold snap. I would setup a roomy hearth for a larger stove, but install the Morso for now and try it. That way you are not painting yourself into a corner. It'll be easy to swap out the little guy for a bigger one if you use telescoping pipe to connect the stove. If you want a Woodstock Keystone stove be sure to allow more hearth on the loading door side.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/my-stove-is-too-hot.123585/