Wood Stove Opinions Wanted

[scott_vt]

Hi Joe,
Your right on all counts and wont get an argument from me /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif This stove was a case of stumbling on it and getting it for a good price. That stove is in the Ct house, eventually when I move up to Vt full time Im planning on getting a nice parlor stove with a glass front so I can watch the fire. Of course that addition hasnt been added onto the house yet /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif But yes, the newer stoves are much more efficient and cleaner. For now its fine, and I dont believe Im breaking any laws Im aware of.

scotty

 

[Lloyd_E]

MX5000/Howard,

I heat a 1900sq.ft. 1820's home with a vermont casting stove placed in the cavity of the old fireplace/bakeoven - with new stainless liner.

Minus 18 celcius last night -0.4 Fahrenheit (F). I have a number of small fans placed in doorways to circulate air. Generally the fireplace/kitchen area is around 80 (F) and the other rooms are around 74(F).

So far this winter I have consumed 3.5 cords of hardwood - well sesoned. We fill the stove twice at night and first thing in the morning prior to departing for work. There is usually a bed of coals after a 7-9 hour period.

Our back up heat is oil fired hot water baseboard furnace system.
We are looking at adding a wood boiler unit next year. This will probably make the wood stove redundant...but will allow me to use the bake oven to cook in.

I have a back up generator. Complete with transfer switch panel. This was professionally installed. The generator sits outside the house under cover when needed. During the summer I use the generator around the farm, so it is not permanent. It has been used off and on for past two years. Works great! Because we have a propane range the generator will run entire house. It is a 6870 Kw Coleman.

We looked at outdoor wood furnaces but our new by-laws will not allow us to hook one up...not enough distance from property lines!!! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
Don't ask!!!

Go with a smaller stove... avoid the creosote problem. I have the brushes and clean the chimney liner twice a year. Use good dry wood. I try to use 1.5 - 2 year seasoned wood.

Hope this helps.

Lloyd

 

[dmccarty]

MX5000,

We use an Osburn stove which I think is made in Canada. It has a very nice front window/door for a nice view. Its only about 70-75% efficient but no catayltic converter. If the temps here don't go into the 20's it will heat our 2400sf house so that it will be in the mid to upper 70's in the room with the stove. The north rooms will be in the mid 60's to maybe the low 60s. The heat just moves from room to room. No ducting.

We run the stove pretty much 24 hours a day. I build up the fire in the morning so that it should burn until mid morning. I get about 2-3 hours on a load of wood which is not great. So I feed the stove during the night.

Hopefully next season we will have more seasoned wood. If the stove does not do as well we are thinking of adding another stove to the other end of the house. Something that would be bigger and could burn longer. If we can keep a fire going all day that house stays in the 70s. But if it goes out while we are at work it gets cooler. Not cold enough to turn on the heater but too cool for us.

We had wanted to put in solar water heaters and radiant flooring but that was too much money. For a third of the price we could put in a second stove if we needed it.

Our house is different in that we have BIG windows and 10' ceilings. Each room has at least one 5'x8' or 6'x8' window. Each room has two windows or french doors. So we have lots heat loss compared to a wall. If we had normal sized windows and ceilings I think the house would be a bit warmer. We also don't have blinds since we are in the middle of the woods with no near by neighbors. Blinds would help insulate the windows but I like the view and the way the windows look without window coverings.

We do have double wall stainless steel chimney. Don't go cheap. We also have a finished concrete floor so sparks can fly out of the stove and we just dont care since there is nothing to burn within 15 feet of the stove.

Later,
Dan

 

[JimR]

The problem with buying used stoves is that if they are any older than 90s construction they won't be EPA certified. The certified label is a metal tag on the rear of the stove. The EPA certified them beginning in the 90s for their ability to efficienty burn wood with a certain maximum emmision. In our state it is illegal to install a non-certified stove. QUOTE


Not all states require that your used woodstove be EPA certified. There is nothing wrong with the earlier stoves if you know whow to run them. Hot fires means less smoke. Too little air means a smoky fire and lots of smoke. Wet or green wood will also cause tons of smoke.

