Stove recommendations

[trey g]

First stove purchase.

Originally thinking Buck 74 stove. Then started researching etc and came across this site and it was suggested to post room dimensions etc. So I'll try to do so as best I can.

I have a 1980 home that is pretty well insulated and sealed. It has a masonry fireplace that I will be installing a insert most likely. It is large enough to place most stoves in without having to be an insert so that is also an option.

I don't want to get run out of the living room where this will be as it's where we congregate. That area in front of the fireplace is approximately 500sqft. but is open to the dining and kitchen beside it and behind area which would be about 900sqft total. In front of the fireplace the living area opens into a hallway where the 3 bedrooms and baths are.

Looking for pros and cons to the insert vs free standing inside the chimney. Radiant heat loss vs just looks?

Thank you! Enjoying learning from this site since I've found it.

 

[bholler]

First stove purchase.

Originally thinking Buck 74 stove. Then started researching etc and came across this site and it was suggested to post room dimensions etc. So I'll try to do so as best I can.

I have a 1980 home that is pretty well insulated and sealed. It has a masonry fireplace that I will be installing a insert most likely. It is large enough to place most stoves in without having to be an insert so that is also an option.

I don't want to get run out of the living room where this will be as it's where we congregate. That area in front of the fireplace is approximately 500sqft. but is open to the dining and kitchen beside it and behind area which would be about 900sqft total. In front of the fireplace the living area opens into a hallway where the 3 bedrooms and baths are.

Looking for pros and cons to the insert vs free standing inside the chimney. Radiant heat loss vs just looks?

Thank you! Enjoying learning from this site since I've found it.

A free standing stove standing inside the firebox will give you the worst performance. A freestander in the opening will give you the best heat especially without a blower. An insert with a blower running isn't that far behind. But a freestanding stove inside the firebox simply is not designed to get the heat out of there.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

You can also control the speed that heat leaves a stove with thermal mass, whether the blower is turned on, fuel load, etc.

What do you want from your stove? Are you looking to heat the house? Ambiance? Emergency power outages? What's the budget?


Have you started putting up wood? It takes a bit of time to dry, firewood sellers tend not to understand how dry the wood needs to be.

 

[Ashful]

A free standing stove standing inside the firebox will give you the worst performance. A freestander in the opening will give you the best heat especially without a blower. An insert with a blower running isn't that far behind. But a freestanding stove inside the firebox simply is not designed to get the heat out of there.

Amen, brother. You really do need to get out here, someday.

What are the fireplace dimensions?

 

[trey g]

A free standing stove standing inside the firebox will give you the worst performance. A freestander in the opening will give you the best heat especially without a blower. An insert with a blower running isn't that far behind. But a freestanding stove inside the firebox simply is not designed to get the heat out of there.

Kind of what I thought. Just mostly for looks if I went that route. Original plan was an insert with a blower and probably what I'll go with. The surrounds on some of them look basic which was making me consider the other.

 

[trey g]

You can also control the speed that heat leaves a stove with thermal mass, whether the blower is turned on, fuel load, etc.

What do you want from your stove? Are you looking to heat the house? Ambiance? Emergency power outages? What's the budget?


Have you started putting up wood? It takes a bit of time to dry, firewood sellers tend not to understand how dry the wood needs to be.

Looking for some auxiliary heat to help with the heater and for emergencies. We do live out in the boonies and when power is out we aren't quick to get restored. Plus I do want a larger viewing window because I do like seeing the fire! Budget right now is less than 4k.

 

[trey g]

Amen, brother. You really do need to get out here, someday.

What are the fireplace dimensions?

Fireplace opening is 45" wide by 34" high and roughly 23" deep but of course is tapered in slightly to get to the 23" I think I could do most inserts that I've been researching at the moment.

 

[trey g]

Have you started putting up wood? It takes a bit of time to dry, firewood sellers tend not to understand how dry the wood needs to be.

