What heat source is best for me?

[Joe Huskey]

I just bought a house that had two gas heaters and a fireplace. The gas heaters aren't vented and we have been having trouble with moisture. Windows and doors are sweating more than I've ever seen. I've heard that some houses have more trouble with this than others and evidently this house has trouble with it. I've bought a de-humidifier. I've been thinking about getting a wood stove to maybe set on the fireplace and run the smokepipe through the fireplace hole through a piece of sheetmetal. I don't really like the thought of putting a stove in front of my pretty fireplace and I enjoy fires IN the fireplace. Wood heat would probably help the moisture and I've also considered a insert. Here's what I need help deciding on, I don't want to burn much wood and I prefer not to mess up the pretty fireplace with a stove in front of it. My friend has a stove that burns half the wood as most stoves and my other friend has a soapstone stove that doesn't burn much wood either. I've also considered that Grate Wall of Fire which is a grate for your fireplace that is designed to not allow your heat go up the flue but burns more wood than these stoves. I may be limited to the stoves that I'm talking about since I'd like something that maybe burns half the wood or if you guys have another idea for a heat source that isn't too expensive, that'd be great. I've heard electric heat is more than gas. I wish they made a soapstone fireplace insert but don't guess there would be much room for lining it with soapstone. Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[Chimney Smoke]

I wouldn't rely on two unvented gas heaters for primary heat. I bought a house this summer and it had an unvented gas stove in the living room. It puts out a lot of heat quickly and I use it for an hour or so at a time for supplemental heat when the woodstove isn't going full bore. I would not want to run unvented for any long period of time though. I don't have problems with the moisture from the gas because I don't run it long enough. I actually run a humidifier because the woodstove dries the air too much. If you're looking for a primary heat source a woodstove does require work and you will not have consistent heat, the house will sometimes be too warm and other times too cold.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

If you don't want a woodstove or insert I wouldn't go with one. You won't like it. Maybe a pellet stove would fit you better? You'd have a bit better temperature control and could stick it in the corner and vent it without a chimney.

Another thing you might want to consider is a vented gas stove. Without the combustion byproducts being vented into the living space you don't have the water vapor staying in the house. This will help you keep the dehumidifier off and be low maintenance.