Breckwell Wood Stove

[CreekGeek]

Does anyone have any experience with a Breckwell wood stove? I'm putting a wood stove or zero clearance insert into new construction and one local store can get a Breckwell but I'm not familiar with the brand nor could I find many reviews on ye ol interwebs.

Thanks!

[SaltMuck]

Never heard of the brand. I did quite a bit of research when I constructed 3 years ago and went with a Lennox Monticeito Estate for zero clearance. That sucker will heat our 2800 ft in a hurry. Not sure about log length but I'd say 22" would not be a problem.

Word of advice, build your hearth to sitting height so you don't have to lean down to feed it and guests can sit on it. Also, if you plan to put a TV above it, put an electrical box with the back cut out beside the TV outlet. Put an outlet inside the chase to plug the stove in but that you can reach when you take the blank cover off the dummy electrical box. I had this idea when the ice storm took the power out at the In-laws and we spent all day taking the stove apart to pigtail it.

[CreekGeek]

Thanks for the advice Saltmuck, that's just the kind of advice I'm looking for -- practical experience. If you don't mind me asking where did your lennox come from?

[hold'n187]

I have a old hickory stove and it's badass, sometimes when it's in the teens or twenties outside it will be so hot in the house we have to open the doors. i bet the neighbors think we are crazy

[SaltMuck]

Thanks for the advice Saltmuck, that's just the kind of advice I'm looking for -- practical experience. If you don't mind me asking where did your lennox come from?

Fireplace Grills and More in Augusta. They did a turn key with pipe install and a beauty cap on top of the chimney. Do yourself a favor and spend $250 on one. Your wife will thank you.

[SaltMuck]

Oh and double check log length on stoves. Mine says 30 in logs and it is spot on. Some will say 24 in and they'll take one from corner to corner, which is misleading. Pm me your number and I'll send you some pics of mine.

[cusportsman]

Oh and double check log length on stoves. Mine says 30 in logs and it is spot on. Some will say 24 in and they'll take one from corner to corner, which is misleading. Pm me your number and I'll send you some pics of mine.

Post some pics on here if you don't mind. It'll be a few years before we build, but I plan to do a wood stove when we do.

[SaltMuck]

Post some pics on here if you don't mind. It'll be a few years before we build, but I plan to do a wood stove when we do.

I built my fireplace for a Vermot Casting stove and put a deposit on it. VC decides to "retool" the factory and aren't making the stove for 9 months so I have to do some reframing. Glad it happened in the end. I bought a Lennox Monticeito Estate instead. Side to side is 30". I found that companies advertise a log size and its from one corner to another. It may say 22" but actually won't take one bigger than 16". Log size and air movement rating wound be the deciding factor for me.

[CreekGeek]

Very nice. I like the looks of that.

[darealdeal]

Vermont Casting makes quality products. Breckwell is more of a low quality wood stove. Does not burn as clean or as efficient as a Vermont casting. Breckwell I believe was made from the US stove company (don't hold me to that) to sell to larger venders like tractor supply Home Depot. The quality of the stoves from Breckwell not that great. I use to sell them wood stoves during my summer job while in college. Buck Stoves and Vermont Casting both make wood stoves that you can't beat in quality.

[Silentweapon338]

The buck stoves are terrific I have a friend who just built his house an put one in it is amazing how well that thing heats his whole house!

[darealdeal]

Yes they are you can get something in the buck stove, Vermont Casting, and High Valley (which is out of Abbeville SC)

[hold'n187]

like I said before old hickory, thank me later

[turbo]

I've got a High Valley stove (made right here in SC).

http://www.highvalleystoves.com/insert2500.php

It's the 2500 zero clearance unit:

2500_Blacksmith-Insert.jpg

Heats the house well. If one of my zones cuts on, the return in the great room will pull heat and disperse all over the house.

Works well, is good looking, and very efficient.

As for homeboy's outlet idea, it's now a code requirement. The outlet that feeds the blower on your stove must be in the same room as the stove itself. You are also not allowed to put a longer pigtail on the stove by law as they are UL listed units and any modification will nullify the UL listing (and your insurance co's payout should something bad happen and them catch onto your modification).

[murraywader]

That's a good looking stove Turbo.

[turbo]

Oh, one thing to add, if I may:

Look for a stove with some kind of protrusion (read: lip on top to set things on).

You will want some kind of way to humidify the house if you burn wood with any kind of regularity.

When I was a kid, I broke my face up real bad in a backyard accident; both octal sockets fractured as well as the doctor having to remove pieces of cartilage from the wound on my nose just to sew it up. I have a terrible time with my sinuses drying out and nose-bleeds that seem as if they would require transfusions in the winter time.

I have yet to have a nose-bleed in my house in the two winters we've been there. We burn wood every day that the temps are below 50 as my wife hates to be cold and I hate to pay power bills.

We have an old copper kettle that we put up on the lip (it barely fits) and it really seems to help if we keep it full of water.

Just something to think about if you're shopping...

[hold'n187]

old hickory has all that

[SaltMuck]

I've got a High Valley stove (made right here in SC).

http://www.highvalleystoves.com/insert2500.php

It's the 2500 zero clearance unit:

2500_Blacksmith-Insert.jpg

Heats the house well. If one of my zones cuts on, the return in the great room will pull heat and disperse all over the house.

Works well, is good looking, and very efficient.

As for homeboy's outlet idea, it's now a code requirement. The outlet that feeds the blower on your stove must be in the same room as the stove itself. You are also not allowed to put a longer pigtail on the stove by law as they are UL listed units and any modification will nullify the UL listing (and your insurance co's payout should something bad happen and them catch onto your modification).

I believe you on the code thiing. The problem for many bricked/stoned fireplaces is how to hide it. I don't like a cord showing and I refuse to fool with pigtails in the event that the power goes out. I swing my TV out, unscrew the blank cover, unplug the stove and plug into the generator. Takes 5 seconds.

You're onto something with the low humidity inside the house. I know a few people who boil a pot on the stove, but most stoves now, particularly higher end ones, don't have a ledge. We burn through the winter and my crowd's not had a bloody nose yet.

[turbo]

Hiding it will not be the code inspector's problem. He'll just make you add an outlet.

I ran a chase through the wall and into the closet behind my unit. I wrapped the cord up under the insert for the inspection (out of sight) and placed a stone in the chase hole to hide it.

The inspector was satisfied with what he saw (he didn't notice there wasn't an outlet for the wood stove) and I ran the cord through the wall and to the outlet in the closet (the pigtail was long enough to do so). If'n I need to hook it to the generator, I'll just unplug it and pull it back through the chase.

As for hiding an outlet, it's typically not that hard to do. You always have stuff on the hearth (firewood, poke set, etc) that you can hide an outlet with fairly easily.

[DRDUCK]

We heated if a Craft stove for 15/yrs when we lived in the Burg. It was awesome. Had the lip Turbo was talking about and cast iron doors exterior blower. Hell of a job it did.