Stove Size for 1650 Sq. Ft. Home

Hello, I am new to this forum and I am seeking advice, I have experience burning wood since the seventies but I have no experience burning coal. I have been researching coal since last year I have watched a lot of YouTube videos about it and I have been reading all the post on this site. I have to admit that I have thought about making the change to coal for years but it was watching William's experience with his Glenwood stove that pushed me over the edge. I live in Western MA, and my home is a 1650 sq ft cape, built in 1973, new windows last year, not an open floor plan, I have a full basement that was not included in the 1650 foot measurement . I have been watching Chubby sales and Antique parlor, cylinder and base-burner stoves, I am going to be installing the stove in my living room which measures 13.5 x 22.5 I want to make sure what ever I install doesn't blow us out of the room. I came install registers if needed.
Any help anyone can offer would be greatly apresheated.
Thank you
Bill

Welcome to the forum. Many questions will follow from the people that can help you best. I will say the beauty of coal is that you can dial it down and not cook yourself out. Have fun and wait for the experts to come in.

Kevin

The Chubby and a Glenwood #6 will do fine but there is a big difference in price as the old baseburners are fetching premium price. If your are new to the coal burning game I would go for simplicity of operation. So try a Chubby if you like that route. I have never owned one but I can tell you they are highly rated stoves. If the 1650 is excluding the basement perhaps a little more punch like the Hitzer 50-93. You really need to tell us more, send pics of where you would like the stove etc. How much money can you spend. Without some more guidelines you will be greeted with a deafening silence. Welcome to coal, you are on the right train! Now is it first class travel you want?

I'm sure any of the glenwood style cylinder stoves would work. The chubby might work too. I'm sure people with more experience will be here soon. Unfortunately this is my first year too. No results yet. I have a Glenwood Oak 40 in my basement that I'm hoping will heat my 130 year old victorian. I wish I could have it upstairs, but I 'm not touching my original fireplaces. Even if I cut my oil bill in half I'll be happy. Plus its good experience when I get my coal boiler. Back to the old stoves William is right real easy to get going. The charcoal and kerosene trick is great. I have a 40 foot chimney though, might have to much draft, we'll see. Had it going first day I got it. Aug. 15 and 80 degrees out. Left the cellar open and cured the paint. Good luck. Matt

A Glenwood Oak or Glenwood Modern Oak with an indirect back pipe would fit the bill. I recommend in a Modern Oak the 116 or 118 size. The Glenwood Oak either the No 30 or 40 size would would work well. Call Emery at Antique Stove Hospital or Doug at Barnstable Stove Company. They generally have these excellent stoves in stock ready to go. Save yourself the hassle and start out right with a high quality, efficient stove that is very, very easy to learn to operate and is beautiful as well. When you call tell them I sent you.

Barnstable Stove Shop did mine. Real happy with the restoration.

wsherrick wrote:A Glenwood Oak or Glenwood Modern Oak with an indirect back pipe would fit the bill. I recommend in a Modern Oak the 116 or 118 size. The Glenwood Oak either the No 30 or 40 size would would work well. Call Emery at Antique Stove Hospital or Doug at Barnstable Stove Company. They generally have these excellent stoves in stock ready to go. Save yourself the hassle and start out right with a high quality, efficient stove that is very, very easy to learn to operate and is beautiful as well. When you call tell them I sent you.

here we Gooooooo... My $2000 Glenwood is gonna be worth $5000 if William makes anymore vid's

Welcome, (Rod Serling voice)...get ready you are about to enter the twilight zone. Now take your time and filter out what you can, suggestions are like @$$holes,we all have one. You will find a stove that you want to look at and feel good about. This may take some time but you did mention 2 good ones. You mentioned not an open floor plan does that mean 2 staircases, one front and one rear? What are you heating with now and do you have a boiler of furnace? You mentioned you burned wood for many yrs. I assume you have a spot for a radiant type or circulator type of stove. I put a 30 yr. old hand fed in my basement and now I am putting another in my livingroom fireplace, can't wait and neither should you. You will be pleasantly surprised and astonished at the help and support folks on this forum will give, including whatever has stuck in my brain burning coal the last 3 yrs. Hold on, it is a strange ride. I never liked buying h.o. when it was a buck a gallon, but I love buying coal @ 300.00 a ton WTF

...you can read my post in "stove size for 1650 sq ft house".....if you want I didn't know there was 2

Don't overlook the Vgilant II model 2310. It's a very controllable stove and can really pump out the heat when it's needed. Plus it does well with the two front doors are open and used it as a small fireplace in the shoulder months. You can find this great cast-iron stove at reasonable prices used, just watch craigslist. It's about as close as you will get to a modern baseburner coal stove.

