Drolet Stove Placement and Sizing Advice

[stovequestions]

Hi all,

This will be our first stove for a new house, so I've done as much research as I can but I've still got a lot of questions.

1. Originally when we drew up basic concept plans for the house, I put the stove in the corner as shown for purely aesthetic reasons. Now I'm thinking that, because the house is sort of cape with a tall roof height that having a chimney pipe sticking far out of the lowest eave of the roof is a bad idea (is that right?) because you get a cold stretch of pipe so harder to light a fire. So then I was thinking to move the stove to the center of the 16' 9" wall where I estimate only 4-5 ft of chimney will clear the roof vs like 8 ft before.

But then the local wood stove/fireplace place guy tells me "it doesn't matter at all where it goes"... I asked him if a cold pipe matters, he says no.

So that's the first question. Does it matter? Move the stove or no? I could also put it in the corner near that wall that reads 8' 5" and it will come up near the peak of the roof.

2. We live in Texas and winters aren't bad. We are considering a Drolet Escape 1800 or Columbia II bc we don't want to deal with a cat and want a very easy to work with stove for a lower price without it being a terrible stove. Home will be 1200 sq ft first floor. Eventually we plan to finish out the attic which will bring the home to more like 2000 sq ft. So space wise, given a warmer climate, would the columbia or escape be better. Based on this link on the Drolet page it looks like the esacpe will be too much (says it can go up to 2,700 zone 3). But the landing page says it heats 500-2100 sq ft.

So, given the warmer climate, the fact that we will be living in a 1200 sq ft home for a time till we finish it out, and the seemingly conflicting heating specs, which would be better?

3. Finally, my final plan for the living room is to have two 3' by 5' windows on the 15 ft wall. The windows drawn below are wider than that. So I was hoping to put the stove in the middle with a stone/brick hearth pad and back to cover the drywall and place a window on each side. I have looked at a LOT of the install manuals for different stoves and the Drolet ones are really confusing me.

Assuming the stove goes in the center of the wall: The pad size recommended to cover the floor under the escape 1800 is 4 by 4.5 ft. So I was thinking give 4.5 to 5 ft width for the stove and put a window on either side. The manual and it says 11" off the wall for combustible (so drywall or window). Makes sense, and of course the stove would be 11" from the windows too if it's 11" from the wall... Okay but then the left side clearance is 16" and the right side is 48" and the front is 36". I thought in the US you just needed 16" clearance to protect from coals falling...3 ft seems like a lot. And then 4 ft on one side and 16" on the other??? Why? So I thought okay maybe that means 48" from the other wall on the right side.

I called a rep from Drolet and he communicated that a window has to be 4 ft away no matter what but on the other side it can be 16 in away. I clarified that the window isn't facing the stove, its behind it on the wall...but he insisted that it's got to be that far away because "it's combustible the same as a wall".

So I can't understand this because that SEEMS to imply to me that I need to brick the wall for 4ft in one direction and 16 " in the other because even if the stove is 11" pushed out from the wall the wall could STILL burn if within 48 in?

So sorry for so many questions! Complete newbie here!

Thanks in advance.

 

[begreen]

1. You are right. It does make a difference asthetically and functionally.
2. Will some of the heat go up a stairwell? Is the attic insulated? How many sq ft upstairs?
3. Corner clearance is 7" (C) with double-walled stovepipe (recommended).
4. The SBI rep may have a different visual picture. What is being proposed is not unusual or unsafe.

 

[stovequestions]

2. As of for the next few years, the attic will be unused and heat will not go up. Eventually, if we need more space, we plan to open up the stairway and make it a fully insulated part of the house. About 800 sq ft upstairs for 2000 sq ft total.
3. So sorry this wasn't clear before, but I do understand the corner clearances (C and F) and they seem normal.

But, if we move the stove out from the corner to the middle of the wall and put a window on either side, then the clearance to the wall behind the stove is 6" with a double pipe (or 11" single). Also seems normal.

Only thing I don't get is the side clearances. Does this mean you can't put a couch or wall or something within 4 ft of the stove side on one side and 16 in on the other (I completely understand that) OR that no combustible material can be on the BACK wall behind the stove within 4 ft. In other words, the stove is 2 ft wide and the rep appeared to be telling me that the back wall cannot be combustible for 4 ft on one side and 16 in on the other for a total of over 7 ft of non-combustible wall...

(Also, I am nearly 100% certain we were looking at the same manual bc our page numbers, figure numbers, everything matched up and he told me directly the steps for how to find the one he was looking at.)

 

[stovequestions]

For reference, this is kind of what we're thinking. Do the clearances preclude this type of setup? Where one window has to be 4 ft away on the same wall?

 

[begreen]

View attachment 336426
For reference, this is kind of what we're thinking. Do the clearances preclude this type of setup? Where one window has to be 4 ft away on the same wall?

That's fine installed like that, especially if the door on the left swings outward. The clearances are to combustibles which include side walls, furniture etc. We keep our chair about 3 ft away mostly to protect it from drying out, even though the side clearances are much less. 4 ft clearance is required in front of the stove.

What is unclear is that the gap between the two windows in the plan drawing appear to be much closer together. Enough so that the stove would be in front of them. I don't understand the 4' and 16" statement at all.

As far as stove sizing, some heat will still migrate up to the attic, but 700 sq ft is not a lot to heat. The Deco Nano would handle this and has the additional benefit of being a N/S loader.

 

[stovequestions]

So the side clearances are to other walls, windows, furniture etc perpendicular to the stove, not walls or windows on the wall behind the stove but further down the same wall, right?

