Small Cabin

Small Cabin Forum
 - Forums - Register/Sign Up - Reply - Search - Statistics -

Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / Heating a small 10x10 cabin?
Author Message
busybeaverbusy
# Posted: 13 Dec 2011 19:06
Reply 


So my question is where can i find a nice suitable wood stove for my cabin, I live in Northwestern, Ontario, Canada summers are warm but winters are below -30....... The smaller the stove the better because the cabin is only 100sft it doesnt need much and also i dont have alot of space for it. Thanks for your help guys and i look forward to hearing from you.

Just
Member
# Posted: 13 Dec 2011 21:44
Reply 


princess auto has a tiny wood stove on this week for 99$
www.princessauto.com canadian company..!! One would still need a safe clearence to any walls !!!! read before you buy!!!

---
Admin's edit:
I think it's this one:

Wood Burning Stove
Wood Burning Stove


MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 13 Dec 2011 22:04
Reply 


Cabins as small as that can be a real problem; wood stoves generally take up a lot of room to be safe and then most will cook you. Propane works, but its hard to find one that is small enough and a direct vent model. Do you have a grid electric hookup?

jkycia
Member
# Posted: 13 Dec 2011 23:27
Reply 


It seems that the propane or electric (if on grid) is the best way to go.
I am in a similar situation (100 sqft cabin). I am thinking of getting a 8000 BTU housewarmer vented propane heater, see:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200362081_200362081

MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 13 Dec 2011 23:33
Reply 


We have the larger version of that heater. It works well for us.

TomChum
Member
# Posted: 13 Dec 2011 23:57 - Edited by: TomChum
Reply 


My cabin is 180SF. The first stove I tried was surprisingly, too small. It was about 60 years old, un-used condition. It was $500 on craigslist, a couple hundred over what I intended to spend but much less than 'new'.

Then I got a bigger stove (for free on craigslist!) that is rated for 1100SF and it's OK for my 180SF. It doesn't burn me out as everyone said it would, but it could be the wood I'm using. I really like the stove, it has glass windows, front doors, a top-loading door, thermostatically controlled, and little warming shelves.

My cabin leaks a lot of air out vents up high. Also I have a vaulted ceiling+loft and no roof insulation (just ~2" of wood). It gets pretty hot up in the loft.

You might consider a "buddy" heater (see MrHeater.com). They have a Lil' Buddy for 120SF. Then you'll know how many BTUs you need. I have a Lil Buddy; I use it for a 2-stove warmup when I arrive.
The "too small" coal stove, wasn't OK for 0degF
The "too small" coal stove, wasn't OK for 0degF
Vermont Castings "Intrepid" stove, 1982.  It's OK for 0degF
Vermont Castings "Intrepid" stove, 1982. It's OK for 0degF


busybeaverbusy
# Posted: 14 Dec 2011 07:52
Reply 


Yeah guys thanks for your replys, I forgot to mention I am just hooked up by solar power, so being off grid with such a little cabin is definitely trying my patients!!! thank you all for your suggestions, i will continue to do some research.

Martian
Member
# Posted: 14 Dec 2011 08:20
Reply 


Look at marine/boat woodburning or propane heaters. Force 10 makes a good propane one.

Tom

busybeaverbusy
# Posted: 14 Dec 2011 11:23
Reply 


thanks tom will look into it!!

Just
Member
# Posted: 14 Dec 2011 19:52
Reply 


Admin
It's not that one it's much smaller about 10 in around and 20 in long,, comes with a flip up drying rack and cook top . also comes with 2 lengths of 3 in stove pipe black .. they may call it a tent stove. I throu out the flyer or i'd send it along ,,
just

Just
Member
# Posted: 14 Dec 2011 20:06
Reply 


yes if you google tent stove you will see lots of them !!

45north
Member
# Posted: 1 Jan 2012 20:50 - Edited by: 45north
Reply 


for years I lived in a 15X15 cabin that I used a small 5gl./20 lbs. propane bottle that I converted into a wood stove. I did not seal up the door very well so it only burned for 3 to 4 hours. But if the job was done right I think it would heat a cabin of that size and cost very little.

preventec47
# Posted: 10 Jan 2012 08:21
Reply 


Propane heaters can be nice until you run out of propane when
it is 20 below zero at 2 am in the morning. You need a smallish
stove that can burn wood. One way to save space is to build a metal
shelf on metal legs about 4 or 5 feet off the floor. You can put some
insulation under the metal shelf and then stack your wood underneath with the stove up on top. Also if you build multiple barriers with convection airflow behind, you can reduce the necessary
clearances to the wall and install the stove closer to the wall.

wakeslayer
Member
# Posted: 10 Jan 2012 11:51
Reply 


I have a 10x16 insulated shed cabin at another piece I own in Idaho. We used a BIG Mr Heater Buddy for a couple years.
I think that is the easiest. You could use that and maybe a regular Mr Heater Buddy, and do fine.
Set on low, those will run for a long time.
Just my opinion.

