Indoor Wood Stove Recomendations

[TDunk]

I need some advice on a new indoor wood stove. I had an old cabinet style wood stove on my back porch. Worked great. It would keep my 1300 square foot home 78 degrees with the damper opened to a little of half. Well the grate finally went out on it, and the ash tray was pretty banged up, needed new bricks so i figured it was time to get a new stove. On 1/17/08 i bought a US stove co. wood stove that's suppose to do 1800 sq. ft., well it does enough to take the chill off but that's about it. Does anybody have any recomendations on a good indoor wood stove. I was looking at the Drolet ht-2000, and the Napoleon 1900, but i don't know much about these "grateless" wood stoves. Any help would be great, thanks for the help.

 

[Hugenpoet]

You're obviously a man who loves his chainsaws by the list of your toys. Great selection and obviously you have the capability to feed a stove.

Getting to your question, my only experience has been with an old Lange 6302, which I haven't used for years but recently fully restored for sentimental reasons-and which could be fired up like the "hammers of hell" by opening both the upper and lower drafts full bore, and more recently with the 2 Jotul Oslos that I now run. The Jotuls, being EPA certified, will only run within a certain operating range as the stove is not designed to be fully dampered down to a smolder-as was possible with the Lange, nor is it capable of being run "cherry red" unless you want to leave the ash removal door open and void the warranty. Having said that, I believe that one Oslo would adequately heat your house. The downside with any Jotul stove is that they are expensive-$2,000 retail for the regular cast iron Oslo model, $2400 for the fancy gloss enamel, the plus side-from my perspective at least is that they are very attactive, the fire is fully visible and the stoves are well made. By the way, the Oslo can be feed both from the front and through a side door. I always use the side door as it is much cleaner that way.

Only my two cents and I hope this is at least a little helpful.

Hugenpoet

 

[A. Stanton]

I got a Pacific Energy Wood Stove Insert and like it. Their medium model stove is rated for 2,000 sq ft. Their monster, the Summit, is rated for 3,000 sq ft. Quality products.

 

[TDunk]

I've been talking to the company, and to give them credit there even going to send a guy out to look and see if there is a problem with the stove. But what buggs me is that even if the stove checks out to be working properly, they won't let me upgrade to a larger stove or return it for a refund. So from the looks of it i may be stuck with a stove that barely heats my house. On the Jotuls, are they fully firebrick lines or do they have grates in them ?

 

[Hugenpoet]

Can't speak for anything other than the Oslo which has a grate along the bottom through which the ash falls into the ash collection bin.

Hugenpoet

 

[TDunk]

All of the other stoves i've had have had grates in them, this is the first one that i've owned that has the air coming from the top. Those Jotuls look nice, but i there isn't a dealer real close though.

 

[reaperman]

Try here

http://www.**********/econtent/index.php/forums/viewforum/2/

 

[allthegross]

I bought a heatnglo northstar last year. i have a large living room and kitchen and can heat it to 85 when it is below 0 outside i also hear the Napoleon is a good unit too but bigger and consumes more wood. another one i liked is the quadrafire 7100 but these are all inserts. i can tell you i have no complaints about the northstar

 

[logbutcher]

All of the above, and...

Diddle around the super hearthnet site for talk about wood stoves, but like saws, take the enthusiast's advice with a big fat grain. ********** has an extensive review of wood stoves from real time customers. Nicely done.

I don't know the U.S. stove brand, but usually there's a learning curve with any new stove ( or saw, or wife, firearm,or bike..). The newer EPA stoves are NOT the same as our pre-EPA (pre-1987 or so) stoves, they take some using.

We have both a cat ( VC Encore) and a non-cat ( Jotul Oslo) that heat 24/7, 100%. The Oslo does maybe 2/3 the heat, efficiency, and length of burn that the cat Encore does. That's the technology of cats vs. non-cats.

One company that gets universal positive reviews in hearthnet is Woodstock Soapstone out of Vermont. Great warranty, good built quality, nice looking. They're cat stoves. Look them up; they have a money back trial run, but are not "cheap". Pacific Energy, Quadra, and Morso stoves also get positive reviews.

