other sources of heating

[hangnail]

With the prices of fuel on the rise, and the need to replace my very old oil furnace soon, I have been thinking of maybe a pellet furnace, but know very little about them, right now I have steam heat and don't want to add duct work at this time, in the future I may, but I dont like forced hot air. It would also need to make my hot water.

I also have a fire place that I am thinking about adding either a wood insert, or small wood stove. (not sure which is the best option) Are the new stoves less likley to smoke back, or put any soot back, I grew up with a very old gleenwood kitchen wood stove that was our primarly heating source, and that stove was a bear. Also , I am quessing that they are more advanced, and effiecnet, and logs burn longer and hotter, making an all-nighter log truely a all nighter.

I may also put in a new oil furnace, but try and use either a wood stove or pellet sove to use are primary heat.

This is also for a 1920 craftsman style bungalo about 1800 square feet.

 

[Wood Scrounge]

I have been investigating adding a secondary multifuel furnace next to my oil furnace. you really need to do the math to figure out if it make financial sense to spend big $$$ on the upgrade. Pellets cost money, corn costs money (me at least), Coal Costs money, wood is free (for me anyway). You need to compare the BTU/$.
a wood stove or insert makes sense no matter what though the furnace may or may not.

here is what I have been looking at (no opinion yet)
http://www.greenwoodfurnace.com/
http://www.charmaster.com/
http://www.meyermfg.com/woodchuck.html
http://www.yukon-eagle.com/FURNACES/SUPERJACK/tabid/59/Default.aspx

 

[CharlieG]

I have an attractive, functional woodburning soapstone stove that would fit the decor of your 1920's era bungalow. Heats my contemporary ranch style home very well. Made by Hearthstone, but other soapstone stoves are available. I would install the stove for "fun" and to supply the majority of heat, and install the highest efficiency furnace you can afford. The pellet option, while conveinent, makes me wary. Two years ago in NY, people who needed pellets couldn't get them, even though they paid for the tonnage in advance. Wood is readily available all year round, so I stockpile more than I need. Pellets are stillhard tofind. Home heating cost is fuel for the saws andslitter, and my sweat equity. Oil company called today and asked if I wanted a delivery/topoff. I hadn't had a delivery since12/26/06. Though $3.05 a gallon , I said yes. Provides my domestic hot water needs, and basement heat when necessary. So to say the least, I'm very happy with the investment I have made, and would recommend to you the option of a woodburning stove, a professional chainsaw, and a quality wood splitter, in addition to the various hand tools that accompany a wood burning operation. All my equipment and stove paid for itself in three years (wife likes the house warm)!!!

 

[ericjeeper]

How about a wood gasification indoor boiler.????

Hs Tarm, many models available now., Much more efficient than an outdoor unit

 

[hanko]

i think that being as you allready have steam or hot water heat, that an indoor wood oil combo boiler would be a good way for you to go. the tarms and greenwoods are big money and I dont believe they have the oil or other type of aback up fuel available. I know charmaster makes one and they seem to be great units. I like mine. Ive heard of some major problems with the gasification units, they scare me anyway. good luck to you let me know what you end up with


Henry

 

[Billy_Bob]

Some new furnaces (gas) are so efficient, they use PVC for the exhaust.

Then you can get a solar water heater. An electric water heater can be 30% of an electric bill!

Also can beef up the insulation, go to energystar.gov for energy saving tips.

Then you can get new "Energy Star" appliances which use less less electricity. For example I bought a new refrigerator which cut my electric bill by $15 a month. And a new window A/C which cut my cooling cost in half. (I had old appliances)

 

[goblin]

Since you already have steam, and it is apparently still in good shape, I would also stick with your existing steam infrastructure, and possibly replace the old oil burner with some type of multi-fuel burning system that will burn anything that you throw in there to generate steam. Add a freestanding wood stove to the mix, and you've got the best of both worlds.

 

[Al Smith]

He is way up on the east coast.Unless things have changed much in the last 35 years you are just S-O-L for natural gas because in many places it's not available.You run out of options,oil,maybe propane or electric is about it.

A waste oil burner might be an option but then you have to have a supply source of crankcase oil and storage plus the stuff is nasty.They do a fine job but require a certain amount of maintainence to keep them cooking their best.

There are several commercialy made multi fuel furnaces on the market.From what I hear they work well.Then comes the cutting of the wood.Old story,"There is no free wood pile" in other words you either pony up the money for the heat or work for it.

 

[hangnail]

unfortunatly there is no gas on my street, but i feel better seeing some recent posts one some members that use oil, for heat and for hot water, but are using a wood stove for primary heat, getting only 1 oil delivery a year. if you guys knew what i was spending a month on a so called budget plan, you would keel over.

 

[mga]

i read about a company in the UK (i think it was there) that developed a boiler that was about 95% efficient. what made this boiler unique was that it could run on propane or natural gas and the best part it was also a generator!

i wish i had saved the web site to post it here, but i emailed them and asked about it. the guy told me it was not for sale in the US, which was too bad because at the time i was buying a new boiler unit.

anyways, since you already have the water lines in, why not buy a 95% efficient boiler unit?

 

[Al Smith]

if you guys knew what i was spending a month on a so called budget plan, you would keel over.

That's why I made that comment.It was like the national dept when I was in New London Conn. in '70 and '71.