I almost forgot to answer this question. We have had some wood we split last year from a tree we had to remove so we have some seasoned wood. I haven't put a meter on it but it's pretty dry. I'll have to prepare better for next year to have more on hand. I probably have 1.5-2 cords right now.

 

[Ashful]

I hear you on the "basic" surrounds, but they're not all so plain.

Here's a pretty one from Jotul, available in a few colors:


Another from Blaze King:


They're out there... you just need to expand your search, a bit!

 

[Woody Stover]

The insert would save more floor space in the room, if that's a consideration. Get one with a quiet blower and variable-speed control. Then you can run the blower on low so the noise is less intrusive. To keep the stove room comfy, a natural convection loop will occur where the warm air rises and exits the tops of the doorways and cool air flows in down low. To enhance the loop, a small 8" desk fan on low speed can be placed on the floor close to the doorway, blowing dense, cool air into the stove room and displacing warm air out at a higher rate. Don't run a ceiling fan in the stove room..it will disrupt the convection loop and when you are sitting in the stove room, the hot air won't stay up as high. You can also put the fan back in the hallway to get more warm air back to the bedrooms. Sounds like you have a good layout for moving warm air to areas where you need it and away from where you don't want it too warm.

 

[Dix]

Floor plan, please.... rough drawn is fine

Welcome to the Forums !

 

[EbS-P]

I went with stove mounted inside purely for looks. No need for floor protection. It heats ok. Could be better and needs a blower. my height was 29 H x 42w I think Enamel finish was extra cost. Call it $5k to have installed.
Evan

 

[begreen]

A free standing stove standing inside the firebox will give you the worst performance. A freestander in the opening will give you the best heat especially without a blower. An insert with a blower running isn't that far behind. But a freestanding stove inside the firebox simply is not designed to get the heat out of there.

That is too general a statement. Brother Bart has been heating this way since 2005 or 6 with the first Englander 30-NC posted here. It can work fine with a convection blower on the stove and an interior chimney.

 

[bholler]

That is too general a statement. Brother Bart has been heating this way since 2005 or 6 with the first Englander 30-NC posted here. It can work fine with a convection blower on the stove and an interior chimney.
View attachment 251812

Yes of course it can work fine. But it would work better with a full convective jacket. And in his case I believe the blower stopped working because you can't get at it to clean it.

 

[EbS-P]

Just noticed that you are from the south. I think that matters. We don’t need every BTU ours stoves are capable of 98% of the time.
It’s starting to feel like winter here in Wilmington but it’s still climbing in to the 60s during the day. I want to light a fire and have been burned maybe 1/4 cord of poplar and pine so far. My point is a deep hearth installs tends to moderate the the room temperature. It’s a big mass of stone and two loads gets is hot and during this time of year stays radiating heat for 10-12 hours. In fact Yesterday after two loads my stove top was still 15 degrees above room temp 24 hours after starting my fire. I have 2000 sq feet upstairs original 1966 windows and insulation (vented crawl space might as well not be insulated at this point) and my stove heats great until temps drop below 25F. By great I mean keeps the house 65 or warmer. I wanted a bigger stove but looks and not wanting floor protection (stove height) were more important. I ruled out an insert due to the looks of the surrounds even the pretty ones. You a have nice large opening so you will have more choices than I did.
Evan

 

[trey g]

Floor plan, please.... rough drawn is fine

Welcome to the Forums !

Thank you! I'll get a floor plan drawn out as soon as I get a chance.

 

[trey g]

I went with stove mounted inside purely for looks. No need for floor protection. It heats ok. Could be better and needs a blower. my height was 29 H x 42w I think Enamel finish was extra cost. Call it $5k to have installed.
Evan

I like the way yours looks. Still trying to decide on that part as well. Wife keeps changing her mind on it. Thank you for sharing!