On the diagram next to the one that shows corner clearances, it shows that the clearance to the back wall is A (6") but the clearances to either side are B (16") and 48". So that's where I'm getting the 16 in 4ft idea. Wasn't sure if that meant you can't put a wall within that side clearance or if you can't but a window on the wall behind it in that range.

If we change the position of the stove from out of the corner (what we originally thought to do) to put it in the center of the wall, the plan is to shrink the windows to 3 ft wide and move then 4.5 to 5 ft apart to make room for the stove.

 

[EbS-P]

Any new construction should be so tight and insulated that for 1200 sq ft 12k btu heat pump should heat that space down to well below freezing. The big windows should have insulated blinds. You need a full heat load calc. But I’m going to say the 1800’s 2.4 cu ft fire box is over sized for all but the cold week maybe two of the year. And if you just want a cozy fire every other weekend and emergency heat for 2000 sq ft it’s probably about right.

I’ve always wanted one of the Drolet cook stoves I think they look better than the Esacpe pedestal.

 

[begreen]

On the diagram next to the one that shows corner clearances, it shows that the clearance to the back wall is A (6") but the clearances to either side are B (16") and 48". So that's where I'm getting the 16 in 4ft idea. Wasn't sure if that meant you can't put a wall within that side clearance or if you can't but a window on the wall behind it in that range.

The 48" in that diagram looks like if the stove was installed in a room the size of a closet. I am not certain this is not an error. The fig. 10 diagram doesn't show in other models and I am not finding a reference to fig. 10 in the manual's text. Nor does it show in the 2019 manual for the same stove.

This looks to me like bad proofreading. Note that figure 10 is labeled TOP. I suspect that the 48" is clumsily trying to indicate that 48" is the minimum clearance to the top of the stove.

 

[stovequestions]

The 48" in that diagram looks like if the stove was installed in a room the size of a closet. I am not certain this is not an error. The fig. 10 diagram doesn't show in other models and I am not finding a reference to fig. 10 in the manual's text. Nor does it show in the 2019 manual for the same stove.

Yes! Exactly. So if you were installing, would you say that this would sound reasonable and following the clearances? Or am I still missing something?

-stove is 6" from combustible wall behind (with double stovepipe) as per manual instructions
-a floor pad or hearth underneath which is 4 ft wide and 4.5 ft deep which far exceeds the manuals specs of 30 in by 24 in.
- a window on either side of the stove behind that stove spaced 5 ft apart (so the stove is centered in a 5 ft gap)

 

[stovequestions]

But I’m going to say the 1800’s 2.4 cu ft fire box is over sized for all but the cold week maybe two of the year. And if you just want a cozy fire every other weekend and emergency heat for 2000 sq ft it’s probably about right.

Both the columbia ii and escape 1800 have leg options which we would get rather than the pedestal. The firebox on the columbia is 1.86 cu ft, which is less, so would you recommend columbia ii over escape 1800 for a 2000 sq ft area?

 

[stoveliker]

Basically side combustible clearance distance does not pertain to walls parallel to the back of the stove.
And I concur that the 48" is something off/typo/ or vertical distance or so.
Regardless that install space in the pic is strange and would not be done in any case.

The point is that the stove is symmetric left/right in shedding heat. I believe only the door and the air inlet handle break that mirror symmetry. Those are not consequential to safety clearance distances.

 

[begreen]

Yes! Exactly. So if you were installing, would you say that this would sound reasonable and following the clearances? Or am I still missing something?

-stove is 6" from combustible wall behind (with double stovepipe) as per manual instructions
-a floor pad or hearth underneath which is 4 ft wide and 4.5 ft deep which far exceeds the manuals specs of 30 in by 24 in.
- a window on either side of the stove behind that stove spaced 5 ft apart (so the stove is centered in a 5 ft gap)

The smaller stove will suffice. Also consider the True North TN20 and the Quadrafire 3100 which are N/S loaders.

 

[EbS-P]

The smaller stove will suffice. Also consider the True North TN20 and the Quadrafire 3100 which are N/S loaders.

north south is a big positive for smaller stoves. IMO

 

[begreen]

north south is a big positive for smaller stoves. IMO

It is for any stove large or small.

 

[stovequestions]

Basically side combustible clearance distance does not pertain to walls parallel to the back of the stove.
And I concur that the 48" is something off/typo/ or vertical distance or so.
Regardless that install space in the pic is strange and would not be done in any case.

Okay, makes more sense---how would you install then if the manual isn't quite right? As in what would be a safe size (how wide, especially) for the hearth. And how far away should the windows go to prevent overheating?

 

[stovequestions]

he smaller stove will suffice. Also consider the True North TN20 and the Quadrafire 3100 which are N/S loaders.

Thanks for the advice. What makes a stove a N/S loader? Is it firebox size?

 

[stoveliker]

Okay, makes more sense---how would you install then if the manual isn't quite right? As in what would be a safe size (how wide, especially) for the hearth. And how far away should the windows go to prevent overheating?

If against a flat wall, A = 8" to wall or window and disregard other walls. (Double pipe).
If in a corner F= 16" and disregard other distances.

I'd simply fill the corner with hearth and have at least 16" in front.

 

[begreen]

Thanks for the advice. What makes a stove a N/S loader? Is it firebox size?

A N/S has a deep enough firebox to allow loading the splits parallel to the stove sides. The firebox size can be large or small, as long as it is deep enough to load a typical 16" split. Box stoves like the Jotul F602, the Morso 2B, or the VC Aspen are examples of small fireboxN/S loading stoves.

 

[stoveliker]

So when you open the stove door you look at the cut ends of the splits rather than to the sides. They do not roll out, (no andirons needed) and are much easier to load.