Need Serious Help !!

[Woodcrafter]

This Texas boy needs guidance. We're usually pretty savy about "air conditioning", spittin' watermelon seeds, and chunking cow-patties.......but have blessed little knowledge about heating with wood. Naw, I'm not talking about the fire-pit on the back patio, I'm talking about REALLY heating the inside of the home. I'm in the process of building a new, (hopefully energy efficient) home and taking a look at some of the "sealed" high efficiency fireplaces. One (Xtrodinair 44X) sorta jumps out at me, but like I said, Texans may not know what's really worth while, and what's the best bang for the buck. New home will be approximately 3000 sq. ft. and built to have very, very little air leakage. I would prefer to have the "fireplace look", instead of a free-standing stove, so do some of you "heatophiles" have any suggestions ? Thanks for any input that you might be able to offer this rookie.

 

[jtp10181]

One to consider would be the Quadrafire 7100.

http://quadrafire.com/products/fireplaces/woodFireplaceDetail.asp?f=7100fp

There is a dealer locator on the site.

 

[Harley]

Welcome, Woodcrafter.

Let's start by getting some of the layout of the new house - kind of sounds like you are planning on having a fireplace built in there as part of the design, but want to make it more effective (unless I missed something) when it gets cold. If you can give the folks here some details... I'm sure you will have lots of options.

 

[restorer]

Welcome, Woodcrafter.

Let's start by getting some of the layout of the new house - kind of sounds like you are planning on having a fireplace built in there as part of the design, but want to make it more effective (unless I missed something) when it gets cold. If you can give the folks here some details... I'm sure you will have lots of options.

Harley, you are being nice. Texas hill country is different than Galveston, right? Give the particulars and then we can help. It can get cold in Texas, but you will not feel the Upper Midwest cold. Also, if you are in wooded Texas, don't take second seat to the hardwood claims of the East. I once saw a log in an open fire in San Antonio burn for three days. OOOOhhh CRAP.

 

[Gooserider]

One of the things I tend to suggest in most new house situations is to look at the possibility of a Masonry Heater aka Tulikivi type setup. Depending on the setup they can be a very energy efficient way to heat w/ wood and can even do neat things like have ovens built into them, drive radiant heating systems, and other such fun things.

I would also strongly reccomend that you still incorporate some sort of "conventional" heating system, that can deal with keeping your pipes from freezing if you have to be away for more than a day or two. Wood heaters are great except that they do pretty much require that you "baby-sit" them at least every 12 hours or so.

Gooserider

 

[Hogwildz]

Me personally, I'd be getting that Quad 7100FP.
RSF also makes nice fireplaces, I believe both these you can duct off of. Pretty much a wood furnace with a view

http://www.quadrafire.com/products/fireplaces/woodFireplaceDetail.asp?f=7100fp

http://www.icc-rsf.com/en/fireplaces/foyer_delta.asp

 

[Harley]

Me personally, I'd be getting that Quad 7100FP.

I'm a little confused on their ad:

"7100FP
When it comes to creating a full sensory experience, nothing compares with the sounds, the smells and the ambiance created by a powerful, wood burning fireplace. "

What smells are they talking about?

My stove apparently doesn't offer that option!

 

[Gooserider]

Me personally, I'd be getting that Quad 7100FP.

I'm a little confused on their ad:

"7100FP
When it comes to creating a full sensory experience, nothing compares with the sounds, the smells and the ambiance created by a powerful, wood burning fireplace. "

What smells are they talking about?

My stove apparently doesn't offer that option!

It's called the "Microsoft approach" - turn a bug like the occasional backpuff into a feature... %-P

Gooserider

 

[Hogwildz]

Me personally, I'd be getting that Quad 7100FP.

I'm a little confused on their ad:

"7100FP
When it comes to creating a full sensory experience, nothing compares with the sounds, the smells and the ambiance created by a powerful, wood burning fireplace. "

What smells are they talking about?

My stove apparently doesn't offer that option!

They offer a fire screen, so I am assuming you can have the doors open.
I don't mind a small back puff once in a while, I like the aroma it gives off

To the distinguished Goose:
Sure beats having 3 polluting smoke dragons and proudly displays it.
For someone that likes to bash others, best to look in the mirror.
I think they call that hypocritical.

 

[Woodcrafter]

I'm sorry, folks......I probably didn't give enough information. Wood will NOT be responsible for total heating. The house will be outfitted with a Trane XL19 AC/Heat Pump system. When temps get below the ideal range for the heat-pump, it will automatically switch to propane back-up system. So, the HVAC air handler will have the capability to circulate warm air produced by a "sealed" fireplace, throughout the home. It would be my hope that the fireplace could supply enough supplemental heating, to avoid the use of propane, altogether. I love having the ambiance of the built-in fireplace, in the great room, but HATE the inefficiency of a regular open, masonry fireplace that sucks most of the warm house air up the chimney ! The home will be in heavily forested area hardwoods, in Northeast Texas which requires heat for only approximately 4 months, and seldom gets below the mid-twenty degrees, F.

 

[begreen]

I'm guessing that the heat pump will cover 80-90% of your heating needs. That is a good efficient unit. We have a similar setup in a mild climate. The heat pump can handle the load very well down to about 30-35 degrees and will keep on trying even at 25 degrees. We use the woodstove to supplement instead of the backup electric strips and to raise the ambient a little. The heat pump is great, but it doesn't replace that nice feeling of standing next to a warm stove on a cold day.

 

[jtp10181]

How about a crude floor layout? Also maybe a side view with chimney location. I don't know about other dealers here, but around here people often times want the fireplace chimney in the location marked "not reccomended" in the manual. These are things that need to be thought about before the home is built, and gets missed a lot. If you donwload the 7100 Manual they have some sections in there with suggestions for fireplace and chimney location. There are some guides on the HPBA site someplace as well (I think).

 

[KeithO]

Mr Wodcrafter
Regarding the house: Ranch ? Full basement ?

Fireplace / stove location: Central / open plan ? Against an outside wall ?

If your floorplan suits a central location and is open enough to make good use of radiant heat, and if you can afford it, I would go with one of these http://www.mainewoodheat.com/products.html#albiecore

Its a lot less expensive than the fancy soapstone heaters (great for folks who are LOADED) and works just as well. Only has to be fired once or twice a day (more than likely once in your location) and no nursing the fire all day. It lets you have that roaring fire when you get home in the evening, without driving you sweating out the room, only to get up to a cold house in the morning. But you need a suitable load bearing and preferably concrete floor and a suitable home layout. You can learn a lot more about this style of heater at the MHA website:http://mha-net.org

I hope to have one before I die, but I think I would need to demolish this house and start over before it would make sense installing one in this house (layout, low load bearing floors, finished basement below etc).

Personally, I'm not a real big fireplace fan. Some like them and inserts really need heat exchangers and convection blowers to get a lot of heat into the room (bad if the power goes out). Best of luck buddy..
Keith

 

[Harley]

Me personally, I'd be getting that Quad 7100FP.
RSF also makes nice fireplaces, I believe both these you can duct off of. Pretty much a wood furnace with a view

That is a pretty sharp setup they have there, Hogz... I wasn't knocking it at all.

 

[Hogwildz]

Me personally, I'd be getting that Quad 7100FP.
RSF also makes nice fireplaces, I believe both these you can duct off of. Pretty much a wood furnace with a view

That is a pretty sharp setup they have there, Hogz... I wasn't knocking it at all.

Never thought you were bro
Its all good