Smaller but functional north south burner recommendation needed

[ThinAir]

Hello, this is my first posting/question on the site although used the site ten years ago when I built my own home here in Montana. Ended up purchasing a Quadrafire Discovery II thinking it would be mid sized and able to load enough wood for overnight heat. Had to start somewhere. Ha ha. The house is a rectangle, bungalow replica in the historic district. Some very creative framing allowed for an open concept main floor of 1,331 sq ft, basement is also 1331 sq ft (Lopi gas). Upstairs is accessed by an open stairwell from basement to upper floor where two bedrooms reside on either side of a small foyer.

I built the exterior walls differently with exilation of 1.5” blue board over plywood sheathing, then a 3/4” baton on each stud over the blue board. Point is the house is new and very well insulated and quality windows and doors. Basement has 4” of white board under the drywall. There is a knee wall up stairs then an 8/12 lid with spray foam of 8” two dual zone mini splits feed four registers for heat and cooling, two each on main floor and one each for the bedrooms. It works really well, rarely use the a/c, mountain nights are cool as it is and we love fresh air. I mention the home size and design to maybe persuade the big stove proponents that bigger in this instance wasn’t better. The stove literally cooks our faces off, even with a smaller fire in it. The living and dining area is the last 15’ of the back of the house by 28’ wide, so living room is 15’x14 so to speak where the stove is.

My wife and I like to see the flames, love the warmth of a fire to take the occasional chill out of the aging bones. Wood is dry fir and lodgepole, and other western wood. The intent was to heat all winter with wood but after ten years, the mini splits pull the heavy lifting and now I end up burning a cord a year. Looking for a stove that would keep the house warm if the splits shut down, but mostly a friendly smaller stove that won’t fry our faces off and dehydrate us to raisins while we read or watch a movie. I like loading north to south but could be talked out of that. From the wall to center of the double wall pipe is 16”. Thank you for your assistance. Brian

 

[DBoon]

Another small house owner here that hasn't been talked into "bigger is better" and doesn't want to be baked out of the house.

I've owned a Lopi Answer (built in Washington state) in a 1250 square foot bungalow in a similar heating climate to yours. That house was average insulated and that stove did well in that house down to about 20 degrees F (no or little additional heat from a minisplit needed) with three loads a day of mixed hardwoods. It does load east-west, but it is also double-jacketed so great to use with a blower and has reduced clearances. This stove fit into a masonry fireplace and vented vertically straight up a rather short chimney (12') and worked pretty well.

I currently own a Woodstock Keystone. This is a catalytic stove that sits on a hearth and vents to the rear. It is a side loader, so it has the convenience of a north-south load but reduced clearances in the front. The side load means it is easy to load and adjust my load without smoke spilling out a front-loading door. It also has an ash pan, which I like. It burns longer and slower and has a more comfortable, softer heat than the Lopi (not that the Lopi was bad). I also don't need a fan with it (less noise - important for me) since it wasn't recessed in a fireplace (like the Answer was). This stove is made in Vermont, so shipping will cost you, but it's a nice stove for a small space. I probably put 1-1/2 to 2 cords of wood through this stove mid-November to mid-March. It handles most of the heating needs of a 1750 square foot two-story well-insulated bungalow (in the same heating climate as my last stove), until it gets reliably below 20 degrees F during the day (lower at night) and then even three loads a day can't keep up with the heat load (understandable), at which point I supplement it with my radiant floor heating).

Both stoves have about the same size firebox, but the Keystone is heating a bigger, better insulated house and I'm more comfortable with the Keystone since the heat is softer and the stove doesn't peak at as high a temperature as the Lopi (it spreads the average temperature out over a longer period of time).

Good luck on your research and purchase. Your home sounds nice and like it is just waiting for the right stove.

 

[Todd]

Take a look at the Jotul F35 or the PE T4. Not sure if the T4 is a N/S loader but the F35 is.

 

[ThinAir]

Another small house owner here that hasn't been talked into "bigger is better" and doesn't want to be baked out of the house.

I've owned a Lopi Answer (built in Washington state) in a 1250 square foot bungalow in a similar heating climate to yours. That house was average insulated and that stove did well in that house down to about 20 degrees F (no or little additional heat from a minisplit needed) with three loads a day of mixed hardwoods. It does load east-west, but it is also double-jacketed so great to use with a blower and has reduced clearances. This stove fit into a masonry fireplace and vented vertically straight up a rather short chimney (12') and worked pretty well.

I currently own a Woodstock Keystone. This is a catalytic stove that sits on a hearth and vents to the rear. It is a side loader, so it has the convenience of a north-south load but reduced clearances in the front. The side load means it is easy to load and adjust my load without smoke spilling out a front-loading door. It also has an ash pan, which I like. It burns longer and slower and has a more comfortable, softer heat than the Lopi (not that the Lopi was bad). I also don't need a fan with it (less noise - important for me) since it wasn't recessed in a fireplace (like the Answer was). This stove is made in Vermont, so shipping will cost you, but it's a nice stove for a small space. I probably put 1-1/2 to 2 cords of wood through this stove mid-November to mid-March. It handles most of the heating needs of a 1750 square foot two-story well-insulated bungalow (in the same heating climate as my last stove), until it gets reliably below 20 degrees F during the day (lower at night) and then even three loads a day can't keep up with the heat load (understandable), at which point I supplement it with my radiant floor heating).

