Let me start by saying im looking for a secondary source of heat for a first floor living area approximately 600sqft. I have an old wood stove/furnace in the basement that i've been using for years now but i still have a hard time keeping the temp up in the other end of the house (living room, dining room, laundry). I've always turned down the idea of a pellet stove due to the fact that i don't want to "buy my heat". But after lots of measuring at different locations i just cant meet the clearances for a wood stove in any of those rooms. The hearth wood be halfway out into the center of the room in most cases and i'm just not ready to lose that much floor space. I've done a little research on pellet stoves and it seems the clearances to combustibles are shorter and my venting options are easier to figure out as well. Any smaller, reliable stoves you guys can recommend that i should check out? I don't plan on using the stove for heat all the time but it would just be nice to warm up those rooms while we're home. Thanks in advance
I asked pretty much the same question a while ago and got some really good answers. Check out this thread the pellet folks named a handful of smaller stoves that would work for the space your looking to heat. http://firewoodhoardersclub.com/forums/index.php?threads/small-stove.1348/
Pellets cost money, but are still much cheaper than LP/Fuel oil. I used to spend about $3,600 a year on LP. The 1st 3 years I just used pellets (no wood eater) and used 4-4.5 ton ($200 a ton avg). So I only spent $800-$900 on pellets, or a $2,800 a year savings. So yes you need to buy them, but, you don't need 3 years worth like wood, no bugs, bark, or messy hearth, and your house stays a nice consistent temp all day. No need to babysit while adjusting air, loading 2-4 times a day, etc.. The link that was provided above is a good one. Any stove that does On/Off will fit the bill for a smaller area. There are some stoves that allow them to have some small 4" ducts ran off of them. So you get heat in the stove room and then two 4" ducts run up or over to adjacent rooms for heat in there as well. Which is very close to what a pellet furnace provides. If you have a Wood furnace? Have you looked into actual pellet furnaces? I have one and love it. Even house temps all day and I don't worry about waking up and tending to the fire. Once in the evening I check the hopper. I add a bag or two and walk away.
Thanks for the link mattjim! I didn't come across that when i searched. That's got some helpful info on some models that might work for me. Dex thanks for the info as well. I thought about a pellet furnace but my main issue is finding a somewhat central location in the basement for easy ducting options(low basement ceiling. My house was built in the 20's and it's since had many small additions also making venting options and issue. That's why im having a hard time moving air from my wood furnace to the other side of the house. The only suitable location for an 8" double wall chimney was in a back corner of the house.
Personally I don't consider a pellet stove as "buying my heat" any more than my wood stove , with the saw, the truck ,and my time to css all that free wood really isn't free I've been a wood burner for 30 yrs. and I enjoy it and will till the day I die . I tell you what pellet stoves are awesome ,nice steady heat and lot less work .
Will, you also don't consider your beer supply as "buying your beer" either. You have to drink something. Right? There is water in there. We all need water. Gotta have it. LOL Smokin, I have a pellet stove in the camp and really like it. I did not want the work of firewood at both places. I burn through 9-10 cord at my house from October 1-May. I don't need to process more wood than that!
Amen! I spend an equal amount (actually more with my CAD!) of money on Pellets and wood (and wood related items). If I was pellet only, it would be cheaper, cleaner, and my Wife would be much happier (I have a problem with Chainsaws) But that's just me. Some people only have one saw, scrounge all their wood for free, are home more often. We can go away a whole weekend and come home to a warm house (basement pellet furnace is just shy of 3 bags, and Enerzone upstairs is just shy of 2 bags). I would definitely look into the Drolet Eco-65. You can still install it upstairs and run 2 ducts to adjacent rooms. This shows it in a basement, but instead of turning up 90° into a vent, I'm sureyou can go horizontal through a wall into the adjoining rooms or a kids bedroom. I wouldn't have my Pellet furnace if it wasn't for my kids. We have a nice through the wall fan (Tjernland Aireshare) to bring heat into our room, but with a furnace, hot air is supplied to all of them. Here is the Northern Link http://m.northerntool.com/mt/www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200442427_200442427 Here is the Enerzone link of the Euromax (same as Drolet Eco-65, but more bells and nd whistles) I have the sister stove, the Enerzone Eurostar and LOVE IT! http://enerzone-intl.com/product.aspx?CategoId=5&Id=549 Or the Enviro Maxx-M (or Maxx, but Maxx-M is multi fuel and can go much longer between cleanings). http://enviro.com/fireplace-products/pellet/freestanding-fireplace.html#Maxxm These 3 have the ability to duct and also are around 70,000 BTU and will Crank the heat if needed!
Are you keeping the wood burner? I do both pellet on the main floor it's great keeps that space 70+ and bedrooms upstairs 68. Before pellet install had to push the wood burner hard in the man cave ,didn't work very well couldn't get enough heat up. Had to use the not cheap not cozy electric base board I suggested to my honey we put a pellet stove upstairs she was all for it she always wanted a mantel in the living room , she got and to this day says "the best thing we ever bought". If you got any ?? please ask several knowledgeable guys here.
Yes, I have a Buck 74 in my lower level. It heats the house fine except when it gets in the teens and lower. I will most definitely ask you gents when I get serious about purchasing a unit. Thanks