My mother is freezing

Of the two choices: pellet stove. I think even with the bit of extra work in maintaining the heater she will find the "load and go" benefit quite nice.

Other options . . . as mentioned . . . mini split heat pump or gas heater (natural gas is still relatively affordable.)

I keep going back to the firewood issue. Are you ready to supply your mother with seasoned firewood (moisture content less than 20%). It isn't likely to be as easy as just ordering wood pellets. Most of the delivered firewood is not ready to burn in a modern epa wood stove. The wood is really, really important for success.

Ronald Reagan may have split wood into his 80's, but that wood wasn't ready to burn in an epa wood stove or insert for years if it was hardwood and many months if it was softwood.

In fact, you might consider the ability to source good wood as the primary basis for a decision, or at least as the basis for whether a wood stove is even worth considering. Try to find someone local who will deliver, stack and cover (to your mother's conveniemce for easy access) wood that is <20% MC. If you cannot find such a person, go with pellets.

Be aware, you will find many wood guys who SAY their wood is fully seasoned. It will be a challenge to find one true to his word, who will consistently provide superior wood with every delivery. If you can find such a supplier, it will be well worth paying a premium, as it will ensure best results. Without a good source of truly dry wood, your mother will be frustrated... modern stoves are not nearly as forgiving of sub-par wood as were the stoves of the 80s and before.

dafattkidd said:

Welcome to the forum. Your mom seems like a real tough lady. God bless her. And you are a good man for looking out for her. Honestly dude, this may sound crappy but as much as I love wood stoves, I don't think this is the best solution here. My advice is skip the cost of the installation of the wood stove, have her set her thermo stats at 68-72, and just give her $1,000-$1,500 to pay for the extra fuel consumption. If she won't take the money prepay the fuel company for the deliveries. Wood and pellet stoves are awesome, but they are time consuming and labor intensive. Good luck dude. Again I commend you on looking out for your mom.

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I concur. Good recommendations.

I'd consider propane first. No fuss, push button start, nothing to clean or carry, warmth when power goes out. I place a big emphasis on when the power goes out. More expensive but you are buying peace of mind.

Good thread. Mom is 73. I need to hook her up with a backup heat option.

wahoowad said:

I'd consider propane first. No fuss, push button start, nothing to clean or carry, warmth when power goes out. I place a big emphasis on when the power goes out. More expensive but you are buying peace of mind.

Good thread. Mom is 73. I need to hook her up with a backup heat option.

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Maybe even a propane heater for the room that she is mostly in is not a bad idea at all.
I'm not up on the gas fireplaces as to how well they can heat a room or how efficient they are but I would think that would be a option worth exploring.
Should not cost a lot for thru the wall venting.

HotCoals said:

Maybe even a propane heater for the room that she is mostly in is not a bad idea at all.
I'm not up on the gas fireplaces as to how well they can heat a room or how efficient they are but I would think that would be a option worth exploring.
Should not cost a lot for thru the wall venting.

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We heated our Old house with two gas stoves, Lopi Berkshire upstairs and Lopi Heritage Bay DVS down.

IMO, I'd look at an LP stove or insert. I still struggle with why bother with a pellet stove when you can have an LP stove-LP looks more "realistic" (like a wood fire) and doesn't require the cleaning and feeding a pellet burner does.