Aesthetics versus Performance

[PapaDave]

Older brother is the same way. He thinks it's fine for firepits, but not in the stove.
Lead a horse to water, but you can't make them think drink.
He didn't drag you home by your hair, did he? Have a club?
I call my brother a neanderthal, so I was curious.

 

[billb3]

I wouldn't buy a stove because I could have a romantic open fire if it meant less efficient all winter / day to day.
No way.

I did have an old jotul that the door could be popped off and a screen popped on and it was nice to use instead of feeding mosquitos by the fire pit.

 

[Ashful]

I wouldn't buy a stove because I could have a romantic open fire if it meant less efficient all winter / day to day. No way.

So, you obviously own a Blaze King...

(Wishing Tapatalk would show sigs!)

 

[Jimxj2000]

Had a VC Encore that was replaced with a PH last fall. We used to use the screen for the open fire about once a year.
We have a fireplace in a different room that uses an unlined flue of the same center chimney. I would like to start a fire sometime, but I don't know the condition of chimney enough to use it.

With that said I do miss the open fire...but with young children running around it isn't really an option for a couple more years.

So getting that working is rather far down on the to-do list.

 

[byQ]

You want a heating device that is beautiful like a fireplace and has the efficiency of a pellet stove.? Hmmm.....I've got it! It is called a masonry heater.

On its worst day it will outperform the best wood stove/insert, and it will give off 'better heat' than a pellet stove. Imagine a catalytic combuster the size of a Christmas tree.

 

[lumbering on]

Actually pretty committed to the wood stove, but thanks for sharing your passion for the masonry heaters.

 

[BrotherBart]

Actually pretty committed to the wood stove, but thanks for sharing your passion for the masonry heaters.

Be interesting to see how the passion works out when he actually has one.

 

[daleeper]

Who else would sacrifice day to day performance for the occasional open door viewing option?

Most of America.

Myself, no way. Give me heat over looks any day.

 

[BoilerMan]

I still don't think this is a good question, the assertion is that anything that is not "openable" is ugly. Have you ever been somewhere that actually uses a wood stove with a clean and large glass door? My Quad 4100 keeps the glass nice and clean, produces no smoke or creosote, and my parents get jealous when they come over to visit their grandson. They have an open fireplace and use is seldomly, those sparks can make it through the screen. They always comment on how nice it is to have lots of heat from the fire and be able to see it too.

TS

 

[Ashful]

You want a heating device that is beautiful like a fireplace and has the efficiency of a pellet stove.? Hmmm.....I've got it! It is called a masonry heater.

On its worst day it will outperform the best wood stove/insert, and it will give off 'better heat' than a pellet stove. Imagine a catalytic combuster the size of a Christmas tree.

More repetitive than the lyrics of a Kiss song.

 

[leeave96]

I wouldn't trade my Woodstock Keystone for a fireplace at all. In fact, without the snap crackle and pop of a fire place, it might as well be a fireplace. With the big glass and andirons, it looks like a miniature fireplace. Flames roll gently off the logs - it's truly a beautiful stove to watch. Doesn't do a half bad job of heating the house either...

 

[begreen]

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[webby3650]

Have you given any consideration to putting in a class a chimney and freeing up your fireplace that the Leyden is stuffed into? I just sold my insert and am really loving the open fire on cool mornings!

 

[nate379]

Never. I have better things to do with my time than stare at a stove.

Who else would sacrifice day to day performance for the occasional open door viewing option?

 

[begreen]

Have you given any consideration to putting in a class a chimney and freeing up your fireplace that the Leyden is stuffed into? I just sold my insert and am really loving the open fire on cool mornings!

Looks nice. Methinks you're a born firebug.

 

[webby3650]

Looks nice. Methinks you're a born firebug.

I just might be!
I'm getting ready to redo the opening. When I refaced the fireplace, I didn't finish around the opening. So now I have to do something with it. I'm thinking about doing an arched limestone face.

 

[lumbering on]

If only I could have both...

I do miss the fireplace.

 

[webby3650]

If only I could have both...

I do miss the fireplace.

Do you have room to put in a class A chimney? Then you could have both.

 

[georgepds]

...So while I am deeply torn between the hyper efficient Woodstock hybrids, and the Jotuls with their open door viewing options, I am wondering...

Who else would sacrifice day to day performance for the occasional open door viewing option?

Well not me.. but as to asthetics, I put in a woodstock hybrid, and my wife loves it, both for the looks and how well it heats

As to open fire.. I'm fascinated by the view through the glass front. There 's a lot to be liked in a open fire, but the light display put on by the weird way the secondaries ignite is not to be missed

 

[lumbering on]

Do you have room to put in a class A chimney? Then you could have both.

I don't think it's an option right now.