2nd stove? is it worth it?

[firewatcher]

This goes to all the wise men on here: Elk, mountainstove guy, roospike and all of you other knowledgeable folk, etc… I purchased a Osburn 2200 Bay insert this past year. My house is 3000 sqft(I included floor plan below) with the insert in the back of the house in the fireplace. My floorplan is not one of those optimal open ones either. I have to run this thing hot 24/7 to keep it warm in my house and the upstairs tends to be a little on the cool side. So I was thinking of adding a pellet stove in the family room so then that heat would warm the front and all of upstairs shooting the heat across and running right up the steps which some does now.

I think I have seen people post that having 2 stoves are both fighting for the same air or something of the sort. Would it be worth it? Would I be running around like a crazy man with 2 stoves? However, I have seen Elk mention many times that he has 2 stoves. Do any of you have any better ideas? bigger insert? don’t bother with another source and let my gas furnace pick up the slack? better placement of another stove?

Thanks in advance for all your ideas.
Joe

 

[begreen]

A second stove will definitely help. It's better placed under the bedrooms and will deliver some heat up the stairs. I like pellet stoves a lot, but they will make a bit more noise than a wood stove. That said, a Quad 1200i in the fireplace could be a welcome addition, especially in what appears to be the core area of the house.

Question, is there a ceiling fan in the room with the current stove? If yes, is it running on low, reverse speed while the stove is going?

 

[stoveguy2esw]

as for the question of two stoves fighting for air, add an OAK (outside air kit) to the pellet stove and there would be no conflict with the other stove as far as combustion air is concerned

 

[firewatcher]

A second stove will definitely help. It's better placed under the bedrooms and will deliver some heat up the stairs. I like pellet stoves a lot, but they will make a bit more noise than a wood stove. That said, a Quad 1200i in the fireplace could be a welcome addition, especially in what appears to be the core area of the house.

Question, is there a ceiling fan in the room with the current stove? If yes, is it running on low, reverse speed while the stove is going?

There is a ceiling fan in the kitchen that I installed for this purpose, however I have not used it yet. Should I use as described above and for what purpose?

 

[begreen]

Actually where the ceiling fan is needed is in the room with the insert and catherdral ceiling. Otherwise I suspect the heat is pooling up at the ceiling.

To answer your other question about the work involved. A good pellet stove requires very little futzing around. You just set the thermostat and feed the thing about once or twice a day depending on outside temps. Otherwise, it runs just like a small wood furnace, automatically coming on when heat is needed.

 

[Roospike]

Is this whole back room one big room or is it blocked between with wall and or door ways ?
Does the whole back room have cathedral ceiling ? Is the rest of the house 8' ceilings ?

Is the staircase open at all or is it totally boxed in ?

The Dining room and the Living are not open to each other ?

 

[Todd]

I like your idea of a pellet stove instead of another wood stove. It should do the trick for ya. Maybe even a gas stove might work?The pellet stove will be less mess and tending than a wood stove. I use to own a house with 2 wood stoves and it wasn't fun keeping up with both.

 

[firewatcher]

Is this whole back room one big room or is it blocked between with wall and or door ways ? Pretty much one room with a 4ft wall on each side as some seperation breaking them up

Does the whole back room have cathedral ceiling ? yes just that back portioN(22X16 ROOM)

Is the rest of the house 8' ceilings ? yes
Is the staircase open at all or is it totally boxed in ? open at bottom 7 ft

The Dining room and the Living are not open to each other ?

I have closed French doors seperating them

 

[elkimmeg]

combustionair requirements is a non issue plenty vollume to support the other pellet stove

 

[saichele]

Once you have the first wood stove, the ROI on a second is tough to justify. We put in a $3000 insert, cut our gas use from 250 ccf to 50 ccf (about 20-25 is hot water) and that should pay itself off in 3 winters. But it doesn;t leave much room for savings onthe second stove. Even if we completely eliminated heating gas use, we're talking 25 or 30 bucks a month. maybe 40 since we do use a small electric radiator in the toddler's room. Even an entry level install is 1500, means the payback is 30 winter months at least, assuming no cost for wood. If you buy pellets, it's worse.

So we're leaning towards a small gas stove just for aesthetics, but maybe half the cost to buy/install vs pellets, and about the same to operate.

Steve

 

[jimkelt]

We had a similar setup with two stoves. In our house the two areas were in different air circulations. One side shared a little with the other but not much as we only had one passage that connected the two. Putting two really balanced the temps in the house.
Seems like a good location for a second stove in your layout. Between the two you should cover your whole house pretty well.

 

[firewatcher]

Once you have the first wood stove, the ROI on a second is tough to justify. We put in a $3000 insert, cut our gas use from 250 ccf to 50 ccf (about 20-25 is hot water) and that should pay itself off in 3 winters. But it doesn;t leave much room for savings onthe second stove. Even if we completely eliminated heating gas use, we're talking 25 or 30 bucks a month. maybe 40 since we do use a small electric radiator in the toddler's room. Even an entry level install is 1500, means the payback is 30 winter months at least, assuming no cost for wood. If you buy pellets, it's worse.

So we're leaning towards a small gas stove just for aesthetics, but maybe half the cost to buy/install vs pellets, and about the same to operate.

Steve

The issue above with the ROI is one of my main concerns. Like i said do i just run my gas furnace and make up the slack(which will be about $100 to $200 a month) because now I run it for 1 hour in the morning so my wife doesnt complain and its $100 a month and since its gotten real cold in the past 2 weeks I now run it for another hour when she gets home from work so I imagine the bill will go to 200. And I imagine gas prices will never drop but continually move up where as the secind pellet stive would be a fixed cost

 

[Homefire]

pellets wil cost about $200 a month .....that is if you can find
them for under $250 a ton delivered.

