wood stoves

[D7E]

I put in a Drolet HT2400 in november ,$1000 ...About $350 for some double wall black pipe and fitted my self . It's been lit 24/7 since november 15th

 

[Scooby074]

The wife likes the T6. Haven't got the price for it yet

It should come in at around the $2700-3000 range if you have a good dealer.

One more thing, splurge for the double wall stainless connector pipe for inside. I recommend the ICC brand. Made in Canada. Great product. My old stove improved probably 50% when I put it in. It'll be around $200 or so for a telescoping connector, budget a few hundred more if you need a couple straight pieces and elbows, but its money well spent. Not only does it flow better, its much safer too. It'll be the last pipe you'll need to buy for many years.

 

[Looking4new]

I have a Regency F2400 in the unfinished basement and a Regency CS2400 in the main part of the house, open concept. I burn mostly Oak and Beech. They both work good and both have 2 speed fans on them.

 

[MotorSeven]

Don't forget about Blaze King...they have some documented amazing burn times of well over 24 hours on one load of wood.

 

[EddieWalker]

Avoid Napoleon. My Alderlea replaced a Napo 1450. It was a massive POS. And Napoleons customer service sucks.

Do you have anything specific about the Napolean that you don't like? I bought mine used, I've never spoken to customer service, and I think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Eddie

 

[Scooby074]

Do you have anything specific about the Napolean that you don't like? I bought mine used, I've never spoken to customer service, and I think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Eddie

Yup. First you should know I use wood as my sole source of heat, as such, I put pretty high demands and expectations on a stove.

Fit and finish is low grade.

Hinge pins wont stay in place (top hinge)

Interior fiberboard baffle system is too thin and burned through. In fairness, they updated this and since I had installed the new baffles there has not been a burn through, however they are starting to show wear. Within 2 years they should be replaced. The baffles cost close to $100. The first set was not replaced under warranty as they should have been in my opinion. The design of the original ones was defective and far too thin. Napoleon would not address this.

The blower fan is noisy.

Paint quality is low grade. Annual painting was required until I upgraded the paint to POR 15 High Heat.

Glass would get dirty quickly. Poor design of the airwash system.

For some reason it would go through firebrick very quickly.

Heat output was not up to published specs. No wheres close.

Short burn times. Could not do an overnight burn.

My new Alderlea has none of those issues. And it has a lifetime guarantee. And stainless steel baffles that will last a lifetime. Burns clean, hot and long. Absolutely no comparison to the Napoleon. Its 10x the stove, albeit at 3x the price.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thank you. I don't have a blower on mine, but it's the same stove that I have. It is also my only source of heat during the winter and we run it just about every night. My house is only 1,000 sq feet, so I probably don't get it as hot as you do in order to warm up my house. Usually we just start it when we get home and add a couple more logs to it during the night to keep it comfortable. If we add too much wood, we have to open the door to cool off. The glass does get dark in places from time to time, but once the fire gets going, it clears right up again.

I bought mine used and I think it was repainted, but I'm not sure and its not a problem. It's all black and looks great. My fire brick looks brand new. I've only used it three years and I don't have any idea how often the previous owner used it in Wisconsin. He must of used it quite a bit because he hauled it down to Texas when he moved.

I don't even know what the interior baffle system is. Don't know if I have it or if it's good or bad. I might look into it, but since everything works so well on mine, I might not.

Almost sounds like we have two totally different stoves. I love mine and highly recommend it.

Eddie

 

[Ken45101]

We are very happy with the Pacific Energy Summit. About 6 years now. They are highly recommended and we agree.

Your pricing sounds high. IIRC, we paid around $2000 for the stove and another $1400 for the chimney.

My son is currently paying $5/gallon for 100 gallons of propane (a month's worth at best?) OTOH, I have next year's wood cut, split and stacked and I'm working on the following year's.

 

[KennyG]

Look at the PE Alderlea T6 or Summit.


Osburn is another good Canadian brand. Dad's had one of their "bay window" stoves for several years now. Its a great heater.

I have a small Osburn (1800). It's very well built and works well. The bay window was the deciding factor for me. It makes it like a fireplace but with stove efficiency.

 

[EddieWalker]

Something else that I'd recommend is sizing your stove bigger then your square footage. My experience is all the ratings are for just barely getting it done, and getting a stove that will heat a bigger area means you can heat your area no matter how cold it is outside, or you just run a smaller fire or let it simmer after you heat the place up.

