New wood burning - trying to "size" a stove - considering the Englander

Just some interesting numbers from the BTU calculator on the Woodstock web site.

http://woodstove.com/btus

So with a temperate climate, 40x30x12(based on distance to peak of roof with no ceiling) the calculator throws out some interesting numbers.

Little or no insulation: 144,000 BTU
Poor Insulation: 57,600 BTU
Average: 28,800 BTU
Good: 14,400 BTU

Given my current level of insulation of little or none it doesn't look like even the NC30 can keep up with heating requirement. If I get the barn upgraded to a level of "poor" insulation then the NC30 wouldn't be able to keep up if the EPA BTU figures are correct for the NC30(11,950-28,337 BTU according to the EPA sheet). It looks like I would need to get the entire barn up to "average" before it would be able to keep up.

Now if I frame the workshop(20x30x12) and get some insulation in there the figures look like this:

Little or No Insulation: 90,000 BTU
Poor Insulation: 36,000 BTU
Average Insulation: 18,000 BTU
Good Insulation: 9000 BTU

So it looks like with average insulation the NC30 would be able to keep up pretty easily, anything less and it might be struggling. That is if the EPA BTU figures are correct for NC30.

Now I keep seeing the manufacturers post different BTU numbers that are much higher. For example the Englander site says the following:

"Boasting a potential of 75,000-plus BTU’s, its hefty 3.5 cu. ft. firebox can take logs up to 20 in. long, and it can heat 1,800 – 2,200 sq. ft. of your living area."

So which number is correct? The EPA or the manufacturers site? Any ideas how they come up with these numbers? Woodstock only appears to post the EPA figures for the IS of 12,340-57,028 BTU which is a lot higher than the figures from the NC30 on the top end. So I am curious what your thoughts are about the differences between the EPA BTU figures and what the manufacturers state in some cases that appear much higher. Thoughts?

 

mike holton should be able to shed some light on that topic. He's a member here and works for England's Stove Works.
If I were to rebuild my pole barn right now, I'd stick build it.

 

Longsnowsm , I read your response to my Ideal Steel (IS) question, thanks for responding. First off, I'd like to tell you that we currently have 17 Woodstock IS owners here on FHC, with at least 4 of them being beta testers themselves. There are currently 2 active threads with current IS activity going on right now and if you search you will see the beta testers posts from last winter. I would say that the IS is one of the most active and newest stoves being talked about this season.

Burn times are coming in at an average of 12-14 hrs on a full load of maples, birch and ash. The ability of keeping a stove top temp of 550 with the cat engaged has been no problem. With the cat engaged and the air damper at 10-15% you get a blacked out firebox and a glowing cat, no flames. At 12-14 hrs at 10-15% air you see a firebox with a medium sized bed of coals and some charcoal, great for reloading. As of now the routine has been two 12 hr reloads per day when burning 24/7. The air damper is unlike anything we have ever seen, incredible control and instant results. I think your research will point you in the right direction. And if this stoves size proves to be too big for your home WS is in the developing stages of a franklin style steel stove with a smaller firebox using the same IS technology.

 

Some of you know my story and words can not express how impressed I am with the Drolet.

 

Welcome to the Ozarks longsnowsm! Go big on the stove It can get cold down here contrary to popular belief.

 

Thanks everyone for your feedback and help. I have spent some more time looking through other posts regarding the NC30, the Drolet Myriad, the IS, and others. Found some interesting posts on manufacturer BTU figures and calculations for BTU and burn rates that helped me get a better idea what is going on and it is a real mess to say the least. However after looking over the details and some of the great posts from other forum members and their experiences while using the search feature I think I have decided to not get the NC30, however I do agree with the posts that have suggested I go big. After looking at PapaDave's experience with a 1200SF home that is poorly insulated I immediately related with this 1200SF Barn I am in the process of getting setup(not exactly the same for sure, but gave me an idea what to expect) with a shop, insulation etc. After seeing the challenges Dave went through with the NC30 with his place I decided not to get the NC30. Looking at the benefits of the cat stoves for this application is making more and more sense to me. So I think I am going to go with the IS. I see they have a layaway program so I will reach out to them next month and get the ball rolling. As long as I have the stove in place next spring I will be OK.

I am loving the posts here and I appreciate all your help. Thanks again.

 

Congratulations Longsnowsm