 

[restorer]

Seems to me you have two discreet zones. The wood stove takes care of it's area and spills in to the living room/dining room as a supplement. If you installed a high Btu pellet stove on a setback thermostat, you could do away with the one hour morning evening burn of the furnace. That would further reduced your gas use, and even out your temperature throughout the house. If you weren't using the LR/DR area, you can close that off, and allow the extra heat to drift upstairs to warm the bedrooms. I'm not the heat transfer expert type, but I am sure someone can calculate the use and cost based on the data you've provided.

 

[firewatcher]

as for the question of two stoves fighting for air, add an OAK (outside air kit) to the pellet stove and there would be no conflict with the other stove as far as combustion air is concerned

what does the above kit do? And how much does it cost and is it difficult to install?

 

[elkimmeg]

The outside air kit would provide for all combustion air requirements for the pellet stove. No internal home air would be needed They require another hole into the outside wall behind the stove and metal flexible ducting not a hard task for a DIY. Cost I don't know.. Many pellet stoves do preform better with outside combustion air

 

[Roospike]

Lots of good answers shown already and the question is a tuff call. With 3000 sf sometimes one would be better off with two "zone heaters" vs one big stove . Looks like the inserts heat in the back room is going to be dominant to heat the back room and move towards the high ceiling vs the rest of the house and the 2200 Osburn size stove would be a good size for part of the house.

Some hard thought into a second stove is not as much of a big deal as what to use as a second stove , unknowing to your lifestyle and schedule a wood sotve and or pellet is going to be some extra work to keep both going . A gas stove is also a good idea and less work to keep up with two stove loading and going. I have been thinking of putting in a second stove myself but being a gas "wood looking" freestanding stove. With two stove it might be a lot easier to keep up zone heating your 3000 sf with the bleed off keeping the upstairs warm and useing the furnace to keep up on the really cold days.

Your going to have to look hard into what the cost of pellets are in your area and the availability of such supply. I think your on the right track its now up to you of what exact second heater will work best for you.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

as for the question of two stoves fighting for air, add an OAK (outside air kit) to the pellet stove and there would be no conflict with the other stove as far as combustion air is concerned

what does the above kit do? And how much does it cost and is it difficult to install?

elk is right on the money. as far as a kit for the outside air, most manufactrers now have them for their stoves as we do. we actually include one with each of our freestanding units (pellet and corn) as we require them in out installations we carry it( the oak kit) for about 60 bucks or so (give or take) i cant look it up as im at home and our website is still down (GRRRRR....) its essentially a 2 inch line of aluminum flex, with clamps and inner and outer wall brackets to cover the hole, and a rain shield. we leave them umpainted so a customer can apply which ever paint that would match the inner and outer surfaces if desired. its a nice little kit. if you select a different brand , inquire to your dealer if they have a kit available. as the one that comes from the same manufacturer will be the right size. if they do not have one, check the measurements and look at other manufacturers to see if compatible.

note also that Selkirk Metalbestos has a pellet vent kit which contains the intake as well as the exhaust , you would only need 1 hole in the wall albiet a bigger hole , its a nice kit. exhaust goes out the inner pipe and the intake comes in between the outer pipe and the inner, then a connection is made from the outer to the intake and the exhaust connects to the exhaust coupler.

 

[Mrs.GVA]

I would like a 2nd pellet stove in our house too, but GVA keeps shooting down the idea. Our stove is in the dining room, and our only source of heat. I think it would be nice to have a 2nd stove in the livingroom. Not as a main source of heat, but as 1. backup 2. It is just nice to sit in the same room as the fire. HOWEVER, Mr. GVA wants a pellet boiler.

 

[elkimmeg]

I would like a 2nd pellet stove in our house too, but GVA keeps shooting down the idea. Our stove is in the dining room, and our only source of heat. I think it would be nice to have a 2nd stove in the livingroom. Not as a main source of heat, but as 1. backup 2. It is just nice to sit in the same room as the fire. HOWEVER, Mr. GVA wants a pellet boiler.

Mr GVA I almost convinced to thinking about a wood stove.burning bio logs

 

[Mrs.GVA]

Elk....OVER MY DEAD BODY :snake:

 

[elkimmeg]

Elk....OVER MY DEAD BODY :snake:

Its comming back to me Yeah he did mention he was married. Ash him about Englanders soon to be discounted at Home Cheapo

 

[Mrs.GVA]

Did he also mention I only like "pretty" stoves?......Sorry Englanders are just not pretty. He has tried showing them to me....he brought up the good points....but...no...just can't have one in my livingroom.

 

[GVA]

I would like a 2nd pellet stove in our house too, but GVA keeps shooting down the idea. Our stove is in the dining room, and our only source of heat. I think it would be nice to have a 2nd stove in the livingroom. Not as a main source of heat, but as 1. backup 2. It is just nice to sit in the same room as the fire. HOWEVER, Mr. GVA wants a pellet boiler.

UT OH...... Well if I could run water through the Advance and through some baseboards in the other rooms then......... Hey wait a minute...
(imagine lightbulb over smiley)
8-/

 

[stoveguy2esw]

Did he also mention I only like "pretty" stoves?......Sorry Englanders are just not pretty. He has tried showing them to me....he brought up the good points....but...no...just can't have one in my livingroom.

its ok mrs GVA we still love ya different applications work for different decor's harmon makes some pretty nice looking units ( heat well as well) i admit that our units dont have the "bling " that others do , but we're working on it.