Osburn 950 EPA 2020 Wood Stove
45,000 BTU/hr from dry cordwood and a 1.8 cu ft firebox rated for 250 to 1,200 square feet. The Osburn 950 is a compact EPA 2020 certified non-catalytic wood stove, 20-1/4" wide on its own four legs, with a cast-iron door, 5/32" ceramic glass, 80% optimum efficiency, burn times up to 5 hours and a 6" flue outlet — $2,199, with nothing else to add before it can be installed but the chimney and floor protection — and a limited lifetime warranty on the firebox welds and door frame.
Choose the 950 if you are heating a smaller space, up to about 1,200 square feet, and want a stove that arrives ready to stand: it sits on its own four legs, so there is no base or door overlay to pick, and at 20-1/4" wide it fits where the bigger Osburn stoves do not. It takes 16" logs (17" maximum) loaded front to back and burns for up to 5 hours. It is approved for mobile homes and alcoves, and the 100 CFM blower is an add-on when you want to push heat further.
It is not right if you need to heat more than about 1,200 square feet — the Osburn 1700 covers up to 1,800 — or if you want an open fire. In the United States the door stays closed while it burns; burning with the door open behind the rigid firescreen is prohibited. It needs a 6" connector to a UL 103 HT factory-built chimney or a code-approved lined masonry chimney, at least 12 ft tall, a ceiling at least 84" above the base of the stove (down to 72" with the larger lowered-ceiling clearances in section 3.1.2 of the installation manual), and ember protection on any combustible floor, and no blower comes with it.
Specifications
In the United States, with a single-wall connector keep 12" to a combustible back wall, 12" to the sides and 11" in a corner; a double-wall connector brings the back to 6" and the corner to 6", with the sides unchanged at 12". In a standard installation the ceiling is at least 84" above the base of the stove (a lowered ceiling down to 72" is allowed with larger wall clearances, section 3.1.2), and the front clearance is drawn in Figure 7 on page 11 of the installation manual. Lowered-ceiling, alcove and mobile-home clearances are tabled in sections 3.1.2 to 3.1.6, pages 13-16. On a combustible floor, lay continuous non-combustible ember protection 16" in front of the door opening and 8" to each side of it — a 31-1/8" x 38-3/4" area — with no R-value required; corner-installation dimensions are tabled with Figure 10 on page 17. The stove stands 28-7/8" high, 20-1/4" wide and 27-7/8" deep on its legs, and the flue outlet and connector are 6".
How the 950 compares to the Osburn 1700
The Osburn 1700 is the next stove up — a 1.86 cu ft firebox against the 950's 1.8, 65,000 BTU/hr against 45,000, 500 to 1,800 square feet against 250 to 1,200, burn times up to 7 hours instead of 5, and 18" logs instead of 17". The 1700 also needs a door overlay and a base chosen with it, where the 950 comes complete on its legs. The 950 is $2,199; the 1700 starts from $2,309 before its overlay and base. Pick the 950 when the space is small and you want the simplest stove to order.
Features
- EPA 2020 certified non-catalytic wood stove — 45,000 BTU/hr maximum on dry cordwood, 80% optimum efficiency and 1.8 g/h particulates, rated for 250 to 1,200 sq ft
- 1.8 cu ft firebox for 16" logs (17" maximum) loaded front to back, with burn times up to 5 hours
- Cast-iron door with 5/32" ceramic glass, air-washed, and a 10-1/4" x 8-7/8" view of the fire
- Complete on its own four legs with leveling bolts — 20-1/4" wide and 27-7/8" deep, with no base or door overlay to add
- Approved for mobile homes and alcoves, with a top heat deflector that sends heat forward and side panels that reduce clearances
- Blower-ready — add the 100 CFM variable-speed blower, whose thermodisc runs it only when the stove is hot
Answers to common questions
What chimney does the 950 need, and is any of it included?