 

[Highbeam]

"Its only about 70-75% efficient" Compared to other woodstoves that is not bad at all.

"There is nothing wrong with the earlier stoves if you know whow to run them. Hot fires means less smoke. Too little air means a smoky fire and lots of smoke. Wet or green wood will also cause tons of smoke." Yes, but wouldn't it be nice to not have to worry about that? Just burn decent wood with decent skill and not smoke out the neighborhood and waste valuable wood? Any air tight woodstove beats the heck out of a fireplace but a modern stove is another step higher.

The last stove in my pickup was a Fisher Pappa Bear that I moved to a coworkers shop for shop heat. That stove, non-EPA for sure, will provide plenty of heat. It may burn more wood and make more smoke than a modern stove but it will work far better than a 55 gallon drum. That puppy was super heavy steel with nice cast iron detail.

 

[MX5000]

Thanks guys. This thread is getting better and better. I've got alot of good information and definately appreciate everyone for taking the time to post so much of your experience. I think I'm going to go over all the posts a few times.

Thanks again,
Howard

 

[scott_vt]

[The problem with buying used stoves is that if they are any older than 90s construction they won't be EPA certified. The certified label is a metal tag on the rear of the stove. The EPA certified them beginning in the 90s for their ability to efficienty burn wood with a certain maximum emmision. In our state it is illegal to install a non-certified stove.]

Mornin Jim,
I dont honestly know if this Glacier Bay stove that I run is illegal in Ct or not /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Im kind of ashamed of the fact that I have been burning wood my entire adult life, and I dont know the regs for burning in Ct. Im pretty sure that it isnt illegal in Vt. Alot of my neighbors up there are burning in far worse contraptions than mine /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

As some one else stated, if you burn the stove fairly hot, the emissions and creosote should greatly be reduced, which I try and do.

As of yet, I havent seen any state inspectors trying to scale my chimney for an emissions check /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

scotty

 

[dmccarty]

HighBeam,

You are right about burning seasoned wood. The only time I seem white smoke in my stove, even though its not the most efficient, is when I'm starting a fire. Once its burning I can look at the chimney there is no smoke. I don't mess with the air supply lever. I just leave it wide open. I pass by a couple of outdoor burners and houses with indoor stoves and they sure produce a lot of smoke. There is a business in town that heats with wood. He just split a bunch of logs and is burning them. Sure does smoke. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Later,
Dan

 

[MotorSeven]

MX,

I heated a 1624 sq ft log home with a Hearthstone brand soapstone stove. I think it was made in Virgina. The thing could run you out of there unless you cracked a window. We always kept a iron kettle on the top cookng surface to get humidity back into the air(made coffee,tea,hot choc etc. too). The soapstone is a natural stone that once heated radiates an even heat. If i stuffed a big log in at night, and cranked down the air inlet, i would have a nice red hot partial log in the mornings.
I'm going to start another log home in the spring, and yep...it will have another Hearthstone in it!
www.hearthstonestoves.com

Rd

 

[MX5000]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( MX,

I heated a 1624 sq ft log home with a Hearthstone brand soapstone stove. I think it was made in Virgina. The thing could run you out of there unless you cracked a window. We always kept a iron kettle on the top cookng surface to get humidity back into the air(made coffee,tea,hot choc etc. too). The soapstone is a natural stone that once heated radiates an even heat. If i stuffed a big log in at night, and cranked down the air inlet, i would have a nice red hot partial log in the mornings.
I'm going to start another log home in the spring, and yep...it will have another Hearthstone in it!
www.hearthstonestoves.com

Rd
)</font>

Hi MotorSeven,
Thanks for the information. I checked out that link and boy do they have some nice looking wood stoves.

Thanks,
Howard