2.1 cubic foot stove

My house upstairs is around 1900 sqft. Heat from the basement family room which is around 700 sqft.

The stove will do fine until we get extended periods of cold like recently staying minus temps and single digits for extended periods.

I am now thinking if winters keep coming like this one I am going to get a bigger stove.

 

That's a lot to ask of 2.1 cuft from the basement. 'Couse it has a lot to do with how much time you spend at home to reload when needed.
A 2.1 reloaded every 6 hrs should preform as well as a 4.2 reloaded every 12 hrs.
I bet a BK King would cure what ails you

 

Plenty of economically priced larger steel stoves out there. There are at least four other 3 cu ft stove options available to you in the economically priced bracket.

A larger stove will not just make colder days easier, but it will also make milder temps easier.

 

It's hard to beat an NC-30 for price and performance! Sounds like it's time for an upgrade

 

I bet a lot of people are thinking of going bigger after this Winter. What about a second stove upstairs?

 

Is there no chance of putting the stove in the main living areas of the home? The closer the stove is to the people the warmer they will be.

Even with a big BK in the basement, you need to generate BIG heat down there to get some of it upstairs. That's not the most effcient way to burn the wood.

 

It sounds like your doing pretty good to me. I'm in a similar situation, 2200 sqft on two floors heated from the basement with a nc30. My basement walls are insulated but not finished and I have about half of it blocked off, so another 600 sqft heated in the basement. The nc30 will keep up in zero degree weather especially if it is sunny also.

I prefer burning this way. I can bring in as much wood as I want by the wheelbarrow full load through the walk out basement, and store it near the stove in 90-100* space. It keeps the mess in the basement. I don't loose any living space to the hearth/stove. The living space temps are very even, you don't get roasted out of the living space the stove is in. Chimney sweeping mess is not in the living space. I do miss watching the stove from the couch, I'm burning a little more and the trips up and down the stairs tending the stove can get old, but overall I prefer having the stove in the basement.

 

Never a bad idea to think about a bigger stove but another way to look at, is this going to be a norm or is this an unusual winter. I have a couple small ceramic disc heaters in the farthest rooms from the downstairs stove room. Of course I also have natural gas hot water and a new boiler that I can run fairly efficiently. Just rambling and throwing out some thought.

 

Pellet stove in the living level. You will love it!

 

Interesting comment, I will have to think about that one for a while. But I was thinking kind of the same thing but it was more in the way of I bet guys with bigger stoves are also struggling.

Fox9988, Problem with reloading every 6 hours is shoveling red hot coals all the time to get room in the stove to reload.

 

Because, when a stove is undersized for your needs you are reloading before the burn cycle is completed. This results in an ever growing mound of coals. I had this problem with the Heritage since it was too small for my needs.

 

A lot of people thinking of upsizing this year, me included. I was always told you can build a smaller fire in a big stove but not a bigger fire in a small stove. I'm going to take a ride to Woodstock and check them out. A bigger stove will be less fill ups when its milder so its a win win.

 

I wonder how much of a difference you would notice between a 2.85 cu ft stove and a 3.2 cu ft stove?

 

Road Trip!! LOL! Say hi to the gang for us up there.. make sure you have time for the tour. I'm also a fan of the 4Aces Diner for lunch, but it's more about the ambiance (Biker Casual with a cute wait staff) than the food.

 

Also, if your house heat loss is to high many times the btu output of your stove while burning down coals is to low to overcome the heat loss meaning you lose temps that you then have to make up on the next load....... It becomes a never ending cycle that you really can' t overcome in sustained low temps.

 

Are you comparing the PH to the IS? I know the PH has some power, so far the reviews on the IS are pretty good, tough decisions.

 

I am comparing your Princess to the Steel. Unless you plan on running two stoves?

 

My Princess is an insert and only 2.54 cf, the free stander is 2.85. Both the IS and PH are larger but from what I gather stronger heaters, I'm also going from an insert to a free stander so should gain heat there.
I could run two stoves but the wife isn't crazy about the idea but not totally against it, or one larger stove. I think the PH and IS because of their design could handle the job alone and are also built to run low if need be, I'd rather tend one stove if possible.