Wood Stove?

[Spazz.]

After requiring a second LP fill-up in a month's time and having a sky-high electric bill for last month, we're pretty much set on getting a wood stove for next winter. It's not really financially feasible to get one this winter, so we'll probably be buying one this summer and either installing it or having it installed by the fall. We've got approximately 1300 sq feet to heat, and I've included my 5-minute MS Paint sketch of our floor plan to give you an idea of how our cobbled together farmhouse is laid out.
I'm hoping to spend less than $1500 on the stove, and I'll expect to pay out some for the pipe (we don't have an existing chimney), and even more for the installation if we don't DIY. We would like to have an efficient EPA certified stove that's able to have a blower attached to help distribute the heat into the main living area and we'll rely on ceiling fans to help distribute it into the kitchen and bedroom. Does anyone have any helpful suggestions? Any are appreciated!


The grey-dotted areas represent transitions between rooms. There aren't any walls there, but there is about 12" of "wall" at the top of the transition areas where there once were walls. The living room, kitchen, and bedroom all have ceiling fans in the center of the room, and they distribute air quite well. The best area we have for the stove is beside the back door. This gives us easy access for a wood pile out back, and we'll only have to run stovepipe through a small part of the attic. If it matters, the back door is on the west side of the house and the entry area is the east.

 

[Maggot]

Re: Wood Stove?

Warm Morning.

A buddy of mine had one and could fillit with wood, turn the thermostat down, and it would hold hot ash for up to 48 hours. I think it would easily heat your location, and if you opened the door to the upstairs would vent some heat up there. If at all possible have a skilled mason (Im one) build you a masont=ry chimney with a clean out door. It will cost more but the masonry work, block or brick or stone, will hold heat and radiate it.

 

[E3C3H3O3]

Re: Wood Stove?

I don't know if they would work better and/or help out the ceiling fans, but a couple of coworkers of mine have wood stoves that they use often, and they found little fans that go in the corners of their doorways. They say those little fans are worth their weight in gold and do an amazing job with distributing the heat throughout the house.

 

[hilbillee]

Re: Wood Stove?

I agree w/ the Warm Morning, and Goldie's advice about the chimney. I grew up w/ wood heat and had it till a couple of years ago when I moved and the house has central heat & air. Nothing like wood heat.

 

[Parallax]

Re: Wood Stove?

Our winters are much longer and severe then yours but these Quadra Fire wood stoves and inserts are very popular here. I had one of their wood stove inserts in my old fireplace in the place we used to own and I could easily heat myself out of a 1800 square foot house.

In my new place the entire upper part of the place is heated by a Harman Accentra pellet stove insert. My lower level is heated by a Harman Accentra free standing stove. Either one would easily heat most conventional single story homes. It costs me about $1100-$1200 per year for pellet heat... clean, easily stored and I could quit cutting and splitting wood. Plus... much less creosote, so much reduced chance of chimney fire. My lower stove vents and intakes air from outside through the wall. The entire chimney is about 14"long from back of stove out the wall.

 

[patriotoutlaw]

Re: Wood Stove?

I've heated with wood all of my life. I bought a Hardy, outdoor wood furnace 15 yrs. ago and have never regretted it. There is no fire hazard, mess, flew cleaning, smoke or bugs indoors. Seasoned, green , big/long unsplit wood, it doesn't matter. You could burn a "wet dog" in one, as well. You can probably find a used one within your price range, if interested. When I burned indoors I use Warm Morning, Ashley and Rite Way. Never had a problem with any of them as long as you burn seasoned wood and keep your flew clean.

 

[nesikabay]

Re: Wood Stove?

One thing about a wood stove for me aleast. Is i cut my own wood and have a wood splitter. If i didnt it would not be worth it. Something to think about.

 

[Spazz.]

Re: Wood Stove?

We've got plenty of trees and I'm pretty handy with a splitting maul. We've got the space to season it and the area to store it as well; I don't really mind having to work for the heat a little bit.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions so far. Unfortunately, a chimney isn't really in the cards for us unless we want to spend a <span style="font-style: italic">lot</span> more money. That's primarily due to the general structure of the house - it's been added on to (not well in some cases) over the last 70 years or so of its so far 160 year old life. We're basically trying to make the best of the place for the time being; insulating walls, redoing wiring, making little fixes here and there to things as they need them.

Do they still make Warm Morning stoves? Either my Google-fu is off today or the company has changed names or something. Also, thank you for the link to Quadra Fire and the Harman brand idea. We've considered the wood furnace idea, and I don't know if we necessarily want to take that route. Maybe in another house at some point that will be more plausible for us. I'm also checking out Ashley and Rite Way. I know wood stoves have come a long way in the last 15 years or so, and it's fascinating to see all the different models and heat levels touted by various brands.

Again, thanks for the ideas so far, and keep them coming! I'm really appreciative of your guys' help!

 

[Maggot]

Re: Wood Stove?

I just spent about 1/2 hour online lookingfor warmmorning, or ashley, which built a similar stove....vry little luck, apparently the EPA may have put them out of business. My suggestion is ask around some of the local OLD hardware store in your area for either of those....some of the oldtimers will know about them and mabey even have a dusty one stuck in a corner somewhere. They dont look like todays conventional stoves...usually they will be about 3; high x3'long by about 20"deep, and will look like a big tan metal box with a small dial in the upper corner...thats the thermostat. There will be a metal door on one end to load it and you wond see the pretty fire when it burns but it will heat like a mother. good luck and Id be interested to know if they are still made if you find out. Good Luck.

