I have been looking at garage stoves (yes, you can do it, despite there being tanks of gas sitting around) and wondered if anyone has done this?
Our garage is directly under the master bedroom and it would be nice to have a warm floor in the winter.
I'd plan to put the stove in the corner on the outside corner wall, with a horizontal chimney going out the wall. Gas meter is there currently but I am having it moved (argh!)
The stoves I've looked at are small, rated around 35-45000 btu.
If anyone has any FHE or ideas?
I am looking for something with a thermostat/fan, EPA (area requires it), and small and under 5-600 $, also needs to have a separate air intake as well.
I bet Ducpainter can help you out with this
www.woodheat.org (http://www.woodheat.org)
Look into wood pellets. I just installed one in my shop.
Meets all your criteria...
except for price.
Depending on the cost of firewood in your area it may actually save you money in the long run, and it is much easier to maintain a constant temp rather than the temp variations that occur with wood.
Quote from: crazybastid on December 20, 2008, 07:01:57 AM
Look into wood pellets. I just installed one in my shop.
Meets all your criteria...
except for price.
Depending on the cost of firewood in your area it may actually save you money in the long run, and it is much easier to maintain a constant temp rather than the temp variations that occur with wood.
yeah, that's why i said i wanted a wood stove, i have about 10 cord of wood sitting in my back yard, and another acre or so of trees begging to warm my house... ;)
Quote from: ducatizzzz on December 20, 2008, 07:03:36 AM
yeah, that's why i said i wanted a wood stove, i have about 10 cord of wood sitting in my back yard, and another acre or so of trees begging to warm my house... ;)
In that case....
You're still going to find price to be an issue if you want to stay in that range.
Have you looked at Northern?
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category_6970_122+766841 (http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category_6970_122+766841)
Most are epa approved or exempt.
Quote from: crazybastid on December 20, 2008, 07:09:13 AM
In that case....
You're still going to find price to be an issue if you want to stay in that range.
Have you looked at Northern?
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category_6970_122+766841 (http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category_6970_122+766841)
Most are epa approved or exempt.
yeah, those are the ones i've been looking at -- the Vogelzanger (sp?) in particular.
Quote from: ducatizzzz on December 20, 2008, 07:53:12 AM
yeah, those are the ones i've been looking at -- the Vogelzanger (sp?) in particular.
No FHE with any of those, but they look OK.
As long as your chimney is adequate they should work fine. By adequate I mean providing a good draft. I'm sure you have all the code issues worked out already.
You could also look into propane or natural gas heaters.
Quote from: ejw24 on December 20, 2008, 07:56:52 AM
You could also look into propane or natural gas heaters.
after saying i have 10 cord of cut wood and an acre of trees, why on earth would i do that???
Quote from: crazybastid on December 20, 2008, 07:56:39 AM
No FHE with any of those, but they look OK.
As long as your chimney is adequate they should work fine. By adequate I mean providing a good draft. I'm sure you have all the code issues worked out already.
i can do the install of the stove, but i am definitely going to need help on the chimney since this is a wall exhaust. i'd rather not have a pipe going up the outside of the house, but i might have to.
I have a natural gas heater.
It gives me a headache... BAD [bang]
I was thinking of a wood stove for the garage (that is where my silk screen shop is) this way I can be warm. Then thinking of the ease of the pellet stove I think that is the way to go.
The plate steel wood burners of the early 70's that we called Buck Stoves were very good and cheap. I searched and found one that approximates the old one. Here's link. I've used a big 100,000 btu soapstone stove to heat most of my house for 30 years. The plate steel would be the cheapest and one of the best for your garage application that I can think of. If you look around I bet you can find an old one.
This Durango model is built like the old Bucks I'm talking about.
http://www.vogelzang.com/tr008.htm (http://www.vogelzang.com/tr008.htm)
LA
Dry firewood is selling for $275-$400+/cord
Wood pellets are selling for about $300/ ton.
Pellets are much easier to maintain a constant temp...wood is either hot or cold as the stove cycles through its' load...which you'll have to replenish every 6 hours or so.