Eddie

 

[sd455dan]

Don't forget about Blaze King...they have some documented amazing burn times of well over 24 hours on one load of wood.

i'll second that,

on our second blaze princess- still be on our first- but-new house / needed a new stove.

great stoves with some of the highest efficiency ratings of any stoves that can be bought in the US.
They are a great primary heat stove ie 24 / 7 use- if you need a part time supplemental heat stove there are other brands available for considerably less.

not sure on Canadian availability- but believe I read they are the most popular stove in Alaska

 

[Scooby074]

Thank you. I don't have a blower on mine, but it's the same stove that I have. It is also my only source of heat during the winter and we run it just about every night. My house is only 1,000 sq feet, so I probably don't get it as hot as you do in order to warm up my house. Usually we just start it when we get home and add a couple more logs to it during the night to keep it comfortable. If we add too much wood, we have to open the door to cool off. The glass does get dark in places from time to time, but once the fire gets going, it clears right up again.

I bought mine used and I think it was repainted, but I'm not sure and its not a problem. It's all black and looks great. My fire brick looks brand new. I've only used it three years and I don't have any idea how often the previous owner used it in Wisconsin. He must of used it quite a bit because he hauled it down to Texas when he moved.

I don't even know what the interior baffle system is. Don't know if I have it or if it's good or bad. I might look into it, but since everything works so well on mine, I might not.

Almost sounds like we have two totally different stoves. I love mine and highly recommend it.

Eddie

Eddie, double check your baffles. It is a fiber board above the firebox where you put the wood. It should be pushed all the way to the back and not have any "hollows". When they wear they burn through in those worn areas. This lets much of the heat go right up the flue. It also pervents secondary burn.

The 1450 has decent reviews, thats why I bought it. However in practice, in a cold climate, as the sole heat source, its flaws (in my opinion) were too much to bear.

 

[Scooby074]

i'll second that,

on our second blaze princess- still be on our first- but-new house / needed a new stove.

great stoves with some of the highest efficiency ratings of any stoves that can be bought in the US.
They are a great primary heat stove ie 24 / 7 use- if you need a part time supplemental heat stove there are other brands available for considerably less.

not sure on Canadian availability- but believe I read they are the most popular stove in Alaska

BK has a great reputation for super long burns. They are a Canadian made stove, but their distribution needs improving, at least in my area. I know of no one who is using one and the one store listed as a retailer in my area has been out of business for 5 years, and even when they WERE in business, they had no product on the floor. Believe me, I wanted to check a King out.

 

[8N Ren]

I think my Grandpa was running a Blaze King when I was a little guy. He was one of the few people I knew of that had a stove in the middle of the city. I remember the house being quite warm and that place was almost a hundred years old, 30 plus years ago.

I had looked them up and have to agree with Scooby, nothing really for dealers around. Too bad.

 

[8N Ren]

I think my Grandpa was running a Blaze King when I was a little guy. He was one of the few people I knew of that had a stove in the middle of the city. I remember the house being quite warm and that place was almost a hundred years old, 30 plus years ago.

I had looked them up and have to agree with Scooby, nothing really for dealers around. Too bad.

 

[MotorSeven]

8N, try this one in Winterpeg:
United Fireplace & Stove Member Hearth Stores - U.S. & Canada

 

[MossRoad]

Eddie, double check your baffles. It is a fiber board above the firebox where you put the wood. It should be pushed all the way to the back and not have any "hollows". When they wear they burn through in those worn areas. This lets much of the heat go right up the flue. It also pervents secondary burn.

The 1450 has decent reviews, thats why I bought it. However in practice, in a cold climate, as the sole heat source, its flaws (in my opinion) were too much to bear.

I think I've got the same Napoleon stove as Eddie. Its our primary heat source in winter. I've burned pretty much continuously October-March for 5 years. No signs of wear on the baffles. I take them and all the firebricks out every spring for a thorough cleaning. When loading new wood I always make sure I push against the baffles to the back with the backside of my welding gloves so the gap is in the front only. We don't have a blower fan. The paint still looks like factory new. The only issue I've had is I replaced the gasket on the door last year. It got a small gap in it right in the center at the bottom. Never dealt with factory service. We have a local dealer that gives great support for many different brands. Perhaps you got a lemon or burn it too hot, too often? I run mine between 300 & 500 degrees as measured on the top of the stove, under the trivet. Maybe its not sized right for your need? I don't know. Just thinking. Anyhow, I'm happy with ours for our climate. Always good to hear the good and the bad. :thumbsup:

 

[MossRoad]

Thank you. I don't have a blower on mine, but it's the same stove that I have. It is also my only source of heat during the winter and we run it just about every night. My house is only 1,000 sq feet, so I probably don't get it as hot as you do in order to warm up my house. Usually we just start it when we get home and add a couple more logs to it during the night to keep it comfortable. If we add too much wood, we have to open the door to cool off. The glass does get dark in places from time to time, but once the fire gets going, it clears right up again.

