WOODSTOVE Buyer's Guide
(Page 5 of 7)
December/January 2002
By John Gullland
HEATING CAPACITY
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Stove makers always state how many square feet of space the unit will heat. Some of them wisely give generous ranges like 1,000 to 2,000 square feet or suggest the maximum area the unit will heat. The reason for the big range and vague figures is that a particular stove might heat a 2,000 square-foot house in Georgia, but only a 1,000-square-foot house in the Dakotas due to the climate difference. An old house also might have twice the heat loss of a new house of the same size in the same climate zone. And finally, a stove burning softwood, such as spruce, will put out less heat per firebox load than it would burning a hardwood, such as maple.
In practical terms, considering all the variables, woodstoves come in three sizes: small stoves, for heating a large room or a seasonal cabin; medium, for heating a small- to medium-size house; and large stoves, for heating somewhat larger or leakier houses. Correct sizing of stoves for particular objectives and conditions is one area where the advice of an experienced woodstove specialist is particularly useful.
BURN TIME
How long will a given stove burn on a single load of wood? The only reasonable answer is: It depends. Burn time depends on wood species and moisture content, and on how much heat is needed during the burn. My experience is that any medium or large stove sized correctly based on all the issues discussed here will give a reliable overnight burn with plenty of coals remaining to kindle a fire in the morning. Stoves in the small category may or may not give an overnight burn, but they tend not to be used for whole-house primary heating.
LOG LENGTH
For convenient loading, the firebox should be about 3 inches bigger than your longest pieces of firewood. Don't be misled into thinking a stove that can handle 20-inch firewood is really bigger or better than one that can take up to 18-inch logs. The standard firewood length for stoves is 16 inches, mostly because it is the most practical length handling. Any guy who claims it is easy to lift, stack and load 20-inch firewood is bigger and stronger than I am. I'm also aware many women are serious users of woodstoves, and I suspect that, on average, their wrist and forearm strength is closer to my own than to that of a burly logger.
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