 

[hangnail]

i read about a company in the UK (i think it was there) that developed a boiler that was about 95% efficient. what made this boiler unique was that it could run on propane or natural gas and the best part it was also a generator!

i wish i had saved the web site to post it here, but i emailed them and asked about it. the guy told me it was not for sale in the US, which was too bad because at the time i was buying a new boiler unit.

anyways, since you already have the water lines in, why not buy a 95% efficient boiler unit?

there is a unit made by pensotti i think is the name, it is made in europe, but is avalable here, that has an efficency in the 90's as well, it is about half the size of boilers here we are used too. it is slightly more expensive, harder to get parts for, but has a great track record. i recived a quote from some one that used these strickly, but when i talked to others that quoted me, they agreed they were great boilers, but it is hard to get parts for, sometimes having to wait a few weeks for them to come in from europe. as opposed to more common units like weil mclain, that parts are available all the time.

 

[sloth9669]

New system

Iam getting a new system in my house all the way back to the nat. gas line. About 12k total. All new duct work fully wrapped in insulation. 93% nat gas boiler...with a air handler and a indirect hot water tank that will match the boilers 93% rating. Its a super stor...great product. The gas company ( key span ) if giving me 1500 in rebates..and its all a tax write off this year. Add to that a new wood stove ( kind and size unknown ) will be supplemental in the basement. Iam making sure i keep my costs down and with pricing were it is my 12k system will pay off in 5 years. And to top it off i got a HEAT loan that is 3% intrest to pay for it. Its a no brainer everyone look into loan and rebate programs. If you live in the state off mass its http://www.masssave.com/

 

[ktm rider]

Right now pellets are $5.00 a 40 lb. bag in my area. That would start to add up in a hurry I'm sure.
I would take the advice given here and look into an add-on wood furnace like the Clayton or Hotblast, Charmaster or anything but staying on oil.

If you wat to bite the bullet like I did and buy a multifuel wood/coal boiler I'm sure you would not be disappointed in the long run.

 

[mga]

unfortunatly there is no gas on my street, but i feel better seeing some recent posts one some members that use oil, for heat and for hot water, but are using a wood stove for primary heat, getting only 1 oil delivery a year. if you guys knew what i was spending a month on a so called budget plan, you would keel over.

don't feel too bad, no one can win against the utility companies. we haven't turned our heat on yet and the only gas being used is the hot water tank, clothes dryer and cooking. the last bill was only $26 for gas.

not bad, eh?

but, they also charged an additional $46 for "delivery charges"...whatever that means. total just for gas: $76.

we do everything to conserve, and they still manage to get ya.

 

[ktm rider]

we do everything to conserve, and they still manage to get ya.

You got right. But soon, real soon. I plan to be 95% free of both of these con artists, the electric company, the oil companies.

I started to make my own diesel to drive to work. ( i said 95% because i still have to buy a small amount of methanol to make the bio )

I will have a micro hydro unit in my creek bed to supply me with ALL my electrical needs.

I heat my house with wood and coal only. ( both coming from my own land)

 

[hanko]

Right now pellets are $5.00 a 40 lb. bag in my area. That would start to add up in a hurry I'm sure.
I would take the advice given here and look into an add-on wood furnace like the Clayton or Hotblast, Charmaster or anything but staying on oil.

If you wat to bite the bullet like I did and buy a multifuel wood/coal boiler I'm sure you would not be disappointed in the long run.

I have a charmaster, my friend has a clayton, we are heating totally different
situations as far as type of house and where stove is located. they both are doing the job OK. mines in a garage so I have to pump heat down hill into the crawlspace to pick up the duct work. his is in the basemant next to the furnace where it should be. as far as quatity of furnace the charmaster wins hands down. Its also $1000 more. charmaster does come with a oil-wood combo, or gas -wood. if your add on is going in the basemant most anything out there will work good as long as you have a good return air system. There is so much out there, and so many opinions, I'm sure you can find something that will work for you. I think the charmaster or the yukon eagle is probably the way to go

 

[mga]

You got right. But soon, real soon. I plan to be 95% free of both of these con artists, the electric company, the oil companies.

I started to make my own diesel to drive to work. ( i said 95% because i still have to buy a small amount of methanol to make the bio )

I will have a micro hydro unit in my creek bed to supply me with ALL my electrical needs.
I heat my house with wood and coal only. ( both coming from my own land)

great idea. i wish i had a running creek in my yard. i'd definately do the same thing.

 

[sloth9669]

multi fuel

If you wat to bite the bullet like I did and buy a multifuel wood/coal boiler I'm sure you would not be disappointed in the long run.

does a wood/pellet stove loose and efficence ? Also if i load the stove and go to work when the temp dips can the pellets kick in and keep it running till i get home and load it up again with wood ? Iam not new to the firewood aspect of things iam new to having a home and burning it tho. Any info is great.

 

[A. Stanton]

I'm no expert. But let me tell you what I did.

Last April I installed a Pacific Energy wood stove insert into my fireplace and I couldn't be happier.
Burning only part time, I went from using 960 gallons of oil in my 2,100 ft house with the temp between 67-69 to using 540 gallons last year. The stove brings the temp up to 72.
I don't like pellet stoves: you have to buy the pellets; if you don't have a battery back up on the stove, it won't run during a power outage; and last year I watched by neighbor with a pellet stove get her flue cleared. I don't know if the cleaners were doing the okie dokie, but they have to give it an acid bath to clean the residue from the pellets.
The way the weather is going I would advise everyone to get a wood stove or insert. If a major ice, snow, or wind storm hits--and it will--you will be toasty and safe in your house. And you won't be giving some plumber $200 an hour to repair or thaw your pipes.