TomChum
Member
# Posted: 10 Jan 2012 14:13 - Edited by: TomChum
Reply 


Quoting: preventec47
Propane heaters can be nice until you run out of propane when it is 20 below zero at 2 am in the morning.


The little 1lb throwaway propane cans run only a few hours, and probably will run out in the middle of the night. There is a hose available from the mfr (mr.Heater) to attach directly into a 20lb cylinder. I have one for my BBQ but I don't use it on the Buddy heater because I don't like 20lb cylinders inside the cabin.

I've been refilling the little 1lb throwaways with a 20lb cylinder using an adapter made by MrHeater. Throwaways cost about $3.00 each but you can refill them for about $1 with the adapter.

offgriddream
Member
# Posted: 13 Jan 2012 01:30
Reply 


check out this site they offer tent stoves. for wall tents I dont know if this will work or not
http://www.walltentshop.com/FourDogStoves.html
four dog stove
four dog stove


sabiggs
Member
# Posted: 13 Jan 2012 08:39 - Edited by: sabiggs
Reply 


That stove above is actually the exact stove I'm installing in my cabin this very weekend (see Vermont Cabin Project). I got the Two Dog stove, not the four dog stove. Was reasonably priced and seems to be very well USA made. My place is 10X12.

I'll be sure to post pictures after this weekend to give results.
Two Dog Stove
Two Dog Stove


bhebby
Member
# Posted: 13 Jan 2012 09:06
Reply 


Sabiggs -let me know how that stove works for you. I have a propane now as I thought it would be the easiest way to go and I was nervous about winter coming early. What kind of spacing for safe operation do you need with this stove. How large is the exhaust pipe? thanks

sabiggs
Member
# Posted: 13 Jan 2012 09:21 - Edited by: sabiggs
Reply 


bhebby, will do.

The pipe is 5" but we got the connector piece from the same guy to make it 6". We're going to space it between 10-12" from the wall with cement board and then a homemade 1.5 inch thick cement/ tile "backsplash" and ceramic spacers. I'll be sure to have lots of info on Sunday night. When you call the #, I think you actually call the guy's home phone (the guy who actually makes the stove). Kinda nice.

Look for my post here or in my own thread "Vermont Cabin Project" with updates on how it went.
Cement/ Tile "Backsplash" Heatshield
Cement/ Tile "Backsplash" Heatshield


MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 13 Jan 2012 10:20
Reply 


The "'Dog" stoves are very nicely welded sheet metal stoves. The metal sides. top, back, etc can get very hot. They can glow red with a big fire. There's no firebrick in them. As such you need yo be careful whrn using one. If that cement board is mounted flush against the studs with the tile on the cement board heat will be directly passed by conduction to the studs.

There 's mention of the dangers of that and how to make a heat shield using an air space behind it and the combustible materials in this thread...
heat shield

sabiggs
Member
# Posted: 13 Jan 2012 12:17
Reply 


MtnDon,

I appreciate your comments.

As I said in my post, we're using the 2 dog model and will have a 1 inch gap space with ceramic spacers between wall and the cement board. Then, in front of the 1/2 inch cement board, I made myself a separate cement "wall" that is 1.5 inches thick. Mounted on the top of this cement "wall" are the slate tiles. That's basically 2" of cement and cement board and then an additional 1" of air space before the stud wall.

You probably know more about this than me, so I'll ask you specifically if you think we're still looking at trouble spacing the stove about 12" from the wall given the precautions we're taking, as listed above?

Thanks for your time and thoughts.

MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 13 Jan 2012 13:03
Reply 


Sorry... I forgot that you mentioned spacing previously. Too many threads/topics and I lose track.





sabiggs
Member
# Posted: 15 Jan 2012 20:26 - Edited by: sabiggs
Reply 


bhebby,

Just got back from installing the "2 Dog" wood stove. It went great, after some modifications.

It was zero degrees outside today, but the stove easily heated the place to mid-60's, without us feeding it any seriously large logs.

The stove burns very hot, especially on the sides. Our clearance ended up 18" in back and 12" on the side. there's a 1 inch gap between the wall and 1/2 inch cement board (all the way up the wall), and then a 1.5 inch cement tile board. The backside wall never got too hot even to the touch. The side wall at 12" got VERY hot the first night, so we extended the cement board all the way up the wall, bought 2 half-sized concrete blocks and moved the 1.5 inch cement/ tile board up the wall. Did the trick.

We also learned the stove doesn't need much to get hot. We overdid it the first night and ended up with some smoke in the cabin. We learned to use fewer and smaller pieces of wood.

Let me know if you have any specific questions about the 2 dog. I HIGHLY recommend it. Our cabin is 10X12 and it works perfectly for us.
Original setup (not enough heat shield)
Original setup (not enough heat shield)
After Modification
After Modification
Fire
Fire
Close-Up
Close-Up


Your reply
Bold Style  Italic Style  Underlined Style  Thumbnail Image Link  Large Image Link  URL Link           :) ;) :-( :confused: More smilies...

» Username  » Password 
Only registered users can post here. Please enter your login/password details before posting a message, or register here first.