Best approach is to take trips to dealers, fondle the stoves :censored: , look in and out, ask plenty of questions, get references of who burns which and what problems the ones you're interested in have. Look carefully at the firebox size, it's the main factor in BTU output.

Don't concentrate on the intial cost of a stove: if the right stove costs 2X the one you have, but gives 2X the heat with less wood, you'll get that extra $$$ back over the years.

 

[nctacoma]

I also have a pacific energy stove. This is my first season of using it and I can say that whatever it initially cost me it has already paid for itself. I have turned the heat on in my house only three days so far this winter. Granted, I am in New Jersey and we have had a mild winter but the stove has been going almost non-stop since late November. The stoves seem expensive initially but they pay for themselves very quickly. I can highly recommend the Pacific Energy stove that I have, at least with the one season of use that it has on it so far.

 

[Saucydog]

Tdunk...in regard to your stove not properly heating your home,I've learned that it's wise to look carefully at the claims put forth by the stove manufacturers.When they issue a "sq. ft. heating capacity";it's realistic to expect only 60 to 70% of their published numbers.....If they claim a stove will heat 1800 sq. ft.,that would be while running the stove in the best insulated home with the best firewood under the best atmospheric and geographic conditions.What are the specs on your installation?-Most problems can be traced to an inadequate chimney and\or improperly-seasoned wood.These may not be the case in your home;I'm just trying to determine why your new stove won't live up to or near its' billing.

 

[TDunk]

Tdunk...in regard to your stove not properly heating your home,I've learned that it's wise to look carefully at the claims put forth by the stove manufacturers.When they issue a "sq. ft. heating capacity";it's realistic to expect only 60 to 70% of their published numbers.....If they claim a stove will heat 1800 sq. ft.,that would be while running the stove in the best insulated home with the best firewood under the best atmospheric and geographic conditions.What are the specs on your installation?-Most problems can be traced to an inadequate chimney and\or improperly-seasoned wood.These may not be the case in your home;I'm just trying to determine why your new stove won't live up to or near its' billing.

The chimney should be ok. My other stove worked just fine with it. When i installed this stove i put in new pipe from the stove to the ceiling. It goes straight up through the ceiling/roof. As for the wood, i cut most of my wood a year a head of time. Now after it's stacked at the house, it is still open to the weather (top covered) but i usually have enough on the back porch for two days. (so the wood is usually drying for two days before it goes in the stove) I did get an E-mail from them later yesterday and they told me to move the firebricks in the very top (step top) of the stove forward. Did that, but now it's almost like it's stuck on high. Even with the air on low and the flue closed as much as a dare to close it, it seems i have to much draft now. Not to mention sliding the bricks forward seems to eliminate the secondary combustion.

 

[sredlin]

I am running a smaller Jotul F3 because my house is only 1200 sq ft. I stoked it pretty good a few days ago when it was -24 F outside and could keep it 80 in the house (cold wife and weiner dogs). I am not sure but I think they do not have firebrick because they are cast iron. It cost $1200 brand new but paid for itself in a little over a year. They are a quality unit and I would buy another.

 

[WendyC]

Pacific Energy "the SUMMIT" wood stove insert

I got a Pacific Energy Wood Stove Insert and like it. Their medium model stove is rated for 2,000 sq ft. Their monster, the Summit, is rated for 3,000 sq ft. Quality products.

I have to say that I am really disappointed in the SUMMIT woodstove insert. We have a 3200 sqft log home and bought this stove hoping that we would heat our 1st floor. Our living room is about 900 sqft and we can barely feel any heat from this fire. We are burning nice dry seasoned wood. We get a rip roaring fire going and the only way we feel any heat is if we open the door. The blower goes on and believe it or not, my space heater puts more heat out. We have had the installer come back to check it out and he said well you need to seal up your home and make sure there are no leaks. We spent the last year insulating and sealing our home and still no change. I am not sure what the problem is but I HATE IT! They say is heats up to 3000 sqft, it does not even come close to heating that much space. I would think twice before buying the Summit

 

[laynes69]

When you say your wood is dry, how long has it been cut and split? Is this your first EPA stove? If your running the insert with the damper open, your pushing heat out of the unit. Give us a few details and we will see what's going on.

