Building a new house, chimney or pipe?

[sheeshshe]

I will get a quote at another place to see if it is any different in price.
those are great tips for getting wood! I really would love to burn solely wood heat only, I really would! so that is making me feel more optimistic about thingsl.

It says on the paper, Class A chimney system. class A pipe $2125. (22 foot), double wall pipe $395, and $795 to install it and install the stove. plus the stove, which none of their stoves were less than $1800. most were well over $2000. I thought I read online that there were good ones that were less than that?

 

[sheeshshe]

question on stoves... I am looking at this one here: (broken link removed to http://woodstove.com/new-absolute-steel-hybrid)
Now, it has a catalytic combustor and automatic dampers... does something like this have more chance for failure due to more fancy parts that will eventually need to be replaced? What type of stove is efficient but doesn't have lots of fancy parts that may break and need to be replaced?

 

[sheeshshe]

so far I have a chainsaw and a trailer. I don't mind paying for wood if it is cheaper than oil, but everyone keeps telling me that right now oil is cheaper. Either way, I'm getting a stove and I will probably use it more than I anticipated because I need to feel warm

 

[firefighterjake]

question on stoves... I am looking at this one here: (broken link removed to http://woodstove.com/new-absolute-steel-hybrid)
Now, it has a catalytic combustor and automatic dampers... does something like this have more chance for failure due to more fancy parts that will eventually need to be replaced? What type of stove is efficient but doesn't have lots of fancy parts that may break and need to be replaced?

Woodstock is held in high regard here . . . quality stoves and most owners love them. Not having owned one, just reading posts here, I would say they are built pretty well -- although you will eventually need to replace the catalytic combustor (the trade off being longer burns and less wood burned.)

I would say most woodstoves built today -- with just a few exceptions (and the really cheap ones) -- are built pretty well and you should get a number of years of use without any problems other than perhaps changing out gaskets and routine cleaning.

 

[firefighterjake]

so far I have a chainsaw and a trailer. I don't mind paying for wood if it is cheaper than oil, but everyone keeps telling me that right now oil is cheaper. Either way, I'm getting a stove and I will probably use it more than I anticipated because I need to feel warm

I believe that to be true . . . oil is cheaper than fuel oil. That said . . . as mentioned . . . many folks here scrounge their wood. Some towns have wood dumps (although that can be tough here in Maine with so many people burning wood) . . . some folks get wood from arborists . . . some get wood from Craigslist ads . . . others from friends and neighbors.

I am pretty fortunate as I have a friend who has started cutting down trees as a side job so I've picked up some white birch . . . meanwhile another friend has a sugar orchard and has had me cutting out the blighted beech (and while he never asked . . . I have been splitting the wood with him 50-50 so he can burn it at his home, cabin or in the sugar shack.)

 

[firefighterjake]

I might have missed it . . . but what is the time frame for building/moving into the home? Also, location? Insulation amount? Type of home -- open floor plan or traditional? Size of the home? If we know a few of the answers to these questions we might be able to suggest a stove sized right for your home (although of course the majority of us tend to recommend what we know and use -- the nature of the beast so to speak -- since just about each and every one of us (with a few exceptions) are convinced that we bought the very best stove (and it's true -- at least the very best stove for us each individually.)

One thing about the Woodstock stove line . . . and some others, such as the beloved Englander line up sold at many big box hardware stores for a decent price . . . these are stove lines that are not sold at a stove shop. You would have to get a chimney sweep or another person to install these stoves if you are not handy (or if your home insurance company requires a professional installation.)

Final thought . . . oil is cheaper . . . and I love having oil heat as my back up heat source for those times when I am sick, away from the house for extended periods of time or just plain lazy . . . but there's just something about wood heat -- it just seems a bit warmer and you get the added benefit of the view of the fire. Folks just naturally want to curl up with a good book next to a fire in a woodstove . . . not too many folks cuddle up next to their oil boiler or furnace.

 

[sheeshshe]

hahaha. that last line made me laugh. so funny!

The house is a cape, 1650 sqft living space, dimensions are for 1790 feet but living area is lost upstairs with the roof. the downstairs will be as open as I can get it. they started excavating today and plan on completing the house by the end of october. he is moving fast because we were supposed to start building in july, and he is done with his other house now and can devote solely to this one.

as for modern stoves.... do non catalytic stoves have as much to replace down the road? Also, if I happened to choose a catalytic one, let's say we lose power for 3 weeks and can't get out because there is an inch of ice on the ground, but the catalyst breaks. can the stove still be used at all?

I am a very thrifty person by nature, so I love the ideas you shared on getting wood to use!

 

[brenndatomu]

f I happened to choose a catalytic one, let's say we lose power for 3 weeks and can't get out because there is an inch of ice on the ground, but the catalyst breaks. can the stove still be used at all?

Not effectively...or without causing more damage more than likely

do non catalytic stoves have as much to replace down the road?

No they don't

 

[MAD777]

As I understand it, a catalytic stove can squeeze more btu's out of your wood. I suppose that's a savings that could justify replacing the cat converter every 5 years or so. In theory, they can burn cleaner, thereby protecting the environment. I believe it's generally easier to get a fire to burn all day or all night unattended (no 3:00am stoking).

