We live in metrowest Boston area and have a raised ranch (front entry splits to up/down stairs... 3 BR, LR, DR, kitchen are upstairs and the LR/K/DR are open floor plan w/13' cathedral ceiling... downstairs is open family room w/separate laundry room leading into study). We are currently heating w/fuel oil (forced hot air w/programmable thermostats for upstairs and downstairs) and are considering switching to a pellet stove. Two friends in town w/very different floor plans own the Harman Accentra Pellet Insert and love it, but that's all we've seen so far.
We don't really have any place upstairs to put a freestanding stove, and our only fireplace is downstairs in the family room (no basement in this house) on the north end of the house, w/bedrooms (and majority of living space) upstairs at opposite end of the house. So the stove would blow into the open room downstairs toward the stairwell (banister w/spindles so fairly open). Not sure it matters, but front (east side) of family room is 1/2 underground as house is built into small hill... moving around to the north it quickly moves to ground-level (where fireplace is) and chimney is built 2/3 outside the house.
So the question we're wondering about is, how much heat should we expect to get upstairs, and how much heat loss due to external exposure? Not sure how well insulated that room is but house was built in 1988, 6yrs newer than all others in our development. We've got central air/heat now but only one ceilng fan (upstairs, in center of the cathedral ceiling). Should we expect to only be able to heat the downstairs (in which case it doesn't seem worth the $3560 plus $950 installation/venting) or will it substantially heat upstairs? Trying to figure out how to cut our fuel oil costs. I'm home alone all day but by 4pm husband & kids are home, so whole house is occupied upstairs and down for 4 hours in evening and 2 hours in morning.
So, any thoughts on whether we can heat upstairs with only 1 stove downstairs (or ways to accomplish such), how much temps could differ between the two floors (I like it 70-73 daytime in winter!), and whether this is the right (best) stove to consider (and is price reasonable?) or recommend other good options... it would all be greatly appreciated. Neither of us has ever had a home w/anything other than oil heat so this is totally new ground for us. Thanks in advance for any help/input!!
We don't really have any place upstairs to put a freestanding stove, and our only fireplace is downstairs in the family room (no basement in this house) on the north end of the house, w/bedrooms (and majority of living space) upstairs at opposite end of the house. So the stove would blow into the open room downstairs toward the stairwell (banister w/spindles so fairly open). Not sure it matters, but front (east side) of family room is 1/2 underground as house is built into small hill... moving around to the north it quickly moves to ground-level (where fireplace is) and chimney is built 2/3 outside the house.
So the question we're wondering about is, how much heat should we expect to get upstairs, and how much heat loss due to external exposure? Not sure how well insulated that room is but house was built in 1988, 6yrs newer than all others in our development. We've got central air/heat now but only one ceilng fan (upstairs, in center of the cathedral ceiling). Should we expect to only be able to heat the downstairs (in which case it doesn't seem worth the $3560 plus $950 installation/venting) or will it substantially heat upstairs? Trying to figure out how to cut our fuel oil costs. I'm home alone all day but by 4pm husband & kids are home, so whole house is occupied upstairs and down for 4 hours in evening and 2 hours in morning.
So, any thoughts on whether we can heat upstairs with only 1 stove downstairs (or ways to accomplish such), how much temps could differ between the two floors (I like it 70-73 daytime in winter!), and whether this is the right (best) stove to consider (and is price reasonable?) or recommend other good options... it would all be greatly appreciated. Neither of us has ever had a home w/anything other than oil heat so this is totally new ground for us. Thanks in advance for any help/input!!