With temps around 30 my pellet stove burns less than a bag a day...more when it's colder naturally...it hasn't burned two bags in a day yet and the temp stays between 60 and 70 in the shop. My shop is in the barn with no insulation in the floor.
I like wood because it requires no power to run the stove, but I like the pellet stove because I don't have to babysit it constantly like the woodstove....and I own a generator.
The pellet stove is cleaner too...no bark and dirt from the pile to the stove, and the minuscule amount of ash is easy to deal with. Maintenance is simple and is also neater than with a woodstove. I also think they're safer than wood because when run properly there isn't any creosote...just some fly ash. Pellet vents are easy to install and only require 3' of vertical pipe.
I know I won't sway you 'tizzzz...but if it were me I'd sell the wood to the highest bidder and buy a pellet stove and pellets with the proceeds.
Keep in mind I also have 3 wood stoves in the house and wouldn't think of removing them. Ya never know when pellets will outpace firewood in price or become unavailable.
$275-$400 :o down south its more like $120-$140 a cord!!!!!!!!
Quote from: pndwind on December 20, 2008, 12:59:23 PM
$275-$400 :o down south its more like $120-$140 a cord!!!!!!!!
It's warmer there. ;)...and define cord. Is it 4x4x8?
It's 9 degrees here and will vary between that and 20s till March.
I bet fuel oil is cheaper down there too.
The thing I got along with the FZ600 looks like this, I've yet to hook it up so I can't tell you how well it performs.
I don't feel like going out there to verify the brand but it's similar to this.
http://www.vogelzang.com/vg820e.htm (http://www.vogelzang.com/vg820e.htm)
Quote from: crazybastid on December 20, 2008, 08:52:59 AM
Dry firewood is selling for $275-$400+/cord
it's about 100/cord around me, 150 delivered and stacked.
Wood pellets are selling for about $300/ ton.
Pellets are much easier to maintain a constant temp...wood is either hot or cold as the stove cycles through its' load...which you'll have to replenish every 6 hours or so.[/quote]
might change my mind though, i don't want to have to deal too much with this thing, just want to fill it up during the cold afternoons and fire it for the night.
pellets just sound so.... Soylent Greenish
Maybe I'll start burning rabbit pellets. The wind tends to blow away from my house so the smell wouldn't be an issue, for me at least.
Quote from: ducatizzzz on December 20, 2008, 01:14:34 PM
it's about 100/cord around me, 150 delivered and stacked.
Wood pellets are selling for about $300/ ton.
Pellets are much easier to maintain a constant temp...wood is either hot or cold as the stove cycles through its' load...which you'll have to replenish every 6 hours or so.
might change my mind though, i don't want to have to deal too much with this thing, just want to fill it up during the cold afternoons and fire it for the night.
pellets just sound so.... Soylent Greenish
That's an interesting description. [laugh]
With the type of use you're planning for the wood you already have it may rot before you get a chance to burn it unless you store it inside. How much you think you'll burn a year?
Is a cord measured as 128 cu feet there?
I heated this place with wood only for 12 years...8-10 cords/yr. Log truck loads+...it's just a ton of work.
Pellets are so simple.
Quote from: lethe on December 20, 2008, 01:17:11 PM
Maybe I'll start burning rabbit pellets. The wind tends to blow away from my house so the smell wouldn't be an issue, for me at least.
Get 'em down around 8% moisture and you have a winner. [thumbsup] [laugh]
Check your local building code, fire code and any other local ordinances that may restrict burning fuels in your garage.
I have both a wood stove and a pellet stove. The wood stove I got for free and placed it in my basement. The drawback with having the stove in the basement which you might find with having it in the garage is that, as DP mentioned, it requires a lot of attention. Having it out of sight means sometimes it's out of mind. I'll forget its lit. When things start to get cold I remember. The stove really needs to be in an area where you can tend to it. Now having said that, I like the stove in the lower level, it eliminates and reduces that uncomfortable hot cold cycle.
Is your garage insulated?
The pellet stove is in our living room. Very little maintenance and an even temperature! [thumbsup] And there's nothing like pushing a button to light a fire.
