pellet or wood?

[begreen]

I measured my raised hearth and it's 20" deep. Code is a 16" deep hearth. So if the insert protrudes out more than 4" I will have to cover the hardwood floor in front of it, which i don't want to do. This narrows down my insert search even more. I'm biased to wood too. There are so many trees, and not many pellet dealers.

Check out the Clydesdale. I would not get too worried about the hearth. Get the right stove. The hearth can be extended either permanently with a nice tile or stone border or temporarily with a hearth extender board that gets removed when the season is over.

 

[Ski-Patroller]

I haven't priced pellets in the PNW, but compressed logs are running just over $240/ton at the dealer. A little more if you have buy less than a pallet. I believe they end up being more than cord wood/Btu, but I'm not sure in practice. We had such a mild winter in the PNW that I can't make a comparison with our normal useage. (it's a ski cabin so we weren't up as much as usual this year.) I really like burning the compressed logs (NIELs) in our Jotul Castine. Less mess, easier to regulate, and longer burn times. Also I can buy them any time and burn them immediately. We are paying about $300/cord, pre split and delivered (must be re-split), but I think the cords are usually short.

Incidentally we have a 18' high loft and cathedral ceiling. A ceiling fan does a great job of redistributing the heat.

 

[mtnhiker70]

We have 2 young children, so I doubt we'll have time to obess over wood daily, 365 days a year.

wood is a commitment, pellets cost $$$, you need to choose what's best for you, I heat with wood, but I also like the life style of cutting, hauling, splitting, dragging it inside. I personally wouldn't feel right with just loading pellets and calling it a day, I deal with wood 365 days a year, whether its planning, or actually using it.

My husband thinks he's got a LOT of wood, but in actuality it's less than a cord. He's been wasting a lot of it, just burning fires in the yard, which I've told him is not smart. And i have is 1/2 hr away and we don't own a truck.

Pellets have gotten pricey & supply is not reliable too.

 

[mtnhiker70]

LOL

 

[Poindexter]

Plenty good advice here, as usual.

One idea would be to maybe put in one good quality unit and try being a "supplemental" burner this winter. Set your fossil thermostat at 55dF or so so the pipes don't freeze and see about how warm you can get the main part of the house that you use burning either wood or pellets.

Putting a freestanding stove in your foyer - in the crook of the stairs - if you got a good sized one would probably put you over budget just for the chimney install, but you could cut your oil usage by 75% maybe.

12 hour burns are achievable by several cord wood stoves apparently, mine isn't the only one on the market that can do it. So someone could load morning and evening...

Do agree with an energy audit, even on a newer home. Do you feel cold air coming in anywhere? Window sashes, outlets on exterior walls, etc? If one has already been done you don't need to do another one, but sealing up your home and improving your insulation will save you money in the long run no matter what energy source you use for heat.

Not a fan of inserts myself, though they are popular. I would put my stove smack in the middle of the floorplan if the wife would let me, I want every BTU in the house, not heating up the bricks.