Which wood burner is best for my man cave.

[LindellProStaf]

I have a 28' x 38' garage, shop, and man cave.  I keep it heated all winter.  I have been using a King wood burner. Like an Ashley type.   It has the tin shroud around the fire box and works pretty good.  If I use ash or birch or other good hard wood and fill it at 9:00 pm it usually has coals at 7:00 am so all I have to do is add more wood and then when I come home from work at 5:00 I fill it again.  I have been thinking of getting one of those DAKA wood burning furnaces at Menards.  I wonder how it will be for wood consumption, duration of burn etc.  I am thinking that since it actually opens and closes the air supply to keep the desired heat range that it might actually last longer.  With the King I set the heat setting and damper and that is the way it goes all night.  Anyone have any ideas or experiences that will help me make up my mind on this very important issue???       I have a flat screen in there also so watch the Vikes out there.  That is a high priority....

[cavalierowner]

Before you start researching, I would suggest checking with your homeowner's insurance. I heard two real horror stories where insurance didn't cover a fire because the stove didn't meet the insurance company's requirements. 

[LindellProStaf]

Very true. Cav.  My insurance company has a picture of the wood burner in my shop.  I also had the local Fire Chief look at my installation and showed him the MN code that is used to install it so he signed off on it and I sent that to my insurance company  also.  

[delcecchi]

New EPA regs have recently gone into effect.  That will change the availability. 

[LindellProStaf]

That's what I heard too Del.  They say the time to buy is now while they are still truly functional and not choked down due to the new regs.

[delcecchi]

There is a company in Tower, MN named Lampa mfg that makes wood burning furnaces and sauna stoves that sound really good.  Brand is Kuuma. 

[LindellProStaf]

Thanks Del.

[lovebigbluegills]

Which stove did you go with Lindell??

[LindellProStaf]

Still using my King Stove.  I haven't decided if a wood furnace is the way to go or not.  My stove is old.  One of those that you load from the side and has the tin shroud around the whole thing.  Like you would have in a living room type of thing.  Actually works real good but wanted to upgrade.   They have Ashleys I think at L& M that look just like it.  

Glad you brought this back up Gill.  I am going to look up that brand that Del mentioned in the above post.  

[leech~~]

It can be hard to find the right wood burner when you have a Shop/Man cave in one.

For a shop you want an efficient burner you can load up and bank down so you don't have to keep playing with it while your working on a project.

But for a Man cave you may want like me to be able to see the fire as you watch the Viks all warm and cozy having a beer eating some smoked fish far from the wife's voice! And a lot of times the open glass front burners are not as efficient.

Good luck on the Quest !

[LindellProStaf]

Man Leech that about says it all.  Huge Vikes fan.  Don't miss a game.  AND beer.  And smoked fish etc....

There is plastic lines in the floor of my Man Cave/Garage for floor heat that were there when I bought the place.  I have never hooked them up.  I just got an aluminum 18 gal. gas tank.  I am going to build a frame and sit it a couple of inches above the fire box on my wood burner.  I am going to hook up a pump and just have a switch on it.  I will just run it manually and see what happens.  Should at least put some heat in the floor.  I am running the wood burner all winter anyway so might as well see if I can store some heat in the floor.  If it raised the floor temp even 10 degrees at the far end of the 28 x 38 building ti would be great.  That would be by the garage doors where it is the coolest.  Menards has a 3 speed pump for floor heat that is only about $125.  I keep the ceiling fan by the wood burner on all winter so the floor near it is warm and should help to transfer the heat in the tubes i would think.  ???   

This is the busy time of year for our home business so will be caught up in a couple of weeks and then I am going to dive into this project.  Curious to see how it works.

Any ideas are welcome....