Converting an Electric FP to a Wood Burner?

[holdn5]

We recently purchased a new home even though my one requirement was that it have a wood burning fp in it and the house DOES NOT. The home is all electric and there are no gas lines in the neighborhood so adding a gas fp is out of the question. I would like a wood burner regardless. Can anyone give me a ball park as to what it would cost to install one? We have a 2 story home and we're not looking to put up a brick chimney, something pre-fabricated, I'd assume that matches the siding on the home.

My husband is busy with work and won't take the time right now to look into it or contact contractors so here I am! Any info would be appreciated. I'm not even sure if it's worth the cost in terms of us saving $$ on the electric bill. Thank you!

 

[Danno77]

We recently purchased a new home even though my one requirement was that it have a wood burning fp in it and the house DOES NOT. The home is all electric and there are no gas lines in the neighborhood so adding a gas fp is out of the question. I would like a wood burner regardless. Can anyone give me a ball park as to what it would cost to install one? We have a 2 story home and we're not looking to put up a brick chimney, something pre-fabricated, I'd assume that matches the siding on the home.

My husband is busy with work and won't take the time right now to look into it or contact contractors so here I am! Any info would be appreciated. I'm not even sure if it's worth the cost in terms of us saving $$ on the electric bill. Thank you!

I'll help start you out with this. You can't convert an electric FP to a Wood burning one. That being said, you can start from scratch. FP installs are gonna be pretty danged pricey. If I were you, I'd consider a wood burning free standing stove with a chimney that runs up through the second floor and then up through the roof. The cheaper alternative, though, would likely be straight out of the house and then up the side of the house with class A chimney. you'd have to be ok with this look though:

If you do it yourself you can probably get by for $2000 minimum. If you get a nice stove and still do it yourself then you are gonna much higher than that.

How big of an area do you want to heat with the stove?

 

[holdn5]

Yes, we understand that they can't be converted..I guess I should have titled it different. Just not sure what the cost of putting in a wb would be. thanks!

 

[Danno77]

Yes, we understand that they can't be converted..I guess I should have titled it different. Just not sure what the cost of putting in a wb would be. thanks!

I was editing my post at the same time you were submitting this. Here's a repost of what I was putting into my other post:

If you do it yourself you can probably get by for $2000 minimum. If you get a nice stove and still do it yourself then you are gonna much higher than that.

How big of an area do you want to heat with the stove?

 

[SlyFerret]

If you're going to go to the trouble of adding a wood burner, I certainly wouldn't add an open fireplace. They're pretty, but they're usually negative efficiency (meaning they suck heat OUT of your house when you use them).

Your best bet will probably be to build a hearth pad, and install a free standing stove. Many modern stoves are very efficient, and have LARGE windows to watch the fire. You get the best of both worlds!

Keep reading on this site, and its forums. There are lots of great posts, with TONS of great information here.

Chimney placement will be one of the biggest things to consider when you chose a location for your stove. You want to make sure you put the stove in a location that will allow for the chimney to work properly. The chimney isn't just a way for the smoke to get out. It is a critical component of the entire wood burning system.

-SF

 

[Wood Duck]

. I'm not even sure if it's worth the cost in terms of us saving $$ on the electric bill. Thank you!

I am not sure about the cost of installation, but one benefit is that a wood burner will provide heat in the event of an electricity outage. My home is all electric and we are prone to long outages here. The wood stove is our emergency heat and frozen pipe prevention system, in addition to part of our heat during regular winter conditions.

 

[Todd]

There are some pretty efficient fireplaces out there like Fireplace Xtrodinaire, RSF, Quadrafire 7100 and others. Some even have ducting to help heat other rooms. They cost more than a simple wood burning fireplace but your better off in the long run if your looking for actual heat. If your just looking for ambiance or an occasional fire the cheaper units would be the way to go. Best thing to do is go shopping at a local hearth shop and see what they offer and come back here and look for info on the system you like.

 

[holdn5]

wowza, looks like I have a lot more research to do. Thank you all for the feedback thus far!