You might want to check out craigs list for a used stove. Unfortunately for you these days wood stoves are a hot item thanks to the price of heating fuels. It easy to tell the condition of a used stove.
Quote from: ducpainter on December 20, 2008, 01:24:42 PM
That's an interesting description. [laugh]
With the type of use you're planning for the wood you already have it may rot before you get a chance to burn it unless you store it inside. How much you think you'll burn a year?
Is a cord measured as 128 cu feet there?
here and everywhere, i believe
over half of the cut wood is newly felled red oak. it won't be ready to burn for another few months. the rest is about 6-9 months old and burns well.
QuoteI heated this place with wood only for 12 years...8-10 cords/yr. Log truck loads+...it's just a ton of work.
Pellets are so simple.=
i am thinking of changing my focus to pellets or at least a multi fuel stove that does both wood and pellets, it just means more upfront cost.
we have two fireplaces in the house too, and i am looking at wood inserts for at least the basement.
Quote from: red duke on December 20, 2008, 01:52:43 PM
Check your local building code, fire code and any other local ordinances that may restrict burning fuels in your garage.
no problem around here, we can even burn piles of leaves like civilized folk.
Quote
Is your garage insulated?
brick over block with blackboard in the middle, so yes.
QuoteThe pellet stove is in our living room. Very little maintenance and an even temperature! [thumbsup] And there's nothing like pushing a button to light a fire.
hmmmmm
How much is a bag of pellets weight, Nate?
Just trying to gauge how many bags are in a ton and see how long that lasts to heat a house
Another vote for the wood pellet stove. My brother has one, and it's the shit. All the bennies everyone else has stated previously and no giant wood piles cluttering the yard to house the area rodents.
About the only thing burning real wood has over one of these is the workout you get cutting/hauling/stacking.
Quote from: Speedbag on December 21, 2008, 06:26:54 AM
Another vote for the wood pellet stove. My brother has one, and it's the shit. All the bennies everyone else has stated previously and no giant wood piles cluttering the yard to house the area rodents.
About the only thing burning real wood has over one of these is the workout you get cutting/hauling/stacking.
Who needs a gym when you can have "body by wood"?
Quote from: alfisti on December 21, 2008, 06:47:34 AM
Who needs a gym when you can have "body by wood"?
You probably enjoy chopping wood while wearing a hammock
[laugh] [laugh]
Quote from: cyrus buelton on December 21, 2008, 06:57:11 AM
You probably enjoy chopping wood while wearing a hammock
[laugh] [laugh]
How much wood would a woodchuck get from chopping wood?
Quote from: lethe on December 21, 2008, 07:20:27 AM
How much wood would a woodchuck get from chopping wood?
None, they don't chuck wood
We have a wood stove as the main heat for the house and it works fine. I personally don't like the idea of pellet stoves because I'm a bit of a survivalist (yeah, I own guns, lots of 'em) and don't like the idea of being dependent on trucking companies, the outside world, etc., for a basic need such as heat. Also, pellet stoves need electricity. Having said all that, for a normal well adjusted person there's no question that a pellet stove is better.
Our bedroom is also above what used to be the garage before I built a separate shop building. There is a propane backup heater and also a propane water heater in the garage below the bedroom. What's interesting is that the heat escaping from those two items, mainly just the pilot light in the heater although the water heater is in full time service, is enough to keep the bedroom above halfway warm. I can always tell when I forget to close the garage door because the bedroom above gets colddd. My point is that any air warmed in your garage is going to rise to the ceiling and heat the bedroom floor above and you don't need much heat to do that. I think a woodstove would take a lot of maintenance and also generate way more heat than you need for your purpose. But it would definitely keep the bedroom warm. Sorry I can't make any specific recommendations as to what stove to buy. Mine is an old inefficient leaky thing that was grandfathered in before all the regulations.
To be efficient you also do need to have an outside air intake. Without one the stove just sucks in and burns already heated inside air and sends it up the flue. Also, about the size of a cord, it's 4 by 4 by 8 feet everywhere in the USA. Used to sell firewood and the size of a cord is a legal dimension and regulated by the US Department of Weights and Measures or some similarly named organization.
