HI300 vs. Alderea T5 insert vs. BK Princess insert: warming shelves and Stirling/Eco fans

Hi all,

Long time lurker first time poster! I've learned a massive amount in a short time so thank you to all of you for your past posts. I have come to a fork in the road. Here is what I would like out of my insert and why I choose the three models in the subject:

What I want in an insert and what I like about the three finalists:

1) - warming shelf on the Hampton HI300 and on the Alderea T5 Insert
2) - spectacular secondary burn from non-cat stoves and mediocre secondary burn from BK
3) - quite blowers (heard the HI300 in store but don't know about the BK and T5)
4) - cast iron for radiant heating in addition to blower convection
5) - long overnight burn times
6) - ability to load N/S and E/W

What I want to know:

1) - does the warming shelf get hot enough on the HI300, T5 and BK P insert to run a Vulcan Striling Fan?
2) - does the BK Princess insert have enough of a shelf for the 3" fan base to sit on?
3) - what are the blowers like on the T5 and BK Princess?
4) - I really want to be able to hang damp/wet gloves, socks etc from the mantel above any of these stoves and be able to dry them like I used to on my radiators. The mantel has the required clearances from the manuals I've read so I'm hoping to use hooks/nails to create a drying space for wet kid gear.
5) - will all three of these stoves produce roughly equal radiant heat within three feet to dry coats and snow pants hung over whatever kid fence I put up in front of the stove?
6) - lastly, does the Clydesdale have space for a fan? I don't see a warming shelf on that stove but I could forgo the shelf if the others won't produce the heat required for the additional fans.

The reason I want the Stirling fan is because I'm going to need to be able to push the heat out of that room and want to supplement the blowers capacity. Not to mention I just think they are really cool.

I'm pretty sure that any of these stoves is going provide good heat for us right now but if you are curious and enjoy the engineering puzzles you can read about my home's layout etc... below.

Cheers,

Sean

--------------------------------------------------House layout specifics below-------------------------------------------------------

We recently moved from a house with gas heated radiators to a home with a heat pump that can't do it's job based on the fact that it only has registers in the ceilings. The house was built in 1966 and at the time had baseboard heating and the central air was solely used to cool. Over time the baseboard heat was removed and last owners either dealt with the cold or paid very high electricity bills. I refuse to do either. I would prefer to be warm.

We live in central VA at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains. Winters are not terribly cold save for a few weeks like this past one where overnight lows are in the low teens to single digits. Normally average temps are hover around or just below freezing. We have a 1900 sq. foot home with an open living room on the entire left side of the house, left of the front door. Stairs are centrally located just left of the front door. Hallway straight back from front door to back door/deck. There is a 4' opening just right of the front door that leads to a dining room and behind that is the kitchen. There is a den which is to the right of the kitchen through standard 3' door opening with a closed transom above it. 8 or 8.5 ft. ceiling throughout. No ceiling fans but there is a Mitsubishi mini-split at the back of the living room at the far end of the house and directly down a hallway from the den opening.

The insulation in the attic is poor and will be remedied in the spring. The walls seem OK but could be better. Not planning on doing anything with them. The house has all new windows which appear to be very tight but the den is cold as it has three exterior walls and a NNE exposure. It's about 50-55 F in there now with the heat pump set to 68. T-stat is located on second floor. Second floor stays tolerable. We like to sleep cool anyway.

 

Welcome to the forum SeanG . As a lurker you probably have seen and read plenty already.
There are a few guys that have both units your considering, I'm sure raybonz and bogydave can
jump on as well.
Can I ask you what made you consider those stoves over any others?

 

I'd be trying to fit the biggest insert I could in that fireplace, or a freestanding stove in front of it.Can you post some dimensions? Is it a masonry fireplace?

I wouldn't concern myself to much with the Stirling fan thing. They don't move a whole lot of air, and are more a novelty than something practical.

 

Welcome to the FHC forums!
First off I will say I like my T6 a lot and it seems to work well in my house with my floor plan. We do cook on our stove and love the fact the it has warming shelves that swing out. I also like the convective nature of this stove and the fact it doesn't blast you out of the room. This stove seems to work well for us partially due to how the heat flows and the fact my house is large enough that I don't need to run long and slow burns. I would think the T5 insert should give you overnight burns without a problem.

If you are looking for low and slow burning of those three inserts the Princess is your best bet for sure. I would also guess the princess has the largest firebox of those stoves but didn't verify that. I guess a lot of what you want has to do with how you plan on using the stove. Are you planning trying to heat your house with it 24/7 or just take the chill off the room?

Last thing, as far as the heat pump goes I have done HVAC for a long time and it should be able to heat your house just fine even with the registers in the ceiling. Have you had it looked at by a reputable technician? I wonder if it isn't wired correctly, has a charge adjustment issue, improperly sized supply and return ducting, or malfunctioning heat strips?

 

Hi guys,

Thanks for the welcome. I'll try and answer all your questions.