At least, these are the reasons I selected a cat stove, a Woodstock ideal hybrid steel soapstone stove.

That being said, the design of any particular stove could be good or bad, no matter what category it falls under.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[sheeshshe]

how difficult is it to replace the cat converter? is it something that we could keep an extra on hand in case it goes out when we need it?

 

[brenndatomu]

how difficult is it to replace the cat converter?

Depends on the stove

is it something that we could keep an extra on hand in case it goes out when we need it?

Sure. I don't think they generally fail catastrophically all of a sudden though...more of a slow fade

 

[MAD777]

Cat converters become inefficient with age (sort of like me). They don't break. On most stoves I looked at, you open the top, lift out the old cat, drop the new cat in. They are smaller than a loaf of bread.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[sheeshshe]

Cat converters become inefficient with age (sort of like me). They don't break. On most stoves I looked at, you open the top, lift out the old cat, drop the new cat in. They are smaller than a loaf of bread.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

sounds easy enough. so the stove will still work as it ages and gets bad, but it would still be good to keep one on hand. I am leaning toward the stove I mentioned earlier. it seems like a good match for us.

As I understand it, a catalytic stove can squeeze more btu's out of your wood. I suppose that's a savings that could justify replacing the cat converter every 5 years or so. In theory, they can burn cleaner, thereby protecting the environment. I believe it's generally easier to get a fire to burn all day or all night unattended (no 3:00am stoking).

At least, these are the reasons I selected a cat stove, a Woodstock ideal hybrid steel soapstone stove.

That being said, the design of any particular stove could be good or bad, no matter what category it falls under.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Do you burn pine in your stove with success? I've read so many topics about pine, but I know the pine we have in our area is different from the pine in other areas of the usa. I've had friends who tried to burn pine with their stove and had issues, so I was thinking with the stove I was thinking about getting from the Woodstock company, it seems as though it burns at a high temp and would be ok with pine? what are your thoughts?

 

[edyit]

the pine burning stigma is a myth. you can burn any wood as long as it is seasoned properly. i'm in upstate NY, i'm guessing the pine we have here isn't much different from the pine you have in Maine. I burn a lot of it in shoulder season (spring and fall) when you just want a quick hot fire to take the chill off in the morning and don't plan on running it all day. could you burn it all winter? sure you can but again the key is that it needs to be properly seasoned.

 

[sheeshshe]

does it need to be seasoned longer or something?

 

[Aranyic]

Pine will actually season pretty quickly compared to harder woods. It's just very soft and burns very hot and pretty quickly. I believe where the stigma came from is because it does burn faster and hot that if you have a dirty chimney. Then load up a full load of pine it the extreme heat from it would cause chimney fires for people that are not burning the correct wood or correct way. For someone burning dry wood (checked with a moisture meter is best) and not smoldering the fire there's no issue. It seasons very quickly and burns hot; it just doesn't burn a long time.

 

[sheeshshe]

a friend of mine said she put some in hers and the stove smoked and the smoke went all in her house. what sounds like it went wrong here? not seasoned long enough maybe?

 

[bholler]

a friend of mine said she put some in hers and the stove smoked and the smoke went all in her house. what sounds like it went wrong here? not seasoned long enough maybe?

Either operator error problems with the install or their chimney was clogged. Nothing at all to do with the wood

 

[sheeshshe]

they took most of the hardwood, but they did leave some pine. we cut down an oak 2 days ago because it was so close to where the house will go. hopefully we can harvest some of the dry dead wood to have some wood for this winter.

 

[begreen]

Cat converters become inefficient with age (sort of like me). They don't break. On most stoves I looked at, you open the top, lift out the old cat, drop the new cat in. They are smaller than a loaf of bread.

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Sometimes they do break, when the operator makes a mistake like tossing a load of ice coated logs on the fire. The steel cats are more robust, not sure what Woodstock is using in the Absolute Steel now.

 

[firefighterjake]

Pine is fine ... for that matter most wood found in the great outdoors -- once seasoned -- is fine to burn ... other than petrified wood. I burn pine every year ... usually as kindling or in the shoulder season since it burns fast and hot.

 

[sheeshshe]

thank you! I am getting excited!

 

[sheeshshe]

not happy, looks like I"m going to have to go with the masonry chimney since the steel pipe is out of our budget. it is $1500 vs $4000. that's quite a difference. at least I"m pretty sure that's what he said... unless he said $2200... which is still much less. So, that said... what can go wrong with the masonry chimney that I need to look for?

 

[bholler]

So, that said... what can go wrong with the masonry chimney that I need to look for?

Improper clearances improperly sized liners liners mortared in improper mortar used to join the liners. And even if all that is done right the mortar will fail between the liners withing 5 years and the liners will crack the first time you over heat them. If you are going the masonry rout line it with an insulated ss liner right away.

 

[sheeshshe]

Improper clearances improperly sized liners liners mortared in improper mortar used to join the liners. And even if all that is done right the mortar will fail between the liners withing 5 years and the liners will crack the first time you over heat them. If you are going the masonry rout line it with an insulated ss liner right away.

ok, will the ss liner make it crazy expensive? and if I do the ss liner, will it prevent all that other stuff from happening?