replacing older Jotul with newer model stove----need advice

[boots5050]

I have a twenty year old Jotul Black Bear stove which uses alot of wood, small burn chamber
I want to buy a new modern stove with better burn times to maximize my wood
I need suggestions- I live in Connecticut and burn wood from October to April

 

[dispatcher101]

How big? Do you wanna stick with cast iron? I always thought the Black Bears looked cool

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Yes. How big? What btu are you looking for?

If the Jotul was good for you then perhaps you should look at them again, but a good stove should last more than 20 years.

Have you considered soapstone? Steel? Or stick with cast? Woodstock has an excellent soapstone/cast stove.

 

[begreen]

If you've been heating with the Black Bear and it has done a good job, I'd start with considering the Oslo F500 as a replacement. However, it the desire is to explore other types of stoves, give us a bit more info on how large a space is being heated and characteristics that would be desirable or not.

 

[firefighterjake]

As mentioned . . . more info is needed . . . starting with the basics . . . how large is the home . . . how well insulated is the home . . . are you planning on burning 24/7 during these months or just on evenings and weekends?

 

[boots5050]

House is 2 story 1500 sq ft- wood stove in basement with vents to first floor- house was built in 1900- good windows and attic insulation- i am looking for recommendation for new stove with longer burn times

 

[begreen]

Is the stove out of sight and out of mind except when needing food or is it in a finished area? The Oslo would work, but there are other straight-forward steel stoves the would also do the job just as well. One important thing to know is how it is connected to the flue. Steel stoves almost always have top exit flue collars. What's the height of the flue thimble? In steel, my personal preference, (and that's all it is), is towards Pacific Energy stoves. In this range it would be either the 2 cu ft Spectrum or the 3 cu ft Summit or their cast iron jacketed equivalents in the Alderlea series. I would also have no problem considering Travis Industries Lopi or Avalon stoves.

If the basement walls are not insulated and won't be in the near future, then having the extra capacity of a 3 cu ft stove won't hurt. Also, there are some nice in between sized stoves out there too. In steel, Regency and Quadrafire make ~2.5 cu ft stoves (Regency F2400 = 2.3 cu ft, Quadrafire 4300 =2.4 cu ft). If the budget it tight, then Englander, Napoleon and Drolet make models that burn cleanly and can really put out the heat.

 

[dispatcher101]

With your need for long burn times and a medium sized home I would lean towards the 3.0 cubic ft size. It will provide more than enough heat and an excellent burn time. I am a big fan of cast or soapstone, I prefer the radiant heat over convective in terms of being in the same room as the stove. If you will be spending alot of time in that room you should definitely consider the minimum clearances for whatever stove you choose. Jotul and PE have pretty small clearances, where lopi/avalon require a little more. Aesthetics also play a role...soapstone looks sweet

 

[firefighterjake]

Is the stove out of sight and out of mind except when needing food or is it in a finished area? The Oslo would work, but there are other straight-forward steel stoves the would also do the job just as well. One important thing to know is how it is connected to the flue. Steel stoves almost always have top exit flue collars. What's the height of the flue thimble? In steel, my personal preference, (and that's all it is), is towards Pacific Energy stoves. In this range it would be either the 2 cu ft Spectrum or the 3 cu ft Summit or their cast iron jacketed equivalents in the Alderlea series. I would also have no problem considering Travis Industries Lopi or Avalon stoves.

If the basement walls are not insulated and won't be in the near future, then having the extra capacity of a 3 cu ft stove won't hurt. Also, there are some nice in between sized stoves out there too. In steel, Regency and Quadrafire make ~2.5 cu ft stoves (Regency F2400 = 2.3 cu ft, Quadrafire 4300 =2.4 cu ft). If the budget it tight, then Englander, Napoleon and Drolet make models that burn cleanly and can really put out the heat.

+1 to BeGreen's comments . . . normally the Oslo would be a good fit for you . . . but if the basement is not finished or used it's a bit of an overkill . . . I mean it would probably work (although I would go bigger if the basement is not fully insulated) and if you use the basement as a family room it would be nice . . . otherwise I would go with a Plain Jane steel stove to heat the house . . . and as mentioned go a bit bigger if the basement is not insulated since woodstoves in uninsulated basements lose a fair amount of heat to the surrounding foundation.