Winter is coming

[teecro]

Wondering here if anyone is using either a pellet stove or fireplace insert?

 

Not that Tenn winters have much on Mich winters but I'm looking for alternatives to the condensing unit type heat pump that is currently in our home as our elect bills were sky high last winter. The heat pump works it just does not put out "heat" like the natural gas furnace that my wife was/is accustomed to and she complains that she is always cold.

 

There is no NG where we live so that's out. We currently have a vent free propane fireplace for "extra" heat but as our home was originally built as a summer vacation home and the fireplace was a decorative afterthought in that it only has a 100 pound tank, and I can't have anything bigger above ground.

 

So two of my options would be a wood burner or a pellet burner.... My wife wants absolutely nothing to do with a wood burning stove/insert etc for lots of reasons that I simply can't talk her out of mainly as I'm not home for 4 weeks out of every 6 weeks... But I've mentioned pellet inserts and how decorative some brands are and at least this idea did not get shot down while still on the runway...

 

So looking for some real life experiances from y'all on these pellet burners.

[peejman]

I grew up with a wood burning insert with blowers. Dad would get it so hot we'd open doors with it 20 deg outside. It took a little maintenance and understanding to run, but it really wasn't a big deal. Newer models are really efficient. I really miss having the wood fire.

I've never used one, but my understanding is pellet stoves are really easy but the pellets get expensive. Firewood is much cheaper assuming you do the work yourself.

[Ray Z]

Looked into pellet stoves because they look really nice. Not going to save much on heat unless you buy your pellets by the skid. Oh, the smoke stinks a lot.

[TNWNGR]

 I used a Buck Stove actual fireplace insert converted to a freestanding stove in my last house for most of my primary heat. The house had a propane furnace and supplemental heat when necessary (i.e. not using the wood stove) were a propane fireplace for the ground floor (cape cod house) and a propane blue flame wall mounted heater in the basement.

 

 The wood pellet heaters aren't the dirt and dust produces a regular interior woodstove is but they also require yearly cleanings. They are also very expensive to purchase. I suggest you consider one or two wall mounted blue flame (convection) propane heaters and a Duraflame infrared electric portable heater.

 

 You'll probably need a larger propane tank but I suspect your in the same circumstances as was and the tank is leased rather then purchased.

[10-Ring]

Not currently but I heated a 1000 sq ft house for two winters with an insert and wood.  It was a lot of work and I enjoyed it.  My wife didn't want anything to do with it and it doesn't sound like yours does either.  If you go this route then you should probably duct it into the dog house. 

[ehull20000]

I have a free standing wood stove downstairs and a wood fire place upstairs. 2000ish sq ft home. I can keep the upstairs at 68 with just the wood stove. That means when the power is out we do fine as long as I have enough wood collected and seasoned. Plus it smells like a BBQ joint when I burn hickory and I think that's cool. Last winter my electric bill wasn't bad specifically because of that stove.

[Sam1]

Looked into pellet stoves because they look really nice. Not going to save much on heat unless you buy your pellets by the skid. Oh, the smoke stinks a lot.

 

And also you have to stockpile them during the summer, price doubles on pellets during the cold season.  We found that out the hard way after installing one for my grandma.

 

<edit>  wouldn't say they actually double, but they will go up at least $2/bag when they know people are desperate.

Edited October 9, 2015 by Sam1

[teecro]

And also you have to stockpile them during the summer, price doubles on pellets during the cold season.  We found that out the hard way after installing one for my grandma.

 

<edit>  wouldn't say they actually double, but they will go up at least $2/bag when they know people are desperate.

 

Like buying ammo it don't matter that you don't need none now, if its on sale you buy in bulk.....

[Sam1]

Like buying ammo it don't matter that you don't need none now, if its on sale you buy in bulk.....

 

Yeah, the first year early we paid $4.50 for a 40# bag by the pallet from a local place.  When we seen how fast you burn through them, found out in January the price went to $7/bag from the same place.  She would go through 2 pallets a year with that fireplace as the primary heat (electric baseboard heaters as secondary) in probably around a 1200 sqft house.

[monkeylizard]

And here I thought I was clicking on a Game of Thrones thread....

[Mike.357]

And here I thought I was clicking on a Game of Thrones thread....

 

totally what I thought.  Damn Jon Snow.

[TMF]

Valar morgulis.


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[A.J. Holst]

Valar dohaeris

[none]

From experience go with multifuel stove. We have had ours for quite some time. Its St Croix Lancaster. We bought it in Onsted Michigan some time ago. It has traveled with us through 5 States. It burns corn wood pellets cherry pits or rye. Our experience has been that corn produces the most btus. When the market is down you can get corn far cheaper than wood pellets or electric heat.

One of the things we have done is to mix wood pellets with two cups of corn really boost the heat output with out over doing it. Tennessee winters are not the same as South Dakota winters so we had to adapt a bit because here there really is no reason to burn strait corn.

Good luck.

[Electric B]

We have a outdoor wood furnace, and a Buck insert.