Both stoves have about the same size firebox, but the Keystone is heating a bigger, better insulated house and I'm more comfortable with the Keystone since the heat is softer and the stove doesn't peak at as high a temperature as the Lopi (it spreads the average temperature out over a longer period of time).

Good luck on your research and purchase. Your home sounds nice and like it is just waiting for the right stove.

Thanks for your reply and insight from your stoves. Funny thing, I have a brochure here for the Lopi Answer. I replaced my old Lenox gas stove in the basement yesterday with a Lopi, while there I took a look around. The salesman recommended the answer given my input I provided. It appeared well built for certain. They sell just about every brand other than PE and of course Woodstock. Looked at BK, VC, and Quadrafire. If my room size and ceiling height were bigger I’d consider the Alderlea T5 or a similar Jotul F series. The 35 strikes the most balance with n/s loading and jacketed with iron. Seems a simple stove that requires less massaging than a cat. I wonder how the Jotul 35 would compare to the Answer, no cat aside. The steel jacket of the Lopi vs the cast jacket of the Jotul and the up close comfort level of sitting within (hold on I’ll measure)…..call it 10’ of the devils glass. Two seating options puts one to the side a bit vs dead on with the glass. The couch is dead on. The difference is noticeable. Perhaps salting the insulting heat is my stove is the “millennial” where the stove sits higher with the door at head height whilst seated. You shed new light on the idea that a side loader is a north south stove, never gave that thought before. I will look at the aforementioned Keystone. Thanks for the education. Brian

 

[ThinAir]

Take a look at the Jotul F35 or the PE T4. Not sure if the T4 is a N/S loader but the F35 is.

Hi Todd, I will take a good look. The T4’s spec’s oddly omits the depth spec on their website, whereas the T6 and T5 show it. Seems highly unlikely the T4 (perfect otherwise) would allow n/s. The F35 has my attention. I would just hope it’s much softer heat than my current Quad Discovery II. I could easily load from the left side, but the wood is on the right, making it less convenient than a front loading n/s stove. I must nail it this time with the “comfort factor” of the stove. Thank you, Brian

 

[gthomas785]

For a smaller N/S loader maybe check out the new Hearthstone Lincoln. Don't know anything about it except that it's small.

Lincoln - HearthStone Stoves

A HearthStone soapstone log burner designed for small spaces. [...]Read More...

www.hearthstonestoves.com

 

[ManitobaSky]

The small SBI (Drolet, Osburn etc) stoves seem well liked and are N/S loaders.

 

[ThinAir]

The small SBI (Drolet, Osburn etc) stoves seem well liked and are N/S loaders.

If I’m not mistaking, this mfg makes steel stoves exclusively. My thoughts are that they seem very on par with the build of the Quadrafire units. I like the Jotul F35 Rockwood, except the turtle shell backside that is a radical departure from the front 2/3’rds of an otherwise attractive stove….. darn. The left side profile and proportion of the stove is critical in this installation. Boy, this isn’t cut and dry all of a sudden. I have to remind myself of the priorities, but the lines are getting blurred. Ha ha.

 

[stoveliker]

I was just sitting in front of a small Drolet at a friend. Takes 17-18" N/S and I did not at all feel searing heat. It was quite gentle because it's not so big.
My BK at home can be way hotter, as in burning my knees and overheating my phone when sitting there after a reload waiting to dial down.

So, I wonder if you can find a place to experience small steel stoves. Shop or friend? Ask to dial up, sit there, and feel.

Nothing wrong with what you are gravitating to but I think you need not be so restricted in the models and brands you are considering.

Of course this is an opinion on the internet based on personal experience (which is not "10s of stoves"...).

 

[ThinAir]

I was just sitting in front of a small Drolet at a friend. Takes 17-18" N/S and I did not at all feel searing heat. It was quite gentle because it's not so big.
My BK at home can be way hotter, as in burning my knees and overheating my phone when sitting there after a reload waiting to dial down.

So, I wonder if you can find a place to experience small steel stoves. Shop or friend? Ask to dial up, sit there, and feel.

Nothing wrong with what you are gravitating to but I think you need not be so restricted in the models and brands you are considering.

Of course this is an opinion on the internet based on personal experience (which is not "10s of stoves"...).

Excellent advice. But stove owners aren’t quite as easy to find as the dog park crowd. Haha. I will make some calls to Butte, Helena, and Billings to inquire what they have burning on the floor. I do like the small box stoves, momma loves seeing the flames though so that would have to remain. The Morse stoves call to me also. The 7110 seems about perfect. Cast iron to deliver a more immediate gratification, yet gentle by design and size. Good aesthetics for our small home. We changed from burning to heat to burning for warm ups, relaxing evening warmth and a quick fire in the am and sit on the stools in front. Thanks for the new perspective. B