Hearthstone Heritage advice

[Smoked]

Another $1000 less is a big deal but 1.85 cu. ft. vs 2.3 ,may be a difference in burn times that matter to you too. I needed a short stove and found an old new 8021 with the shorter legs and got a good price. As much time as I spent shopping and researching, I missed some short leg options that could have saved me a bunch of money. Honestly did not notice that on the Jotuls and think they are really good stoves. I even saw one post after the fact where someone trimmed the legs on an Englander 30 to make it a hearth stove....wish I would have seen that although the top vent only would have put that deep into my fireplace.

 

[finnski]

Another $1000 less is a big deal but 1.85 cu. ft. vs 2.3 ,may be a difference in burn times that matter to you too. I needed a short stove and found an old new 8021 with the shorter legs and got a good price. As much time as I spent shopping and researching, I missed some short leg options that could have saved me a bunch of money. Honestly did not notice that on the Jotuls and think they are really good stoves. I even saw one post after the fact where someone trimmed the legs on an Englander 30 to make it a hearth stove....wish I would have seen that although the top vent only would have put that deep into my fireplace.

Good point. By the way where did you find that firebox size for the F45 I couldn't seem to find it anywhere?

 

[Smoked]

Good point. By the way where did you find that firebox size for the F45 I couldn't seem to find it anywhere?

It was here. http://rockymountainstove.com/jotul-f45-greenville-wood-stove.aspx I was kind of surprised it was not on the Jotul page, seems like a pretty standard measurement. Folks here will tell you don't trust the sq. ft. capacities stated by the manufacturer and really BTUs between the 2 were not that different. Getting decent burn times out of a tube stove, you need capacity. I will try a cat stove one day, just could not make it work here this time. The low slow sounds nice for shoulder season for sure. I really do like the soapstone stoves though I would love to build a retirement home around an Equinox or a Progress Hybrid.
P.S. The side door on the Heritage is a supper option. Big flame view out of the front and no mess east west loading.

 

[Highbeam]

This thermal mass marketing thing is overrated. It hurts you as much as it helps with slow warm up times. Jotuls are very attractive but most models are tiny, be sure to pick a big one for our American sized homes.

 

[begreen]

When burning 24/7 warm up times are irrelevant. Good control over thermal swing becomes more important. Loved our Jotul, but the difference between heating the house with the F400 and T6 was apparent from day one. We started waking up to a house that was 5 degrees warmer and noted much less temp swing in the stove room and house through the stove cycles.

 

[finnski]

When burning 24/7 warm up times are irrelevant. Good control over thermal swing becomes more important. Loved our Jotul, but the difference between heating the house with the F400 and T6 was apparent from day one. We started waking up to a house that was 5 degrees warmer and noted much less temp swing in the stove room and house through the stove cycles.

Can the jacketed stoves give me a more "even" heat rather than the blasting heat feeling from a pure radiant stove(cast iron) and thus sort of be a good compromise between pure cast iron and the lower surface temps but more stable heating (but slow wamup times) from a soapstone. It sort of sounds like this may be a little bit of the best of both worlds for my situation as we are not 24/7 burners except for maybe deep in the middle of Jan/Feb in new Hampshire winters

 

[finnski]

It was here. http://rockymountainstove.com/jotul-f45-greenville-wood-stove.aspx I was kind of surprised it was not on the Jotul page, seems like a pretty standard measurement. Folks here will tell you don't trust the sq. ft. capacities stated by the manufacturer and really BTUs between the 2 were not that different. Getting decent burn times out of a tube stove, you need capacity. I will try a cat stove one day, just could not make it work here this time. The low slow sounds nice for shoulder season for sure. I really do like the soapstone stoves though I would love to build a retirement home around an Equinox or a Progress Hybrid.
P.S. The side door on the Heritage is a supper option. Big flame view out of the front and no mess east west loading.

Thanks for the link. It sounds about the perfect size firebox for us. We are looking at the 2 cu ft +/-10% size. I am surprised Jotul doesn't publish it either. We do like the heritage also.

