Settled on my house December 3rd. LP furnace/forced air. I got my first month LP bill yesterday and it was $630(215 gallons) for December. I am sick to my stomach because we had the thermostat set at 68 degrees. With a pregnant wife and 2 year old, I am not willing to ask them to suck it up and lower the temperature to 60. Anyways, I am situated in the woods with alot of wood to burn. I am strongly considering getting the Englander add on wood furnace to tie into my HVAC and am wondering everyone's thoughts. I have a oprefab fireplace on the maion living floor, but it is the cheap prefab version and the chimney sweep told me it would be $10000 just to put an insert in there, so scratch that idea. The furnace would be in the basement/garage level of a 2500 sq ft cape cod style home. I am planning on putting the wood furnace approximately 25 feet away from the LP furnace although in the basement as well. I plan on running the wood furnace blower to the nearest return duct and then running my furnace fan. Will the standard sheet metal ductwork be too hot against the wood joyce? Also, will a ducted wood furnace in a family room make the area too hot even if vented to the HVAC? I apologize for the questions, but I have very little in wood stove experience and know that I need to find an alternative to my LP furnace. Any and all advice would be appreciated.
Wood Furnace advice
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Fsappo
Minister of Fire
I know I'm hawking my own wares a little bit but you should look at the PSG Caddy line. Sold quite a few to hearth.com member and they always end up happy. They are a little more money than the Englanders, but they are a whole different breed. I would use the middle size in your case. Super clean burn, very easy to install, excellent warranty and they work like a charm.
First off, you can't run the furnace into the return. The air is too hot, and you'll eventually ruin the blower motor in your LP furnace. The plenum, after the a-coil if you have a/c, is the best place for it. You can then run the blower on your LP furnace if you want to. You'll need a damper to prevent hot air from the wood furnace from backfeeding into the LP furnace. You also need to maintain a 2" clearance to combustibles on the hot air ductwork. These furnaces use a blower to move hot air away from the firebox and thru the ductwork, so in the event of a power outage, things get really hot really fast.
I'd have to agree that there are more efficient furnaces out there than the Englander, but lots of people have them and are happy with them.
What you really need to worry about now is finding wood to burn. Truly seasoned wood is very hard to buy, and if you are cutting your own you need to start now for next winter. If you've got some dead stuff that is in good shape and can find some pallet wood or something similar, you might get by for this winter, but it can be very frustrating fighting with not so seasoned wood.
Good luck, and keep asking questions.
I'd have to agree that there are more efficient furnaces out there than the Englander, but lots of people have them and are happy with them.
What you really need to worry about now is finding wood to burn. Truly seasoned wood is very hard to buy, and if you are cutting your own you need to start now for next winter. If you've got some dead stuff that is in good shape and can find some pallet wood or something similar, you might get by for this winter, but it can be very frustrating fighting with not so seasoned wood.
Good luck, and keep asking questions.
lexybird
Minister of Fire
i heat a 2,000 sq ft house with my Englander addon (1389$ minus 10%HD coupon) and mines elbowed/tied into my ducting ,i added more firebricks and a 90$ 416cfm dayton blower on the back just above the existing one and then up sized the duct outlet hole from 8 ' to accept 10round ducting, now it really moves the hot air t omy registers and i dont use my oil furnance blower at all.the englander works great has a large firebox and a nice viewing window, mine isnt a wood hog like you might hear people suggest i think for the money its the best deal going .i use around 5-6 cords and always get overnight burns lasting around 9 or so hours or so .its my only heat source .
the psg caddys are nice too and i know they burn cleaner ,but im not sure if they would offer any more btus for the footage required or offer longer burn times than 10 hours and at twice the cost its hard to justify in my case .I do know having the epa certification like the caddy has might be good for in the future when its rumored to be required someday
the psg caddys are nice too and i know they burn cleaner ,but im not sure if they would offer any more btus for the footage required or offer longer burn times than 10 hours and at twice the cost its hard to justify in my case .I do know having the epa certification like the caddy has might be good for in the future when its rumored to be required someday
laynes69
Minister of Fire
Having a 25 foot run before ducting, you should have a furnace with a large opening on top. Thats one of things I don't understand with the englanders. A 8" top isn't much in the case of flow. Having 2500 square feet and a 25' run you will need a large blower to push the heat through the home. How tight is your home, and is it insulated well? For us we have a large home, but with 3x's the air leakage of a new home. Even then at 0* this morning, the house dropped a degree from the thermostat setting on the wall which was 70 and we woke with a large coal bed after 8 hours. There are alot of nice furnaces on the market, but the price is a bit higher. In the end its worth it, especially like said with clean air standards changing. But on a budget, I feel the englanders can't be beat.
As far as tying the furnace into the ductwork and combustible clearance, is there a specialist that I can come give an assessment to even see if this possible with my home layout? I am hesitant to call a stove shop/chimney cleaner simply because they will be pushing their brand/model vice giving me a good assessment. Additionally, do most installer have good experience with these wood furnace installs and HVAC tie-in?
laynes69
Minister of Fire
Around here, there are few if any installers for wood furnaces. Most hvac people won't touch them. As far as clearances are concerned, you can reduce your clearances in the 25' run. Then once you tie in to the main trunk you will need little clearances. There's not much to an install, but clearances have to be followed which are specified in the manual.
Wow....this site is pretty impressive, you guys are a helpful bunch. Thanks.
Anyway, here a few pics. The first is of my propane furnace with the A/C condensor. That unit is in the laundry room on the basement floor. The second is of the garage, which is also on the basment level and a straight shot through the joyces and drop ceiling to the furnace. Against the far wall in the garage is where I envision the furnace, which is the side wall of the house and is exposed for the top 4-5 feet of the wall. I also took a pic from the spot where I want ot install the furnace and looking upwards and at the vents. Keep in mind that this garage is roughly 30 degrees and two of the bedrooms are directly above the garage(you'll not there is no insulation and only the hardwood flooring on the joyces). Finally, factor that I am in the process of locking in a contractor tp finsh the garage and make it join the other side of the finished basement and opeingup the staircase.
Anyway, here a few pics. The first is of my propane furnace with the A/C condensor. That unit is in the laundry room on the basement floor. The second is of the garage, which is also on the basment level and a straight shot through the joyces and drop ceiling to the furnace. Against the far wall in the garage is where I envision the furnace, which is the side wall of the house and is exposed for the top 4-5 feet of the wall. I also took a pic from the spot where I want ot install the furnace and looking upwards and at the vents. Keep in mind that this garage is roughly 30 degrees and two of the bedrooms are directly above the garage(you'll not there is no insulation and only the hardwood flooring on the joyces). Finally, factor that I am in the process of locking in a contractor tp finsh the garage and make it join the other side of the finished basement and opeingup the staircase.
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Not to discourage any of this, but am I following that you are hoping to put a wood unit in the garage space that'll still be a garage?
If so, be aware that many building codes and/ or insurance companies won't accept a solid fuel appliance in a garage- the concern has to do with potential to risk ignition of fuel fumes from vehicles, power equipment, gas cans, etc.
If so, be aware that many building codes and/ or insurance companies won't accept a solid fuel appliance in a garage- the concern has to do with potential to risk ignition of fuel fumes from vehicles, power equipment, gas cans, etc.
No, the garage is actually being finished in mid february. The garage door will be pulled, blocked and a slider will be put in. The block walls will be insulated and dry walled. With the two main bedrooms right above the garage and there currently being no insulation under those hardwood floors, I imagine I am losing alot of heat from the upstairs right there. Anyway, imagine the garage finished with insulated, dry walled walls and ceiling(unless I do some type of drop ceiling)
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