Stove Recommendations

[Pinesmoke]

Begreen you're the man on this but with the old masonry chimney there, no heat shield on the back, tight clearance and instant thermal mass. Heat it hard and smile.

Just thinkin.

 

[Big Schoolhouse]

Nice place! The pictures are worth a thousand words. Makes sense now.

Thank you! We love it but it can definitely get cold when the temperatures get below freezing. Love our heat pump in the summer but winter can be rough especially as I get older. I don't appreciate cold weather nearly as much. I really think the Drolet Deco Alto might be the one. 26" deep will leave enough room for traffic flow and still provide enough heat to take the chill off. Even if I have to sit directly in that area I will appreciate the heat when it gets cold.

 

[begreen]

Yes, the larger Deco Alto looks like a good choice. The stove body depth is 21" with the ashlip and door handle projecting further out.
Was an insert in the fireplace considered as an alternative?

 

[DuaeGuttae]

That's a beautiful place. I'd love to see more pictures of the old schoolhouse if you don't mind sharing. Thanks for posting the pictures as they helped me understand your constraints.

Those photos do clarify why you don't want a deep stove, and I second the suggestion of making a cardboard template of the stove and putting it where it needs to go. Consider the hearth requirements and clearances, too, and live with it for a bit to see if you want to use that location. It looks good for convecting heat upstairs [perhaps even too good if you're wanting the heat to stay downstairs], but you want to have realistic expectations for using the space.

I saw that others commented on your twelve foot ceilings, but I thought I'd reiterate that those high ceilings give you the cubic footage equivalent of having eighteen hundred square feet just downstairs rather than the actual twelve hundred. The Drolet Deco Alto looks to be a good stove, and it's got a decent size to it. You'd still be pushing it hard during the cold of winter in an uninsulated space, but it would take the chill off and help out the heat pump.

[Edited: I had earlier confused the specs with the Deco Nano which looked definitely undersized for the space, so this message has been revised after I saw Begreen's comment about the Alto, and I double checked the specs for that one.]

 

[Big Schoolhouse]

Yes, the larger Deco Alto looks like a good choice. The stove body depth is 21" with the ashlip and door handle projecting further out.
Was an insert in the fireplace considered as an alternative?

I thought of that and there was actually an old stove in the fireplace when we bought the house. That chimney is not lined and for my first attempt I thought I would start by lining the easiest chimney. The fireplace would need some demo and more liner length so I opted for the easier route. After cleaning out 3 wheelbarrows full of creosote and debris from the center chimney I regretted that choice but its done now and the liner should be here tomorrow. I eventually want to line the fireplace chimney and keep it an open fireplace for the ambience of an open fire. Unless the stove on the center chimney does not provide what I'm hoping for in heat. If that happens I'll put the biggest insert possible in the fireplace and hope for the best.

 

[Big Schoolhouse]

That's a beautiful place. I'd love to see more pictures of the old schoolhouse if you don't mind sharing. Thanks for posting the pictures as they helped me understand your constraints.

Those photos do clarify why you don't want a deep stove, and I second the suggestion of making a cardboard template of the stove and putting it where it needs to go. Consider the hearth requirements and clearances, too, and live with it for a bit to see if you want to use that location. It looks good for convecting heat upstairs [perhaps even too good if you're wanting the heat to stay downstairs], but you want to have realistic expectations for using the space.

I saw that others commented on your twelve foot ceilings, but I thought I'd reiterate that those high ceilings give you the cubic footage equivalent of having eighteen hundred square feet just downstairs rather than the actual twelve hundred. The Drolet Deco Alto looks to be a good stove, and it's got a decent size to it, but according to Drolet's own website, they only rate it to heat thirteen hundred fifty square feet in Ohio. If you consider that that is assuming insulated space, and your space lacks insulation, you said, you'd need to know going into things that you would be getting an undersized stove.