 

[begreen]

Can the jacketed stoves give me a more "even" heat rather than the blasting heat feeling from a pure radiant stove(cast iron) and thus sort of be a good compromise between pure cast iron and the lower surface temps but more stable heating (but slow wamup times) from a soapstone. It sort of sounds like this may be a little bit of the best of both worlds for my situation as we are not 24/7 burners except for maybe deep in the middle of Jan/Feb in new Hampshire winters

More heat no. Cast jacketed stoves usually only radiate strongly from the front door and sometimes the top if there is no trivet, grate or convective lid. The heat is similar to that of a soapstone but in a bit less fragile package. A clad steel stove can be pushed harder for more heat without worrying about cracking a stone and the joints are welded instead of caulked and cemented. That said if you like the look of a stone stove it's hard to match. They have a natural beauty that makes each one unique.

In cast iron jacketed also take a look at the 2 cu ft Pacific Energy T5 and the 1.85 cu ft Enviro Boston. In a cat stove, Blaze King makes the Ashford 20 in that size range too.

 

[finnski]

More heat no. Cast jacketed stoves usually only radiate strongly from the front door and sometimes the top if there is no trivet, grate or convective lid. The heat is similar to that of a soapstone but in a bit less fragile package. A clad steel stove can be pushed harder for more heat without worrying about cracking a stone and the joints are welded instead of caulked and cemented. That said if you like the look of a stone stove it's hard to match. They have a natural beauty that makes each one unique.

Not "more heat" but as I mentioned I was hoping it would be a more "even "heat. and less blasting such as a pure cast iron radiator. If they perform similar to soapstone but may be more "robust" I think we would really like that and that's where we are leaning right now. If it gives us the benefit of a possibly quicker heat up time that would be ideal because we are not hardcore 24/7 burners. Would that be the case?

 

[begreen]

Our 3.0 cu ft stove is large, thus more mass to get up to temperature. For the T6 it takes about 30 minutes to start putting out good heat and that continues to improve as the mass of the stove warms up. This may vary with stove design depending on the air gap between the cast iron and the steel body and how it vents. I forgot to mention another stove in this category, the Quadrafire Explorer II. It's a new model that's similarly designed.

 

[begreen]

By comparison our radiant Jotul Castine took about 20 minutes to start putting out meaningful heat and it took another 20-30 minutes to get fully warmed up. Not a huge difference really.

 

[finnski]

Our 3.0 cu ft stove is large, thus more mass to get up to temperature. For the T6 it takes about 30 minutes to start putting out good heat and that continues to improve as the mass of the stove warms up. This may vary with stove design depending on the air gap between the cast iron and the steel body and how it vents. I forgot to mention another stove in this category, the Quadrafire Explorer II. It's a new model that's similarly designed.

Yes the quadrafire explorer II is a very nice looking stove. It is at a dealer close by and would also qualify for my $1000 voucher program. This dealer also has the PE alderleas and I kind of liked the looks of those as well (checked out a T4) My wife wasn't so interested in either of those brands and I think it was purely because she recognizes the Jotul and Heathstone brands and not those.
One thing we are trying to avoid is too much warmth. We actually keep our house at 64 deg all winter when we are running the baseboard oil fired heat and we get so used to that that we feel "hot as soon as we get up to 69-70 in the house.
This is why I like the idea of either soapstone or the jacketed versions. I like the idea of the welded firebox with the more traditional look of the cast jacket and if that can more simulate soapstone than I think I am sold on that. From what I have read you seem very happy with your version of that design.

 

[begreen]

Jotul makes good stoves, so does Hearthstone if that is the final choice. You control the heat provided by the stove based on the wood and air supplied to the fire. If you want it cooler build a smaller fire and let it go out when the fuel is burned up. That said, don't be surprised if you start liking the deep bone reaching warmth of the stove and see the room temps creep up to 70F. I have friends with the same perspective, yet once the stove is going they shift into a warmer mode. In that case you can always take off a sweater to cool down.

