Recently, my wife and I installed a chimney, built a hearth (trim still to be installed) and installed a wood stove. I work for the local paper and wrote about our experience here:
(broken link removed to http://www.salisburypost.com/blogs/outsideinsight/?plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&UID=da7cdddf-5bbf-4e1f-bc2c-331498f9116b&plckPostId=Blog:da7cdddf-5bbf-4e1f-bc2c-331498f9116bPost:23a1ba0c-05b7-478a-862b-327916d6d681&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest)
We really didn't know what we would need, and started out with a little Vogelzang cook stove, really intended more for cabins, shops, etc.
It quickly became apparent that we weren't going to be able to meet our heating needs with that stove, and that we were going to burn through a lot of firewood.
My boss also mentioned to me that if I installed a new EPA approved stove, the entire project would qualify for the tax credit.
We shopped around a bit and eventually decided on the Pleasant Hearth 1800 Square foot model. The price was reasonable for a stove that size ($699).
My neighbor helped me move the stove inside yesterday (335 pounds!) and hook it up to our chimney pipe.
So far so good. Heck of a smell burning off the new stove paint, but seemed to run pretty good. I dropped a log in late last night, and still had hot coals this morning and the house was still 70 degrees. Not a great test though, it only got down to about 40 last night.
I did notice that initially it's a little more difficult to get a fire started. It doesn't draft as well as the other stove, but this may also be due to having to put a twist in the chimney pipe to install the new stove (two flexible elbows bend into an S-shape.)
It's much easier on firewood and seems to maintain a much more even heat.
The included blower motor does have a loud whine, but it seems to function well.
I'll update this post again when it's much colder. Burning seasoned Dogwood right now. Seems to burn hot and even.
The photo is of my wife Peg sitting in front of our new stove, soaking up the heat!
* A few observations after the first few days. 1.) This definitely doesn't draft very well. Unless I leave the door cracked for the first 10 minutes, the fire isn't going to stay lit. The built in draft appears to just be too small to make a lot of difference. Works okay when the stove is burning, but not sufficiently to get it started. 2.) The glass door is very black after just a couple of days of use. 3.) It takes longer to warm up then my other stove, but once it is lit, it maintains a steady, even burn. 4.) I'm noticing puffy white clouds from my chimney. In an epa approved stove I expected less smoke, not more. 5.) These observations may all have a great deal to do with the quality of my wood. I'm burning seasoned dog wood. It seems dry and splits easy, but the dogwood was just deadfall in the woods I picked up a few weeks ago.
(broken link removed to http://www.salisburypost.com/blogs/outsideinsight/?plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&UID=da7cdddf-5bbf-4e1f-bc2c-331498f9116b&plckPostId=Blog:da7cdddf-5bbf-4e1f-bc2c-331498f9116bPost:23a1ba0c-05b7-478a-862b-327916d6d681&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest)
We really didn't know what we would need, and started out with a little Vogelzang cook stove, really intended more for cabins, shops, etc.
It quickly became apparent that we weren't going to be able to meet our heating needs with that stove, and that we were going to burn through a lot of firewood.
My boss also mentioned to me that if I installed a new EPA approved stove, the entire project would qualify for the tax credit.
We shopped around a bit and eventually decided on the Pleasant Hearth 1800 Square foot model. The price was reasonable for a stove that size ($699).
My neighbor helped me move the stove inside yesterday (335 pounds!) and hook it up to our chimney pipe.
So far so good. Heck of a smell burning off the new stove paint, but seemed to run pretty good. I dropped a log in late last night, and still had hot coals this morning and the house was still 70 degrees. Not a great test though, it only got down to about 40 last night.
I did notice that initially it's a little more difficult to get a fire started. It doesn't draft as well as the other stove, but this may also be due to having to put a twist in the chimney pipe to install the new stove (two flexible elbows bend into an S-shape.)
It's much easier on firewood and seems to maintain a much more even heat.
The included blower motor does have a loud whine, but it seems to function well.
I'll update this post again when it's much colder. Burning seasoned Dogwood right now. Seems to burn hot and even.
The photo is of my wife Peg sitting in front of our new stove, soaking up the heat!
* A few observations after the first few days. 1.) This definitely doesn't draft very well. Unless I leave the door cracked for the first 10 minutes, the fire isn't going to stay lit. The built in draft appears to just be too small to make a lot of difference. Works okay when the stove is burning, but not sufficiently to get it started. 2.) The glass door is very black after just a couple of days of use. 3.) It takes longer to warm up then my other stove, but once it is lit, it maintains a steady, even burn. 4.) I'm noticing puffy white clouds from my chimney. In an epa approved stove I expected less smoke, not more. 5.) These observations may all have a great deal to do with the quality of my wood. I'm burning seasoned dog wood. It seems dry and splits easy, but the dogwood was just deadfall in the woods I picked up a few weeks ago.
![[Hearth.com] Pleasant Hearth 1800 sq ft install](/talk/data/attachments/34/34693-36961ff025502c2482fbffad25d1e11a.jpg?hash=lkaEhiNQYe)
It JUST fits in my fire place.
