# Any Sierra Wood Stove Owners Out there?



## mellow

Seems to be a rare stove in general, never been able to find much about them on google or anywhere for that matter.  Since the company was sold they only bought the newer models so anything about the older ones like mine is gone.  I have put alot of hard work into refurbing this unit and I am VERY happy with its performance so far, this is my first cat stove so I am getting used to the ins and outs, but so far I love the heat this thing puts out for being an older stove.  I love the fact I can damper down the primary air on this stove and have it barely burning and still cruise at 450F on the stove top.  I got lucky and found a Cat that would fit it on ebay, totally freak thing, I had bought the cat to convert my old Craft stove to a cat stove, then come to find out this stove is a cat stove and its the same size as the cat I bought, very lucky on that. 

Would love to hear some input/tips from other Sierra owners.


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## mellow

Just thought I would bump this,  are Sierra wood stoves really this rare?  None of you guys have one?


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## fossil

I had a little Sierra stove in a weekend place on the Shenandoah River in Virginia.  Wasn't anything like yours.  It was a little pre-EPA, freestanding, non-cat end-loader with a front viewing window and the old double hand-operated air controls in the end loading door.  It did have a bypass in the flue for startup, and a rudimentary airwash flow.  Other than the simple fact that I once owned a Sierra stove, I haven't anything to offer.  Sorry.  Rick


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## BrotherBart

I heated this place with a 1985 Sierra T4600 Royale for 21 years before retiring it three seasons back. No tips that would apply to a cat stove. It didn't have a cat.

This picture was the night before the last time it burned.


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## pulldownclaw

My parents have a freestanding one that sounds alot like your old one, Rick.  Freestanding, front loading and side loading, pre epa.  They live in MD, so it's funny to see people in that general area talking about them. I think they were manufactured in VA?

Mellow, why did you convert yours to a cat?


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## mellow

Even finding pictures of older Sierra stoves is hard.  Thanks for including a picture.


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## BrotherBart

pulldownclaw said:
			
		

> My parents have a freestanding one that sounds alot like your old one, Rick.  Freestanding, front loading and side loading, pre epa.  They live in MD, so it's funny to see people in that general area talking about them. I think they were manufactured in VA?
> 
> Mellow, why did you convert yours to a cat?



They were in Harrisonburg, VA. After the company closed, everbody came to work one day and got sent home, the company that bought the name and designs started making cat stoves to meet EPA requirements.

The Sierra name belongs to a company in California now.


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## fossil

Yeah, the stove I had was made in Virginia.  Was exclusively a side-load, the front viewing window portion of the stove wasn't hinged, but it could be removed for gasket replacement.  I'll look back and see if I can find a pic.  Rick


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## fossil

Nope, sorry, can't seem to find a pic of the little Sierra I had...but this is the house it was in.   :coolsmile:   Rick


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## mellow

pulldownclaw said:
			
		

> Mellow, why did you convert yours to a cat?



The sierra was already a cat stove, was just missing the cat.  My Craft stove I was going to convert to a Cat stove to be more efficient.


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## pulldownclaw

Dang Rick, nice pad.  If I didn't know how nice Bend is, and how bad the humidity is here, I'd ask why you'd left. %-P


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## fossil

That's not where we lived.  We lived in Fairfax.  That's a weekend place we had out in Page County between Front Royal and Luray.  Fairfax is no place to be retired.  Rick

EDIT:  Still lookin' for a pic of the Sierra in that place.


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## mellow

Just wanted to chime in that the stove has been going 24/7 since I installed it and all I have to say is.... WOW  I am in love with Cat stoves,  my wood consumption has dropped like a rock and I keep my downstairs at 78 and my upstairs at around 68.  The stove usually hovers around 350-400 with the cats lit and really cranks out some serious heat.   Funny, at one point and time I thought I was going to have to chunk this stove, but a little tlc and hardwork has really paid off.  Finding a cat on ebay that fit this stove was just about a miracle, seeing since I could not find ANY paperwork on this stove and the manufacture doesn't have the manual either.

Sierra makes a seriously good stove, if you find one you better snag it.

I am looking at maybe upgrading to a new one next year.


