Super newbie, basic help appreciated!

[1988V30chevy]

hey everyone, first and foremost, Iv been doin a bunch of reading on here over the way few days and have learned tons already. I still have a few questions I hope you guys can help me with..for starters, I just moved to north west NY from Delaware, and it’s cold! Haha. In a nutshell, the house is approx 1900 square feet first floor. It’s almost 200 year old farm house, Iv already insulated rim joists and all the drafts which tightened up a lot. Currently there’s an old crappy sears and Roebuck Franklin stove that Iv been using as supplement to the oil furnace, but it burns wood like crazy and doesn’t throw much at all.

My question is, what is the BEST, new budget friendly stove to replace the franklin with? Iv done reading on cat/non cat, front or top/side load, and still a little fuzzy and to what I need or expect. I would like to heat the whole home with it and keep the furnace as backup. I have a line on a lightly used Harman Oakwood for 650 with pipe to connect to my chimney, but reading on here it doesn’t sound like it’s a fan favorite. Somebody help! Budget wise I’d like to stay under a grand, heat only, no cooking. And a glass front would be nice but not a necessity

 

[begreen]

You have lots of choices. The Englander (Summer's Heat) 30NC is a popular solution that has a good track record. Home Depot or Lowes may have it on sale very soon. Century and Drolet have some affordable 3.0 cu ft stoves as well. These stoves will want fully seasoned wood and a 6" flue to perform well. The difference from the franklin will be dramatically better.

 

[1988V30chevy]

Begreen, thanks for the speedy reply! I actually have been eyeballing that summers heat on lowes website. Did some reading on them and seems like it’s a 7/10 split on people either loving them or hating them. I feel like the poor reviews may be from people expecting way too much from the stove or not running it properly based on how great the other reviews were? Iv got plenty of seasoned wood available from a family member so that’s no trouble. My only requirement is I want to spend the money just once, and have a stove that keeps us toasty for years to come and that doesn’t require a degree in rocket science to get running.

 

[begreen]

There aren't many people complaining about the 30NC. My dad used to say 'A poor worker always blames his tools'. Most folks that have issues have a too short or restrictive flue system or damp wood. What's the flue setup for the franklin? How tall is the chimney?

Moderator BrotherBart has been heating his place with a 30NC since 2006. The only sort of fragile part is the baffle. As long as you don't overload the stove and bang into it the baffle should last a long time. If you do crack it, the replacement cost is not terrible. If you want a tougher baffle system in a similarly sized stove look a the Drolet HT2000.

 

[1988V30chevy]

Well, I should of been a bit more clear, the Franklin is currently hooked to single wall pipe, 36” vertical to a 90* and into the brick chimney which is approx 22’ from first floor to chimney top, covered with stainless mesh top. The new stove we get is going in the second chimney, more centrally located, but all the specs are the same on that chimney as well. From my eye, the chimneys are all stone covered with clay whatchacallit lining, everything inspected before we got the joint, no issues in any of them.

 

[HomeinPA]

Well, I should of been a bit more clear, the Franklin is currently hooked to single wall pipe, 36” vertical to a 90* and into the brick chimney which is approx 22’ from first floor to chimney top, covered with stainless mesh top. The new stove we get is going in the second chimney, more centrally located, but all the specs are the same on that chimney as well. From my eye, the chimneys are all stone covered with clay whatchacallit lining, everything inspected before we got the joint, no issues in any of them.

Home inspectors do not count as a chimney inspectors. Just sayin'. I do loads of post-closing inspections where the home inspector said it looked good only to tell the folks they have issues. They're never happy. If you didn't get a specific flue inspection you should. Make sure it has a good terracotta liner without cracks or missing mortar at the flue joints. Even better would be that there is a stainless steel liner in it already.

