Buying Double-wide house, save to install a wood stove?

[Motodeficient]

Buying Double-wide house, safe to install a wood stove?

OOPS, title should say "safe" not "save"

I am in the process of purchasing my first house, a double-wide mobile home. I am very fond of heating with wood and was trying to purchase a home with a chimney and wood stove hookup already in place, but this was a good deal on a home in my area in my price range. If I have to rely exclusively on oil heat, well then so-be-it.

I am considering having a wood stove setup professionally installed, but am worried about the safety of doing this in a mobile home. The stove shop locally said they install them all the time in double-wides, they just have to be mobile-home approve and install a fresh air kit. The 30% tax credit also make it more enticing.

Here is a picture of the "dining room" where I want to install the wood stove.

So what do you guys think? Also, I believe this will affect my home-owners insurance, but by how much??

 

[KMB]

I'd say call your insurance, explain to them what you want to do and see what they say.

Kevin

 

[Mike PA]

:agree2:

Get the insurance companies requirements and make certain it is installed to code. If you insurance co will not insure it, look around for one that will.

 

[gwiley]

I recommend an OWB. Insurance won't care about it and it is safer than a wood stove. There are a number of other advantages to the OWB as well, one of the biggest to you will be space savings and even heat distribution. The complete list is:

- no mess/dirt/insects inside the house
- smaller footprint inside the house (none)
- no smoke inside house
- longer burn times
- more even heat distribution (through central air ducts)
- no fire inside house
- no hot surfaces for little ones to burn themselves on

I am sure that the woodstove crowd will raise objections/alternatives so take this as my considered opinion based on experience with both indoor and outdoor wood heat.

 

[danrclem]

I agree with contacting your insurance company. You know that their standards of installation will be high and that's the most important thing. If it's done right you should be ok.

 

[Motodeficient]

I recommend an OWB. Insurance won't care about it and it is safer than a wood stove. There are a number of other advantages to the OWB as well, one of the biggest to you will be space savings and even heat distribution. The complete list is:

- no mess/dirt/insects inside the house
- smaller footprint inside the house (none)
- no smoke inside house
- longer burn times
- more even heat distribution (through central air ducts)
- no fire inside house
- no hot surfaces for little ones to burn themselves on

I am sure that the woodstove crowd will raise objections/alternatives so take this as my considered opinion based on experience with both indoor and outdoor wood heat.

I hadn't really thought of that but I would love to go that route. Unfortunately I don't think I will be able to swing that kind of cash. What does a one of those typically run for an installed price? I would certainly not need an overly large one. I seem to remember hearing prices of $7k installed?

 

[stint]

Like my old farmer neighbor says...any problem can be solved if you throw enough greenbacks at it

But, just looking at your proposed area as far as space available and compatible materials, I would think obtaining proper clearances and/or installing proper shielding/masonry will bring dramatic space and weight requirements that may not be compatible with what you are showing.

Best regards and good luck with project

 

[gwiley]

I hadn't really thought of that but I would love to go that route. Unfortunately I don't think I will be able to swing that kind of cash. What does a one of those typically run for an installed price? I would certainly not need an overly large one. I seem to remember hearing prices of $7k installed?

It depends on the mfg. CB is expensive, but there are others for less than $4,000.

Consider doing the installation yourself. Most elements are pretty easy. The hardest for me was adding the heat exchanger to the AC plenum and wiring the thermostat.

With a doublewide you can learn the plumbing bit easily - leaks don't place your house at risk since you are off grade. Do the electric, just have an electrician come in and inspect your work. A good DIY book and the manufacturer instructions have everything you need to know.

This site also has a lot of folks who have plenty of experience and can probably get you through any tough corners.

The CB dealer offered to answer my questions when I said I wanted to do the install myself - he was very helpful and friendly. I saved close to $2,000 by doing all the work on my own.

 

[Motodeficient]

That is something I will definitely have to look in to. Perhaps I could hold off on doing anything right now and install a OWB in a year or two.