Quote from: cyrus buelton on December 21, 2008, 06:57:11 AM
You probably enjoy chopping wood while wearing a hammock
[laugh] [laugh]
[laugh] [laugh] [laugh] Never actually wore one. We get a lot of Canadians visiting Lake George in the summer and the men are not shy about wearing them. (whether they fit or not) I am now scarred for life! I do enjoy a good chopping session though. [thumbsup]
Quote from: cyrus buelton on December 21, 2008, 06:22:10 AM
How much is a bag of pellets weight, Nate?
Just trying to gauge how many bags are in a ton and see how long that lasts to heat a house
40# bags...50 bags/ton
You really can't gauge much because my shop is small when compared to a house.
I made my decision based on the cost and aggro of propane...I'm not paying the prices for propane delivered around here, so I go get it...the fact that my materials can't freeze, finished parts need 65 deg to cure, and the amount of work to do that with a wood stove and try to keep the shop halfway clean.
In many places they use a term face cord which is also a legal measure...it's a third of a cord. I had never heard of it. My BIL told me he had bought x number of cords and when I saw the pile I told him he had gotten screwed.
This is in upstate NY.
http://www.woodheat.org/firewood/cord.htm (http://www.woodheat.org/firewood/cord.htm)
So that comes out between 6-12$ a day to heat your shop.
That doesn't seem too bad.
Quote from: cyrus buelton on December 21, 2008, 08:33:48 AM
So that comes out between 6-12$ a day to heat your shop.
That doesn't seem too bad.
using pellets alone, but you have to factor in the cost of the stove plus installation.
the good pellet stoves arr 1500-2000 and installation is whatever it costs to run air and exhaust. (i assume you have to run an intake). amortize the cost of the stove.
i spend about 200/month in winter to heat our house with central air heat from NG and that's for a 3000 sq ft house, and only running the fireplaces once in a while.
6-12$ day is A LOT of money to heat just a shop, unless it is huge.
Quote from: cyrus buelton on December 21, 2008, 08:33:48 AM
So that comes out between 6-12$ a day to heat your shop.
That doesn't seem too bad.
It isn't, but those numbers are based on 20 deg + temps.
It's been cold the past few days...about 10 deg...and I've let the temp stay around 60. It would be warmer if I was out there working.
I'll know better at the end of the heating season...around June ;D...what my heating costs will be with pellets.
Quote from: ducatizzzz on December 21, 2008, 08:42:07 AM
6-12$ day is A LOT of money to heat just a shop, unless it is huge.
Totally different environment 'tizzz...
A paint shop is a total loss system.
The pellet stove I have is an insert into a fireplace. The only drawback is that it doesn't have an ash pan since it's compact to fit in the opening. I have to turn off the stove and empty it with a scoop.
There are 12 volt powered pellet stoves that have a battery back up (a conventional car battery.) I've been told that some of these stoves can run a week without power.
Quote from: Langanobob on December 21, 2008, 07:31:42 AM
We have a wood stove as the main heat for the house and it works fine. I personally don't like the idea of pellet stoves because I'm a bit of a survivalist (yeah, I own guns, lots of 'em) and don't like the idea of being dependent on trucking companies, the outside world, etc., for a basic need such as heat. Also, pellet stoves need electricity. Having said all that, for a normal well adjusted person there's no question that a pellet stove is better.
I understand. The recent increase in pellet costs was due to trucking.
I burn both pellets and wood because they provide very little profit to OPEC. FU OPEC!
One of the benefits of wood is you can capture the heat and use it elsewhere. Can't do that with the pellet stove.
Don't try this at home kids!
(https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3148/3124851211_ec69c512d3.jpg)
I want to look into gasification stoves. I understand the can burn
anything cleanly, efficiently and very hot.
We might be adding another stove to the house, but given the amount of trees on the property, wood stove would be the way to go for us.
QuoteWe might be adding another stove to the house, but given the amount of trees on the property, wood stove would be the way to go for us.