 

[1988V30chevy]

Ahhh terra-cotta. That’s what i was searching my brain for, yeah looking inside them best i can that’s what ran inside, but I am planning on getting an inspection done of the chimney I’m planning to utilize, so while they’re out I’ll have them take a gander at the other as well. Thanks for the advice! Ok, not trying to back peddle at all, but is 600 for a ?10 year old? Harman Oakwood too much, of a waste of time? I saw they go for 2k + new, and it looks to be very seldom used. I just don’t see how something that pricey can get so many terrible reviews, but then again, people complain about new cars all the time

 

[HomeinPA]

Ahhh terra-cotta. That’s what i was searching my brain for, yeah looking inside them best i can that’s what ran inside, but I am planning on getting an inspection done of the chimney I’m planning to utilize, so while they’re out I’ll have them take a gander at the other as well. Thanks for the advice! Ok, not trying to back peddle at all, but is 600 for a ?10 year old? Harman Oakwood too much, of a waste of time? I saw they go for 2k + new, and it looks to be very seldom used. I just don’t see how something that pricey can get so many terrible reviews, but then again, people complain about new cars all the time

Wave 5 one hundred dollar bills at him and see if he bites.

Interestingly enough, went to Harman's page for the Oakwood..... says "fuel type - pellet", lower on the page - "recommended log length - 21" ?! Is this some type of hybrid stove?

 

[begreen]

Ahhh terra-cotta. That’s what i was searching my brain for, yeah looking inside them best i can that’s what ran inside, but I am planning on getting an inspection done of the chimney I’m planning to utilize, so while they’re out I’ll have them take a gander at the other as well. Thanks for the advice! Ok, not trying to back peddle at all, but is 600 for a ?10 year old? Harman Oakwood too much, of a waste of time? I saw they go for 2k + new, and it looks to be very seldom used. I just don’t see how something that pricey can get so many terrible reviews, but then again, people complain about new cars all the time

The Oakwood is a downdraft stove. It can be finicky and at times a cantankerous stove to operate, especially if draft is not strong. It is similar to Vermont Casting's complicated downdraft design. If the refractory has degraded then the stove will not burn right. For this reason a new proven design is more practical and predictable. It's a good looker, but I'd pass.

You'll need to be sure the chimney is safe and the tile liner is appropriately sized to the stove. If not it will need a stainless liner installed.

 

[edyit]

600$ for a 10 year old stove that might need the refractory rebuilt? look around at lowes or home depot you can get a brand new stove that has a good reputation for not much more and save yourself a headache

https://www.lowes.com/pl/Wood-stove...g/4294599050?refinement=4294964196,2399595956

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Heating...Z2fj/Ntk-semanticsearch/Ntt-wood+stove?NCNI-5

same manufacturer just different brand name for different distibutors

 

[1988V30chevy]

Thanks guys! I think I’m gonna listen to my gut and pass on the Harman, I’m not in the mood to dish out hard earned Benjamin’s and end up unhappy. I’m in between the summers heat 2000 sq ft model and the 2400. Also looking at the Drolet 2200 sq ft, she is a pretty devil but almost 500 dollars more too. Got a guy scheduled to come out and inspect the chimney next week, so hopefully after that I can really decide which I want to go with and get it buttoned up as long as I don’t get any bad surprises. Are there any real downfalls with the englander/summers heat units? The glass door is nice but I have a strong feeling it’ll end up Black a couple minutes into the first burn lol

 

[jotul8e2]

Again - you will need dry wood. Not "seems dry". Not "they said it was seasoned". Get yourself a moisture meter and learn how to use it properly (see the search feature on these forums).

And the 30nc is not just good for the price. It is a very good stove regardless of the price. It is also about as simple as a fire burning appliance can be.

The stove is just part of the cost, however. It is probable that the cost of a proper flue will cost more than the stove.

 

[moresnow]

Drolet ht2000 is hard to beat. Easy to operate. As is the nc30 according to many reviews here. Id
Pass on the downdraft. Not a pile of real positive long term stories here that I've read. Replacing components stinks! Finicky sucks! Mostly as newer user. The first 2 are simple. Have good air control. Nice burn times for that style stove. At least consider those. Have fun.

 

[begreen]

Are there any real downfalls with the englander/summers heat units? The glass door is nice but I have a strong feeling it’ll end up Black a couple minutes into the first burn lol

This is not like your smoke dragons of yesteryear. The glass will stay clean for a long time as long as dry wood is burned properly and the stove has adequate flue for good draft. Reports are the newer models stay a bit cleaner than the older 30NC design, but even the 30NC is good.

