I'll try to make this as simple as possible... The wife likes to play with fire and I don't mind reducing winter heat bills.
We have a 2200sqft house not including the 24x32 attached garage and full poured cement basement. There is only 1 way into and out of the basement through the side of the kitchen. So I think the basement is out (for placement of indoor furnace) since the wife doesn't want wood inside, and I don't want to carry all that wood 1/2 way across the house. We have 2 enclosed fireplace stacks attached to the house (neither is open to be used currently). The previous owner boxed out one with plywood and the other is behind drywall somewhere. The garage is attched and there is probably room in there for the placement of a wood stove. So I'm thinking of five options...
1.) pellet stove insert(s) for the exhisting stack(s). But what is cheaper, cutting wood or buying pellets; has anyone done the math??
2.) OK if Btu value is too low or pellet cost to much... How about a wood stove/furnace in the garage that feeds hot air into the house and heats the garage making it warm to work in over winter? Benefit would be keeping mess in garage and having a truck with topper filled with dry wood a few feet away.
3.) wood furnace outside with air vent into the house to feed house with heat. I have seen these and know guys that love them but how is the efficiency on transferring BTU value of wood into house and how long do they burn?
4.) OWB - Pony up the $$$ and run hot water to furnace and any cold spot in the house to help even the heat. (best option but I've added up the cost and it's not cheap...
5.) Masonary heater - Anyone ever do one of these??? they seem very practicle due to heat storage and short hot burns. the only problem I can think of would be ability to deliver heat to the corners of the house.
x.) an option I don't know about...
We have a 2200sqft house not including the 24x32 attached garage and full poured cement basement. There is only 1 way into and out of the basement through the side of the kitchen. So I think the basement is out (for placement of indoor furnace) since the wife doesn't want wood inside, and I don't want to carry all that wood 1/2 way across the house. We have 2 enclosed fireplace stacks attached to the house (neither is open to be used currently). The previous owner boxed out one with plywood and the other is behind drywall somewhere. The garage is attched and there is probably room in there for the placement of a wood stove. So I'm thinking of five options...
1.) pellet stove insert(s) for the exhisting stack(s). But what is cheaper, cutting wood or buying pellets; has anyone done the math??
2.) OK if Btu value is too low or pellet cost to much... How about a wood stove/furnace in the garage that feeds hot air into the house and heats the garage making it warm to work in over winter? Benefit would be keeping mess in garage and having a truck with topper filled with dry wood a few feet away.
3.) wood furnace outside with air vent into the house to feed house with heat. I have seen these and know guys that love them but how is the efficiency on transferring BTU value of wood into house and how long do they burn?
4.) OWB - Pony up the $$$ and run hot water to furnace and any cold spot in the house to help even the heat. (best option but I've added up the cost and it's not cheap...
5.) Masonary heater - Anyone ever do one of these??? they seem very practicle due to heat storage and short hot burns. the only problem I can think of would be ability to deliver heat to the corners of the house.
x.) an option I don't know about...
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