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## CATREAL

Hey everyone, I stumbled across this forum looking for info on the Sierra stoves.  I found one in Arkansas just sitting in this old guy's yard.  He let me have it for $20.  I later found out that was a darn good steal!  I went to the fireplace store in Memphis and was told that the company went out of business in the 70"s I believe.  I had mine put into my fireplace.  They ran a pipe up thru the fluke and put a damper in the pipe.  I can't adjust the damper because the opening between the stove and the fireplace is totally closed in.  I've been hearing about a blower.  Anyone know anything about them?  My stove doesn't have one on it.  I'll take pics and post them when I'm done, but it has 2 doors with a window on each door, two knobs that turn on each door (Im told those are dampers), and a screen to place in front if I want to leave the doors open.  The guy at the fireplace store says they are darn good stoves and when Sierra was in business, they were one of the best makers.


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## mellow

Sounds exactly like this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130282595992&category=41987

Should clean up nice with some high temp paint and some elbow grease.  Don't forget to change the door gaskets.  Sounds like you got a deal.


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## mellow

I just put up some videos that I took of the Cat working in my Sierra,  incase no one has seen a Cat at work it is pretty cool even when there is no flames present.

Video of cat engaged with no flames:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOh4iHULr44

Video of cat engaged with active flames:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ceaV_kOuqM


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## bohunk

There is a Sierra wood stove installed in a cabin we bought in the eastern Sierra Nevada....appropriate huh?
It was installed into an existing manufactured fireplace.
Unfortunately they used the old 8-9" stove pipe and draft was awful.
Had a new 6" liner installed as well as a wind beater cap.
The guys tell me it it drafts like crazy now "sounds like a heliocopter.
It's a side loader with a front glass that is removable with four brass knobs.
The previous owner used a grate in this stove.
I've had a Vermont castings and now a Hearthstone Phoenix and I was looking at inserts as a possible replacement for the Sierra. None use grates and more often strongly warn against using one.
Anyone know anything about these stoves....it's pre cat.
Thanks


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## mellow

Wow, talk about a blast from the past.   Your making me really miss that ol cat stove.

Is it a Sierra 2000?


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## bohunk

That's it! But It doesn't have a cat in it.
At least not that I saw.
A single slide handle opens the flue.
Two very squeeky knobs on the side screw open and closed for combustion air.
There are little sliding vents just below the front fixed glass.
Feel like a train engineer when I fire it...
I was all set to take it out and replace it with a newer stove or insert but I'm having second thoughts if the draft is corrected.
Did you use a grate with yours? Not sure ifthe guy just put the grate in because of the poor draft or what?
What do you think of this stove?
Thanks


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## bohunk

Actually that one is a little different.
Ours has a fixed glass in front. That one appears to have a screen of some kind.
The slide flue damper handle is located upper right side, and slides straight in and out.
Looked up the model 2000 (don't know what ours is) and found a couple for sale.
They appeared to be the same stove as ours.
Cats are available.....now I'm wondering if someone removed the cat because of the above mentioned draft problem.
Where would the cat have been on this stove?
Thanks


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## BrotherBart

bohunk said:
			
		

> Actually that one is a little different.
> Ours has a fixed glass in front. That one appears to have a screen of some kind.
> The slide flue damper handle is located upper right side, and slides straight in and out.
> Looked up the model 2000 (don't know what ours is) and found a couple for sale.
> They appeared to be the same stove as ours.
> Cats are available.....now I'm wondering if someone removed the cat because of the above mentioned draft problem.
> Where would the cat have been on this stove?
> Thanks



The old 2000 wasn't a cat stove. Yours should have a steel baffle in the top of the firebox. Cats started way later with the 2000C.


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## bluedogz

Here's my boat anchor...


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## bohunk

Your boat anchor....my steam engine.
Got a feeling I'll be changing it out, especially if it really goes through the wood.
The eastern Sierra is all pine forest.
I plan to bring oak from here in Southern Ca. mtns. where we live....got  54 acres of it. But trucking ain't cheap at diesel near five bucks a gallon and the cabin is ten hours away....so if it burns to much I'll somehow have to justify a new stove....sounds like Washington D.C. logic...spend $3,000 to save on wood that's free....duh.
Wondering if I should be looking at an insert or another hearth heater.

The cabin's living room/ dining room/ kit. has one small baseboard heater which is useless. And power outages somewhat frequent so dependable heat is a must especially if three or four feet of snow dumps on us. 
Also looking at a direct vent furnace like Riinai as backup.
One thing I can say is that old Sierra gets cookin when you stoke it......."fireman, more steam!"


