MF Fire Nova 2?

Hello there, new to the forum! I've been processing and burning my own firewood for about 10 years now but up until this point I've just been using about a cord per year for an open fireplace and firepit outside. Building a new house this year and decided to put in a stove as a heat source in the winter. I was thinking about the Nova 2 from MF Fire. Has anyone on here had experience with this company in general or this stove in particular?

Any insight would be much appreciated! Never used one of these EPA stoves before.

 

Welcome to FHC!!!

Is that the nova insert or freestanding stove?

 

The Nova is a single burn rate stove. You control it by how much wood you feed it. I don't think it will give you long slow burn times.

 

Thanks for the primer! I gave it a read last night and it has some very helpful information in it. Wood stoves are new territory for me so I found that information especially useful.

Yes I agree that I'm going to need a lot more than a cord. I have about 12 acres of land that has a lot of Siberian elm, mulberry, ash, cedar, and then some other species I haven't identified yet. I cut a couple of cords of standing dead ash this spring and I'm hoping it's ready by winter. Really not sure how much I'll need - I've read these EPA stoves burn much less wood. I guess I'll find out this winter.

I've also been working on cutting some live elm and mulberry and getting it seasoned for the future. So far I'm having a blast being outdoors and working with my hands (my 9-5 is in an office...).

 

It can be either but we would do freestanding with the venting coming out of the top. My wife really likes the look of it and it seems like it might be a good compromise between form and function to suit both of our needs. I just want something that puts out heat!

 

Thanks for the insight. That is something I will consider and might ultimately be the deciding factor. I did notice it only has one lever that basically just engages the catalytic converter and nothing else to help control the burn.

I wish I could do a test burn in this thing...

 

I personally wouldn't give 2 nickels for a single burn rate stove...

 

Thanks for the info everyone! This is what I needed. Like I said, wood stoves are uncharted territory for me. I'm used to a fireplace with a flu.

Im going to check out the Absolute Steel - that looks like a better option. We'll see if the missus approves...

 

Although they tout it as an "easy to use" stove, I'm not so sure that translates all that well into an easy to live with stove.
It is a nice looking stove though.

It can be a fun project to match a stove size (output and burn rate/time ) to a size and heat loss load of a house/home.
Good luck with the hunting and choosing for the good match for your future home.

 

I own a Nova 2 and kind of joined here to chime in on this and share some. It’s new. Only started using this season (last several weeks) and had it installed by a pros over the summer. We live in Northern Virginia (Nova) and the stove is made in Baltimore an hour up the road, which we liked. The support was good with timely responses to any questions/concerns. I’m a Jotul guy historically and regularly operate other stoves, 3 jotuls, with family and friends. In our new home, due to the 2020 EPA regs , we were really limited on the stove type and size we could get for the install area. And a compliant jotul (only a couple models) basically wouldn’t fit. This fits perfectly snug in our traditional open fireplace, looks nice and works, period. I am still gathering data on average burn temps and how effectively it is heating our house throughout, but we’re not dissatisfied so far. I do miss the lever airflow control on a jotul/other, but once it gets going with the door cracked, it’s kind of on auto pilot. It’s engineered to burn logs well. Our experience so far is that it does just that.

 

No idea what size place you have this installed in. Do you burn 24/7? Do you get 24hrs on two full loads? What is your burn routine? Really interested in hearing how these perform. The online factory literature/pics make it look like a east/west loader primarily. This is a "set burn rate" stove correct? Zero operator control on air supply? Thanks to any of you who are actually running these. Looking forward to hearing your experience.

 

1900 Sq ft. Traditional split level layout with stove on the ground floor and bedrooms above.

Haven’t tried either yet, but will let you know!

it’s mild here still. We’re burning every time it dips to just chilly enough to run it. But not during the daytime yet. In the evenings when the sun goes down I’ll light it, and feed it all night. I’ll load it before tucking down for the night. There’s still red hot coals in the morning and plenty of radiant heat. It actually heats the home fairly well up and down. The split level it kind of bypasses altogether. Would be easy to re-light in the morning, but by that time the sun is out.

yes. It fits a hefty size log at 22”, which I like. It’s basically east/west, which is fine. It would be a pretty stubby north/south log, to Lincoln log your stack.

yes

effectively yes. There is no air control knob to increase or decrease airflow. And the manufacturer docs state to not alter the internals on this, which they don’t share how to do. I’m not going to rip apart the guts on a perfectly functional brand new stove for tinkering. That said, like any stove, cracking the door gets it going hot. There is a single control arm on the side. It opens a trap door at the top (inside) of stove to go straight out the flu. When shut it engages the catalyst (honey comb fire muffler thing) and the burn filters through that and out the flu. The docs state there is only one setting: perfect. This is a bit over-simplified to my taste so will expand here as I learn more. The temp gauge provided has no temps on it. ☹️ It says open (to keep trap door open), and at a certain mystery temp (engage catalyst) when warmed up to operating temp, and you shut the flap at this unknown temp about 1/3 up the typical coil temp dial. So you keep it open when lighting and warming up. Once running you shut the flap and run it. Each time you open the door to reload, you open the flap. Open/open, shut/shut. Combining these configurations gives some semblance of “control”. I like to put a new log on with door cracked/flap open to get it really going, then shut the flap with door still cracked and the flame instantly “stabilizes” in the box. Shut the door and it just goes like that all night. It burns at the typical sort of sweet spot setting on a Jotul. But I can’t choke this down at night for a long slow burn. It just goes. But there are still coals there in the morning, and the house is still warm. How this helps. Thought I’d chime in as there is really nothing out there about this stove when I was buying for a dedicated wood burning type. Worth noting my wife loves the modern look overall and the huge plate glass is better to look at than my flat screen television.

 

Thanks for the details. Your "trap door" is a bypass. Whenever you close the bypass your loading door should also be closed or cool room air could potentially damage your now "engaged" catalyst. Food for thought. Sounds like the stove is working well. Enjoy.

 

I almost bought a Nova but ended up with a Hearthstone Castleton. I needed a low rear flue and also wanted the ability to adjust the air intake especially for longer/slower burn.