I need more heat

[Gunner930]

I bought a home with a vogelzang highlander woodstove in the basement. It is a small stove (1.2 cubic ft. firebox 1800 sq. ft.) I am looking for bigger and better things. It just doesn't cut it. It's like a craftsman chainsaw. I want the stihl. I would like to heat my whole house with wood. I have a newer 2200 sq. ft. home. Unfornatly I can't afford the stihl (outdoor wood boiler). What would be the my best option. I have 4 to 5 thousand to spend. Right now I am leaning towards getting a outdoor wood forced air furnace. Don't know a lot about heating with wood but will that work ok. Or would I just be wasting my time? Also have considered an indoor add on wood furnace. I would probably need to put a new flue, but willing to do whatever it takes. Or do I buy a bigger wood stove? What would you do in my situation? I don't want to pay the gas man. If you know the brands and models that are good please list them. Thank you

Keep burning

 

[dingeryote]

Gunner,

Glad ta have ya here and sounding off!

There's a gent here that goes by the handle "Crappie Kieth", who happens to specialize in just what you are asking, and there's a whole slew of good natured guys over on the firewood forum that obcess over such things.

Drop the same question there and no doubt you'll have a ton of answers to questions ya never even considered asking.

As it is though, it sounds like you're asking the warm air to move where it can't without some ducting away from the stove, and are losing the radiant heat to the floor below where the heat is desired.

If I was looking at an OWB, I'd definately rip up the floors and install a radiant system myself, and the wife and I have several times wondered what it was we were thinking by not doing so, when we built this place.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[Uncle John]

A free standing wood stove in your living space is by far the best bang for your dollar!

For Sure.:agree2:

 

[treeslayer]

A free standing wood stove in your living space is by far the best bang for your dollar!

:agree2: X2

OMG yes, and really fun to cook on and in.

 

[user 44856]

I would either get a 2nd wood stove, or build a masonry fireplace, the latter being my desired option, more work but would last much longer. I would expect either of these to be much less than 4 to 5 thousand.

Your current chimney is probably on an outside wall, which serves as a heat sink and loses much of the heat. For the same reason I would not even consider an outdoor wood furnace, or any kind of forced air ducts.

The easiest would be to put a wood stove in the center of your living space, emphasizing secondary heating and getting the most heat possible from the fuel, which would also cut down greatly on any creosote production. If and when I build a house it will definitely have a masonry fireplace in the center.

 

[pdqdl]

4-5 grand might get you into the ultimate heating system, if you did the work yourself.

Nothing is more comfortable than circulating hot water heat, with radiators (and thermostats) in each room. Less dust, less noise, almost no temperature fluctuation. BTW, they are more efficient than forced air, and are better suited for merging with a wood burning device. Modern versions are pretty inconspicuous. You could install a standard gas fired system indoors, and supplement it with an outdoor heat source that burns wood.

Once you got it all working, you would have (theoretically) free heat from the OWB, thermostatically switched indoor gas on the same system for when the fire burned out. If the whole thing quits working, you would still have your old forced air to fall back on. Summertime: the AC still works on the forced air.

Cheaper option: skip the indoor water heat, and just use the forced air for backup when the fire goes out.

 

[wkpoor]

Heating from the basement invovles a number of factors that all need to come together at least somewhat well. First off floor plan has everything to do with how basement radiant heat will effect the next floor level up. Next in order to stay on the cheap go out and get an older steel stove like a Buck or Nashua that can really pour out the heat. There will still be trade offs like the basement a little too warm or the 1st floor a little too cool. I've been heating like you describe for 8yrs now and on days like today with temps 25-35 its works just dandy. When temps get below 10 degrees we simply spend most of the time in the basement. Its a trade off we are willing to make for zero heating costs and very little initial investment.

 

[logbutcher]

Here's the skinny from a 100%, 24/7 wood heater. Wood stoves are basic space heaters: put them where you want the heat and spend the time. There're (relatively) cheap, require little infrastructure other than a flue and protection, don't need power or pumps or pex piping, are pretty ( don't underestimate the power of good looks ! ), and are proven clean and efficient. Yes, I'm biased like TreeCo.
Opinion: put the stove where you live....not in the cellar to heat dirt.

OK. IF we were doing it over I may, may have built the place around a Masonry Stove ( Russian Fireplace ). It takes some designing and cost. Those I know who have one, do have problems heating in shoulder times.

Pellet stoves: stay away. Over hyped and fuel is $$$ and often not available.

OWB: fine if you have no neighbors, are willing to spend $$$ for pumps, plumbing, have plenty of junk wood, and are willing to go out to feed the beast. Not an efficient solution IMHO.

