I'm thinking about upgrading my Jotul Combifire #4, which came with my house, stove to a more modern EPA approved model. However, not having any specifications on this stove sort of puts me behind the 8 ball when it comes to looking for a replacement. My Jotul is set up with a 7" x 4 foot long single wall pipe exiting the top of the stove going into an 8" class A chimney straight up through the roof. I am hoping to maintain this current set-up and replace only the stove.
I am currently using this stove for primary heat in an all glass family room. The family room has French doors and ceiling fan which allow a large amount of warm air to circulate throughout the rest of the house, which is heated primarily by oil, but has a solar heated living room. I keep the thermostat set a 62F and allow the wood stove to provide supplemental warmth. We are comfortable with this set-up but I would like to achieve longer burns, the goal being overnight burns, and a more even heat. I don't want to buy too small, but on the other hand I don't want to cook myself out of house and home. I also like the traditional look of a cast iron or soapstone unit rather than a steel stove.
My questions include:
What size stove should I consider? I would like something that provides a similar BTU output to the Combifire but without knowing what that is I am sort of stuck.
Should I go CAT or NON-CAT? I like the features of the longer burn times that come with a CAT but am a bit leary of what may be older technology and higher maintenance.
Is the quality or "feel" of the heat from a soapstone stove that much different than from a cast iron stove? Or is that aspect of soapstone marketing just that, marketing?
Would my wood consumption really decrease by 1/3 to 1/2 as I have read on this forum?
Any help or suggestions of stoves which you folks could provide would be most welcome and appreciated.
Thanks! Chris
I am currently using this stove for primary heat in an all glass family room. The family room has French doors and ceiling fan which allow a large amount of warm air to circulate throughout the rest of the house, which is heated primarily by oil, but has a solar heated living room. I keep the thermostat set a 62F and allow the wood stove to provide supplemental warmth. We are comfortable with this set-up but I would like to achieve longer burns, the goal being overnight burns, and a more even heat. I don't want to buy too small, but on the other hand I don't want to cook myself out of house and home. I also like the traditional look of a cast iron or soapstone unit rather than a steel stove.
My questions include:
What size stove should I consider? I would like something that provides a similar BTU output to the Combifire but without knowing what that is I am sort of stuck.
Should I go CAT or NON-CAT? I like the features of the longer burn times that come with a CAT but am a bit leary of what may be older technology and higher maintenance.
Is the quality or "feel" of the heat from a soapstone stove that much different than from a cast iron stove? Or is that aspect of soapstone marketing just that, marketing?
Would my wood consumption really decrease by 1/3 to 1/2 as I have read on this forum?
Any help or suggestions of stoves which you folks could provide would be most welcome and appreciated.
Thanks! Chris