My main concern would be that the house does not have an open floor plan. Especially if the living space is on a single level, relying on a single point source within that level seems like it could raise some serious distribution issues.

I had a Harman Magnum that previously had been used in a situation like the one described, but it was placed in the basement (which was finished), and heated rooms on the first floor via the 6" duct connection that stove provided. It was controlled by a thermostat so the buildup of heat was not excessive.

If we could get a little more info from Bill it would be helpful:

- does the full basement need to be heated?
- how many rooms need to be heated on the second floor?
- is there a central heating (or cooling) system that could help to distribute the btu's?

Mike

I replied in your other post, but; I will again here also. First of all if you have been burning wood for all of these years then you are ready to be liberated from the slavery of tending a wood stove.
Coal is the great emancipator from the bondage of wood burning servitude.
Once you get used to burning coal you will never think about going back to wood. That's a certainty.
Now, for the size house you have you would need a stove with a 16 inch or larger fire pot. It seems I recommend this size a lot. I guess it is because this seems to be the size that fits with the average sized house these days.
A Glenwood Oak, No 30 or 40 would be a good fit. Make sure you get one with an indirect back pipe. Some had them. Some didn't
A Glenwood Modern Oak 116 or 118 would fit also. The back pipe option is the same for these as well.
In a Base Heater, an Our Glenwood No 111 or a No 6.
A Crawford No 30 or 40 would be the equivalent size in a Crawford.
The Oak Stoves and the Oak type Base Heaters like the Glenwood No 6 would allow you to burn wood in them sometimes if you wanted to in the Fall and Spring. The Our Glenwood and Crawford types of cylinder base heaters are anthracite coal only. These designs are supremely efficient, however; they don't allow for any other fuel than Anthracite to be used in them.
You can operate all of these at very low temperatures and they are extremely controllable, easy to operate and maintain.
Call Emery at Antique Stove Hospital or Doug at Barnstable Stove Shop. They generally have Glenwood Oaks and Modern Oaks in stock and ready to go. You might have to get on a waiting list to obtain one of the base heaters as they sell them generally on the spot. Any of these stoves will serve you well and you would be extremely happy with any of them.

Thanks for the photos wsherrick, I will never get tired of looking at these stoves. It must be an incredible feeling keeping warm with them!

What do you have for heat other than the wood ? Have you given any thought to puting in a coal boiler or coal furnace ? Not as pretty for sure but they do have their benefits , dhw off the boiler, even heat , warm basement , less work etc. .

Hello, Thank you all for your help,

michaelanthony, What I meant by not an open floor plan is that there is a stair case dividing the center of the house leading up from the living room where I am planning on installing my coal stove, venting it into and existing fireplace masonry chimney .

hcarlow, My main source of heat is oil and I have forced hot water baseboard system divided into three zones, and to be honest I have not given any thought to a coal boiler in the basement, although I would consider it after I learn the basic's of burning a hand fed coal stove, right now being warm as only a solid fuel can provide is my biggest priority, followed closely by convenience and least amount or work.

wsherrick, I'm glad to see some of the stoves you have recommended are stoves I am all ready researching, Glenwood Modern Oak 116 & 118, I would love to find a Glenwood Base heater No. 6 like your William but I wasn't sure if it might be to much stove for the location I am installing this first parlor stove, Perhaps you can help me though as to how much more efficient a stove like the 116 with a indirect back pipe as opposed to the direct vent, I ask because I'm going to look at a 116 stove early next week and it is a direct vent, do you think it would still be a good stove for my needs ? This stove is in very good condition with all of it's parts, but it could use some restoring to be back in perfect shape like your Glenwood. I am mechanically inclined and well equipped as to tools and skill's, welding , sand blasting etc so I would like to restore it back myself.

Thank you all again for your help, I'll keep you informed as to what I do and I'll provide you with pictures when I have something to show you ...