Pellet Stove versus Propane Room Heater

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
UpStateNY

UpStateNY

Feeling the Heat
May 4, 2008
435
Catskill Mountains
Has anyone posted a study here on pellet stove versus propane LP Gas vented room heaters?

As a pellet stove owner for 5 years now, the real savings advantage for my pellet stove is the ability to heat a few rooms where we spend the most time at a higher comfortable temp than the other rooms in the house. Current cost of wood pellets has gone up 30% and propane LP gas has come down significantly. I see some of these vented room wall heaters can produce 65,000 BTU. Some don't require any electricity, which could be useful during a power outage. I am no expert on these propane LP gas heaters. I only just started looking at them. Obviously the propane gas doesn't require any physical work, which might be useful when I get a older and can no longer carry 40lb bags up stairs.
 
Don't get to excited about changing over. These prices on gas, oil and propane will not last. If you are constantly chasing the lowest cost fuel for your heating you will have to spend an awful lot of money on different appliances. If you do, make sure not to sell what you have but put it in storage. This way you won't be kicking yourself later. By next year this time you will be happy again with pellets or wood.
 
We had to install a secondary heat source to qualify for off peak electricity. Picked up the stove and everything for install but the siding standoff for around $300. Alladin-Dovre 300DV Used as a backup if no electricity. Used now only for Christmas and New years ambiance.
 

Attachments

  • DSCN0038.JPG
    DSCN0038.JPG
    226.7 KB · Views: 1,385
I have a Napoleon GDS28 that I run on LP in my added on living room where I have no heat ducts from the central air handler for the LP furnace and pellet stove. I like it for a quick supplement to the coldest room in the house - it's ~22,000BTU of output and warms the room up very quick indeed. If I let it rip for a while it'll supplement the whole house. It works without electricity which is a nice bonus as well.

I've done the math and at my current $2.49/gal of LP it costs 71 cents an hour to run (excluding electricity for the distribution fan). My pellet stove on its highest setting costs 50 cents an hour (again excluding electricity) to operate ($5/40lbs bag). For comparisons sake, my house requires approximately 500,000BTU a day when it's 25*F ambient outside for 70*F inside. To heat with pellets that'll cost $10 for the day, with the LP Stove that'll cost $16.13. If I used the LP furnace with is more efficient I can cut the LP costs to $12.72. Either way, pellet heat is still the cheapest by a few bucks a day, even with the low price of LP right now.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: UpStateNY
If you are already getting a "heating rate" on LP..which today may be about $2.00 a gallon, I'd go with LP. What little bit more you may spend some years on LP over pellets will easily be offset by not driving to get pellets, cleaning the stove, worrying if the power goes out, costly repairs/parts, etc.

If you do not have propane already and are looking to buy propane simply to service the stove, you can, in some cases pay 50 to 100% more than the "heating" price per gallon. If that's the case, pellets will save you money, even during the twice a decade pellet price spikes.
 
acammer said:
I have a Napoleon GDS28 that I run on LP in my added on living room where I have no heat ducts from the central air handler for the LP furnace and pellet stove. I like it for a quick supplement to the coldest room in the house - it's ~22,000BTU of output and warms the room up very quick indeed. If I let it rip for a while it'll supplement the whole house. It works without electricity which is a nice bonus as well.

I've done the math and at my current $2.49/gal of LP it costs 71 cents an hour to run (excluding electricity for the distribution fan). My pellet stove on its highest setting costs 50 cents an hour (again excluding electricity) to operate ($5/40lbs bag). For comparisons sake, my house requires approximately 500,000BTU a day when it's 25*F ambient outside for 70*F inside. To heat with pellets that'll cost $10 for the day, with the LP Stove that'll cost $16.13. If I used the LP furnace with is more efficient I can cut the LP costs to $12.72. Either way, pellet heat is still the cheapest by a few bucks a day, even with the low price of LP right now.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I searched for your Napoleon GDS28 and found the following two propane stoves which looked interesting. Looks like the direct vents like these two require electricity. And your B-Vent Napoleon GDS28 does not require electric.

http://www.efireplacestore.com/npl-gds20.html

http://www.efireplacestore.com/npl-gds26.html

Thanks again
 
The race to raise efficiency has lead manufactures to install power vents and replace standing pilot lights etc.
 
Bioburner said:
The race to raise efficiency has lead manufactures to install power vents and replace standing pilot lights etc.
Click to expand...

Yea, both of those stoves probably have higher efficiency. The GDS28 is rated 85% efficienty, but I don't know how much of a stretch that really is. But, it works nicely - again the best part of LP is it's fast - I crank that thing up and I can raise the temperature 10*F in the room in 15-20 minutes - and that's with it cranked down to the lowest setting (for max efficiency).
 
Of course after writing the above I felt compelled to go look those two stoves up, the manufacturer rates the GDS26 @ 82% efficient and the GDS20 @ 78% efficient. I'm not sure what drives those differences.
 
Continuous operation and length of venting to extract heat from exhaust in the fine print. I am happy that I would never get the $$$$ saved in what little use we need verse the fact the entire install was close to $300.Takes a lot of years to get a return of investment on a few % of efficiency.
 