 

[finnski]

Jotul makes good stoves, so does Hearthstone if that is the final choice. You control the heat provided by the stove based on the wood and air supplied to the fire. If you want it cooler build a smaller fire and let it go out when the fuel is burned up. That said, don't be surprised if you start liking the deep bone reaching warmth of the stove and see the room temps creep up to 70F. I have friends with the same perspective, yet once the stove is going they shift into a warmer mode. In that case you can always take off a sweater to cool down.

Yeah your probably right. I'll repost when we make our decision which has to be over the next several days or the voucher expires.

 

[Newburnerwisconsin]

Yeah your probably right. I'll repost when we make our decision which has to be over the next several days or the voucher expires.

I really like the side door on the Heritage. It is great for loading wood and building fires, in fact that is the only door I use on mine. When you use the front door for loading on the stoves, ashes always drop out and on to the stove and hearth. The damper is great easy/simple to control stove temps. I use a soapstone thermometer to monitor the stove top and avoid over-firing the stove. My wife really likes the long heat times from the soapstone....the stove stays warm for hours after the fire has died as compared to cast-iron. (We run a LP furnace set at 65 when we are not home.)I am not trying to sell you the heritage, I am just sharing the points about the stove that we enjoy.
On the firebox size: do you have any wood cut? Will it fit in the smaller firebox? I actually went through all this and it is another issue to consider when picking your stove. I had to go back and re-cut some of my wood because we went with the Heritage instead of a Quadrafire Isle Royale. Also, will the smaller stove heat your entire house in the event of a power outage or oil furnace failure? We have had both problems in the past and they bring in other issues to consider.
It took me three months to make a decision. Good luck.

 

[finnski]

I really like the side door on the Heritage. It is great for loading wood and building fires, in fact that is the only door I use on mine. When you use the front door for loading on the stoves, ashes always drop out and on to the stove and hearth. The damper is great easy/simple to control stove temps. I use a soapstone thermometer to monitor the stove top and avoid over-firing the stove. My wife really likes the long heat times from the soapstone....the stove stays warm for hours after the fire has died as compared to cast-iron. (We run a LP furnace set at 65 when we are not home.)I am not trying to sell you the heritage, I am just sharing the points about the stove that we enjoy.
On the firebox size: do you have any wood cut? Will it fit in the smaller firebox? I actually went through all this and it is another issue to consider when picking your stove. I had to go back and re-cut some of my wood because we went with the Heritage instead of a Quadrafire Isle Royale. Also, will the smaller stove heat your entire house in the event of a power outage or oil furnace failure? We have had both problems in the past and they bring in other issues to consider.
It took me three months to make a decision. Good luck.

Well we have only been trying to decide for a month or two so I don't feel so bad now. Yes we have wood but it is all 16" +/- and that's what I cut my own at or get locally form wood dealers so an 18" firebox seems fine for us. We did visit the stoves at the dealer and tried loading 16" splits in both, no issues there Don't want to size the stove for an occasional 20' split.
I do like the side load on the Heritage but the Jotul F45 loads north /south and is sort of the same effect as the side load on the Heritage though it only has one door. I do think the Jotul F45 would heat my house as it is very well insulated (entirely wrapped with foam panels and o thermal bridges) plus I have a generator as necessary. Thanks for the reply.

 

[sean b]

Yes the quadrafire explorer II is a very nice looking stove. It is at a dealer close by and would also qualify for my $1000 voucher program. This dealer also has the PE alderleas and I kind of liked the looks of those as well (checked out a T4) My wife wasn't so interested in either of those brands and I think it was purely because she recognizes the Jotul and Heathstone brands and not those.
One thing we are trying to avoid is too much warmth. We actually keep our house at 64 deg all winter when we are running the baseboard oil fired heat and we get so used to that that we feel "hot as soon as we get up to 69-70 in the house.
This is why I like the idea of either soapstone or the jacketed versions. I like the idea of the welded firebox with the more traditional look of the cast jacket and if that can more simulate soapstone than I think I am sold on that. From what I have read you seem very happy with your version of that design.