None of the venting ships with the stove. The 950 has a 6" flue outlet and takes a 6" connector pipe to either a factory-built chimney listed to ULC-S629 / UL 103 HT (2100 °F) or a code-approved masonry chimney with a flue liner, at least 12 ft tall. The connector can be single-wall or double-wall, and the choice changes the clearances — double-wall lets the stove sit 6" from a back wall instead of 12". In a mobile or manufactured home only a double-wall connector is allowed; single-wall pipe is strictly forbidden there.
How close can it sit to a wall, and what goes on the floor?
In the United States, with a single-wall connector keep 12" to a combustible back wall, 12" to the sides and 11" in a corner; with a double-wall connector it is 6" at the back, 12" at the sides and 6" in a corner. In a standard installation the ceiling is at least 84" above the base of the stove; a lowered ceiling down to 72" is allowed with larger wall clearances (section 3.1.2 of the installation manual). On a combustible floor it needs a continuous non-combustible ember pad — steel at least 0.015" thick, grouted tile over a continuous non-combustible sheet, cement board, brick or another listed material — reaching 16" in front of the door opening and 8" to each side of it, with no R-value required. A concrete floor needs none. The front clearance is drawn in Figure 7 on page 11 of the installation manual.
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
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Included in the box: Cast-iron door with 5/32" ceramic glass and air wash; Four legs with leveling bolts; High-density refractory brick lining, C-Cast baffle and four secondary air tubes; Top heat deflector and side panels; Single air control under the ash shelf; EPA 2020 certification, UL 1482 / UL 737 / ULC S627 safety listing, and the Osburn limited lifetime warranty.
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Required to complete the installation, purchased separately: Venting - a 6" connector to a listed UL 103 HT (2100 °F) factory-built chimney or a code-approved masonry chimney with a flue liner, at least 12 ft tall (see pg 6 in the installation manual and pg 7 of the owner's manual); Floor Protection - a continuous non-combustible ember pad under the stove and 16" in front of the door opening, no R-value required; not needed on a concrete floor; Outside Air - in a mobile or manufactured home, the 5" fresh air intake kit and insulated fresh air pipe; in any home the room needs an outside or fresh air supply for combustion (see section 6.6 of the owner's manual).
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Optional: The rigid firescreen, the 100 CFM blower, the 5" fresh air intake kit, register and insulated pipe, and floor protection pads sized for the stove — the stove burns and heats without any of them.
How much space will the 950 heat?
Osburn rates it for 250 to 1,200 square feet with a 1.8 cu ft firebox and burn times up to 5 hours on dry cordwood. Climate moves that number — Osburn's climate-zone table puts the maximum at 1,800 sq ft in the mildest zones, 1,200 in zone 6 and 900 in the coldest (7-8) — and the layout of the home, chimney draft and heat loss matter too. If you need more, the Osburn 1700 covers up to 1,800 sq ft.
Can it go in a mobile or manufactured home?
Yes. It is approved for mobile homes. There it needs the 5" fresh air intake kit with insulated fresh air pipe, a double-wall connector (single-wall is not allowed) and the legs screwed to the floor; it must not go in a sleeping room, the structural integrity of the home's floor, walls, ceiling and roof must be maintained, and the rigid firescreen may not be used.
Can I burn it with the door open behind the firescreen?
Not in the United States. Burning with the door open behind the rigid firescreen is prohibited in the US and in any province with a particulate emission limit, and it is never allowed in a mobile home; there, the door stays closed while the stove runs. Where the screen is allowed, the stove is never left unattended with it in place.
Does buying online affect my Osburn warranty?
No. The warranty is Osburn's and applies to this stove however you buy it; it runs from your dated purchase invoice, so keep it and register the stove online at osburn-mfg.com with the model name and serial number from the nameplate on the back. The Torch Guys will help you with any claim. Coverage is a limited lifetime on the combustion chamber welds and cast-iron door frame (5 years labour) and on the ceramic glass, 7 years on the legs, baffle and air tubes, 5 years on the handle, glass retainers and air control, 2 years on the blower and controls, and 1 year on paint and gaskets. It requires installation by an authorized qualified technician and covers the original purchaser only.