I liked those three stoves because they all have deep fireboxes, have been reviewed well here, are capable of solid overnight burns and have a warming shelf. They also seem to fit the size of my house well and I like how they look and feel. I've touched all but the T5 Insert. I really like the Clydesdale too.

Maybe I'm putting too much emphasis on the http://www.vulcanfan.com but I just really like the idea.

Overall, I'm trying to heat my house almost entirely with the insert. I don't know if I'll be able to do it due to the layout and the location I have to put the insert, which is in the den with the exposed walls at the end of the house. However, we have a mini split on the other end and I think between the two I can really lower my electric bills as the mini split is very efficient.

The fireplace is masonry and will fit just about any insert at 28" W x 36" T x 20" D with a high mantel and a 12" raised 16x48" hearth. Chimney is about 20-25' max.

The heat pump was just inspected/serviced yesterday and did not need any refrigerant. All systems checked out just fine. It's only a year old. The duct work however is 48 years old and leaking like the Titanic. I've taped what I can but it needs to be replaced and will be in the spring. The upstairs is 68 but the downstairs is 61. The den where the insert will go is 52. T-stat is upstairs next to the 20x30 return in the ceiling.

Sean

 

Hi Sean..
XXL who is a member here on the board gave me an eco fan a couple years ago and we do use it but it has to be on the stove and not on the warming shelf for it to get ripping. My wife has it aiming at her lazyboy about 10ft away and says she does feel the warmth.
I cant comment on the other stoves as I went from a drolet to the T5 which is very easy to run ONCE I got my fat head around the use of these new EPA burners.
And that was with a bunch of help from Raybonz.
The T5 heats our 1600ft house easy but its all on one level with a couple ceiling fans helping out.

Good luck with what you pick out and like we all know here on the board..Dead Dead Wood is a must.

 

Welcome, Sean!
I have the Alderlea T5, and to be honest, I bought it for the looks. It was one of the few that was enamel coated, and has a nice design.
You asked about the blowers. They are the "can" style, which are supposed to be good. They can be cleaned with a vacuum somewhat without taking anything apart, but should be cleaned every spring properly. You just need to put a long strip of masking tape across the guards, as once you lift the lid to release them, one or both will fall out, risking damage to the porcelain. The blower, in my opinion, is relatively quiet--at least, not noticeable until it stops!
I can get a good amount of heat out of her, but I need 2 to 3 year old wood, and on cold days need to keep the intake open at least 3/4. It loads north to south, vis. straight in, and trust me, you do not want to put in anything more than 20 inches. I make sure my splits are 18".
I have nothing else to compare it with, but there are times that I, too, wish I had something bigger. However, as I said, looks were important to me, and the majority of inserts (to me) look like something you would find in the engine room of a tramp steamer.

 

Not much of a difference between cast iron and steel when it comes to moving heat without a blower. I wouldn't put much importance on cast iron from that aspect. Size of stove is THE main indicator for heating capabilities.

The BK Princess is the largest of the three and will have a more usable firebox than the Hampton. The T5 comes in at 1.97 cu ft., 2.3 for the Hampton, and 2.54 for the BK. But, since the BK is a cat stove, the firebox does not have burn tubes to get in the way, unlike the Hampton. The Hampton probably has the same size usable firebox as the T5.

 

Hi all,

I called my local dealer and they said they have a floor model Regency i2400 for $2200. I like the more elegant look of the HI300 but since it's the same stove more or less I think I'm going to have to go with the i2400. That seems like a good deal. The T5 is $3450, Summit is $3200 and the HI300 is $3050. They want $1700 more or less for the install. Exterior chimney about 20 ft or so. Not too tall. I'm hoping I can talk them down on the install as the weather starts to warm up.

I'm not to concerned with the Stirling engine fan idea any more. It will make a nice Christmas present though if anyone needs ideas for next year. I figure any of these inserts are going to push enough air into the hallway and other rooms. My den was 50F this morning, outside it was 18F. I moved the space heater into the den and it has stopped the flow of cold air into the kitchen/dining room and raised the temp by 2-3 degrees. I can only imagine what a new insert will accomplish.

Thanks for all the info. No I have to start scrounging for wood! My back yard is on a slope, probably 20-30 degree slope. It's on a north face and below a small ridge. How would you stack wood in an area like that?

Cheers,

Sean

 

Congrats, Sean! I know you will fall in love with it by next winter. Although your wood will not be ideal by next fall, I am sure you will get a few burns anyway, just re-split a lot to encourage drying, and limit use if you can stand it!
Hard to picture how your property is aligned. Does it get good sunlight? I have most of my wood in relative shade, but it still dries well, as long as I keep the tops covered. I have a goodly amount on a slight slope, so I sort of terraced it, so the racks are level. This is the type I use on the terraced strips.

 

So, you're getting the Regency. Remember though, that 800 bucks might buy some goodwill.

I think I'd stack them up and down the slope so they don't have that tendency to tip over.