I have an open fireplace in my basement and was wondering if I could get more heat out of my wood if I used a wood stove. I bought a wood stove at an auction sale a few years ago but have not installed it. Its not a big wood stove 24"W 29" long and about 32-34" tall. i looked inside of it and it has 1 row of firebrick linning the outside wall. Also its not cast, it looks like someone welded it together. Not sure if it makes a difference what kind of metal its made out of or not. Thanks
With a open fireplace most of the heat will go right up the chimney.
But, before using the auction stove I would make sure that it is airtight and be able to actually take the heat. I also suggest you check with your insurance company/local fire regulations/city regulations to see if you would violate code if you installed it. Some areas have regulations based upon the amount of emissions your stove you put into the air.
If it is a non compliant stove, I would suggest you look at the newer EPA stoves as they put out less pollution and are far more efficient then the older non-EPA models. You will be amazed as to how much more BTU's you are getting from the same amount of wood with little or no smoke coming from your stack. If you looking for a low cost EPA stove I would look into the Englander line that sells at the big box stores. Since it is the end of the season you may be able to find some very good deals.
Can you post some pics of your auction stove?