Indoor Wood Stove. What type

[MS-310]

As you may all know that I dont like these units but in some time my friend will be wanting one (lives in town with super small lot). it would have to go in the basement but it could be plumbed to the gas furnace. What type of stove could he use with the best burn time. (has to fit down the steps)

I was thinking one of the wood add on's at TSC...

He wants an OWB but he couldnt fit one in his yard. (50x50 lots size)

So what you guys think?

Thanks guys.

 

[habanero]

Your friend should try conserving energy via insulation, etc and heat with conventional sources and forget about any type of wood heat. Wood heat isn't for people that live on a 50 x 50 ft. lot. Think about the neighbors.

I'm not sure I agree with that. A modern, well-designed (and well-operated) stove doesn't smoke much at all. Heck, my house doesn't sit on a much larger lot than that. I have a home-designed, home-built outdoor wood boiler that my closest neighbor didn't even know about until we were working on the privacy fence between the properties (he is a little slow, though).

I guess the larger issue with a lot that small is where to put the wood at, but that isn't a total deal-breaker if you have friends with more property or are clever about it on your own property.

 

[jefeVTtreeman]

if he has access to the basement cant just run some radiant floor heating? up here in VT cost would be same to Hearthstone wood stove.

 

[mga]

i looked at some inserts from the web pages you guys posted.

what do they mean by "burn time"?

 

[ocv5]

burn time is the amount off time it will take for a load of wood to burn up. i myself is located on a smallish lot 150 by 100. i have a quadrafire 2100 millennium stove in my living room. we use the stove as a full time heatsorce for a 1700 square foot ranch. its a mostly open floor plan. and dosnt let the temp of the house go below.72 degrees (when the wife keeps it running).
the thing i like about using wood is . the money from the wood purchased stays in the local area. and is not being sent over seas.also there is upkeep. chimney cleaning,removing ashes, and cleaning glass . but if kept up takes no more than a hour once a month.
as for the smoke my stove only smokes the first 15 min or so untill it reaches about 350degrees inside.then there is no smoke at all comming out the chimney.i highly suggest if you get a stove have your chimney relined. and have it professional installed.i did the instulation my self but have done them before working construction.
if you do the instulation you self have it inspected by a local inspector and have the fire company inspect it also .safety first. also some insurance companies wont alow you to install it your self . so check in to that before doing anything. good luck.

 

[wdchuck]

Your friend should try conserving energy via insulation, etc and heat with conventional sources and forget about any type of wood heat. Wood heat isn't for people that live on a 50 x 50 ft. lot. Think about the neighbors.

This is a good start for anyone. THen, no matter what heat source is used the house will be more comfortable and use less fuel, whatever it may be.

---------
I have a DAKA add-on, nothing fancy, with a load of oak at 10pm, it will still be blowing somewhat warm air at 5am, but the heat is coming from the metal/fire brick. It's rated to heat up to 2600sq/ft., and we have a 150 yr old drafty, old windows, no insulation, 5bdrm, 3000sq/ft two story home, and so far, only on the below zero nights will the propane furnace come on at about 3-4am, not bad in my book.
Menards sells them for about $800 bucks, two guys can slide it down some planks on the basement stairs pretty well, I had buddy below the stove to guide it and I was upstairs with a rope sliding around me to control the descent, worked out well. Easy to install, there are accesories for hot water, and a combustion blower, and it can be setup to run alone as well. If I had a ranch house it would be seperate. The website shows the entire manual in PDF.

I've looked at some of the larger ones at TSC and they seem really HEAVY, look like they have more secondary combustion technology built in. I'd like to hear from an owner about these.

Let us know how this turns out.

 

[Husky137]

Your friend should try conserving energy via insulation, etc and heat with conventional sources and forget about any type of wood heat. Wood heat isn't for people that live on a 50 x 50 ft. lot. Think about the neighbors.

Let's ban chimneys altogether. They are just an archaic vestige of a bygone era.

 

[Bowtie]

Your friend should try conserving energy via insulation, etc and heat with conventional sources and forget about any type of wood heat. Wood heat isn't for people that live on a 50 x 50 ft. lot. Think about the neighbors.

I own my 120 by 160 lot and have all kinds if room for my wood. Granted I only use about 4 cords per year, but my log splitter takes up space, too. A 50 by 50 lot is big enough to store wood and use wood heat if the owner is smart about how he stacks and burns.
:greenchainsaw:

 

[MS-310]

holy cow TreeCO.... (You sure like to tell people what to do)


I been looking at indoor add ons but the burn time still sucks on them.. I hate that. I will keep looking for an really good EPA add on Stove, do they make them.

 

[MS-310]

So if you live in the country its ok to burn wood???? SO you dont think wind moves the smoke around???? Yes I do agree in the big towns but not in towns where there is less cars around driving then houses. The big point is really "CARS" they make so much bad stuff to breath in that wood smoke is not nearly that bad.