Bioburner said:
Continuous operation and length of venting to extract heat from exhaust in the fine print. I am happy that I would never get the $$$$ saved in what little use we need verse the fact the entire install was close to $300.Takes a lot of years to get a return of investment on a few % of efficiency.
Click to expand...

Agreed - you gotta run a given piece of equipment an lot in order to pay off a few extra points of efficiency. On a primary heat source in a cold climate, it's probably worth it long term. Something that runs a handful of times a year, certainly not a primary deciding factor.
 
LP is one of the MOST expensive ways to heat your space. Correct me if im wrong but i think it would have to be $1.60 or less just to beat out heating oil. I use portable propane heaters but getting those gas grill tanks filled cost around $4 a gallon,more expensive than electric resistance.
 
LP is $3.30/gallon here. Rip off.
 
Seasoned Oak said:
LP is one of the MOST expensive ways to heat your space. Correct me if im wrong but i think it would have to be $1.60 or less just to beat out heating oil. I use portable propane heaters but getting those gas grill tanks filled cost around $4 a gallon,more expensive than electric resistance.
Click to expand...

My son has winter contract for LP at $2.19 per gallon, which is competitive with #2 Fuel Oil current price of $2.95 a gallon when you consider burning LP is typically 10% more efficient than #2 Fuel Oil. My son lives on Southern NH.
 
Quick comparison on Fuel Oil and Propane based on the beginning of December US average cost of both fuels, and average expected efficiency of each furnace type. Fuel oil wins by a small margin - and when LP goes back up that gap will probably widen further. I LP because I have to, not because I want to.

FUEL OIL: 138,000 BTU * 85% efficient / $3.20 = 36,656 BTU’s per dollar
PROPANE: 92,000 BTU * 92% efficient / $2.40 = 35,267 BTU’s per dollar
 
acammer said:
Quick comparison on Fuel Oil and Propane based on the beginning of December US average cost of both fuels, and average expected efficiency of each furnace type. Fuel oil wins by a small margin - and when LP goes back up that gap will probably widen further. I LP because I have to, not because I want to.

FUEL OIL: 138,000 BTU * 85% efficient / $3.20 = 36,656 BTU’s per dollar
PROPANE: 92,000 BTU * 92% efficient / $2.40 = 35,267 BTU’s per dollar
Click to expand...

Both of you both lose compared to a heat pump 32,000 btu=3 kw x.15kw x 3=.45 cents =71,1111 BTU/ dollar...
 
hyfire said:
Both of you both lose compared to a heat pump 32,000 btu=3 kw x.15kw x 3=.45 cents =71,1111 BTU/ dollar...
Click to expand...

Cost of geothermal install? ;)

I was actually thinking that this house we have now might be where we are for a long, long time and thus might be appropriate to work up a geothermal quote.
 
Fall propane fill was $2.19 gal..For me I'd get a propane stove or heater that uses no electricity.. & keep the pellet stove
 
I cant get LP for less than $3.50 a gallon so its always going to be more expensive for me.
 
Seasoned Oak said:
I cant get LP for less than $3.50 a gallon so its always going to be more expensive for me.
Click to expand...

Yea, at $3.50/gal (it was like that last year around here) I wouldn't even consider LP unless I didn't have a choice. Pellets are paying off for me this year, but when LP prices climb back up as they are sure to do, it'll really start being attractive.
 
You would not get that kind of performance probably on a ducted furnace system, I was thinking ductless split heat pump, but your output would be limited to around 25, 000 btu, so you could not heat the whole house with it, you would need to use the pellet stove or propane/oil system. The cost of a geothermal would take a very long time to payback. If you want to heat one large room it would reduce your heating costs, I;m sure of it.. You want to look for models that support low ambient heating .
 
SKOAL MAN said:
These things are awesome in a finished basement! http://www.rinnai.us/direct-vent-wall-furnace Instant heat that is whisper quiet! We had one in our 17X50 rec room. When I would get home from work and the wood stove was out, just crank this baby on, comfortable in minutes!
Click to expand...
I have one of these in one of my living rooms. It will suck through a 100 gallon tank in three weeks. At 3.12 a gallon I burn a ton of pellets a month in two stoves heating 3000 sq. ft. for less than heating half my house for three weeks with the propane heater.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

tbear853
Vermont Castings saved our bacon this week.
Replies
1
Views
376
The Pellet Mill - Pellet and Multifuel Stoves
stoveliker
stoveliker
M
Looking for ventless wall mount propane heater options.
Replies
5
Views
4K
It's a Gas!
Ashful
Ashful
G
DV fireplace cold draft, options on table
Replies
3
Views
319
It's a Gas!
DAKSY
DAKSY
laurenjohnsonrdh
Low Clarance Pellet Stove Options
Replies
2
Views
738
The Pellet Mill - Pellet and Multifuel Stoves
Washed-Up
Washed-Up
C
Purchase a Used Harman Advance?
Replies
1
Views
380
The Pellet Mill - Pellet and Multifuel Stoves
Washed-Up
Washed-Up
Top Bottom
Back