Hey guys my plan is to leave the oil tanks filled for a rainy day because lets face facts the prices are only going to get higher. I think it is too close to put the furnace near any of my tanks. Evene if I move the one tank the furnace will be under five feet from the furnace!! So, at first, I was going to do a horizontal run through the right side of the sandstone wall but if that is no good scratch that idea.
I am installing this for my parents old house, my other two questions are:
1. As far us operating the fire y mom thinks that you need to stoke it and there is a lot of maintenance to keep the fire going is this correct? I think she is thinking of an open fireplace.
2. My second question is, can I use my existing pre fabed 6 inch flue that is used for the oil furnace. I was going to completely disconnect the oil flue completely and then just connect the wood. If I ever need the oil I know I would have to disconnect the wood then reconnect the oil. Is this allowed by code or no? Also, maybe if me going to wood I will not have to use oil at all. However, if I leave the house for hours every Sunday wont my house become to cold and I risk pipes freezing from the wood furnace not going and the oil furnace being disconnected.
Thanks again every one so much for all the advice for me as a new person here.
Kick the frickin fuel tanks outside.
Judging by your questions, you have zero wood heating experience. Heating with wood takes a lot of time and effort, compared to just turning the thermostat and writing a check to the gas man. Even if you buy wood split and dried, it has to be carried inside, the stove filed 2 or more times per day, ashes taken out and disposed of weekly or more often, and occasional chimney inspections/cleanings. Since you're talking about a wood furnace, and not a stove, I'll assume you'll probably burn anywhere between 5-15 cords (15-45 of the much hated "face" cords that might be advertised in your area). That's a lot of money to buy wood, or a ton of work to process it all yourself. Think cutting, splitting, and stacking a full size pickup load a week - every week - year around, until you get ahead of the game. Working by yourself, that can be a day's work.
I'm not trying to talk you out of making the switch, I just want you to be sure you know what you're getting into.
To answer your questions,
Yes the stove will need to be "stoked" - a couple times a day, maybe 3-4 depending on the stove, your insulation, how warm you like to be, what type of wood you're burning, outside temps, etc.
Using the 6" flue for the oil furnace - maybe. It depends if it's a HT flue or not, and we really have no way of knowing that. It'd be best to have a licensed installer come out and look at your setup. Some stove shops will come out and give you a free estimate of what it will cost, look into that. Also, some furnaces require a larger 8" flue, and your 6" will not be big enough.
Leaving for a couple hours? Not a problem. Leaving for all day? Temperatures will vary as the stove burns down. If you're not going to be happy to come home to a house that might be 5-10° cooler than normal until the stove catches back up, maybe it's not for you.
Have you considered an outdoor wood stove? It would solve some of your problems, and sized properly, they will keep the temp inside more even over a longer period of time, with the drawback of using even more wood than the average inside furnace.