I bought mine used and I think it was repainted, but I'm not sure and its not a problem. It's all black and looks great. My fire brick looks brand new. I've only used it three years and I don't have any idea how often the previous owner used it in Wisconsin. He must of used it quite a bit because he hauled it down to Texas when he moved.

I don't even know what the interior baffle system is. Don't know if I have it or if it's good or bad. I might look into it, but since everything works so well on mine, I might not.

Almost sounds like we have two totally different stoves. I love mine and highly recommend it.

Eddie

The baffles are those fiber-looking panels on the top of the interior. There are two of them (right and left). They rest on the firebricks on the sides and back and on the center metal rail. You should be able to push them up easily. If you lift them up, then remove a couple bricks on the side, you can then turn them a bit and take them out to inspect (kind of like a ceiling tile). Anytime you clean your chimney, you should probably take the baffles out and vacuum the interior of the upper part of the stove and inspect the baffles. Also, sometimes if you poke the baffles with a log, it can bump them forward, which opens up a channel at the rear of the baffles. You don't want that, so always push the baffles towards the back so there's no gap at the rear and only a gap at the front. This directs the heat forward and up and back over the baffles. The space above the baffles is where the re-burn takes place and a great amount of heat is transferred to the top of the stove. The baffles also have retainers on the sides that keep the side bricks from falling into the stove. Here's a link to the manual. Page 21. http://www.napoleonproducts.com/downloads/fireplaces/manuals/W415-0763.pdf

 

[Scooby074]

I think I've got the same Napoleon stove as Eddie. Its our primary heat source in winter. I've burned pretty much continuously October-March for 5 years. No signs of wear on the baffles. I take them and all the firebricks out every spring for a thorough cleaning. When loading new wood I always make sure I push against the baffles to the back with the backside of my welding gloves so the gap is in the front only. We don't have a blower fan. The paint still looks like factory new. The only issue I've had is I replaced the gasket on the door last year. It got a small gap in it right in the center at the bottom. Never dealt with factory service. We have a local dealer that gives great support for many different brands. Perhaps you got a lemon or burn it too hot, too often? I run mine between 300 & 500 degrees as measured on the top of the stove, under the trivet. Maybe its not sized right for your need? I don't know. Just thinking. Anyhow, I'm happy with ours for our climate. Always good to hear the good and the bad. :thumbsup:

300 for a STT is too low. You should be trying to keep it closer to 500 or above for cleanest burning. Thats for any stove. You might be running the stove as supplemental heat, and not as the sole heat source for your entire house.

I did have to burn quite hot. The stove was specked to meat my heating demand with a little extra, however in practice it couldnt meet its specs unless it was ran at greater than 1/2 damper. The stove is rated for "2000+ Sqft" and my place is only about 1700 sqft. There should have been some cushion there to allow for drafts and/or different wood.

My new (well 4 month old) stove heats my entire place, using the same wood, with the damper on 1/8 open.

There is NO comparison between my old Napoleon 1450 and the new PE Alderlea other than the fact that they both burn wood!

Over on Hearth.com there are a few guys with the 1450 and they like them. There are also several who dont and have upgraded. Once you get a premium stove you start to see where the corners were cut on the cheaper ones, like the 1450 to make price point. Looking back now, I was penny wise, pound foolish. I should have bought the "good" stove the first time around, and wouldnt have taken a $600 loss on the 1450.

Id never go back to a stove with fibre baffles. PE's baffle system is one of the best out there. Easy to remove too.

 

[QueBota]

Woodstock Soapstone Fireview has been good to me, right around $2500.00 currently.

Company has excellent customer service, very responsive and customer oriented.

Very efficient and reasonable burn time, the also have a slightly larger version, the Progress Hybrid,
for a few more $$$

Fireview Wood Burning Stove

Progress Hybrid Wood Burning Stove

Q