We have a tree we call "Mountain Mahogany" here and although it's too small and twisted to make good lumber, the very beautiful wood is used for violin knobs and other fancy wood items. It's also the wood of choice for barbecues and woodstoves due to it's extreme density. Although I burn it I really hate doing it since it takes centuries to grow even a small tree.
Seems to be a similar case with your red oak. Would it pay to by a Woodmizer and saw it into boards instead of burning it?
Quote from: red duke on December 21, 2008, 09:27:00 AM
(https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3148/3124851211_ec69c512d3.jpg)
I have one of these stoves only it's a wider 2 door unit. Its a very good stove. It could use one of these though. (http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/17278_lg.gif)
The best shop stove I have seen is a dual Oil barrel like this. heat goes into the upper barrel and it will heat up a large shop. you may want to duct some of that air into the rest of the house.
(http://www.northlineexpress.com/images/products/5VZ-BK50E-lg.jpg)
You can get parts for it here.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/NTESearch?storeId=6970&in_dym=1&Nty=1&D=than&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&N=0&Ntk=All&Ntt=barrel%20stove&cmnosearch=PPC&cm_ven=PPC&cm_cat=I-search%20(Google%20Adwords)&cm_pla=heatersstoves&cm_ite=barrel%20stove (http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/NTESearch?storeId=6970&in_dym=1&Nty=1&D=than&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&N=0&Ntk=All&Ntt=barrel%20stove&cmnosearch=PPC&cm_ven=PPC&cm_cat=I-search%20(Google%20Adwords)&cm_pla=heatersstoves&cm_ite=barrel%20stove)
It's even less if you cut & split it yourself.
You'll be hard pressed to find a new GOOD woodstove under $600. Mine is a small one and it was $1100. Not in the garage though. My parents have one in the basement and it makes a huge difference in the warmth in the whole house ~
JM
You might want to wait for spring to buy a stove. Many of the suppliers are cleaning out their stores for next years inventory.
After years and years of fighting an oil furnace, my wife and I installed a vent free propane heater this winter, and I absolutely love it. I read before where you mentioned the gas line, and that is the route I'd go. I used to burn wood in our previous house, but if you take your time and effort into consideration, it's not any cheaper than any other method, and it's a lot messier, and not nearly as convenient. This propane heater was less than $300 and its 30,000 btu, and has a thermostat, and there is no need for a chimney with it. It was an experiment this year with the intention of getting some kind of wood heater in the future, but I'm really happy with how well this thing heats and how efficient it is. The other nice thing is that if the power goes out, it still works with no electricity, and it also has a nice blue flame...Bow chicka bow wow. ;D
$120 to $140 for a full cord 4x4x8 not a face cord or rick.
Quote from: pndwind on December 22, 2008, 06:25:25 PM
$120 to $140 for a full cord 4x4x8 not a face cord or rick.
green or dry?...
not that it matters.
A truckload...7-8 cords used to cost $350-$400 here when I was heating with wood.
The same load today sells for $1350 because that's what they can get for a load of hardwood pulp at the mill.
If your watchful 1 yr dry.
You can still pick up a loggers load in these parts for around $600-$800. You'll get about 7-8 cords. But you have to cut it, split it, stack it and wait for it to dry.
Way too much work!
Quote from: capt steubing on December 22, 2008, 03:38:32 PM
After years and years of fighting an oil furnace, my wife and I installed a vent free propane heater this winter, and I absolutely love it. I read before where you mentioned the gas line, and that is the route I'd go. I used to burn wood in our previous house, but if you take your time and effort into consideration, it's not any cheaper than any other method, and it's a lot messier, and not nearly as convenient.
I'm going to have to put on my tree
hugger hating hat. Wood is most likely a local natural resource for the majority of us. It's locally grown, locally harvested and delivery is minimal. Unlike oil or propane. These days it's hard to find foresters that don't practice good forest management techniques. They've learned to respect their source of income. Yes the older stoves can be dirty if not run correctly but the newer stoves have catalytic converters or double and sometimes triple burn chambers. Wood is an option to help us break our foreign oil dependency.
