I have a new home built last year. I installed a 6” class A chimney during the build. I found a deal on a barely used Alderlea T5 and installed it in the basement. This stove ended up not being what I wanted but I’m now trying to decide on a replacement. I had a lot of issues with the T5 running off on flue temps even after installing a damper in chimney. My flu is about 28’ straight up from the basement. I also felt that even when the stove was running too high of flu temps it didn’t keep the basement warm. I realize heating the basement is gonna be tough because it’s 2100 sq ft of open space and concrete walls. Would I be better off to just get an older stove that less efficient? I don’t use wood as my primary heat. Just to knock the chill off in the basement or when it’s really cold outside. I mainly use my propane furnace which at my highest month last year was $133. Just can’t decide on buying another larger epa stove or trying to find and old fisher and fixing it up. Also open to other options thanks in advance.
As you stated, it can be really tough trying to heat a basement. I've been in many basements and some with wood heat but never felt it to be comfortably warm there. Good luck.
Definitely the wrong stove for a wide open 2100 SF basement with bare concrete walls. Great stove for a small well insulated home though. All stoves will require that you tame that draft to a more reasonable level which may require one or two key dampers but 28' isn't too crazy tall. Noncat stoves are more susceptible to runaways and high flue temperatures because on most of them the secondary air system is wide open throttle all the time. The T5 does employ a rather weak attempt to control that but the EPA rules have really reduced that ability with the new LE stoves. So you're burning really clean but can't control the burn rate well. I'd recommend the biggest modern stove you can find along with controlling the draft strength to the range in the manuals. Or a wood furnace, ducted or not, but those often allow and encourage a barometric damper to really squash the overdraft situation. You want to be able to turn the stove air intakes down and control draft. Both reduce the amount of air blasting through the stove and taking your heat with it into the flue.