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## valley ranch

Valley ranch 1 is in the Tahoe area in the Sierra range. The Sierra wood stove was very popular up there in the past, I think many are still being used. If one shows up at a reasonable price I will sure pick it up, they were well made and desighed.


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## bohunk

We are outside of Bridgeport at Twin Lakes.
If you google Sierra 2000 wood stoves, I think there was a couple for sale, one in Nevada but I don't remember where exactly.


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## fox9988

I inherited one in 2000 that my mom bought used in '91.($300?)Its been the only source of heat since '91.Never seen another like it,or another Sierra for that matter.Someone must have brought it with them when they moved to this part or the country.It has served us well.I would choose it over any stove I have personally been around,but I'm sure there are better ones out there.Lately I've been considering an epa stove for efficiency and clean chimney.Very few people I've talked to can get along with them,but after spending a few months reading here I'd say green wood and operator error are most likely the problems.I'll try to get some better pics of it.Just measured the fire box  19 1/4x26 1/2x16=4.7 cu.ft.I've never been short on btu's.


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## coaly

To find ads and sometimes news articles, try Google News. Search stove make, and hit "Archive". This will bring up scanned images. You can narrow the search by years.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AAAIBAJ&pg=3689,5488890&dq=sierra+stove&hl=en

Here's the search page;
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en...w.,cf.osb&fp=c817d5a340b047bc&biw=800&bih=400

Address given as Manufactured at 503 Union St. here;
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AAAIBAJ&pg=6778,5164279&dq=sierra+stove&hl=en

Google Map gives 503 Union as the only "503 Union St" in SC, being in Spartenburg. (the same local paper the address came from) so here's the street view today; Currently "Pressley Welding & Machine Works Inc." Also known as Pressley Weldng Machine Tool & Die.
http://www.corporationwiki.com/Sout...ssley-welding-machine-works-inc/47931062.aspx


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## bohunk

Well we got back up to the cabin and the new 6" liner and smoke beater cap make a world of difference in the stove's performance.
It really draws nice now, even in a strong wind....if I put a load of dry oak (really dry, killed in the 2003 wildfire) you can't even see smoke coming from the chimney.
Still burns more wood than our other stoves but probably not enough to justify a new stove.
Your stove is more ornate than ours, very nice.


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## bohunk

Coaly.....that's great info. thanks....got a kick out of looking at the old ad....thanks a lot.


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## BrotherBart

Coaly the stoves these guys have were made at Sierra Manufacturing at 1680 Country Club Road in Harrisonburg, VA.


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## coaly

Did the same Sierra Stove Works in South Carolina in 1977 move to Virginia where theirs were built later? The top in the older '77 ad has the same angle down to the front. But it's a dark, poor picture.

I notice the ad for the stoves they have from 1984 is "Sierra Woodstoves" with registered trademark.


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## BrotherBart

No record of it that I have ever seen. Here is the article when they shut down.

"The company, on Country Club Road, makes stoves and, about six months ago, began making carts for the United States Postal Service to haul mail, said Tom Dooley, one of the men who sent home Monday.

"Usually we wait until one minute before 7 a.m. to begin running the machines. Today was totally different," Dooley said.

Phillip Miller, and his father, the company owner, Garland Miller, got the employees together at 7 a.m.

Phillip Miller "read the letter from the bank that they were foreclosing on the loan and he hated it. He said to come back Friday to pick up paychecks for last week and then he sent everyone home," Dooley said.

John Clore, president for the Harrisonburg city market for First Union Bank, which bought Dominion Bank in March and First American in June, wouldn't comment on the details of the problems with Sierra because of "confidentiality for our customers," he said.

Discussions between First Union and Sierra are continuing, Clore said.

"We try to work with our customers, the relationship with Sierra is one we've given a lot of thought and consideration to. It's a decision not taken lightly. We try to give consideration to the impact to the customer and the local community before we do anything. If the borrower wants to comment that's his business, but beyond that I don't want to comment any further," Clore said. `

Garland Miller said only "we're going to make a statement" today.

For Dooley and his co-worker Robert Kimble, it was "Kawneer all over again," Dooley said.

Both men worked for Kawneer Co. Inc. Both were laid off in October 1992. They started working together again for Sierra in March 1993. Both men were making almost $10 at Kawneer and took a cut in pay to just over $7 an hour at Sierra.

Kimble lost his 21-month-old son, Derek, to meningitis two weeks ago, is 45-years-old and this, on top of everything else, has hit him hard, he said.