An undersized stove may be the best solution for taking the chill off which you mentioned as a goal in the last post you made. Your earlier posts mentioned wanting to heat overnight or while you were away, so that's probably why earlier posters were pushing you to go larger. The size of the firebox does a lot to determine how long you can heat, but the harder you have to push the stove to heat an oversized space, the shorter the burn times will be. It won't be providing meaningful heat all night during a cold snap in the dead of winter, but it would add BTU's to the envelope with an overnight load and give your heat pump a break. The heat pump could then warm things in the morning hours till you get the stove stoked again.

Anything wrong with 2 wood stoves in the same space? Lol

 

[DuaeGuttae]

Anything wrong with 2 wood stoves in the same space? Lol

I just revised my earlier post because I had looked at the specs for the Deco Nano mistakenly. The Deco Alto is rated for more square footage, so it's not so undersized as my earlier message made out. I apologize for the confusion.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

I've had two fireplace inserts in different houses, and I loved them both. I'm in a new home now and have a freestanding stove [right at the corner where the kitchen and dining room and living room all meet and next to a staircase, though not so open as yours], and I would pick the freestanding option if the space fit it. I would say there's nothing wrong with two stoves in the same area either, though. It gives more flexibility.

 

[stoveliker]

. I eventually want to line the fireplace chimney and keep it an open fireplace for the ambience of an open fire.

Be aware that an open fireplace needs a much larger flue cross section. Generally this means that terracotta flues are used as stainless steel would get really expensive.

 

[EbS-P]

I see now. You need to tape out hearth requirements and front clearances. Then add a box the size of the stoves as recommended.

So you have 6” liner for the center. But I think you should revisit the insert. The liner you have could be used in the fireplace with a coupler and extra length if needed.
Two reasons

1. you can get a 3 cu ft insert and loose zero floor space
2. Once you burn with a stove you will find an open fireplace a complete disappointment.

This leaves the center chimney open for maybe a wood cook stove in the future???
If this fits it’s probably what I would choose.

Blue Ridge 500-I | Wood Stove EPA

Blue Ridge 500-I High-Efficiency Wood Insert - EPA Certified - Heats up to 2,700 sq. ft. - 22" Logs - Up to 10 hour burn time - Proudly made in USA.

www.englander-stoves.com

 

[weee123]

I know @Ashful has multiple stoves in his old stone house. If it were me I would go with the largest stove insert possible to even have a chance of sending heat upstairs.

 

[Ashful]

I know @Ashful has multiple stoves in his old stone house. If it were me I would go with the largest stove insert possible to even have a chance of sending heat upstairs.

Look what the cat dragged in!

Uninsulated masonry walls means any heat radiated from the stove toward those walls is essentially lost. Your solutions are either a fully-convective stove (BK Ashford, PE Alderlea... any cast-clad steel box), and/or ensuring any radiant surface of the stove is facing an interior wall or shield.

As to sizing, it's so easy to fall into giving advice based on our most recent experience. Two weeks ago, I'd been running stoves way backed off, even running the second stove on half loads, it had been relatively warm. Then we drop to 10F this week, and I'm blasting thru wood by the wagon full, wishing I still had a third stove... or a fourth! But, since most of us probably find too much firepower a more frequent frustration than less, I'd guess my advice is to size toward your most typical needs, and just let the central heating pick up some of the deficit in those coldest weeks.

The other advice I've repeated too many times, is that you're not marrying this first stove. Many of us went thru a few different stove configurations, before we found what worked best for us. Don't sweat it, just be sure your hearth isn't built to the absolute minimums of one particular model, as you will eventually want to swap, either to change performance or just because you wore out or broke the first stove.

 

[weee123]

Look what the cat dragged in!

Was wondering where you’ve been!

 

[Big Schoolhouse]

I wanted to provide an update on my stove installation journey. The stove is finally in and working wonderfully albeit just in time. Tonight's low is -5 and that's really cold for central Ohio. My heat pump is still running but much less often. I think that is expected with these temperatures.