High end whole house wood furnaces like the Tarm are super and proven. Not cheap. Require plumbing. Can be fussy burners.

Get a high end stand-alone wood stove: Pacific Energy, Jotul, Woodstock, etc.... Ask, research online, fiddle with the controls and doors, look at the installation needs. You'll easily spend the same amount for the flue, and space, as you will for the stove.

JMNSHO

 

[Bcat22]

My wood master 4400 OWB only cost me $4800. if you have $5k to spend, why not leave the mess outside. my neighbor bought a cheap timberwolf and heats DHW and house for under $3k

 

[stint]

You....Need more heat

Your analogy between Craftsman and Stihl is a good one

Your craftsman stove puts out 26000 BTU

A Stihl (Jotul F500) will put out 70000 BTU

Cost is more, but you can get the $1500 credit on Jotul, and payback from the more heat you want and would get with Jotul makes quick $$$ense

 

[woodhounder]

I too would put in a free standing wood stove in your living area. Until you do, burn well seasoned wood with high btu's.

 

[wkpoor]

One thing not discussed here. I wouldn't heat from my basement if my basement weren't actually my first floor. I don't want to move firewood up or down stairs and if your basement is a walkout like mine then it makes perfect good sense to heat from that point. I intend to add a second stove upstairs but onyl as a suplement on the really cold and windy days. If your basement is down a set of stairs many times narrow and rickity then by all means make your primary source the first floor. Its just too easy for me to move fw in and ashes out a walkout basement with a double french door setup. Again floor plan is everything and where you spend the most of your time.

 

[Techstuf]

The easiest would be to put a wood stove in the center of your living space, emphasizing secondary heating and getting the most heat possible from the fuel, which would also cut down greatly on any creosote production. If and when I build a house it will definitely have a masonry fireplace in the center.

Nice looking free standing rock woodburner! My ultimate scenario is a central sunken rock fire pit with both open and closed w/secondary burn options. Bench seating all around. Kinda like below, but much better:

Rocket Mass Heater efficiency all the way...



Blessings in Christ Yeshua

 

[Beefie]

My vote is for an add on wood furnace . You already have the flue in the basement,just remove that old wood stove and add on a wood furnace. I heat my house with an add on and have no proublems with it.

Beefie

 

[reccutter]

My wood master 4400 OWB only cost me $4800. if you have $5k to spend, why not leave the mess outside. my neighbor bought a cheap timberwolf and heats DHW and house for under $3k

better go get some more wood. In your avatar, looks like you only got about a weeks left for your owb.

 

[Gunner930]

Well it looks like wood stove guy is winning this thread so far. I will reconsider. I've only got 2 months of burning experience so have to listen. Gotta say it's been a fun 2 months of burning though. Just feel a little bit defeated with the wood stove right now tried everything I can think of and tried everything everyone else around my area knows. Kinda feel like that guy that lines up against a 1969 Mach 1 with a 427 sideoiler and all I got is a 1970 AMC Hornet. I know I'm beaten but yet I gonna run so I don't feel like a complete embrassing failure, then I just stick it a poor man's overdrive and coast it down the hill so I don't blow her. (sorry to new for chainsaw lingo) I'm that guy walking around in my home with no shirt on trying to convince my gal that the stove is really helping upstairs. Thank you all for all the good info. I'm not gonna be defeated.

Keep that gas man home

 

[user 44856]

Are you filling the stove, and using a top down burn?

If not, then do this.

The fire burns much hotter and more completely.

 

[Gunner930]

My vote is for an add on wood furnace . You already have the flue in the basement,just remove that old wood stove and add on a wood furnace. I heat my house with an add on and have no proublems with it.

Beefie

Beefie

If your still out there. If I were to do your suggestion with add on furnace. Would I be able to heat my basement yet with that add on. Does it throw out space heating air to? (I have no heating vents in the basement.) Or would I need to tap into the duct work? Also if I wood go your route how close would flue need to be to the furnace? Right now it is about 8 ft away. Also flue is in a finished area and gas burning furnace is in the service area, and there is a wall in between the two. How much sabotaging would need to be done to connect the two?

 

[Gunner930]

Are you filling the stove, and using a top down burn?

If not, then do this.

The fire burns much hotter and more completely.

No i am not I will try tomorrow thank you

 

[wild bill]

Blaze King

Blaze King stoves, I heat a 1600 sq ft with full basement ranch. I use 5 heaping tailgate down loads a year. Got to -20f last year, house staid 74 deg and didnt use any gas. It will make good heat over 16 hrs on a load and will burn over 24.