Pellet stoves

[curly_kate]

Huh. We do have a basement, but it's dirt. The water heater & furnace are on concrete platforms, so we'd probably have to build one of those for the stove. But I'll have to check with Mike to see if he thinks its doable.

 

[MorelCabin]

Did you know that you can get an iol/wood combination furnace that will solve most of your problems in your case. Since you are using an oil furnace now and have all the ducts in for it why don't you just buy a combo furnace.

Putting a woodstove in an unfinsihed basement with a wood florr beats the whole sole of the purpose. You don't need to heat your crawlsapce. It was me that mentioned bathroom vent fans on BYC. If you have a recroom you are trying to heat in the basement then this works veryu well. If my basement was a crawlspace I wouldn't be bothering putting a woodstove down there...and besides, with all the probably humidity of a crawlspace your cast iron woodstove would simply rust itself to peices in no time.

 

[curly_kate]

Thanks, Morel! I didn't know that they even made those. Our basement is usually REALLY damp (although we just had a tree stump removed to try and fix that problem), so putting something iron down there is probably not a good idea.

 

[roosmom]

Our house used to be really drafty, lol, it is still big and OLD. Anyway, plastic on the windows (beekissed we just discussed this didnt we?) shut off doors that you can. Electric heaters? In rooms that you are in....
Beekissed, we are in the wrong line of work. Wood goes for around $65 face cord here. Not sure about the pulp cord.
Good luck curly_kate!

 

[DuppyDo]

I don't know much about pellet stoves, but likely wouldn't go that route if you can't use one without electric...I've been heating with firewood for over 25yrs and love it. Yes, its hard work and bit messy, nonetheless...its freedom from oil and electric, and i like that...
$35 for a cord and a half is a steal of a deal...! I never buy firewood,and never heard of a price so low, but i would sure be tempted at that price to buy some...! It's amazing how easy it is to get firewood where i live(L.I.N.Y.) We had a wind storm come through my neck of the woods this past early spring. There were downed tree everywhere..!
I put away over four cords just from that storm alone.Nobody objects to folk clearing trees off the roadways after a storm where i live.I often score loads of firewood from the town highway dept. they leave tons of good firewood, free for the taking..I never buy firewood,but i'm always on the look out for free wood and score often.When i see that a building lot has just been cleared of trees, and there laying around the edge of the property, i stop and ask, if that firewood has a home..? You'd be surprised how many builder/homeowners say, take it, we don't want it. I gotten countless cords of good oak this way...
Around here,seasoned hardwood, split and stacked goes for about $200-225 a full cord this fall...My house is about 1050sq.ft, small for my neighborhood, and well insulated. I normally use 1 1/2-2 cords, more or less a season...I realize not everyone has access to free firewood like i do, and i'm grateful for that..! I sure don't mind the hard work and mess that comes with wood heating, but independence in this realm is sweet... Now if i could only be as independent with food that would be grand..i working on that...

 

[Farmfresh]

If this is any help in choosing wood vs pellet.

Our local area is having a shortage on wood pellets right now. You can't burn what you can't buy.

I would go with a multi-fuel stove at least. Burn coal, corn or pellets.

On the other hand - we have gotten a cord and a half of wood free for the hauling this year alone.

Yes - we had to cut it split it, haul it, stack it, and store it and it IS messy - but you gotta love the price!

 

[enjoy the ride]

I don't know where you are Farmfresh but I'm not surprised about the shortage. I was thinking that earlier this year because an economic down turn usually means less furniture and lumber production and to some extent I think that pellets are a waste wood product. That is why I bought my pellets early and bought more than I need for this year.
But I also really want a wood stove as a back up- pellets are sooooo convenient but not as certain as a wood stove.
I do have propane heat too but wow the cost of that.

 

[candyd]

Farmfresh]If this is any help in choosing wood vs pellet.

Our local area is having a shortage on wood pellets right now. You can't burn what you can't buy.


We are in the same boat, I saw a message the other day about it at one of the stores that sells pellet stoves.