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Eric5000
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# Posted: 13 Jul 2022 11:13am
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I have been studying wood stoves trying to find the perfect fit for our new “hunting shack†in Northern MN which is posted in the construction section.
The more I’ve learned of newer stoves the more undecided I’ve become. We have always used whatever freebie we came across. Now with our new place we would like something a little nicer and less messy. We would like a glass front and a budget of roughly $1500. The cabin is 480sq.ft and 20x24 with scissor trusses. It will be spray foam insulated in floor and walls or R14 and either R21 sprayed roof or R38 batts(undecided).
From what I’ve learned is a small structure and is limited use is difficult to find a stove that can both heat up a cold shack quickly and also be able to regulate the temp without roasting the place out. I’m hoping other have found the solution and can share their experience with certain stoves. Thanks
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Nate R
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# Posted: 13 Jul 2022 11:22am
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I really think the solution is to have a 2nd heat source for those heat-up times....
Having lower thermal mass (no concrete floor) WILL help it heat up faster/more easily, though.
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ICC
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# Posted: 13 Jul 2022 11:32am
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Quoting: Eric5000 difficult to find a stove that can both heat up a cold shack quickly and also be able to regulate the temp without roasting the place out.
Exactly, which is one reason why some folks, like me, have three heat sources in a 16x30 cabin, a small wood burner stove (VC Aspen), a propane fueled direct vent wall heater and an old under the counter propane furnace from an RV.
The RV furnace throws a lot of heat but sucks power and is noisy (old) and uses propane but helps speed the warm up when it is 0F or less. The DV wall heater can operate with no electricity or with. It has a thermostat so can be left to run on demand. The Aspen wood burner is great when a little heat is needed more or less all day, no electricity and uses wood from my own land. But it is not so great when only a little heat is needed in the morning. That is where the DV wall heater shines; easy on/off, no heavy cast iron to heat up like the Aspen stove. But it uses propane.
So my cabin is maybe more complicated/involved than many, but it suits me.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jul 2022 12:20pm
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I too tried to get along with just a wood stove but added a direct vent propane wall heater, quick heat when needed.
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Nate R
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jul 2022 01:36pm
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And to be clear, I'm ended up getting connected to the grid, so I'm using an electric wall heater, 3000W, in addition to a Jotul F100 for my 20x30 on an insulated slab. Upgrading the heater to 3500 watts this year, and may add another in the future... But we'll see.
If I was not on the grid, I'd be doing a direct vent propane heater, too.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 13 Jul 2022 03:23pm
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Does the $1500 include the chimney, flashing, and all other parts needed to install a stove?..I hope not.
I use wood heat for our primary heat source in my house, our other source of heat is oil. A 275gal tank of oil typicaly lasts us about 5yrs. I have a large Vermont castings defiant with a cat. Its rated for roughly 1,000sqft bigget than my house is. I can still burn it non stop with days above 50*f. It's really all in how you make the fire and what size and where you place the wood in the stove.
We are planing on also building a 24x24 and I'm going to use either a vermont castings vigilant or the same stove that's in my house for the quick heat up alone. I wouldnt be afraid to get a used stove and all of mine have been.
If $1500 includes the parts and pieces to put the stove in then your really left with crappy old leaky used stoves or a "log wood" style new stove, also leak. I wouldnt get used stove pipe.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 13 Jul 2022 07:51pm
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Do you have to be code compliant? How about insurance?
For our 16x24 the poor drafting 'airtight' woodstove was iffy, it just wouldnt get a good, hot fire quickly going to warm the place in below 30*f. In the shoulder seasons/temp it could kick the chill off a bit.
The new code compliant chimney was going to be a min. of $600, or more not long back.
And have to go straight up through a good raised rib metal roof.
The stove itself with proper clearances would take a fair bit of floor space.
Then our insurance said no coverage with a woodstove, even with compliant chimney and clearances.
An LP infrared (Not 'blue flame') wall furnace solved all that. It starts throwing out max btu's within minutes of starting up, NO waiting for a good burn in a woodstove.
I recently bought 3-4 yrs of LP for less than 1/2 the cost of just the cheap end of a compliant chimney. NO work installing the chimney and NO hole in my good roof.
Also, as I understand it now, the old type woodstoves, even airtights from not long ago, are not supposed to be re-used/re-purposed, but junked out. All the new stoves sold are to be current EPA approved. Without that I believe your insurance, even if they will insure for woodstoves, wont approve the install.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 13 Jul 2022 09:23pm
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Quoting: gcrank1 And have to go straight up through a good raised rib metal roof
After having to try and start fires in through the wall chimneys and currently owning and installing 3 through the roof chimneys. I would never own a through the wall chimney. I have also never had a leak in metal or shingle roof. Also I'm no roofer, I just research and follow manufacturers instructions.
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travellerw
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# Posted: 13 Jul 2022 09:38pm
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Yup.. Definitely tough to get both (quick heat and sustained low heat). We ended up with a Drolet stove and are still dialing it in. We have no problem with the quick heat (can take our cabin from -20C to +20C in about 2 hours). However keeping a low heat is difficult, especially at night. You need so much wood mass to ensure there is still hot coals when you stoke it 6 hours later, but it then throws too much heat for the first 3 hours. We have tried less wood mass and it works for those first 3 hours, but then you are restarting from a cold stove at 4am (or so).
I recently got a suggestion from an old timer that he prepares a small amount kindling before bed. He then uses that small kindling and a "weed burner" to get the fire going again in the middle of the night. Claims it takes just a few minutes to get a good fire that will last the rest of the night. I haven't confirmed it, but will be trying that out this winter.
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Eric5000
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# Posted: 13 Jul 2022 10:24pm
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The $1500 is for the stove only. If I have to go over to get what I need then so be it. I am not totally against a propane supplement but I would rather not. There a few Vermont castings used for around $1500 to $2000. I might have to take a closer look at them. Some people say they are too much maintenance but I won’t be living at the place burning 24/7 either.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 14 Jul 2022 04:51am
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Many many parts still available for VC stoves. There thermostatic damper/air intake makes for more even heat output.
More maintenance than what? Ny pellet stove was alot more maintenance than my wood stove.
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shingobeek
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# Posted: 18 Jul 2022 09:33pm
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I have an 24x24 off-grid place, 10-12" vertical log place, wood heat only no water, boat access, in Isabella area, N MN. We have a Lopi wood stove, Endevor is model. In Jan/Feb/March when we get there it is often 10-30 below F, it take an hour per 10 degrees to heat the place (no insulation in roof at all built in 1951)....so burns bit of wood to get to "warm", usually like 40 lol!....Last year we put a Mr. heater propane space heater (its actually my backup ice fishing shack heater) in when we get there with wood stove going and run that the first few hours it really cuts time in half to get it to mid 60s where we like it...then it maintains quite well with just the wood stove. So, just a solution for a smaller wood stove, same setting and our use of a $125 propane heater that runs on 25 lb tank to a bit of supplemental.
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