 

[Spazz.]

Re: Wood Stove?

Thanks, I'll let you know if I'm able to dig anything up on them.

 

[Maggot]

Re: Wood Stove?

An oldtimer just calledme back....try wWonderwoodstoves. they make the same type, and they only run about $650. they say they will hold fire for only 8 hours but with a damper on the flue pipe you can prob exted that considerably.

 

[Spazz.]

Re: Wood Stove?

8 hours ain't bad at all really. Thanks, I'll look those up!

 

[buckskin52]

Re: Wood Stove?

You are going to be better off with an old fisher or kodiak , I work on chimneys and install wood stoves for a living. Do not skimp on the chimney. I would suggest Super pro or super vent class A. They have several different kits that will work on a variety of installation methods. I do a lot of investigations for insurance companies and see a lot of very bad things that result from improper chimney and wood stove installation. I have not had many customers that have been happy with any of the WONDER brand stoves. I personally deal regency brand, but they are more expensive than you want. What ever you do follow the manufactures guidelines for installation and clearances. If you go to an older stove that is not UL listed then use the NFPA 211 as your guide regarding clearances. If you have any questions let me know.

 

[Guest]

Re: Wood Stove?

I know several people who have the outdoor wood furnaces and they love them.
I believe they heat their hot water with them as well.

http://www.taylormfg.com/heater.html

 

[hilbillee]

Re: Wood Stove?

This link will take you to Warm Morning wood heaters, or at least it should. Their listed on the page.
http://www.starbrickstoves.com/acatalog/Warm_Morning_Wood_Stove.html

 

[Rhys]

Re: Wood Stove?

The setup in my house is very similar, but the wood stove is able to sit toward to center of the house in the living room. the areas that don't have dsmaller doorways heat pretty well. Here the choices are generaly pine or cottonwood. When I can find it I really prefer elm or boxelder as it is much denserand I can get a longer burn per loading As it is I can get about a 5-6 hour burn on pine and have good coals still.

The stove is made by Hampton, and has a blower to circulate the air on the outside built into it.

I used to work for a wood stove shop and the ones I really liked were the ones from Jotul. A bit pricey but nice. Some of the Soapstone stoves are really nice as well. They will continue to give off heat long after the fire has gone out.

 

[Razrbak428]

Re: Wood Stove?

I got a Buck Stove model 91 last year, best money I ever spent. I've barely used any gas so far this winter and this stove can be used as an insert or freestanding and its also catalytic. Keeps my 1800 sq. ft. about 66-68 all the time.

 

[In2b8u]

Re: Wood Stove?

A good saw, A good splitter, and a place to keep your wood dry and you are set. Nothing beats wood heat. Both the indoor and outdoor have good points.
If you are not going to do it till spring, you may want to investigate the outdoor water stove. There are a lot of applications you can run from one stove. Your house, your hot water supply, another building (garage or workshop), hot tub etc. Like posted before no mess, little clean up, and less chance of a flu fire.
Nothing beats the indoor stove for the radiant heat on a cold winter night. A stove that will hold fore for 8 hours is pretty good, that means that you will have coals to start a fire the next morning. Check out stoves with a catalytic converter if you want to reduce your chances of flu fire. And you may want to look at double or tripple wall pipe if this is going to run through your house or along your outside wall.

 

[Kinsman]

Re: Wood Stove?

You might be interested in a homebuilt HAHSA. ( Heat and Heat Storage Apparatus )
Google HAHSA...
When I built my house, I built in a Buck fireplace that is rated to heat 1800 sq ft. It does an admirable job in my little 1200 sq ft house. The temp outside is 13 degrees, and inside a toasty 77 degrees.

 

[45.308]

Re: Wood Stove?

Try a boxwood with heat reclaimer. Heated very well in two houses. Placing a pot of water on top will add moisture to the dry wood heat. The reclaimer blows the heat very well. Ceiling fans will push it farther. For up stairs / down stairs, cut vents in the floors on opposite ends of the house and use fan to circulate warmth, one suck cold one pushes heat. Once a good bed of coals are produced, it would simmer all day, come home add some wood, open the flew, heat.

Coal in a potbelly, now that is a warm stove, use to glow around the belly ring, spit on it and watch it evaporate instantly.

As far as placement, looks like you picked the best spot. Heat near your plumbing and on an outside wall and door near the wood pile.

Sounds like you are but seal up the house too. Our old homestead in Alaska was a wind tunnel. Sit by the windows and feel and see the cold sucked in. Very cold drafty barn. Hung blankets on the windows. Our back meat room did not require the freezer, we blocked it off most of the winter. Had to worry a lot about freezing pipes....ran water constantly. And it would rain inside, there was no vapor barrier in the ceiling, wife could not take it any more so we moved.

Good luck,

 

[Shortdraw]

Re: Wood Stove?

Nobody has mentioned the Blaze King yet? They are some of the most efficient wood stoves I have used. I am in the firewood business, and have several dozen customers. With wood at $250 a cord, I hate my customers with Blaze Kings. They don't buy as much wood as my wood furnace and OWB customers bu far. I think a queen model would suit your needs.