I did end up with the Drolet Deco Alto. I think it fits the space perfectly. I purchased the tempered glass floor protector and used double wall stove pipe. The stove heats up quickly and so far I am happy with it.

My attempt at relining the chimney didn't quite go as planned. I made the attempt initially by myself. Roof peak height is about 40' and has a decent pitch. Needless to say, dragging the liner up to the top was no small feat. I did employ the help of an aerial lift which got me as high as the roof edge. I then had to climb out and drag the liner up to the chimney.

It went fairly well until it didn't. There was an offset in the chimney about 4 feet from the interior opening. No amount of shoving, pulling or cussing was getting it passed that by myself so I called a local xhimney sweep in to attempt it. The chimney sweep didn't fare any better. Luckily the offset area was easily accessible from the inside of the house in the stairwell. We decided to knock out some of the bricks where the offset was to free up some space. It still wasn't easy but we managed to coerce it the final 4 feet.

Hooking up the stove wasn't nearly as hard once we had the liner in. The most difficult part of that was the masonry adapter. I had to cut it and the tee snout of the liner twice to get everything lined up.

Overall I would say the total install was more difficult than I expected and I consider myself to be a very capable DIYer. I will say it was my idea to access the chimney offset and remove some of the bricks. If I had not suggested it and coerced the chimney sweep guys to proceed I believe they would have given up. Unfortunately that coercing added up to the tune of $1700. I was stuck and had no choice but to proceed.

Overall I think I have about $6000 in the project. I was quoted $8000 two years ago to reline the front chimney and install an insert so I don't feel too bad about. Hopefully that pays off in the long run and offsets the ridiculous electric bills from solely relying on the heat pump.

I have attached a few pictures for reference. Thank you to everyone and the advice you provide. Now to start stockpiling firewood!

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[bholler]

I wanted to provide an update on my stove installation journey. The stove is finally in and working wonderfully albeit just in time. Tonight's low is -5 and that's really cold for central Ohio. My heat pump is still running but much less often. I think that is expected with these temperatures.

I did end up with the Drolet Deco Alto. I think it fits the space perfectly. I purchased the tempered glass floor protector and used double wall stove pipe. The stove heats up quickly and so far I am happy with it.

My attempt at relining the chimney didn't quite go as planned. I made the attempt initially by myself. Roof peak height is about 40' and has a decent pitch. Needless to say, dragging the liner up to the top was no small feat. I did employ the help of an aerial lift which got me as high as the roof edge. I then had to climb out and drag the liner up to the chimney.

It went fairly well until it didn't. There was an offset in the chimney about 4 feet from the interior opening. No amount of shoving, pulling or cussing was getting it passed that by myself so I called a local xhimney sweep in to attempt it. The chimney sweep didn't fare any better. Luckily the offset area was easily accessible from the inside of the house in the stairwell. We decided to knock out some of the bricks where the offset was to free up some space. It still wasn't easy but we managed to coerce it the final 4 feet.

Hooking up the stove wasn't nearly as hard once we had the liner in. The most difficult part of that was the masonry adapter. I had to cut it and the tee snout of the liner twice to get everything lined up.

Overall I would say the total install was more difficult than I expected and I consider myself to be a very capable DIYer. I will say it was my idea to access the chimney offset and remove some of the bricks. If I had not suggested it and coerced the chimney sweep guys to proceed I believe they would have given up. Unfortunately that coercing added up to the tune of $1700. I was stuck and had no choice but to proceed.

Overall I think I have about $6000 in the project. I was quoted $8000 two years ago to reline the front chimney and install an insert so I don't feel too bad about. Hopefully that pays off in the long run and offsets the ridiculous electric bills from solely relying on the heat pump.

I have attached a few pictures for reference. Thank you to everyone and the advice you provide. Now to start stockpiling firewood!

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Nicely done. And yeah opening up to get through offsets is a pain but sometimes nessecary