Woodstove, I want BIG, installer says I'll melt, thoughts?

[MrCheese]

I have an 8kw in a 5x4m room which is not very well insulated. We have a habit of running it hot which means the room gets to 26 degrees in the depths of winter. It heats a big portion of hte house.

If you put in a 26kw stove you will need to invest in flip-flops and require a small forest for all the wood you will get thru. Remember it is best not to to run the stove cold as it isn't particularly efficient and will smoke the chimney.

[RobinOakapple]

Get a big one, you can turn them down you know. It's like fast cars, they can drive slow when they need to.

[herewego]

Since there seems to be some argument maybe look at this.

http://www.thestoveyard.com/pwpcontrol.php?pwpID=6...

[Carl_Spackler]

crankedup said:

26kw !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you're visitors will have to bring their bathing costumes.

It be like the opening scene from Sexy Beast!

[Shaolin]

You can get them that run radiators, or maybe just one radiator to spread the heat about more evenly, that would work better than one massive heat source. Also insulate first, we had an extension built last year and now have open plan kitchen, dining room, study, half of which is new, the other half the old part of the house, 1930's double brick, no cavity. The coldest early morning temperature it has ever got to was 14.5C a very cold day after we were out and didn't have the stove going the day before. Most cold mornings it's 15-17C before we get the stove going.

Irrelevant to the OP, but as for installers and output, I think the regulations change after 5kw with greater verified ventilation required, ours is 5kw and so nothing else needed.

...and get a stove top fan to blow the hot air about, they make a big difference, I'd be considering ceiling fans too to blow the hot air back down again.

[hoppo4.2]

herewego said:

Why don't you insulate the walls instead? You'll get quicker temperature response and less work feeding the fire.

Its 9in solid brick walls how would i insulate them.

[herewego]

hoppo4.2 said:

herewego said:

Why don't you insulate the walls instead? You'll get quicker temperature response and less work feeding the fire.

Its 9in solid brick walls how would i insulate them.

Line with foam backed plasterboard.

[Ilovejapcrap]

Heads up.

I have a log burner it's great, but get biggest opening on door you can.

Bits of wood just that little to big to get in drive me potty.

[hidetheelephants]

herewego said:

hoppo4.2 said:

herewego said:

Why don't you insulate the walls instead? You'll get quicker temperature response and less work feeding the fire.

Its 9in solid brick walls how would i insulate them.

Line with foam backed plasterboard.

It would be easier and may be cheaper to clad the outside if that is possible.

[cheddar]

Thankyou to all for the quality input, plenty of diverse and humorous opinion from "Get a big one!" to "Get flip flops".

Regarding insulation, I can't get tradies out here, I'm remote, they're very busy and over the last 18 months I've been let down by three of them, the short term cost effective solution is to install a wood stove.

The 'rated output' on the stoves I've been quoting is the 'maximum' output and as there's heat loss up the flue the 'real' outputs will be lower.

I've dismissed the 26kw stove (sorry to those who were dying to see a nuclear power plant in my living room) however, I've only stepped one rung down the ladder and now strongly considering a 23.4kw model.

Reasons: It has to have a cooktop as we often lose power, it needs to take big logs (this model can accept logs up to 600mm/2feet in length) it must have a 12 hour burn time and I'm anxious about installing something that struggles to heat the house.

Am I wrong to think that I can just turn it down, open doors or even windows to regulate the heat?

I understand I'm might be compromising with longer a heat up period, higher fuel use and possible overkill but without knowing the sweet spot beforehand (it's not like we test drive these things) I'm still leaning towards more power.

I'm speaking to manufacturers today, most retail outlets just seem to quote brochure specs and I'd prefer more thoughtful input.

My permit application must go in by Monday (installers schedule etc) so I have until then to decide, I only get one crack at this.

[hoppo4.2]

hidetheelephants said:

It would be easier and may be cheaper to clad the outside if that is possible.

I think this might be the best option but would cost a lot more than a bigger stove

[cheddar]

I spoke to an excellent, experienced installer today who said that the 'max' output ratings are measured using softwood (pine etc) and that the stove I'm interested in will produce up to 32kw's of heat if hardwood is used.

That made me perspire a bit.

[Jonnas]

My living room is about 12m x 8m, vaulted ceilings, solid walls and minimal insulation. We have a 12kw wood burner and with it shut right down it's hot. Anything more than that it's too hot and full on it's unbearable. However, I like it as the size of it fits the space nicely and I wouldn't change it.....

[singlecoil]

cheddar said:

I spoke to an excellent, experienced installer today who said that the 'max' output ratings are measured using softwood (pine etc) and that the stove I'm interested in will produce up to 32kw's of heat if hardwood is used.

That made me perspire a bit.