"I'm lost. I'm mad at the bank, I know that. A lot of beautiful people worked out there. We're not mad at the owner, the man was trying."

Another lay off, the problem of finding a job at his age, the death of his son, "it kicks you, stomps you and keeps you there," Kimble said.

Glade Fertig, Kimble's supervisor, had been with Sierra 10 years, until Monday.

"The only think I know is they were having financial problems and couldn't keep up. There was no indication to us until this morning," Fertig said.

Larry Parlee, owner of Acme Stove and Video Co. Inc. said Monday that he had no idea there were any problems with Sierra.

"Friday I picked up stoves from them, they make our most popular selling stove line. We've been selling their stoves for 17 years and over the years theirs has become the most popular line," Parlee said. "I can't imagine anything wrong from this end."

The irony, Fertig, Kimble and Dooley said, is the timing.

"They had ads in the paper for welders and production workers wanted because of the postal contract which was a $2.5 million contract. If they did good, then in two and a half years they could get another contract. It could have gone on indefinitely," Dooley said.

The postal contract started six months ago, and another 60 employees were being hired, Dooley said.

The carts are about six feet high, two feet wide and four feet long and carry mail inside post offices, Fertig said.

"It was a big contract, (the Millers) had to invest a lot of money to get the thing started which is where the financial problems came in, we had the machinery, but the dies to make the cart with we bought, we also bought bending machines to bend the metal," Fertig said.

Dooley went back to the unemployment office Monday and "now I'm looking for a job again. My 26 weeks of unemployment insurance will be up as of Oct. 16," he added.

Because neither Dooley nor Kimble had worked for Sierra for a year, their unemployment is coming from whatever is left of the 26 weeks they were allowed after the Kawneer layoff.

If Sierra can reopen, Phillip Miller told employees Monday they would be called back, but neither Dooley and Kimble or Fertig have their hopes up, they said."


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## coaly

Here's another ad from the South Carolina company that has a little better picture. Stove #150 and #300 available from them back in 1977. Notice the curl in the RR at bottom starting, and the fancy curl in the E as well. (no sign of a trademark yet) With those early stove numbers starting out, this could be the same company. Hopefully an ad or news article will come up differentiating them or confirming them one and the same. It's bad enough copying the first one from Fisher, but a second to copy thiers, _and call it the same_, takes a set of brass ones.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...899,3508745&dq=sierra+stove+spartanburg&hl=en


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## BrotherBart

The only resemblance to a Fischer I  have ever seen in a stove out of Sierra in Harrisonburg is that they were made out of steel.


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## coaly

And black ! His concern was people confusing the other makers with his. Since that was hard to prove, they had to sue by the wording in the patent; "exhaust vent higher than door" and "air intake through the door"..... When the judge ruled against Fisher it was simply due to not being able to patent the way something naturally works.
  These first Sierra's in SC are single door and have the same type stove box as Fisher. It seems the company disappeared '78, and another reappeared in Virginia (abt.1980) looking like the double doors pictured above.
  Here's an *experimental catalytic converter article *placing them in business in VA, June 1980. Donating with other manufacturers to further the work at Virginia Tech.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...J&pg=4838,3794272&dq=sierra+wood+stoves&hl=en

 The earliest pictured ad I've found December 1979;
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...J&pg=4087,1735117&dq=sierra+hearthstove&hl=en

   Here's the "Original SIERRA Hearthstove Contemporary" as shown in the "trade-in" ad from '84.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...pg=5651,851561&dq=sierra+stove+virginia&hl=en

3 Models by September 1981; 1000, 1200, 2000
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...J&pg=6360,1900351&dq=sierra+wood+stoves&hl=en


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## bohunk

The story is a sad one and could come from the pages of today's newspapers.
Our stove is the Sierra Hearth stove Turbo Burn Classic model t2000 as shown in the ad Coally posted a link for.
I'm still wondering if the grate that's sitting in it, came with it or the guy just put a grate in it because it wouldn't draft well. 
Anyone not using a grate in theirs?
The new flue makes all the difference.


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## BrotherBart

Energy Saving Devices in Spartanburg, S.C. sold Fisher, Sierra and Morso stoves in the late seventies according to ads.


