Woodstove in Bedroom

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eujamfh

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Dec 5, 2009
199
va
We currently run two wood stoves on the main floor of a 4500 sq ft home (above grade). Its a center hall colonial. We have a Buck 91 in the formal living room and a Hampton 300I in the family room (opposite sides of the home). We heat most of the Virginia year with the two stoves, but in the dead of winter the house is too big (and drafty) to be 100%.

We have a fireplace in the large (900 sq foot) master suite with double doors to the hall which is never used and I am thinking of installing a wood stove to cover those really cold (thats relative in Virginia) months.

I have the opportunity to pick up a nearly new Buck 91 for $750 and am wondering if its worth it to install it in the master bedroom for those couple months.

What do you think? Is it worth considering? We are in Fairfax County and I believe acceptable via code (there already is a fireplace there) to have it in the bedroom and I don't mind hauling the clean wood upstairs for the few months (likely only two) out of the year. I would install an extra CO2 detector near the stove (already have them in the house ).

We are 100% electric heat otherwise and loose power often. The two lower level burners always keep us out of danger of being frozen in a power outage, but it can get cold.

I have a small generator that we use and I run a space heater when required in those outages but have access to a lot of free wood so knocking that $100 plus off the heating bill in those "cold
months" would mean the stove cost would be recovered in a couple years...

Too dangerous or too much work? What do you think?

Thanks!
 
Woodstove in bedroom is not permitted afaik. Check with local inspecting authority. Might be better in having an energy audit and blower door test to locate and seal up those leaks.
 
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Begreen - Indeed I need to ask about the code. I suspect what the energy audit will tell me - the storm windows with original wood frame are good but could be better with double/triple glass panes. Lots of wood french doors in the house as well which doesn't help with the air gaps since they are not as tight as the newer doors.
 
Not sure if you're retired, working, or otherwise, but I can tell you from personal experience that keeping three stoves supplied, fed, and cleaned is not something most working folk can tolerate for any span beyond a few days here and there. Remember, you're not just tending the stoves, but felling, splitting, stacking, and moving wood for three stoves!

I'd find a way to make due on two stoves, whether that means following begreens good suggestion, or just wearing more blankets.
 
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Ha - and that has been keeping me from putting one up there this far...but saw a nearly new stove at a good price which spurred the inquiry.

OK - so I think my last ten years of "no way, its too much work" is going to carry me over this urge....

Much appreciate the bump to reality. :)
 
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Proper wood storm windows are pretty effective. A well done energy audit can sometimes show surprise leakage areas. The audit would look for other areas like a leaky attic door, recessed can fixtures, etc..
 
Proper wood storm windows are pretty effective. A well done energy audit can sometimes show surprise leakage areas. The audit would look for other areas like a leaky attic door, recessed can fixtures, etc..
 
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eujamfh said:
Begreen - Indeed I need to ask about the code. I suspect what the energy audit will tell me - the storm windows with original wood frame are good but could be better with double/triple glass panes. Lots of wood french doors in the house as well which doesn't help with the air gaps since they are not as tight as the newer doors.
Click to expand...
you may be surprised our windows and doors where not our main issues. Have the blower door test done your money and time will go a lot farther sealing things up than it will installing another stove.
 
Heat a bedroom ? Not.
First get the audit that is recommended...easy and cheap.
Then think about NOT heating a bedroom. Don't need heat there anyhow.
It's not that safe and may be unhealthy..
Recommendation: get a real thick, puffy down comforter. Open windows.
 
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DUMF said:
Heat a bedroom ? Not.
First get the audit that is recommended...easy and cheap.
Then think about NOT heating a bedroom. Don't need heat there anyhow.
It's not that safe and may be unhealthy..
Recommendation: get a real thick, puffy down comforter. Open windows.
Click to expand...

My PE is in the bedroom, which was a den. I prioritized, and moved the house around. I have NO problems with the insert being in what is now a bedroom. Flows easily to the rest of the upper level.

Floor plan is the key.

And it's not unhealthy, IMHO.

Moving fire wood to get it there, that can be an issue, but I get 'er dun.
 
Dix said:
My PE is in the bedroom, which was a den. I prioritized, and moved the house around. I have NO problems with the insert being in what is now a bedroom. Flows easily to the rest of the upper level.

Floor plan is the key.

And it's not unhealthy, IMHO.

Moving fire wood to get it there, that can be an issue, but I get 'er dun.
Click to expand...


Does your insurance company know about that?
 
I wouldn't want a stove in the bedroom area, my stove is in the basement, no matter how careful I am I still get a fair amount of dust down there, especially when cleaning the ashes out, I wouldn't want that ash making a be line onto my bed or pillows, grosses me out.
Think of it that way, just get a ductless split with heat pump. Cost is about the same between buying a new stove, running a new chimney build a second hearth.
 
Aside from whatever code or health issues you might be faced with, I'd personally not want a stove in the bedroom. The light from the flames, the spike in temperature, and that pinging sound stoves make as they heat up and cool down would all drive me to a spare bedroom.
 
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Hey, you're all missing the key to this "stove in a BR" thing: ROMANCE ! :ZZZ
Under a the cozy, puffy, warm, thick down comforter you never know what could happen
between couples. And, the birthrate could increase for hearth.com.
Think about it......we have. :ZZZ
 
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DUMF said:
Under a the cozy, puffy, warm, thick down comforter you never know what could happen
between couples. And, the birthrate could increase for hearth.com.
Click to expand...
I know that was a joke but with a stove in the bedroom you will not be under a cozy comforter you will be sweating your butt off.
 
bholler said:
I know that was a joke but with a stove in the bedroom you will not be under a cozy comforter you will be sweating your butt off.
Click to expand...

No joke. An inconvenient truth however is that warmer regions have higher birthrates. Now, we are not talking fertility, but 'romance'..... YMMV.
And furthermore having a stove burning WITH a down comforter is kinda like being pregnant twice (2X).
Mods take note.

Finale: heating a bedroom is a waste of BTUs. Check out real down comforters (e.g. LLBEAN ).
 
Since the fireplace is in the bedroom and the insurance company is aware of it, I don't see why the installation of a small stove with the proper flue would be a problem. For a bedroom (pardon the branding) a Jotul 602 or the equivalent would be all you need for taking the chill off and letting the magic get started.
 
Texas123 said:
I don't see why the installation of a small stove with the proper flue would be a problem.
Click to expand...
because it is not allowed by code that is why.
 
Because of the chance of somebody closing the bedroom door and you waking up dead from a lack oxygen because the stove sucked it all out of the room.
 
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2 4' doorways into the den, and no doors on either one of them.

Geez, do you guys think I was born last night?
 
Don't think it's necessarily what we think, but more what your insurance company will think if something bad were to happen. Knowing how they work, you would be on your own.
 
I know it is my simple mind but building code needs to be flexible. Why a simple "no wood stoves in bedrooms" code when this bedroom is larger than some homes heated with wood. would be more reasonable to be something like the sq ft of a closed space but we can't fix that.

As for sleeping in the room with the stove, the couch across the room from my living room stove is a great place to sleep. Dancing flames, pinging and popping of wood, very relaxing. Decent sized room though and open doorways at both ends so it does not get too hot.
 
Correct Smoked. There are some variances granted when the room is large, the stove has outside air for combustion and there is open passage into the room (no doors).
 
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