Has anyone looked into a wood stove, or wood pellet system for heat?
I was wondering what the cost would be to add a wood stove
or pellet system to an existing oil system?
What is the cost to run it, based on sq feet of house?
What the return rate?
If you have a wood burning system, are you happy with it?
Garden Hose Guide
Tags: Garden Hose, Hose Guide, Oil System, Sq Feet, Wood Burning, Wood Heat, Wood Pellet, Wood Stove
from what i’ve heard it’s really inefficient. burning wood doesn’t provide as much energy as electricity or oil would.
We have a wood burning stove.. it takes a lot of work. It’s good if you have a smaller house and it’s very cozy and it’s great if you’re going for the rustic look in your house. It’s also the most relaxing thing in the world to sit down and just relax by the fire after a long day- the magic of a wood stove cannot be replicated by a pellet system or a gas stove. The wood is also relatively cheap, you can buy a load that should last you through the whole winter for $200-$300 bucks. Like I said though, it’s a lot of work and sometimes is trouble. If you don’t have a knack for building fires, you will be frustrated when it goes out on a cold day. You’ll have to cut and split the wood, cover it up when it rains, bring it into the house, clean up the ashes, keep the glass clean, keep the chimney maintained and safe, etc. Another thing to consider is the size of your house. A wood stove is great for heating a few rooms and if there are stairs in the room the stove is in, the heat will go right up the stairs. But on cold days it’s hard to keep a big house heated with just one wood stove. We usually had to use space heaters in the bedrooms and the rooms that were distant from the wood stove. But if you’re willing to do the work, go for the wood stove.
It totally depends on the size of your house, and the specific system that you are looking for. A wood stove can heat your house, but depending on the system we look at efficiency. If you have a house under 2000 square feet you can get away with a system that is rated under 150,000 btu, but you will need a stronger system if you have a larger house.
Wood stoves have 2 types of systems. One is a regular wood stove which you will have to be loading in wood all day because its a regular stove with no balance in air mixture so the wood is always burning inefficiently. The other system is called wood gasification which is a much more efficient system, but the initial cost will be higher. Google wood gasification to see.
Pellet systems are also a new way to go. I am debating getting a Maxim pellet boiler because it is efficient. Everything coming from the company with the large storage hopper, plus installation from them will cost about $20,000. The unit itself costs about $8000. In my situation its worth it because I have an old house with no insulation so my oil costs are through the roof. ($3000 a month leaving the thermostat at 68. ) This system is going to cut my costs down to about $800 a month.
Assess your situation, assess your financing options, and go from there. Good luck!
I looked into a wood burning stove for heating before; they’re wonderful, but costly and inefficient. They’re what you would call a “decoration” piece. The stoves are fairly pricey but if you can afford one, are nice. They don’t radiate heat well, so they are best suited for smaller rooms or ones that are well insulated (i.e. lots of carpet and furniture). Wood can be costly and definitely non-environmentally friendly. A fireplace is slightly better, as it’s heat radiation is much better, but still inefficient at heating multiple rooms and the upkeep can be very costly.
Before you purchase a wood stove (freestanding type), check with your Homeowners Insurance. I found that a “stove” would raise my rates by 10%, where as a fireplace, would not affect the rate. Unless you have a “closed” system (glass or metal doors), you will lose huge amounts of heat through the chimney.