Quote from: red duke on December 23, 2008, 01:20:18 PM
Wood is an option to help us break our foreign oil dependency.
Only partially. I'd bet that if everyone used wood for heat we would quickly run out.
Quote from: Triple J on December 23, 2008, 02:28:14 PM
Only partially. I'd bet that if everyone used wood for heat we would quickly run out.
I hear it grows on trees.
Quote from: Triple J on December 23, 2008, 02:28:14 PM
Only partially. I'd bet that if everyone used wood for heat we would quickly run out.
Yes, only partially but it's a good start. [thumbsup]
Quote from: Triple J on December 23, 2008, 04:39:52 PM
Yup...but fairly slowly. ;)
Now we can give our trees growth hormones instead of the beef :)
Quote from: MrIncredible on December 23, 2008, 04:45:36 PM
Now we can give our trees growth hormones instead of the beef :)
We'd have to find a way to grow trees on corn based products. ;)
Quote from: Triple J on December 23, 2008, 02:28:14 PM
Only partially. I'd bet that if everyone used wood for heat we would quickly run out.
True of any fuel source if we use it as our only source. The real answer is to diversify, conserve and consider cradle to grave environmental damage. If wood is cheap where you are most likely there is an abundance and if proper forest management is followed plus you are using one of these new fangled low emission stoves you are probably reasonably green. My buddy's country home which actually was his primary residence was heated mostly with wood. Most of the wood came from felled trees on his property that had to come down or already came down.
Keep away from my trees though, unless, of course, you would like to hug them ;D
I bought a free-standing kerosene heater after talking to a bunch of ppl.
Kerosene is cheap around here, only $3 gal which will run one of these heaters for up to 2 days (according to the "word" on the street).
it says up to 23k BTU output which may be sufficient for my garage, but i am not keen on this kind of flame -- i.e. a portable heater. i'd rather have something more sturdy and built-in
plus, i plan to only run it at night, so maybe the cost will be tolerable. we'll see.
Quote from: ducatizzzz on December 24, 2008, 05:44:21 PM
I bought a free-standing kerosene heater after talking to a bunch of ppl.
Kerosene is cheap around here, only $3 gal which will run one of these heaters for up to 2 days (according to the "word" on the street).
it says up to 23k BTU output which may be sufficient for my garage, but i am not keen on this kind of flame -- i.e. a portable heater. i'd rather have something more sturdy and built-in
plus, i plan to only run it at night, so maybe the cost will be tolerable. we'll see.
I have a few of those in my shop which is too big for them to heat, but they do work OK in smaller spaces. I'm not sure about any carbon monoxide issues? Might be something to confirm before leaving it on all night, even in the garage?
Quote from: Langanobob on December 24, 2008, 05:54:58 PM
I have a few of those in my shop which is too big for them to heat, but they do work OK in smaller spaces. I'm not sure about any carbon monoxide issues? Might be something to confirm before leaving it on all night, even in the garage?
It says they are ok to use in the house with typical ventilation, so I think a drafty garage is probably fine. Also, the garage is sealed from the rest of the house.
I am looking into all options. The bedrooms are over the garage and the floors are horribly cold due to 1960's insulation in the floors. I am thinking of pulling the garage ceiling down and insulating it properly -- or maybe even putting in some kind of heat source in the ceiling (to heat the floor above).
It's pretty brutal.
QuoteI am thinking of pulling the garage ceiling down and insulating it properly -- or maybe even putting in some kind of heat source in the ceiling (to heat the floor above)
I've thought about that too, and it's probably the best long term solution, but pretty expensive and also time consuming if you do it yourself. They used to make radiant heat ceiling drywall boards with heating elements in them, don't know how well they work, if they still make them. I looked at running hot water tubing in the ceiling and also electric heat. But in the overall priorities around here I never really came to the best conclusion or did anything.
Seems like the kerosene heater is at least a good short term solution.
The only downside to kero heaters is the odor and that normally only occurs when lighting or when they run out of fuel.
