Need Wood Stove Advice

[Baby Grand]

I'm starting to look for a wood stove for supplementing our oil heat. Any brand or model recommendations? We have a 1950's ranch with a partly finished basement, which is where the old stove is.

Old stove's an Ashley C-62 from the 70's I think. Seems to have a leak or crack in the main firebox - you can always smell a little smoke when it's running. Plant Manager says it must go. If I can find the leak & weld it up, then it will have a new home out in the "tractor shed", replacing the old Warner that can't seem to make enough heat. The few times that we fired the Ashley up it did a great job of heating the house. Made the floors upstairs on the ground level comfortably warm and generally seemed to reduce the oil furnace firings by 50 - 70%.

Our house is about 1100 sq ft (upstairs living space) with about the same down in the basement. I'd like to get something that is high quality, burns clean and long on a single load. I'd like to avoid catalysts, if possible. I have no interest in pellet stoves as I have lots of hardwood on our property and a bunch that is cut and ready to split. What do you all think?

 

[Tollster]

We have a good local stove company called Alaska stoves,they are an 6 or 8" flue,and 3/8" to 1/4" plate lined with fire brick.
It may be benifical to get any model without a catalitic converter as I believe the EPA implemented sticter requirements around 04 for cleaner wood burning stoves but not sure asI went to pellets around then. Many of the stoves without the converter and lined with fire brick you could also burn coal in when it got really cold,you just had to ensure the grates where heavy duty,say 1/2 in thick and the rocked or mesh together. The gap between the grate teeth dictated what size coal you could burn,stove, chesnut, or rice. Most where stove coal. It was also against EPA laws for a slaes man to tell you you could burn either, even though the stove could be either,but was being sold as a wood stove.

Also keep in mind you may have a choice between convenction which draws cold air in from the room and circulated it around the fire box and blows warm air out, whcih can be an issue should you loose electric, but you may be able to use it as a radiant, just be sure to ask. Radiant has no forced air fans,and just emits heat, look for heavy gage steel and fire brick lining, typically the heavier the better. Bricks can be replaced, and much of the hard ware as well. Fresh paint can dress up and oldy very well, but the first burn will stink. Just be sure the grates are in good shape as they are hard to replace.

 

[yankeerider]

Do some reading over at Hearth.com forums. Last year we retired our old Vermont Castings Resolute Acclaim and replaced it with a Hearthstone Heritage. My wife and I both love the Heritage, it's easier to operate. No catalyst, butburns clean. Not great at holding a fire for a long time, but the Soapstone levels out the heat ups and downs vs. cast iron. We bought both stoves at Old Hadleigh Hearth in So Hadley, Ma.

 

[Davinator]

Check out the manufacturer, Lopi. They have a wide variety of extremely hi rated stoves, many of which are non-catalytic models. They undoubtedly have a dealer somewhere near you. Good luck!

 

[sadie72]

Try to find a used Vermont Castings Defiant. They are work horses. Cast iron and built to last. I have one and it heats my 1977 raised ranch all winter. No oil burner even with -25F outside. House is 28x48, 2 floors. Large firebox allows burning all night or day (9-10+hrs).

Go stainless steel chimney liner for added peace of mind with respect to maintenance, cleaning and chimney fires.

I just rebuilt the original fireback for $325 and the stove is like new.

 

[300UGUY]

Try to find a used Vermont Castings Defiant. They are work horses. Cast iron and built to last. I have one and it heats my 1977 raised ranch all winter. No oil burner even with -25F outside. House is 28x48, 2 floors. Large firebox allows burning all night or day (9-10+hrs).

Go stainless steel chimney liner for added peace of mind with respect to maintenance, cleaning and chimney fires.

I just rebuilt the original fireback for $325 and the stove is like new.

I have a raised ranch as well. Is your stove in the lower level?

 

[KennyG]

Just a thought. If you smell smoke, it may not be a crack in the stove. If your house is well insulated and sealed, it may have negative pressure in the basement. With the improved house sealing, this is becoming more and more of a problem. I have a two story house with an "airtight" stove (outside air intake) in the basement. It draws great and has no smoke problem when hot, but when I let it cool down, I get ash smell in the basement.

At this point, I'm going to install a constant flow fan to bring air from the upstairs into the basement to increase the basement pressure, but stoves in basements are a challenge.

As a minimum, I would suggest you look into airtight stoves with outside air intakes if you can work it out. The efficiency is very high and it's very clean heat. I have an Osburn (one of the SBI companies in Canada). They aren't cheap but the bay window models are like having a fireplace without the inefficiency.

 

[hr3]

I put in a Englander add on wood furnace that ties into the existing duck work,, I'v had it for 8 or 9 years now and love it.. I have a 4,000 sf ranch and burn 4 cord a winter keeping it 74 as an average..

 

[20 20]

I'll 2nd going with a wood furnace have had mine for years now and when it dies I'll stick with the same type. I didn't use mine as an add on it is my main source of heat, I heat 2000sq feet. They are fair priced and will IMO out heat a regular wood stove.

 

[sadie72]

Yes, the Defiant is in the lower level family room.

The smoke may be eliminated if you crack a basement window or burn the fire hotter.

Check Craigslist for used units. Heavy, but perfect for a well insulated ranch. I've seen them for $450 online. Parts are limited, but fireback kits can still be ordered. Mine says 1975 in the rear of the backplate.