 

[Joe Homeowner]

I have to say that I am really disappointed in the SUMMIT woodstove insert. We have a 3200 sqft log home and bought this stove hoping that we would heat our 1st floor. Our living room is about 900 sqft and we can barely feel any heat from this fire. We are burning nice dry seasoned wood. We get a rip roaring fire going and the only way we feel any heat is if we open the door. The blower goes on and believe it or not, my space heater puts more heat out. We have had the installer come back to check it out and he said well you need to seal up your home and make sure there are no leaks. We spent the last year insulating and sealing our home and still no change. I am not sure what the problem is but I HATE IT! They say is heats up to 3000 sqft, it does not even come close to heating that much space. I would think twice before buying the Summit

Not the problem with the maker, but the method and installation Wendy. Too much of an insert's heat is conducted, radiated, and convected to the mass of the 'fireplace'. If it's an outside chimney, even more heat is lost. Inserts are a mediocre heating method for wood stoves, but pretty. If possible, get a stand-alone stove set OUT FROM the fireplace. The stove then can spread the BTU's the way it should.

Done for example by extending a hearth; running the flue thru a closed fireplace opening or closed damper. The flue for a fireplace is usually much too large and uninsulated for a proper draw. Most EPA stoves spec for a 6" flue with a minimum height.

You don't get heat it is often unseasoned fuel, poor flue, and....and, inefficient burning skills such as not allowing the fuel to coal before shutting the air. The stoves are rarely the problem. Blowers are a crutch, IMO , for a poor install.

 

[Fyrebug]

The chimney should be ok. My other stove worked just fine with it. When i installed this stove i put in new pipe from the stove to the ceiling. It goes straight up through the ceiling/roof. As for the wood, i cut most of my wood a year a head of time. Now after it's stacked at the house, it is still open to the weather (top covered) but i usually have enough on the back porch for two days. (so the wood is usually drying for two days before it goes in the stove) I did get an E-mail from them later yesterday and they told me to move the firebricks in the very top (step top) of the stove forward. Did that, but now it's almost like it's stuck on high. Even with the air on low and the flue closed as much as a dare to close it, it seems i have to much draft now. Not to mention sliding the bricks forward seems to eliminate the secondary combustion.

If you are moving the brick forward you are likely venting directly into your chimney and losing your efficiencies. You'll burn hotter and faster but a good portion of that heat in now going up int the chimney.

We make the Drolet HT2000. It's one of our best sellers. Amish folkd in PA & OH loves it. It weights over 550 lbs, comes with a limited lifetime warranty, heat exhanger, ash pan etc... and if you put a blower on it it will provide a lot of heat. It's one of the biggest EPA Wood stove out there 3.4 cu ft.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[dave_376]

WendyC you are doing something wrong. My buddy has a 3400sqft home. He heats the entire house off a summit insert, it is an impressive stove to say the least. I have too assume that something is installed incorrectly or you are operating the controls on the stove incorrectly. You truely have one of the best stoves on the market!!!!!

 

[v8titan]

+1 for the Jotul Oslo. Been running mine for 8 years now. Nice looking stove and as others have said, the side loading door is neat and clean.

 

[paladin]

I just got a Pacific Energy Summit in Sept, I have been running it a little and so far I am impressed. I have just been burning junk wood and cut off weird pieces and only about 1/2 loaded at a time,and there is no problem heating the house(2100sq ft living and 500sq ft unfinished tri level built in the early 90's) I do have the blower I don't run it all the time just as needed I cant wait till it gets colder and I can turn it loose. I have also just had fires mainly at nite and some mornings. I did alot of research before I bought this stove and it seems to be one of the best. I replaced a 2006 V.C. encore ( was not impressed). I do also use a box fan and ceiling fan to move heat to the lower level, you just need to see what works the best. Moving cold air at the stove with a fan on the floor from where you want to heat does work believe it or not. Just my opinion.