 

[HittinSteel]

You'll be able to make it work. Like others have said, talk to the insurance company first. Then it is just a matter of finding the right stove with clearances, kits etc. Check out the Napoleon stoves if you haven't already. My 1400P has some very small clearances.

 

[Motodeficient]

Yes I have looked extensively at the napoleon stoves, was thinking about the indepence 1450.

 

[dingeryote]

Before deciding on anything, check with your insurance company.

Most will NOT cover a freestanding woodstove, but WILL cover a fireplace...

That leaves a zero clearance fireplace option,wood fired furnace or an OWB.

Some states it dosn't matter though, but double check to make sure before ya get yourself into a corner.

Common sense dosn't apply to insurance and Mortgage companys.


Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[wdchuck]

The man that introduced me to woodburning had a single wide with a wood burning stove in it.

He paid $15K for the housing unit, and had a lot rental.

His woodburner, sheets of cementious underlayment for heat barrier, double wall pipe cost him about $400. He put a box fan behind it to spread the heat.

His principle was keep it simple and safe. His house was warmer than mine.

He was also smart enough to not tempt fate with doing things stupid, so he also burned well seasoned wood, kept under cover the second year, and he had fireproof material directly under the woodburner.

 

[CrappieKeith]

- no mess/dirt/insects inside the house
- smaller footprint inside the house (none)
- no smoke inside house
- longer burn times
- more even heat distribution (through central air ducts)
- no fire inside house
- no hot surfaces for little ones to burn themselves on

I could say the same thing about having a wood furnace in a shed just outside the home only investing about $4000 for the furnace shed and flue.
Having a solid well built furnace that will last 30 years is a great investment.
It would go through about half of the wood a OWB would use.Way less maintainence and there would be no smoke blowing at your house that smells like creosote.

A stove will heat part of your home...not sure of the size...but a furnace will heat your whole home. Being that you live in Maine your heat load is a lot heavier than those fellars burning wood in stoves down around Indy.
Take a look at the Yukon Super Jack 125 or the Big Jack 90...a Eagle IV/Klondike could also work.
Keep in mind that you could take 30% of the furnace & flue up to $1500 as a direct tax credit for this year.

 

[stihlcountry]

The Buck Stove Co. makes an excellent Mobile Home approved wood stove for around $1000. Two famillies that live close by here have them in their double wides and they look great and work great. They are an excellent built stove. If I needed a new stove I,d buy one in a click. And I don,t even live in a moblie home. Check them out,, does,nt cost any thing to look. :greenchainsaw:

 

[CrappieKeith]

Again when recieving the comment "it works good" look at where these folks live.
North Carolina does not have the heat load that Maine will have.
It's easy to heat a home when the temps are around 15-30 degrees.It's a harder thing to do when it's below 0 all of the time.

 

[1harlowr]

Even if you own your home outright, with no insurance one fire can wipe you out. You will be able to find an insurance company that will insure a WB in a mobile home.
Sorry but even on a home owned with no mortgage very few people can afford to replace it out of savings

 

[Motodeficient]

Honestly I am not worried about the stove not having sufficient heat output. I have been heating a giant two story 1804 farm house with corn cob insulation, very drafty windows, gaps in the doors, etc for 3 years straight, exclusively using a single wood stove. We have a furnace here, but I have not purchased oil for it since 2006. I am sure a 200 year newer, smaller home will be much easier to heat with a woodstove.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Insurance is a gamble. You are betting your premiums that your house will burn down and they are betting the value of your home and it's contents that it won't. As for me, I will lay down my ante every time just for peace of mind.

Ian

 

[blades]

Had a single wide I heated with wood for many years, just follow the codes to the letter.Mine was a very early 80's unit and as such was not well insulated.achieving 80+ inside with 0 out was not a problem. Most companies have a couple or more models that are mobile home approved. You will need to add the oak section as that is code required. Check with Insurance co first, some of them are funky about wood stoves in any dwelling. Also you didn't say if this is on your own property or if you are renting the space under it, in which case the landowner co might have a say also. You will likely need to run the furnace blower to disperse the heat around more evenly. Most of the lot rental co will not allow OWB. Being single I do not have to deal with complaints.