Wood Stove vs. Wood Furnace

[mopar969]

Since I am still a new guy on here if this is already posted just send me the link. I looked and found alto of other posts. However, this also involves my house and its particular layout. So, here I go. I want to install a wood burner for my house, the layout for my house is shown below sorry for the bad handwriting.

I was debating between a wood stove or a furnace, but from what I understand the wood stove is the more efficient. Thus, I would like to go with the wood burner that uses less wood. However, where I want to put a wood stove it will be able to heat my large house. I am use to my house being at about 57-60 degrees so I think that it will be able to heat my house well compared to what I am use to. However, how big of a stove should I get and from what I understand the most efficient is one with an after burn but what about a converter on it? Also, how big should I get I am thinking the biggest at 3000 square feet. I also want to buy it from home depot or lowes because I get fuel perks here in southwestern pa. Let me know which ones could heat my house well if possible. Also, the problem that I have with putting the stove in the spot that I have in my house layout is that it is about 15 feet from my back door, the ceiling in the new edition, the 900 sq ft area, is 15 feet high and the new edition is above my underground garage. View attachment 286130

 

[Ironworker]

With 3000 sq ft you are gonna need the biggest stove out there, but should stay away from the box stores, those are cheap, you will be better off going to a stove place.

 

[dave_dj1]

What is your plan to get the heat upstairs?
The stairs will act as a block, heat meets cold and it won't go without some sort of return air duct.
What type of heat do you have now? If forced hot air I would go with a furnace. They have some pretty efficient ones out there now. If you have hot water baseboard or in floor radiant I would go with a wood boiler. A house that size is going to take a lot of heat er, wood.

 

[stihly dan]

+1 on what dave said.

 

[Arbonaut]

3000 Sq. Feet, Wood Stove or Wood Furnace?

Wood Boiler.




Better hygiene for the dwelling. And more trigger time.

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

i'd go wood furnace, i dont think you're going to heat that big of a house with just a stove, specially with an upstairs. You're going to end up cooking yourself out of the room the stove is in trying to warm up the rest of the house and trying to circulate that warm air is going to be a nightmare i think.

 

[Como]

Wood Boiler would be the most efficient.

How is the house currently heated?

 

[Ironworker]

I have a similar lay out as you and I have no problem heating 3200 sq. ft. With a Lopi Freedom insert, when we went for our stove the stove guy came over and looked at our house before we made our purchase and went with his recommendation, that is why going to a stove place is the way to go, it may cost a little more but you will get a quality stove with many years of loyalty behind it. After 5 years I went back there because one of the baffles had warped and not only did he replace it but gave me another just in case, let me see a box store do that.

 

[sunfish]

Personally I like wood stoves much better than a furnace, or boiler.

Like said, go to a stove dealer, not a big box store! Junk at the box store!!!

Look for Jotul brand and get the largest one they offer.

 

[Dogsout]

I am use to my house being at about 57-60 degrees so I think that it will be able to heat my house well compared to what I am use to. View attachment 286130

I know one thing for certain you CAN'T be married. If my house goes below 70, my quality of life takes a serious downturn courtesy of my better half. Guess she has gotten used to our OWB pumping plenty of heat into the house.

 

[mopar969]

I am leaning towards getting the 3000 sq ft us stove from home depot. One of the reasons that I am trying to avoid a furnace is because I currently have a forced air oil furnace which is killing my wallet. So, have have no room to run another flue from my garage through the new edition to the roof. I was also leaning toward the stove because of the fact I can heat my house without electricity. I live out in the country with over seven acres and the power goes out often. As far as the issue with the heat going upstairs, to me this would not be a problem because they are just bedrooms and we are rarely in them. Also,the rooms are small to where if it doesn't heat that well I could use electric space heaters if needed.

Do you think this will heat the new edition since it has a high ceiling and is above a garage. Also about how hot should I expect the other end of the house to be. I would like this stove to be supplement heat but if it heats well, I will use it as my main heat source. I wanted to post this to see if others have used a stove to heat their house that might be relatively similar to mine.

Lastly, If I have a stove on the main floor what about pipes freezing in my basement, because my basement is made out of sandstone and is not really underground it is at ground level.

Let me know how well you think this stove might be and what temp I can expect my living room on theother end of the house to be. Thanks for all input it is much appreciated.

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

might want to check with your insurance company before you buy the stove and make sure they will insure it. My insurance company won't insure ANY free standing type wood stove but they were fine with my wood furnace, go figure. An OWB would be the way to go if you live in the country like that, i'd love to have one but can't in the city.
make sure you do your homework on stoves and make sure you get one with a glass door, you'll appreciate it later.

 

[blades]

Heat rises, sure does not move horizontal with out help so on your big place hot at stove end cool at other . You do not like furnace idea, suggest 2 stoves if you can not centrally locate one large one. Not a fan of US stoves( chi-com built) If you are looking at plain jane steel stoves Englander ( US made) or Drolet ( Canadian made) Both have excellent customer service.

Power loss, best be looking at some sort of back up then. Space heaters don't work with out it either. Lp genset would be best. Big enough to power couple major appliances at once. I have two gens a little 1000w and a larger 5000w both gas so I have to take care not to leave the crappy ethanol in them ( that's all I can get here) had them for long time.

 

[stihly dan]

The basement will be a problem on real cold nights. use your oil then. Or do an add on furnace, it doe's not have to be next to the oil one. It can be anywhere in the basement. All rms will be heated in the house including basement. All the debris, dust, spiders, and stacks stay out of the living area. Less work, better heat, cleaner house.

 

[Como]

Square footage is pretty meaningless.

What did your heat loss calculation produce?

 

[mopar969]

I am still leaning towards a wood stove because I thought they are more efficient than the wood furnace, is this correct?

To Move the heat laterally cant I set up a fan and blow it that way, or is this ineffective with a wood stove?

Also, I really don't have space in my garage for the furnace because where my current furnace is there is no room since it is next to my stairs.

As far as the house I think that if the blower is on wont heat eventually go laterally to the main part of the house? Also, as far as the basement will their be a concern for pipes to freeze only on unusually cold nights or will this be an every night caution? Thanks again everyone.

Lastly is there a big difference between a 3000 sq ft stove and a 2500 sq ft stove?

 

[Ironworker]

You will be surprised at not only how much the heat spreads but how fast, looking at your lay out you seem to have an open floor plan which is good but also your stove will be close to your stairs and heat rises, like I stated earlier you might be better off going to a stove specialist, it might cost a bit more but will help you in the long run, those guys see all kinds of lay outs and know what is best and more often they will come over with out costing you a nickel.

 

[Como]

3,000 sq ft at 10 btu is 30,000btus max an hour.

3,000 sq ft at 50 btus max is 150,000 an hour.

What is yours?

 

[blades]

There are a few very efficient wood furnaces available. These units are specifically designed to burn wood, not coal units that you can burn wood in also. Wood and coal burn in completely different ways. Generally coal requires a forced combustion air source something that is not needed with wood.

 

[brenndatomu]

There are at least two high efficiency wood furnace manufactures that are sponsors on AS. 1. Kuuma - http://www.arboristsite.com/redirsponsor.php?size=lg&id=38 2.PSG - Les fournaises PSG

And as far as the Sq. footage rating of wood stove/inserts, IGNORE IT! The size of the firebox means more than the manufactures "rating," cause they do not compare apples to apples, they kinda just pull a # out they azzes.