Ok so I have a 1700 sqft raised ranch, the l/l has a fireplace in the corner of the room. Now I wanted to install a Harman pellet stove insert, but am curious to know if the heat would make it to the top floor (dining/kitchen/3 bedrooms). The l/l has a door that must be opened in order to get into the room, not your typical ranch opening to stairs etc. Am I just better off with a freestanding unit on the top floor or would an insert do the job with some fans to circulate the heat? Thanks in advance to all who reply.
New to the country life....pellet stove insert or freestand? PLEASE HELP! lol
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stoveguy2esw
Minister of Fire
lots ofvariables to look at , degree of insulation, floor plan etc... BTW you may want to move this post to the pellet room (or maybe a mod can move it for you) to get a "pellet user heavy" set of opinions. my gut tells me yes it should though it may take a bit of time and maybe some help with air movers to get the convection currents moving but certainly the square footage you listed should be somthing that a harman insert should be able to handle, nice choice BTW , they make great stoves.
Welcome! Generally speaking, since the solid fuel-burning appliances we talk about as woodstoves/pellet stoves/inserts are space heaters, you're much better off installing the thing where you spend your time. Especially in the case you describe...the lower level will be heated nicely, while the upper level will benefit very little, if any. Rick
THE ROOSTER
Feeling the Heat
I live in a 2 story and my stove is on the 1st floor NW side of my house, I have the very stove you are interested in and from my experience it will help the upstairs but VERY little.. You can't go wrong buying one of these stoves, on a very cold winter's night you'll be glad you have it...
I have a house with central forced hot air heating. The lower level was always quite cool in the winter. If you have a similar situation with your house then the lower level pellet stove option will make it comfortable to be down there. I would not count on it to adequately heat the upper level. Heat traveling upstairs may reduce the central heat usage by 50% depending on what temperature you are happy with on the upper level.
I love my 1 year old Harman freestanding. It replaced an old Whitfield insert that was a right pain to clean. Hearth renos were a big job but worth it for the ease of cleaning a freestanding stove. Newer inserts with a pullout track shouldn't be too bad either.
I love my 1 year old Harman freestanding. It replaced an old Whitfield insert that was a right pain to clean. Hearth renos were a big job but worth it for the ease of cleaning a freestanding stove. Newer inserts with a pullout track shouldn't be too bad either.
Hi USMC_PYRO, and welcome to the forum.
In this case, I agree with Fossil. Put the stove in the area you mainly want to heat.
Most basement installs don't do real well heating the upstairs, unless you have a VERY open access. Just a regular door won't cut it.
In this case, I agree with Fossil. Put the stove in the area you mainly want to heat.
Most basement installs don't do real well heating the upstairs, unless you have a VERY open access. Just a regular door won't cut it.
jtakeman
Minister of Fire
Lots of variables as Mike has said. I am also taking it as a finished basement. So I would say hard to transfer the heat upstairs. Even if it is unfinished the heat wants to stay down stairs.
What is the primary heating system currantly in the house? Hot water or forced air?
I would not purchase just a pellet stove, Multifuel is the way to go when buying a new stove.
If it is forced air, I would go with a MULTIFUEL furnace that you could sister to the exsisting system. More exspensive but you will not freeze.
Same would go if you have the Hot water system.
Unless you spend alot of time in the basemant and Don't mind using both the stove and the primary heating system. An insert would keep that room nice and toasty. Cleaner and less work than wood too!
And Welcome to the forum.
jay
P.S. I am living an a raised ranch aprox 2k+ sqft, basement is unfinished. I have a stove in the basement. To keep from freezing I had to buy the biggest stove and add vents(with fans) to every room. If I had to do it again. I would have purchased a Forced air Multifuel furnace.
What is the primary heating system currantly in the house? Hot water or forced air?
I would not purchase just a pellet stove, Multifuel is the way to go when buying a new stove.
If it is forced air, I would go with a MULTIFUEL furnace that you could sister to the exsisting system. More exspensive but you will not freeze.
Same would go if you have the Hot water system.
Unless you spend alot of time in the basemant and Don't mind using both the stove and the primary heating system. An insert would keep that room nice and toasty. Cleaner and less work than wood too!
And Welcome to the forum.
jay
P.S. I am living an a raised ranch aprox 2k+ sqft, basement is unfinished. I have a stove in the basement. To keep from freezing I had to buy the biggest stove and add vents(with fans) to every room. If I had to do it again. I would have purchased a Forced air Multifuel furnace.
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