Will a Vermont Castings Encore heat the house?

[kodadog]

Is your VC Encore the Non-Cat/ Cat Model 2040 ? I have access to my fathers as he used it one year. Been sitting in garage so some rust on the ash lip. I've been hesitant on using it. Not sure why he took it out since I can't ask him.

I have a 2040. I am using it for my main hear source. I find the stove not hard to use. The cat will get hot if you clean out the stove completely. I leave at least 1 inch of ash. My cat stays below 1450 and I haven't had any issues with it. the cats are not expensive anyway.. 125 Keep the stove at a reasonable temperature and you'll be fine. I get long burn times which is great, youll enjoy not having to tend to the stove all the time. Im using an 8in stove pipe as my stacks not very tall, you want to make sure you have plenty of draft. some people will tell you 5hat down draft stoves don't work well... they do.. you just need the proper draft. People will also say they are high maintenance... I dont think so.. haven't had to do much to mine, and I run it every day of the week.. zits a good choice...

 

[kodadog]

If the stove is free and in good working condition it might be worth trying out.

Do you think the firebox is big enough to heat 1350 sq ft in western NY as a full time heater? The house is 1970's insulated and not much else I can do to change that due to the roof being flatter. Windows and doors sealed. Used 3.5 tons of coal last winter in a 90k btu stoker.

 

[begreen]

Maybe. Started a new thread with this question. The old thread was 3 yrs old and a different house. The coal stoker comment gives me a pause without knowing the quality and type of coal. But let's say hypothetically that is about 66,500 BTUs for the 3.5 tons. If so, the Encore could work on the assumption that the stove is in proper working order, has good, fully seasoned hardwood for firewood, and it run properly.

 

[kodadog]

The coal was very good Lehigh anthracite rice coal. Completely burned very well. I just don't want to get caught in a real bad cold snap struggling to keep up. The stoker will keep up. The wood is almost free. Coal is $500/ton here. Hence looking at the switch to wood. I burned wood as a kid growing up with a huge wood furnace in my parents basement that I tended a lot.

 

[begreen]

I would not attempt using the Encore without knowing the first 2 factors are satisfied. That is, 4 cords of fully seasoned hardwood and the stove in great working condition with a good or new cat installed.