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## fox9988

bohunk said:
			
		

> The story is a sad one and could come from the pages of today's newspapers.
> Our stove is the Sierra Hearth stove Turbo Burn Classic model t2000 as shown in the ad Coally posted a link for.
> I'm still wondering if the grate that's sitting in it, came with it or the guy just put a grate in it because it wouldn't draft well.
> Anyone not using a grate in theirs?
> The new flue makes all the difference.


I've never used a grate in mine.Never seen a grate used in any wood stove of similar design.


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## BrotherBart

There actually was a grate in the floor of the Sierra T-4500 Royale insert. The rest of the floor of the firebox was firebrick covered. The grate allowed you to drag the ashes into the ashpan and to also prove "under" air through it by opening a sliding vent in the front of the ashpan. Up until 1985 the T-4500 was sold as a coal and wood burning stove and it had a shaker grate in the spot. In 1985 the quit putting the shaker grate in it and put a fixed slotted grate in the stoves.

My T-4500 now sits on the back of my yard doing meat smoking a Fall outdoor burning duty.


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## fox9988

I guess with an ash pan, you have to have so way to get the ash down in it.I move my old stove into my new house in dec.I build an ash dump that goes through the concrete slab into the bottom of the stove, no more shoveling ash


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## coaly

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> Energy Saving Devices in Spartanburg, S.C. sold Fisher, Sierra and Morso stoves in the late seventies according to ads.


 
Yep, I believe that was the _first_ Sierra from S.C. (made by Energy Saving Devices - welding shop pictured - owners Gary Turpin and Michael Francis) Since all the ads I've found show dealers selling Fisher and Morso along with them having single doors. The #150 and #300.

I don't think the Sierra mentioned in this thread started in VA until 1979.
Here's an *experimental catalytic converter article *placing them in business in VA, June 1980. Donating with other manufacturers to further the work at Virginia Tech.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aeJLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6osDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4838,3794272&dq=sierra wood stoves&hl=en

As time goes on, more and more newspapers get scanned and are searchable on line. So doing the same search a year later brings up more results. Unfortunately Google also drops web pages and entire papers sometimes. So I've learned to take a screen shot of really good articles I don't want to lose.


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## bohunk

Ours does not have an ash pan unfortunately.
Grate would help get air under the fire but it also elevates the fire closer to the top of the stove and the flue....
The grate that's in it is one from a standard fireplace and he had a couple more stacked outside as extras.
If it won't harm the fire box, I guess the next time we're there, I'll fire it without the grate.
Might get better/more heat out of it?


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## hardwood715

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> I heated this place with a 1985 Sierra T4600 Royale for 21 years before retiring it three seasons back. No tips that would apply to a cat stove. It didn't have a cat.
> 
> This picture was the night before the last time it burned.



BROWNIE


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## fox9988

bohunk said:
			
		

> Ours does not have an ash pan unfortunately.
> Grate would help get air under the fire but it also elevates the fire closer to the top of the stove and the flue....
> The grate that's in it is one from a standard fireplace and he had a couple more stacked outside as extras.
> If it won't harm the fire box, I guess the next time we're there, I'll fire it without the grate.
> Might get better/more heat out of it?


I would think you could make more btu's with the grate, because the air can circulate under and through the fire.But longer burn times, steadier heat, burning on the floor with a couple of inches of ashes in in.How big is the cabin?Sq. ft?Lay out?Insulation?The 2000 looks like a big stove, now that it's drawing I would think it would run you out of the cabin if you loaded it up.


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## bohunk

The cabin is about 1350 sq. ft on two floors. We are using it to heat the lower floor of about 750-800 sq. ft.
R19 walls and roof..r24 floor. Old double pane windows that leak some air.
The cabin is at 7,300' , when we were there a week ago the lows were in the teens, highs in the 30-40s.
The stove seems to do the job....we'll see how it does when it gets cold.
I'm happy with it, especially when you look at the cost to replace it.
Relining the chimney and the new wind beater cap was worth every penny.
We bought the cabin in August. When we left in November before the relining the old pipe and cap plugged up because the thing just would not draw through the old 9" flue.
Then the wind came up. I could not find a ladder tall enough to get to the cap to clear it so the fire just smoldered.
With every blast of wind the stove puffed smoke and silt back into the cabin and our freshly painted walls.
We actually ended up wrapping the stove in tin foil to keep the smoke and silt out of the cabin.
Pretty funny really... I've been burning wood for heat for about 30 years now....never had that happen.
Works great now.


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## perchin

I love mine... This is the only photo I have right now of it. It heats our 2100sq. just fine too.


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