So you now have a new woood or pellet stove?

[TedNH]

Last season (06) was my first winter with pellets.
My forced hot water furnace was only run one weekend that we were away.
I keep all the thermostats set to 60* just in case something happens.
I like not using my propane.
I had the prior season (05) gone thru 2270 gallons of gas, really no kidding, in a 2300sq foot open concept home.
For 06 I have gone thru 800.
My heating system was so badly designed, despite that 2270 gallons, my main living area never reached beyond 58* on the coldest days.
With my pellet stove I remain at a steady 70* all the time, even when its very cold.
This summer I have replaced insulation that didnt look like it was installed properly. Put up plywood over it in the walls in my basement with tyvek, insulated all the pipes I can get to. And used 12 cans of GreatStuff to go around the foundation/sill and other cracks and areas. This weekend I am replacing my basement casements with better units.

 

[Stevebass4]

great points Elk

i need to insulate all my 1 inch pipes in the basement - any idea where a good deal can be found on 1 inch pipe wrap?

 

[stoveguy2esw]

And used 12 cans of GreatStuff to go around the foundation/sill and other cracks and areas. This weekend I am replacing my basement casements with better units.

aint that just the bestest chit there is!! gawd i love "great stuff" wish could afford to pump it into my exterior walls. (and the walls around my daughters room and her stereo)

 

[elkimmeg]

And used 12 cans of GreatStuff to go around the foundation/sill and other cracks and areas. This weekend I am replacing my basement casements with better units.

aint that just the bestest chit there is!! gawd i love "great stuff" wish could afford to pump it into my exterior walls. (and the walls around my daughters room and her stereo)

wait a minute it is gooey messy stuff that gets on everything in sight. I think it is worse than roofing cement. It just jumps out of the can and messes up my hands even before I press the button

 

[Gibbonboy]

Without doubt, hydronic heating is the most comfortable form of home heating, with radiant hydronic being the cream of the crop for most situations. I've had the displeasure of spending months and months as a "boiler monkey", cleaning and servicing furnaces before winter comes. Wonder why I got out of plumbing and heating? It's because I got tired of coming home every day smelling like oil, covered in oil and soot, and blowing soot out of my nose until I did it all again the next day! Even as a certified installer, doing the work myself, I can't currently afford to retrofit my house with any form of hot-water heat.

I really agree with running your system, once a week for a couple hours is fine, keeps the pump, nozzle, etc. working and clean- plus if there's an actual malfunction, you're more likely to notice, unlike turning it on and leaving for a few days.

I've dealt with frozen pipes in the middle of the night enough that I'll do what it takes to prevent it in my own house. As you approach the freezing point, circulating the water makes a great deal of difference in when a pipe will freeze, and any kind of draft or wind accellerates the process greatly. Of course, most heating systems (and unfortunately, some domestic water systems too) are made from "M" copper, much thinner and more easily ruptured than "L" copper pipe.

Luckily, I just have 2 pipes that are near enough the outside wall to chance freezing. They haven't in 7 or 8 years, including several below-zero periods, so I guess I'm fairly safe in that aspect.