Back to burning. Need help getting started.

[arqupa]

Hi new to forum. I spent my childhood cutting, splitting, and all that fun stuff. I understand the firewood part.

I am needing help with how the newer EPA stoves will act with what I will burn. I am a wood worker going to burn smaller pieces and about 85% will be fire wood. I just got my house and needs repairs so looking for best bang for $$$. It will just be used to help if power fails, cut pellet use and burn up what is left of trees drop at my house for lathe work. House is a ranch style 1200sq feet and full unfinished basement where stove will be. As for power outage heat I just want pipes in one piece. Will a stove like a US stove or englander work ok. I will not get a Harman do to dealer in my area told me Harman is the only one that will do what I want and the price for now.

My supply of wood is about 1-2 cords a year all dried. I don't want to see free heat put a bin then put in back of the big green truck that eats everything.

 

[Wade A.]

I've never burned those stoves, but there are plenty here who can offer advice on them I'm sure. What piqued my interest was your comment that the stove will be in an unfinished basement. By "unfinished", do you mean "uninsulated" as well? If so, you might want to reconsider your options. You will lose a significant amount of heat to the walls and surrounding earth. Possible to move that upstairs? If you're looking for the most bang for the buck, (and who isn't?) downstairs is probably not it.

 

[NH_Wood]

+1 for the difficulties of uninsulated basement installs - just hard to generate a lot of heat upstairs with the heat sink in the basement. Also, sounds like you're not going to be burning 24/7, so harder to finally get the basement walls up to temp and keep them warm. I certainly would not want a basement install for part time burning. As for the stove - from what I've read on this site, for a low cost, high quality stove, hard to beat an Englander. I just convinced a buddy to buy an Englander 30NC and he is thrilled - just haven't heard any complaints here about the stove. Cheers!

 

[shawneyboy]

As others have stated. the unfinished basement will be a big issue. You may want to read this.....


http://www.woodstove.com/pages/guidepdfs/BasementInstall.pdf


Shawn

 

[48rob]

Difficult to understand the OP, but it sounds like they want the wood stove to protect the homes plumbing from freezing damage in a power outage.
I'm guessing there are a lot of exposed pipes in the basement.
Since it is a ranch, heat in the basement would migrate high enough to warm them in the floor and cabinetry above.
It may be cheaper in the long run to let the water run to prevent freezing (during the power outage) but a wood stove is a lot more fun...

Rob

 

[snowleopard]

+1 to 48rob's comment about OP's reason for a basement stove. The idea of letting the water run to keep things from freezing up has its negatives, which wiser minds than mine can expand on. There's a lot of merit in the concerns against basement installs, too. It sounds to me like the OP wants to generate some heat as well that will provide supplemental heat and help in the event of an emergency. (All who made that statement in their original post on h.c, please raise your hand. Yep, as I thought.) It may do well with the pipes, not so much with the other. However, you've got a relatively small house to heat, and live in a fairly kind climate, so it may work.

Arqupa, many of us here started out with a just-in-case mentality that turned into a woodburner's lifestyle. Sounds like this is coming home to you, since you grew up with it. Most of us like having our stove at the heart of the home, and find it's a gathering place and a source of comfort, solace, and pleasure. I liken a stove in an unoccupied basement to getting a wonderful, smart puppy, and chaining it up outside. Next to a chainlink fence. Near a highway. In the rain. You can do that, if you want. Or you can bring it in, teach it to behave well, and allow it to become part of your life.

Why not stick around, tell us more, ruminate a bit, and allow us to participate in your decision-making process? Collectively, we're pretty good at helping people find solutions, and it's our idea of High Play.

Also wanted to say welcome to the forum. Happy woodburning, and best of luck with this process. Also, congratulations on the new house--sounds like an adventure in progress.

 

[begreen]

As long as it is not heating the house, most any stove would work for just warming up the basement. To do this correctly, it is possible that the stove piping and chimney will cost more than the stove unless there is an existing, properly sized chimney in good working condition already installed. Englander, Drolet, Buck, Century all make low cost stoves. Try to stay with EPA certified stoves for cleaner burning and lower wood consumption.

Is the house 1200 sq ft including the basement, or is that the first floor area? And is the floor concrete where the stove will go?

 

[cptoneleg]

Difficult to understand the OP, but it sounds like they want the wood stove to protect the homes plumbing from freezing damage in a power outage.
I'm guessing there are a lot of exposed pipes in the basement.
Since it is a ranch, heat in the basement would migrate high enough to warm them in the floor and cabinetry above.
It may be cheaper in the long run to let the water run to prevent freezing (during the power outage) but a wood stove is a lot more fun...

Rob

When my power is out so is the water.

 

[shawneyboy]

Difficult to understand the OP, but it sounds like they want the wood stove to protect the homes plumbing from freezing damage in a power outage.
I'm guessing there are a lot of exposed pipes in the basement.
Since it is a ranch, heat in the basement would migrate high enough to warm them in the floor and cabinetry above.
It may be cheaper in the long run to let the water run to prevent freezing (during the power outage) but a wood stove is a lot more fun...

Rob

When my power is out so is the water.

Not necessarily so. If OP has well water then yes, he may be on town water in which case......

Either way pipes will have water in them, unless he drains them.

Shawn

 

[pen]

Back to the original posters question......

If you burn some scraps in the stove I see no problems with it especially if mixed in with your seasoned firewood.

For the cost of an Englander I'd say that is a good choice to help supplement at times and in the event of an outage.

Main difference between an epa stove and the older ones you may be used to is that these EPA stoves demand dry wood and a good draft from an approprietly sized chimney. The advantage is more heat from less wood, longer burns, and cleaner chimneys.

Good luck.

pen

 

[arqupa]

Thanks for the responses. The stove is my main concern at this time and understand the insulation problem it is on the to do list. The chimney is already in basement where I spend alot of my time doing woodworking. The pellet stove is upstairs.