[Shelter] Heat - Wood (was Wood Stoves)

Olaf

Anyone have ideas for good quality wood stoves?

I am in the process of purchasing a new wood stove insert for my house, and am currently leaning toward the "Lopi" brand. I feel wood will be one of the best sources of energy for cooking and heating. Wood is ready as is, and does not have to be processed to be used (just seasoned), ie. wood pellets, oil, gas, etc.

I can gather it, or cut it down myself, as well as replant it. Can't do that with oil, gas, or coal.

Olaf

backstop · Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 2:13 pm Post subject:

Olaf - I well agree - Wood is potentially by far the most sustainable energy resource -

On the offchance you've not considered it there are numerous designs that include a water-heating capacity for radiators and domestic usage.

Given also a simple passive solar water heater for showers in summer (when woodstove-heat is not wanted) this option massively reduces household fossil energy use.

My two pennorth,

Backstop

Pops · Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 2:56 pm Post subject:

Get a stove approved by Calif. They are tighter and burn cleaner so your flue doesnâ€™t get clogged as fast and your wood goes farther. I have a Vermont Castings â€œMajesticâ€ stove that is approved but doesnâ€™t require a catalyst, which I assume needs replacement eventually.

Make sure it has lots of firebrick.

Donâ€™t forget that as long as you are replacing the insert, now is a good time to add thermal mass as well. Simply adding an extra layer of Â½â€ or better yet 5/8â€ sheetrock to the existing walls will increase the â€œflywheelâ€ effect â€“ storing some of the excess heat which is almost unavoidable with wood heat.
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rerere · Heavy Crude Joined: Aug 27, 2004 Posts: 448

I did not know this but stoves that have soapstone sides will radiate heat better.

look into soapstone.

dhickerson · Tar Sands Joined: Nov 08, 2004 Posts: 28 Location: Ohio

I saw this thread and was kinda hoping maybe someone could point me in the direction of where I might want to go to try to find a wood stove... so far all of the information I've found online has been dedicated to either wood burning engravers are wood stove safety...

Pops · Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 3:47 pm Post subject:

try: wood stoves authorized
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JBinKC · Heavy Crude Joined: Aug 14, 2004 Posts: 251

Buy a soapstone catalytic stove but they are only usually 65% efficient tops. If you have the space and don't care for the ambience of seeing a fire you are better served to buy a boiler that uses gasification technology and is 80% efficient like one from HS Tarm.

If you are building a new home and can afford it I would advise to build a masonry stove/fireplace which uses a multichambered chimney. A technology developed when their were wood shortages during the mini ice age of the middle ages. They can also be built to serve for cooking needs and I think are cool looking and I definitely believe would recover full value of costs in a resale especially in an energy crisis.

Pops · Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 5:29 pm Post subject:

Tulikivi is one such brand JB: http://www.olenych.com/tulworks.htm

The principle is the same: heat up the mass to release the heat later.

One should be careful not to build so much mass into the fireplace that it sucks all the heat from the flue gases - cold smoke doesn't rise.

I like an insulated stainless chimney because it doesn't lose heat. I can keep a good draft going while radiating heat to the interior of the house.
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Madpaddy · Expert Joined: Jun 25, 2004 Posts: 2062

Check out these - must be a supplier in the US somewhere

http://www.waterfordstoves.com/Wood/Stoves/
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Olaf · Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 6:27 pm Post subject:

I am replacing an exisitng wood stove insert. The existing chimney is a masonry one. As I understand it from talking to various sales people there is now a new legal requirement for having a liner in the chimney for fire safety purposes. All of the wood stove inserts I have been looking at have a manufacturers claim of 70 - 78% efficiency. The front door seals tight and the stoves have a damper/air supply adjustment that allows you to adjust the rate of burn/air supply. There are multiple fuel burning locations within the stove that actually burn gases released away from the wood (which looks kind of cool when you watch it).

I had considered the exterior wood furnaces that can be used for baseboard water heating and hot water heating as well, but they are signifcantly more expensive. Not quite sure how I could rig this to heat my water too.

Thanks for all the advice so far.

Olaf

P.S. Please feel free to correct me on any terminology misuses or other glaring errors. I am certainly no wood stove expert. Better to have the right information than the wrong, and better before than after. Rolling Eyes

JLK · Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 7:14 pm Post subject:

Coinicidentally, I was out shopping last weekend for a wood fireplace insert.

The local shop I visited recommended this line from Quadra-Fire. No catalytic converter, but they burn pretty clean. Harman also has some interesting models.

My fireplace is in a small cozy room on the lower level of the house, so I was a little worried about the room getting too warm. The model I was looking at puts out over 65,000 BTU. However, was told that this problem can be solved by putting one or more through the wall or through the ceiling fans in order to circulate air throughout the house.

I was told that when they come to do the insulation they will install a stainless steel liner within the chimney from top to bottom.

The total cost for this is looking to be about USD4500.
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Olaf · Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 8:48 pm Post subject:

The Quadrafire was one I was looking at as well. My fiance and I were not particularly impressed with the salesman at the retailer. Felt like I was shopping for a used car.

From what I have been able to determine, the following brands are considered quality wood stoves (not ranked):

1) Lopi (Travis Industries)
2) Avalon (Travis Industries)
3) Quadrafire
4) Jotul (did not like the door mechanism on the model I saw)

Olaf

NeoPeasant · Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 9:09 pm Post subject:

I have been thinking of getting a stove that I could store in my garage and install it when the need arose. I thought I could get something that could burn both wood and coal since I don't own any woody acreage and I live in a coal exporting western state.
Do they have stoves that are suitable for burning either coal or wood?

I was even thinking of a corn/pellet stove but they require electrical power. If I had a recipe for making pellets out of waste cellulose (paper, weeds, etc.) that could be a fuel source. But I did a search for pellet info on the internet and only found pellet sellers, no pellet making instructions.

JLK · Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 9:09 pm Post subject:

I'd suggest that you go to the QuadraFile site, use the dealer locator and find another dealer you feel more comfortable with.
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Schneider

http://www.endtimesreport.com/thermal_mass_wood.html

Schneider
French-Canadian