split4fun
ArboristSite Lurker
i am thinking on buying a new woodstove any pros or cons on HearthStone Heritage woodstove.
Well, I have some first hand experience burning in a VC Encore (cat) and a Hearthstone Heritage:
The soapstone takes longer to heat up. It takes longer to cool down. It's just a function of emmissivity and conductivity more than thermal mass, as the two stoves weigh almost the same.
The Heritage, burned under fairly similar conditions, stays hotter long, but it is a tradeoff. Where I think soapstone excels is in an uninsulated house like mine that doesn't hold heat well.
If your house is tight and well insulated, you don't have to worry about your stove holding heat as much since the house will. In a house like mine, it's a benefit to have a stove that holds heat longer since the house doesn't do that very well.
Anyway, that's my take on it. I don't think soapstone is all hype, however, there definitely is some hype.
Of course, I love the look as well.
I've been running a Woodstock soapstone for the last 6 years and love it. They are at woodstove.com. Anyway, before that I had a Lopi cast iror stove and yes, the soapstone certainly does take longer to heat up but also continues to heat long after the iron is cool. If you haven't spent a season with each one, frankly, you have no idea what you're talking about.
MarK, Hearthstone makes the Phoenix model. Cast iron front, 60,000 btu's an hour.
I am sure that there are all steel stoves that maintain heat for 8+ hrs,
I think that Phoenix would be at the top of my list if I go that way....
Next go around will be a soaper, as I was talked out of it in the begining when I bought the DW. Said that soaps put out a softer heat, as to steel's "hard" heat. Thats my take on it!
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