 

[trey g]

Just noticed that you are from the south. I think that matters. We don’t need every BTU ours stoves are capable of 98% of the time.
It’s starting to feel like winter here in Wilmington but it’s still climbing in to the 60s during the day. I want to light a fire and have been burned maybe 1/4 cord of poplar and pine so far. My point is a deep hearth installs tends to moderate the the room temperature. It’s a big mass of stone and two loads gets is hot and during this time of year stays radiating heat for 10-12 hours. In fact Yesterday after two loads my stove top was still 15 degrees above room temp 24 hours after starting my fire. I have 2000 sq feet upstairs original 1966 windows and insulation (vented crawl space might as well not be insulated at this point) and my stove heats great until temps drop below 25F. By great I mean keeps the house 65 or warmer. I wanted a bigger stove but looks and not wanting floor protection (stove height) were more important. I ruled out an insert due to the looks of the surrounds even the pretty ones. You a have nice large opening so you will have more choices than I did.
Evan

Yes you are correct and I need to keep that in mind that I won't need it all the time. Usually we like to burn in the evenings and of course those few weeks around here that don't get out of the 30s in the day. Do you have a blower on your stove? I assume it sits pretty deep inside your hearth? I'm on a crawl space ranch total sq ft about 1800

 

[trey g]

The insert would save more floor space in the room, if that's a consideration. Get one with a quiet blower and variable-speed control. Then you can run the blower on low so the noise is less intrusive. To keep the stove room comfy, a natural convection loop will occur where the warm air rises and exits the tops of the doorways and cool air flows in down low. To enhance the loop, a small 8" desk fan on low speed can be placed on the floor close to the doorway, blowing dense, cool air into the stove room and displacing warm air out at a higher rate. Don't run a ceiling fan in the stove room..it will disrupt the convection loop and when you are sitting in the stove room, the hot air won't stay up as high. You can also put the fan back in the hallway to get more warm air back to the bedrooms. Sounds like you have a good layout for moving warm air to areas where you need it and away from where you don't want it too warm.

Very interesting....never heard of or thought about the loop. Good to know and I'll have to remember that.

I do have ceiling fans in the room one directly in front of hearth about 7-8ft away. I'll have to remember to keep off, I usually keep off when burning a fire due to the draft pulling some smoke, so I'll just have to remember once I get a stove

 

[EbS-P]

Yes I have a blower. Amazon no name replacement for a Quadrafire pellet stove. It just sits on the floor and blows up the back. Has rheostat and 120F thermal snap disc. If o burn smaller loads and careful to cut back air early I don’t need/use. Glad I have it because even a smaller load can go over 600 stove top temp quick once all the brick and stone gets heat soaked. If you go a route like mine I highly recommend an Auber AT200 temp alarm.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

Kind of what I thought. Just mostly for looks if I went that route. Original plan was an insert with a blower and probably what I'll go with. The surrounds on some of them look basic which was making me consider the other.

I just wanted to suggest that you show your wife an Enviro Boston Insert and see if she likes that look. They have a couple of other styles as well, but the Boston really is beautiful in my opinion. I don’t have personal experience with the brand but have read that they are easy breathers which could also be important in a warmer climate.

 

[bholler]

Very interesting....never heard of or thought about the loop. Good to know and I'll have to remember that.

I do have ceiling fans in the room one directly in front of hearth about 7-8ft away. I'll have to remember to keep off, I usually keep off when burning a fire due to the draft pulling some smoke, so I'll just have to remember once I get a stove

Running a ceiling fan helps many people with heat distribution. There really are no set rules about what will work in your house. The only thing you can't do is create a negative pressure area around the stove by pulling air out of that room.

 

[trey g]

Thanks for all the help guys!


This is a rudimentary floor layout. It’s not ideal but what I have to contend with. I tore down many walls to get the open floor plan in the “Living Room” Fireplace isn’t where I’d want it but it is what it is.

I didn’t try to draw the bedrooms etc since it’s just a long hallway with them off shooting right and left until the master straight down the hall.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

That looks like a nice open space for the main living area. A good-sized insert with a blower to move air should really help. It’s nice that the chimney is interior.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Yeah, I think you could get a nice loop of air with all that open space.