Free-standing Wood stove vs. Insert

[MichaelAL]

Hello again everybody. I can't believe how difficult this process has become. I have waited two months for delivery of a white enamel Quadrafire explorer 2. I was giving them the benefit of the doubt since the EPA has made everybody's life tough. Well I finally find out today from the retailer that Quadrafire just told them that they are no longer making the stove in ANY color at all!! (Besides cast black). I don't think that is going to fly with the Mrs. so I am in a real jam. The only other stove with the right aesthetics and ideal dimensions is the VC Encore, and I do not want to go down that road and have to repair that thing as often as it sounds like I'd need to. I wish I could find a gently used Explorer 2 in white or something. Any other thoughts? Other stoves I should look at? I believe I have searched high and low, but I am really hoping somebody has a 'eureka' idea floating around out there.

Thanks all!

 

[Mark cerel]

I decided to go with an insert but got the largest one I could get and placed it about 60 percent in the fire place and 40 percent on the hearth. ( Of course measuring what would work etc.) With this type of install I created an obvious off set in terms of where the top of my stove pipe came out and the center of my masonary flu was. I believe it was about a foot difference. Two 45's and a foot of single wall pipe migiated the offset. This also will not allow a surround to be placed around the wood inset. I truly believe this route got me the best bang for my buck. It operates ( in my opinion) as both an insert and free standing. The stove is completely exposed and the blower runs typically on low. Currently heating 2200 Square feet ranch. ( With the help of some small fans pointing towards stove room / hallway.) We heat the entire home with wood about 80 percent of the time.

 

[begreen]

Looks like you are back to an insert or painting a new stove white (not suggested). You are shopping for a stove at a tough time. The market is in transition and many stove makers only have black models for lines that traditionally had multiple enamel options. I checked on the PE T5 LE and see that is only selling in painted black, though the pre-2020 version was sold in white, brown and black enamel. It may take a year or two for the market to catch up. You could call around and see if anyone has the Explorer II in white in stock and have it shipped. Same for the older PE T5.

 

[EbS-P]

Thoughts from someone who went down the road wanting white. I ended up with a Jotul F400 set back in the fireplace. Here is my two cents. It’s heating 2000 sq ft 1960s ranch great as long as the temps are above 25. Half of the house is over a crawl space. My insulation leaves much to be desired l. I have a heat pump and it cannot keep up when temps drop that low. I still like it.
I have a blower behind the stove. Otherwise it would get too hot when run hard.

I feel what you are going through. If my main goal was heating 100% with wood and aesthetics were a second or third priority I would have gone with a large jacked freestanding stove installed in a corner not a hearth mounted. Second choice would have been a larger hearth mounted rear vent stove at the front of the raised hearth and floor protection in front. My heating demand is not that great so compromising for great looks over heat isn’t that big of a deal

two suggestions wait it out and don’t rush into a stove you aren’t excited about and get next years wood now. It will make a new stove more enjoyable to have good dry wood.

if you can’t wait I really like my F400 just don’t rear vent as it can spill smoke.

evan

 

[MichaelAL]

Well everybody, in case anybody still remembers my saga... This is how it ended! An F400 mounted on the hearth.

Love the aesthetics of the stove, just having a few break in fires today/tomorrow before I really see what it can do as a heater.

Thanks to all of you for the help and suggestions. I learned a TON from these forums and you all helped me find an option that truly checks all the boxes for my particular scenario (and most importantly is up to code/safe).

Happy new year! So happy to be back amongst the wood burning brethren after a few years out of the gang!

 

[weatherguy]

Looks good, how's it heating?

 

[EbS-P]

Looks great! I like it.

 

[MichaelAL]

Looks good, how's it heating?

TBD. I am still just having 'break-in' fires at this point. Keeping the stove at or below 400 degrees for just an hour or two. The results of those have been encouraging, but I wont know for sure until we get some really cold weather in the Northeast. Its in the high 30's/low 40's here now and these little fires raised the temp in my living room a good 3-4 degrees.

 

[MichaelAL]

Looks great! I like it.

Great minds! ;-)

 

[spudman99]

Looks good. Stick around and post your experience so others can learn. Sort of pay it forward. Always good to have difference thoughts from around the US with different set ups. Happy New Year.

 

[MichaelAL]

Looks good. Stick around and post your experience so others can learn. Sort of pay it forward. Always good to have difference thoughts from around the US with different set ups. Happy New Year.

Hey Spudman, I definitely plan to stick around and check the forums now and then and weigh-in if any questions of relevance come about. Least I can do! The F400 is thus far heating my house extremely well. The outside temp is still relatively mild for this time of year (high 20's at night and low 40's during the day) but my house is in the mid 70's with the air intake basically as low as it can be. I did open it up the other night and let the stove hit 500 degrees for 2-3 hours and my house was in the high 70's!! It was T-shirt time lol! We'll see how it goes when we get a proper cold snap. Now my issue is the dryness of the air. I have on of these going full-bore in the living room, but it is being completely outclassed by the jotul...

Amazon product ASIN B0007Q3RWK

 

[MichaelAL]

Hey Spudman, I definitely plan to stick around and check the forums now and then and weigh-in if any questions of relevance come about. Least I can do! The F400 is thus far heating my house extremely well. The outside temp is still relatively mild for this time of year (high 20's at night and low 40's during the day) but my house is in the mid 70's with the air intake basically as low as it can be. I did open it up the other night and let the stove hit 500 degrees for 2-3 hours and my house was in the high 70's!! It was T-shirt time lol! We'll see how it goes when we get a proper cold snap. Now my issue is the dryness of the air. I have on of these going full-bore in the living room, but it is being completely outclassed by the jotul...

Amazon product ASIN B0007Q3RWK

Looks like the forum would not post my link, but it is an Air King Humidifier claiming to be able to handle up to 900 sq feet (which is too small now that i think about it...)

 

[webfish]

If you have an ad blocker running it might not like the amazon link. I can see it.