Vented heaters don't create any odor
this one lights pretty fast with not much smoke/odor and the tank is big enough to run 12-15 hours without a problem, which is all i need for now. i plan to run it sundown to sunrise pretty much, until we have a better solution.
i have a window in the garage and i put a CO detector there. we'll see what it reads tomorrow morning.
it heat up the floors VERY nicely last night and the garage was a "toasty" 60 degrees according to the thermo.
it burned about 3/4th gallon or so last night for 12 hours. that's not a bad deal for now. that is the 1-K from Citgo.
Home Depot has synthetic 1-K which is odorless but they want 11/gal for it -- sheeet no!
Quote from: red duke on December 21, 2008, 09:27:00 AM
Don't try this at home kids!
(https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3148/3124851211_ec69c512d3.jpg)
Can you tell me more about this setup you have? How'd you set it up? Is it circulated through the house? Is it forced?
Quote from: red duke on December 23, 2008, 04:22:14 AM
You can still pick up a loggers load in these parts for around $600-$800. You'll get about 7-8 cords. But you have to cut it, split it, stack it and wait for it to dry.
Way too much work!
I think I want to try this :P
Quote from: MrIncredible on March 03, 2009, 05:12:20 PM
Can you tell me more about this setup you have? How'd you set it up? Is it circulated through the house? Is it forced?
I think I want to try this :P
I replaced my boiler fed hot water storage tank with an instant hot water system. Which left me with a used 40 gallon storage tank, pump, relief valves and a lot of valves and other fittings. I picked up some 1/2" copper piping, 1/2" elbows and 1/2" street elbows. I created continuous loop withe the 1/2" copper and placed on the stove. (I tried several different configurations and the continuous loop resulted in the highest water temperature, 150 degrees.) The cold water that feed to the loop comes from an elevation below the loop. I added unions to the supply and return from the loop in case things go sour and I have to remove the loop from the stove quickly. Valves before and after the unions keep water from running all over the place. The water that exits the loop goes in the up direction from the loop. This allows the hot water to rise and create a convection flow. From there the hot water flows to an air separator with an expansion tank. The water then flows to a pump which is fed to the storage tank. The tank has a coil in it that heats the water in the tank. The heated water is then fed to the instant hot water. I also installed a regulator to feed the loop with water and to maintain a ccertain pressure in the loop. I added an additional valve in the kine to regulate the flow when the pump is running.
I purchased and intend to install a temperature sensor on the coil that will actuate the pump. I didn't install the sensor and the convection flow made the system work without the pump. It helps if the storage tank is elevated above the stove.
I intend to use the heat to heat my garage once I've insulated the garage. Two bedrooms are located above the cold garage. For now I use it to preheat the domestic hot water.
Without an expansion tank and proper pressure relief valves you can create an explosion/rocket from the pressure in the pipes.
Caution must be used with how much heat you take from the stove. If you draw too much you may start to effect how the stove burns and how it vents through the chimney.
If you're daring enough to drill into your stove you can then try this,
http://www.therma-coil.com/ (http://www.therma-coil.com/)
Quote from: MrIncredible on March 03, 2009, 05:12:20 PM
Can you tell me more about this setup you have? How'd you set it up? Is it circulated through the house? Is it forced?
I think I want to try this :P
I saw a product that was basically the same idea but used fin tube from hot water baseboard heat and was bolted to the side or back of the stove. There was a shroud around the whole set-up so you couldn't see the plumbing, and I imagine to make it heat more efficiently. I can't find it now but it looked pretty good.
I've been heating with pellets for about 7yrs. My dad installed his first pellet stove in 1993. Besides me, my mother-in-law, my sister-in-law & my one of my brother-in-laws have all converted to pellet stoves. I usually go thru about 5tons a year. I usually buy in May, this year I got it for $230 a ton. This is my primary source of heat. I've got a Harmon, it'll put out 65k BTU if I want. Like DP said, you only need 3ft of vertical rise on the vent side. You also don't need an external source of fresh air, unless you in install in a mobile home. You can also put it within 6in of combustible surfaces, unlike a regular wood stove. You can't beat these things...