Big Ole Skaggs wood furnace and so many other questions.

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GaryS

Member
Nov 21, 2008
83
Central MO
May be acquiring a house that will come with a small farm. The house is probably just over 100 years old but in not too bad of shape. The original flues on each end of the house have long been discontinued and a new one was built in the center of the house sometime between the 50's and 70's. It's a very good, solid tile flu within cinder block and then some kind of masonry on the outside of that. The new flu was built for a very large Skaggs wood furnace. Not sure if may people are familiar with them but they were built in Missouri. It's huge, a wood eater and creosote factory, but it could easily heat both floors. Problem is, they only ran duct work on the bottom floor. The old timers didn't need no stinkin heat in their bedrooms.

There is now an add-on high efficiency gas furnace/central air unit next to the wood furnace using the same duct work. It's high efficiency and therefore vents out the side of the house through PVC. My brother who ran an HVAC company for many years recommended making the gas furnace the primary heat/air source and getting an add-on wood furnace. I like that idea and have been trolling this forum for ideas on makes/models. I would definitely line the flu if I went that route.

With no duct work in the second floor, I’m probably going to install a separate central air unit up there but I’d like to heat the entire house with whatever furnace configuration I devise. It has an open staircase so that will present its own problems.

We’ve gutted the second story so running new ducts won’t be a problem. Not too many questions at this point but I need to start organizing my thoughts. No what I mean??
 
I would be inclined to say not to install forced air in any construction where I had a choice, as I don't like the extremely high cost it imposes just to move the heat around, let alone all its many other disadvantages... If I had a choice, I'd go with hydronic heat and maybe mini-split AC units...

However that said, while I don't have any ideas on specific units, it sounds like your central wood add-on is a good idea. I probably would look more at putting a second zone on the existing air-handler than trying to add a second unit (again, there are penalties for putting air-handlers and ductwork in the attic...) as that would make it easier to do the whole house with the wood burner.

Gooserider
 
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