Fireplace inserts to heat a house?

[capri_auto]

Any of you guys heat your homes with wood?

I'm in NJ and my house runs on a newer oil boiler which provides hot water and baseboard heat. I went through 500 gallons this winter at about 1.50/ gallon. It was very warm this winter and oil prices are much lower than last year so it wasn't bad at all. Last winter I was spending about $300/ mo on oil. My house is about 1500 square feet. The main living/ kitchen area is one large room with vaulted ceiling (18ft high with 2 ceiling fans). It's well insulated, but the high ceiling takes a toll. Last year the fans were not working, but I ran them on low/clockwise all winter this year. Living area has one hallway attached that leads to one bedroom and a bathroom. The main living area also has a loft with another bedroom. Full unfinished basement.

Currently the house has 3 heating zones (1 per bedroom and one for the main living area) Living area has a fireplace that I use a lot, but its very inefficient as heat source. I found a good deal on a new 75,000 btu woodstove insert with built in blower. All in, it's going to cost me under 1,000 bucks to put it in after the tax credit. I like stacking wood and keeping a fire going. Do you guys think this will keep my house warm enough to significantly save some money? Any advice or recommendations?

 

[Drillbit]

I heated with wood all my childhood. My dad had a hutch rebel insert in his last house in the states. If you built a serious fire in there at night it would keep the central heat from kicking on for hours. It's nice to do it that way, you don't have to get up and feed the fire at night if you don't want to. The only caveat I have is that if your wood stove is close to the thermostat it will keep it from kicking on, making rooms farther away from wood stove rather chilly. It will heat your high ceilings and loft nicely though. Inserts are nice because you can also open the doors and use them as a wood stove if you feel like it. Wood heat spoils you. Nothing makes you feel warmer than coming in out of the cold and standing next to a wood stove.

 

[garrett]

We have an insert on our house in Nova Scotia and works quite well. Though we rarely are up there in the winter, we do have people stay in the house during winter months occasionally. All we have is baseboard and the insert with 20 foot ceilings. The overall SF of the house is about 1,500 as well. But even in the Fall and Spring when we're there it can get pretty damn cold as the house sits 50 feet from the Atlantic Ocean. It won't heat the entire house by any means - especially with the main room having very tall ceilings, but it certainly reduces the use of the crappy baseboard.
My parents have one in their family room and it's works great for about 30 years now. They are no where near a good wood stove, but certainly far superior to a traditional fireplace since the surround heats up nicely and radiates and the blowers get the hot air to move around a bit.
Like Marty said - wood heat rules.

 

[toadermcgee]

I have used an insert stove to heat my home to most of my life. I have never lived in a home without wood heat. I always had natural gas as primary heat source but would run it rarely. The best I could do was a ranch style home probably 1800 sq ft. my gas bills where around $28/month as I also heated water with gas too. Lopi makes a nice stove and most qualify for the Fed tax credit on bio-fuel stoves.

 

[Some Dude]

I have a fireplace insert that will easily drive my house towards 80 if it is above 20 outside, maintains about 70 if it is in the teens or less. We use it on weekends and a couple nights a week during the winter, otherwise the furnace takes over. I burn about 2 cords a year which is low for my area. The house is 1500 sq ft, and the insert is passive. My only gripe is I get a little tired of the mess of hauling wood into the house, especially toward the end of the season. Coincidentally, that looks like this week for me.

 

[capri_auto]

That's pretty much all I had to hear fellas. I pulled the trigger on a century CW2900. Time start rebuilding my wood reserves. I'll always need the oil since my hot water comes from the boiler, but between winters I used maybe 100 gallons.

My current tile flue is in great shape. Can I run stovepipe to the first flue tile, or is it much better to do a full length stainless insert?

 

[toadermcgee]

Some building codes require a full liner. Most modern stoves have some sort of secondary burn (much more efficient and cleaner burning). To make it work as best it can, a full liner is the way to go.

 

[capri_auto]

Some building codes require a full liner. Most modern stoves have some sort of secondary burn (much more efficient and cleaner burning). To make it work as best it can, a full liner is the way to go.

Got it, the liner kits aren't too bad price wise... One last question- Burn time should be up to 8 hours with the damper closed. You guys keep these things running when you are out of the house? I'd like to load it up before work and close the damper and do the same before bed. Any safety issues?

 

[rnewman]

I have a wood stove shop here in Va. As stated....depends on local codes as far as the full liner goes.....in most cases we use a direct connect (6 ft of flex stainless that goes up past the first tile, then seal of the damper with insulation). If you are dealing with a chimney that is over 30 ft tall....go with the full liner.
As far as loading it up and closing the damper.....make sure your wood is dry and aged. If the stove spends too much time dampered down, it will begin to deposit in the chimney and stove which could lead to a chimney fire. You should let the stove run with good draft every other day or so to cut down on the deposits, also there are products you can use to help get rid of any deposits that might build up.

 

[singingcamel]

Jotul

 

[toadermcgee]

Locally woodstoves are used by a smaller percentage of the population. I'd guess about 30K woodstoves of some kind around our metro area. I have to go back a few years to recall a house fire due to a woodstove; not very common. Keeping the chimney clean is the best thing you can do. I don't burn as much as I use to and the newer stoves are cleaner so I have my chimney cleaned every 3 years. Last time I had it done the sweep told me it needed to be cleaned but wasn't overly dirty so I think my timing is right. Wood quality is a big part of it too.