 

[saw-um]

"Pretending wood stoves (yes, even epa stoves) don't have high emissions when compared to conventional heating fuels is keeping your head in the sand."

I wonder if you are including all the resources it takes to actually get that fuel to your furnace in your equation. Big picture vs. small picture are often different.

 

[laynes69]

I have a USStove 1500 hotblast with the forced draft kit. Its basically the same as the little green furnace at tsc. I can load up 5 logs about 6to 8 inches in diameter at 9:30pm, wake up at 5:00 am and the house will be 74 to 77 when its 20 degrees out. They put out a hell of alot of heat when there fired right and they will burn clean if you give them the air to. Heres something to read up on, maybe someday I will get one of these. They are one of the only EPA certified add-ons.

http://www.psg-distribution.com/product.aspx?CategoId=15&Id=325

Our furnace hasn't ran once this year with our wood/furnace. Any wood furnace that is purchased, I would recommend series installation.

 

[MS-310]

So you like yours alot?

how do you get the heat up to the duct work?

The guy i talked to was on crack about know anything about EPA stoves... Or UL listed.

 

[laynes69]

Mines about 20 years old, which I had to rebuild the inside if it due to warpage. I modified mine where I have 3 8" ducts that come from the main furnace plenum to the bottom of the wood furnace, then 3 8" ducts come out the top into the main heat trunk. It just uses the main LP furnaces blower. When its running it feels no different than a gas furnace with the heat coming from the ducts. Our home is 2400 square feet, 10 foot ceilings and 150+ years old and it heats well. In the morning when the fire has dies down, the house will be around 72 to 74 if its cold out, after loading the fire, within minutes the house is 75 to 76 again. I get decent burn times considering the amount of oxygen I have going into the fire. When its in full burn, which is now, there is nothing but blue flames at the back of the firebox, and no smoke in the chimney. I would say the outside of the fire box is 500 to 600 degrees. Its set for 80 off and 140 on, and after loading it, the blower will run constant till the fire dies down. Its been a lifesaver not having to pay for propane. Also our burns coal, which works well also.

 

[Greenthorn]

I have 2 different CLAYTON models, this is my smaller unit. Is it EPA certified??? Is it neighbor polite??? Don't know, I know it does a heck of a job heating. Saw this same model at RURAL KING for $899 last week, yes I also burn coal in it every so often too. I can swing 28 inch long pieces in her and can make her burn for about 10 hours if banked right. Don't let my wife know I posted this pic or she will be hot after me to clean the place up.
I find the more seasoned my wood is (minimum 18 months for me) and how I control my damper is how "neighbor" friendly I can be.
This furnace usually burns down 1 cord in 5-7 days in typical 20 - 30 degree weather. Got an old house 1,800 square feet that is poorly insulated, but I am working on that. We bought this stove in 1979 for $165.

 

[laynes69]

Damn, thats alot of wood. Mine doesn't have the overhead lever, maybe some sort of secondary burn chamber. How is yours installed? Thats an awful lot of wood, a cord would last me at least a month in 20 to 30 degree weather. But it keeps the family warm and thats what counts. I know from 8 am to 3pm my wife will burn about 6 pieces of wood about 3 per loading.

 

[laynes69]

View attachment 42464

This is ours

 

[JeffHK454]

I have 2 different CLAYTON models, this is my smaller unit. Is it EPA certified??? Is it neighbor polite??? Don't know, I know it does a heck of a job heating. Saw this same model at RURAL KING for $899 last week, yes I also burn coal in it every so often too. I can swing 28 inch long pieces in her and can make her burn for about 10 hours if banked right. Don't let my wife know I posted this pic or she will be hot after me to clean the place up.
I find the more seasoned my wood is (minimum 18 months for me) and how I control my damper is how "neighbor" friendly I can be.
This furnace usually burns down 1 cord in 5-7 days in typical 20 - 30 degree weather. Got an old house 1,800 square feet that is poorly insulated, but I am working on that. We bought this stove in 1979 for $165.

Yep that's a 1600/1600M, what I got in my basement now!

Works great.

The top slide lever is the diverter for the secondary burn chamber.

I agree, a cord a week is a lot a wood, in the coldest times of Jan&Feb I use a cord a month.

Jeff

 

[Greenthorn]

OK, did I say I had a poorly insulated house? See that is what the difference must be? Although I haven't burnt that much now, but when it averages 25 outside, Yes I burn a cord in 5-7 days. My wife must have it 80 freaking degrees and 75 is just to cold - hell no wonder why I run around naked all the time... I thought that was I was just having hot flashes! Our gas furnace has not been on either. If we run a cold month with no wood - only gas - it is about 500 -550 to pay to VECTREN.

 

[Greenthorn]

I think the pictures of the house may put it into perspective??