Ours is pretty powerful, but we have only ever run it flat out once, it can be difficult to get that much heat away from the stove itself and its surroundings. But as long as it's a good make you can turn a big one right down and get what you want out of it, as well as being able to get what you want into it.

[Le TVR]

cheddar said:

Am I wrong to think that I can just turn it down, open doors or even windows to regulate the heat?

Better still get one with a thermostatically controlled air inlet. My one has this and it turns itself down once the room is up to temperature.

[Eleven]

Doctor Volt said:

C Lee Farquar said:

I agree, saves a lot of effort if you process your own.

We have a 13kw one with poor insulation, if it gets too hot we open the windows to blow the heat around. You can just put less wood on.

Father recently had a 5kw one fitted and struggles to get enough heat.

Get what you want!

This is the only sensible post here. You control the output by the ammount of fuel you put in the stove

I don't think it is a sensible post.

The OP needs the correct sized stove for the space.

He will likely find that if he runs a massive stove it won't heat up properly or draw properly, unless it's well-fuelled. When it is adequately fuelled it will be hotter than the sun.

Having a stove that doesn't do what was intended is miserable. Take the advice of the installer.

[singlecoil]

Eleven said:

Doctor Volt said:

C Lee Farquar said:

I agree, saves a lot of effort if you process your own.

We have a 13kw one with poor insulation, if it gets too hot we open the windows to blow the heat around. You can just put less wood on.

Father recently had a 5kw one fitted and struggles to get enough heat.

Get what you want!

This is the only sensible post here. You control the output by the ammount of fuel you put in the stove

I don't think it is a sensible post.

The OP needs the correct sized stove for the space.

He will likely find that if he runs a massive stove it won't heat up properly or draw properly, unless it's well-fuelled. When it is adequately fuelled it will be hotter than the sun.

Having a stove that doesn't do what was intended is miserable. Take the advice of the installer.

And yet I have run a large Woodwarm stove for a few years, and my experience is quite different. I am able to run it just fine at whatever heat output I need, the main reason for getting a bigger one was to get the bigger door. I'm glad I did.

[Eleven]

singlecoil said:

Eleven said:

Doctor Volt said:

C Lee Farquar said:

I agree, saves a lot of effort if you process your own.

We have a 13kw one with poor insulation, if it gets too hot we open the windows to blow the heat around. You can just put less wood on.

Father recently had a 5kw one fitted and struggles to get enough heat.

Get what you want!

This is the only sensible post here. You control the output by the ammount of fuel you put in the stove

I don't think it is a sensible post.

The OP needs the correct sized stove for the space.

He will likely find that if he runs a massive stove it won't heat up properly or draw properly, unless it's well-fuelled. When it is adequately fuelled it will be hotter than the sun.

Having a stove that doesn't do what was intended is miserable. Take the advice of the installer.

And yet I have run a large Woodwarm stove for a few years, and my experience is quite different. I am able to run it just fine at whatever heat output I need, the main reason for getting a bigger one was to get the bigger door. I'm glad I did.

There will be exceptions, depending upon the chimney, flue and stove design. But it's not safe to assume that a big stove will run properly at a fraction of its intended output.

[Puggit]

Not only will you melt, the whole room will melt - walls and all

[C Lee Farquar]

Eleven said:

singlecoil said:

Eleven said:

Doctor Volt said:

C Lee Farquar said:

I agree, saves a lot of effort if you process your own.

We have a 13kw one with poor insulation, if it gets too hot we open the windows to blow the heat around. You can just put less wood on.

Father recently had a 5kw one fitted and struggles to get enough heat.

Get what you want!

This is the only sensible post here. You control the output by the ammount of fuel you put in the stove

I don't think it is a sensible post.

The OP needs the correct sized stove for the space.

He will likely find that if he runs a massive stove it won't heat up properly or draw properly, unless it's well-fuelled. When it is adequately fuelled it will be hotter than the sun.

Having a stove that doesn't do what was intended is miserable. Take the advice of the installer.

And yet I have run a large Woodwarm stove for a few years, and my experience is quite different. I am able to run it just fine at whatever heat output I need, the main reason for getting a bigger one was to get the bigger door. I'm glad I did.

There will be exceptions, depending upon the chimney, flue and stove design. But it's not safe to assume that a big stove will run properly at a fraction of its intended output.

I'm just relating my experience. The only heat I've had for 19 years has been via woodburners. We have one at home, two in our workshop and one in our office. All of different outputs and with different chimeneys, all sourced by me.

In a cold house the last thing you want is a tinpot stove, 26kw may be taking the piss, but a 5 or 6kw will be a waste of time for the OP.

Both of our bigger stoves work fine just using half the stove, we sometimes use unsplit logs overnight to extend the burn. A similar principal is recommended on Weber BBQ for slow cooking.