 

[1988V30chevy]

Like before, thanks again everybody, all the help means a ton! I’m hoping for a clean bill of health from the inspection and then it’s on to buying and installing. As far as moisture meters go, I’m very familiar with the probe models, used them every day all day doing basement and crAwlspace waterproofing, If those work for firewood I already have one. I’m sure I’ll be more than satisfied with the englander based on all the good Iv read about them here, and I know anything airtight is gonna be leaps and bounds better than the Frank. How well do those stove top radiant fans work? I like the idea of a blower but I don’t know if I like the idea of listening to one

 

[Woody Stover]

The new stove we get is going in the second chimney, more centrally located, but all the specs are the same on that chimney as well.

What are the inner dimensions of the clay liner? If it's too big, draft will suffer and running the stove will be a fight. If you are in it for the long haul, I would consider just biting the bullet and putting in a stainless liner. Performance and safety will be good, and they are easy to clean yourself with a brush and rods. Not a lightweight, but a heavy-duty version. Sure, it will cost you up front, but you will be all set then.

 

[begreen]

When checking wood moisture make sure the split is at room temperature, then split it in half and measure on the freshly exposed face of the wood. End grain measurement will not be accurate.

 

[1988V30chevy]

Check ✔️ On where/how to test moisture, thanks! As far as my terra-cotta goes, it’s approx 6.5”x6.5” ID looks like from trying to get my tape inside the flue opening in the living room. I never knew stainless liners in a brick/stone terra lined chimney was a thing. Seems like I always remember my grandad burning in a old block chimney he put up himself and it had the clay innerds. Is it a necessity to have a stainless liner? The chimney is a triple flue setup. Far right is for gas water heater, Center flue is capped on the opposite side of the wall (kitchen) from my living room where I’ll be putting the new stove. I’m assuming it was put in for possibly oven vent or option down the road? Far left is the one I’ll be tying into with the new stove(living room)

 

[1988V30chevy]

At the base of this triple chimney, in the basement, there are three caps at ground level, and all on the same side. I assume these are the clean outs...haven’t gotten far enough to yank one out and see if i can feel any draw through them yet.

 

[begreen]

Yes, they are cleanouts. The chimney should be inspected for tile integrity and suitability for safe connection of the stove.

 

[1988V30chevy]

Awesome, thanks a bunch! I’m gonna take a drive to lowes/depot tomorrow and see what they have in stock to see what I like, after the inspection Hopefully things are good and I can get the new unit bought and in here ASAP. Oil is EXPENSIVE

 

[Woody Stover]

That's a small enough clay liner that draft should be OK with a direct-connect setup. Pipe has to go up into the terra cotta section. It's a PITA to clean though..might have to remove the stove. To get a 6" insulated liner in there you would have to bust out the clay liner.

 

[begreen]

Awesome, thanks a bunch! I’m gonna take a drive to lowes/depot tomorrow and see what they have in stock to see what I like, after the inspection Hopefully things are good and I can get the new unit bought and in here ASAP. Oil is EXPENSIVE

Can you post a picture of the franklin that shows how and where it is connected?

 

[1988V30chevy]

These are some pictures of the chimney I’m going to be utilizing with the new stove. With the wall cap off, I can look inside the chimney and it’s approx 6.125” round id terra-cotta from living room to inside chimney, stubbing into the 6.5”x6.5” terra-cotta chimney liner running vertically. Soooo, my question now is, after the inspection, if the terra-cotta checks out good, what’s the best way to route the liner? I’m a DIY kinda guy, if I can save a buck myself I’m all for it, and I’m ocd perfectionist so I’ll be sure to do it right. Should I go vertically the entire length of the chimney with the liner, and a T to connect out of the chimney to the stove with black pipe, and run the liner down to the basement near the cleanout? Or could I go liner to a 90* out to the stove? I realize the second means pulling the stove for cleanout each year

 

[1988V30chevy]

Just to be clear, the brick face is approx 36” give or take a couple wide, and about the same projection on the hearth out, which is all red brick trimmed out in HEAVY slate, if that helps anything at all. Sucks cause I could fit a big stove on that pad, but limited to 6” flue