stove placement question

[quickrch]

OK, progress on the pellet stove front. My wife has identified a location where to put a pellet stove.

In short, she does not like the looks of a pellet stove and would like it out of sight more or less. We have a modern house with a very open floor plan. So our kitchen opens into the living room and sunroom. She would like to put the stove in the sunroom with its back to the kitchen sink facing out into the sunroom. This means we would only see it when eating or in the sunroom.

At the risk of asking a very dumb question...will the heat come out of that room and go through the house? The sunroom is located in the middle of the house on the backside while the gas fileplace is all the way on one side/corner of the house. Are we going to loose heat because the unit is not facing towards the middle of the house? Our top two floors are about 3200 square feet. I realize this unite only puts out 50,000 btu but the house is pretty well insulated and we live down in VA where things are rarely below 20 degrees.

I have a professional coming out to look at our house this week. We'll see what he says but I thought I would ask this group We are considering the harman XXV. I hope we don't have the noise issue so many others have had.

 

[briansol]

pellet stoves are 'space heaters' and are a bit 'directional'. They are designed to blow out. They don't radiaate like a wood stove does.

Blowing all your heat into a cubby of glass is possibly the worst placement. You'll lose a lot of heat out the glass, and you'll need a netowrk of fans to make a convection system to get heat around the house.

Sitting around the fire is one of the perks of owning a stove. Hiding it is probably a mistake that you'll regret. It's more than just a heat source. I don't even have a tv in my living area-- just the pellet stove and 2 couches. A cup of tea/joe and some company by the fire.... good times.

 

[Nicholas440]

In my opinion if the wife doesnt like the looks of a pellet stove, and wants it out of sight, you're better off not even getting one. As was said pellet stoves and inserts are " space heaters" they do not radiate like a wood or coal stove does, and they need to be placed where they can blow the hot air to circulate around the room.

For me, and many others the stove or insert adds an ambiance to a room, especially on cold snowy nights, you can sit there and look at the fire, and have a cup of your favorite beverage, and just watch the embers, which is very relaxing. I cant see hiding the stove so its' out of sight, why even have one if youre going to hide it? Then as mentioned, you have the problem of trying to get the max efficiency and heat from it, if its not placed properly your heat will only be wasted.

Living in Virginia, you arent faced with brutally cold snowy winters as the people up north or northeast, so you're lucky there, and if the outside temperatures are in the 30's and 40's that stove will work at its best.

If you can, talk the wife into having the stove face your living area, where everyone can easily see it, I bet once she sees the flames and embers and feels the warmth of it she wont mind it. And if she does, well theres always Craigs list or Ebay..

 

[mike56]

i second the mention,very relaxing watching the fire

 

[defield]

There are pellet stoves available that fit with a modern decor. May not be available ( or supported) in your area.

The above advice on placement should be taken seriously.

Ranger

 

[vvvv]

prevailing winter wind is northerly & results in n-s airflow in house. trying to heat from the s side is difficult