We're just the opposite. Our VC Encore regularly kept our house at 80-90 degrees, even when it was 10-20 outside. Our house is a two story, 1550 sq/ft, with attached two car garage. So it was not uncommon to open up the kitchen door to the garage to shed some heat and then crack a bedroom window and/or keep our door closed when sleeping. It just seems to make winter that much more enjoyable when you can walk into a very warm house from frigid outdoor temps. I miss that already and it's only November.

 

[Newburnerwisconsin]

Well we have only been trying to decide for a month or two so I don't feel so bad now. Yes we have wood but it is all 16" +/- and that's what I cut my own at or get locally form wood dealers so an 18" firebox seems fine for us. We did visit the stoves at the dealer and tried loading 16" splits in both, no issues there Don't want to size the stove for an occasional 20' split.
I do like the side load on the Heritage but the Jotul F45 loads north /south and is sort of the same effect as the side load on the Heritage though it only has one door. I do think the Jotul F45 would heat my house as it is very well insulated (entirely wrapped with foam panels and o thermal bridges) plus I have a generator as necessary. Thanks for the reply.

Your welcome,
The only reason we did not look at Jotul is that we did not have a local dealer. I did look at them online but that is not the same. For insurance reasons we had to have the stove professionally installed by the selling dealer, so that affected our decision as well. I hope your stove decision is the right one for you and your family. I made my wife a little nuts with all my research...

 

[finnski]

Your welcome,
The only reason we did not look at Jotul is that we did not have a local dealer. I did look at them online but that is not the same. For insurance reasons we had to have the stove professionally installed by the selling dealer, so that affected our decision as well. I hope your stove decision is the right one for you and your family. I made my wife a little nuts with all my research...

Funny my wife is getting fed up with me with too much research as well. We have to have it installed by the dealer as well in order to qualify for the $1000 voucher. They charge $375 for the install . I can live with that as they take the old beast away as well

 

[finnski]

Hey guys. One more question. I have a post(post and beam house) that will be within about 29" from the front corner of where my new stove will be. Does this fail the 36" code or is that only directly in front of the door? I have 2 diagrams of my setup enclosed

 

[Smoked]

Hey guys. One more question. I have a post(post and beam house) that will be within about 29" from the front corner of where my new stove will be. Does this fail the 36" code or is that only directly in front of the door? I have 2 diagrams of my setup enclosed

I am not as comfortable with this answer but I believe if a manufacturer has tested the stove and published their clearances, then the 36" rule does not apply. You probably should download the manuals for what you are looking at and look at the sated clearances and talk to the dealers. Mine states 16 out front but I would not have anything that close directly in front. The radiant through the glass is intense!

 

[finnski]

I am not as comfortable with this answer but I believe if a manufacturer has tested the stove and published their clearances, then the 36" rule does not apply. You probably should download the manuals for what you are looking at and look at the sated clearances and talk to the dealers. Mine states 16 out front but I would not have anything that close directly in front. The radiant through the glass is intense!

Yeah well the manual states 16" in front as well but that is to "floor Protection" This is a vertical post so I don't know if that would act like a wall. The stove also states only 11" to corners so maybe that's all I need. I have about 29" to the post. I just seem to see the 36" rule tossed around a lot on many of these threads and I thought that was to direct line of sight from the loading door?

 

[Highbeam]

I hear that 36" rule with regards to things like curtains or furniture. It would be weird to have a post right in front of the stove but your photo shows it at a 45 degree angle or off the corner.

I would be totally fine with that setup in my house.

 

[finnski]

I hear that 36" rule with regards to things like curtains or furniture. It would be weird to have a post right in front of the stove but your photo shows it at a 45 degree angle or off the corner.

I would be totally fine with that setup in my house.

I think it's fine too but was trying to see if any body thinks It isn't going to pass code.

 

[Highbeam]

Code is a funny thing. Your installation manual trumps code so the NFPA rules are not an issue.

In my eye, I would liken that post to a sidewall parallel to the stove side. You have a loading door that requires a pretty big side clearance on that side due to the door, like 16" as I recall. The face of post is over 16" from the side of that stove if I read your drawing correctly.

So instead of a post, image a wall parallel to the side of the stove at that same offset. It appears to meet spec.