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Small Cabin Forum / Off-Grid Living / Wood stove
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Poler
Member
# Posted: 29 Aug 2020 09:53
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I am looking at wood stoves but don't know what to look for i have a 12 x 20 cabin 7 foot walls it down to -60*C as i am in the north of Canada any suggestions. As we do go out in the winter

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 4 Dec 2020 23:36
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Imagine you are already into winter.....did you get something from somebody up there that knows the conditions?
For most of the rest of us it is spittin into the wind giving advice not knowing how well built/insulated the structure is, etc.
Then there's the stoves, Can. version of EPA required? or can you run an old, but sound, smoke dragon?
And the pipe thing.....straight up is far better for draft than through the wall.
Do you have LP? A VENTED through the wall 30,000btu might work decently to kick the chill off and is an easy install.

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 5 Dec 2020 05:46
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Get one with a thermostatic damper. It chokes the stove down when up to temp, like a thermostat. Cheaper stoves dont do this and at night it's very easy to get really hot then really cold. Just makes for a more comfortable living space.

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 5 Dec 2020 12:01
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In addition to a manual damper?
On the airtight stoves Im looking at (older used, early epa) they say no manual damper, would that t-damper be ok?

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 5 Dec 2020 16:14
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Sorry I should have clarified. A thermostatic air inlet. Damper usualy meaning a shit off in the stove pipe.

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 5 Dec 2020 20:17
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Ok, that is one of those T shaped deals with the weight adjustable flapper, right? I remember one on the old oil burner parlor stove my grandfolks had. Those work for woodstoves too?

ICC
Member
# Posted: 5 Dec 2020 21:01
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Quoting: gcrank1
Those work for woodstoves too?


Vermont Castings was offering them on their wood stoves back in the 70's.

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 6 Dec 2020 07:49
Reply 


ICC is right VC has had them on there stoves for decades. I have owned only VC stoves because there quality and have this feature. I'm sitting next to mine right now that been burning all night on 2 small logs. Its 30*f at 8am in a 1,500sqft house.

ICC
Member
# Posted: 6 Dec 2020 09:25 - Edited by: ICC
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Quoting: Brettny
I have owned only VC stoves because there quality and have this feature.


Aren't they great stoves, brettny!! Good looking stoves too. I bought my first back in 1979. Today I still have an old coal burner in the barn, that is not used; kept as a piece of history more or less. I may sell it someday. I have a new Encore in the dark red color, across the room from me. Love the top loading!.

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 6 Dec 2020 11:36
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Top loading is very nice. I have a newer style defiant. Takes 24in logs, has an ash drawer and a cat. Generally we light it late october and dont let it go out until april or may. We use very little kindling.

Anyone who is afraid of a stove with a catalytic converter..I changed this one last year, it was 16yrs old and only changed because the stove was bought used and came with a new one.

Nobadays
Member
# Posted: 6 Dec 2020 12:32
Reply 


For the last 3 years we have used a VC Aspen at the cabin. A great little stove but it teetered on the verge of too small for our footage. Spring and fall it was great but as winter rolls in and the temperatures drop, though it would heat the cabin if left wide open... had to prop the thermostatically controlled air inlet open to burn it hot enough, not over fired but hot enough to heat the cabin. A few weeks ago we changed it out for a Blaze King Sirocco 20, catalytic stove. We had a BK Princess in our Oregon log home... 3,000sqft... so the positive experience with that stove, and reasonable price, drew us to replace the VC Aspen with the BK.... oh a local dealer for BK, no local dealer for VC was definitely a factor as well.

Loving this stove! Open the air control in the morning and let the remaining wood burn hot with the cat pulled back... heat the chimney up to 400+ to burn out any creosote, stoke the stove again, get the cat up to temp/wood burning, then shut it down. Repeat about 8pm. We love the even heat a catalytic stove provides!

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 6 Dec 2020 19:44
Reply 


Local dealer can be a big issue. It's expensive to ship a wood stove.

We use the chimney burn method too. Although this time of year at 30* nights and 40-50* days doing that makes the house a bit to warm. Our stove is greatly bigger than needed. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

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