heydan said:
If "best" is correlated with "most expensive" then the thermal mass heaters (Russian stoves, Tulikivis, Masonry heaters) do tend to cost thousands of dollars more than reqular stoves.
Hi Dan:
You must realize up front expense for a quality item is only part of the real world total expense of owning it.
As I've mentioned before, though considered "expensive", masonry heaters excel in burning wood cleanly, safety, convenience, longevity and adding value to your home. This makes up front costs "relative".
By having one's own woodlot and not having to purchase cordwood, dramatic reduction in LPG, NG or oil forced air heating and by adding up ones non-essential expenses in other areas*, payback can be as short as about 10 years.
Also, in speaking of value, consider others opinions:
“Today, many people think nothing of spending tens of thousands of dollars for an automobile that holds its value for a very short time. But the investment in a masonry stove/heater is truly rock solid. As part of a home remodeling project or new home construction, masonry stoves/heaters easily pay for themselves - in reduced heating costs, increased comfort, and added value to the home.”
http://www.fnaturalhomes.com/fountainheat.htm
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"There is one other important if not vital thing to consider with all of the talk of money and payback. Anyone with a masonry heater is making a fractionally larger long-term payment, (added pro-rata principal and interest due to masonry heater), in return for receiving short-term benefits, such as decreased wood consumpton, a cleaner chimney, few needed replacement parts and a safe comfortable heat source which doesn’t need much tending so it’s a nice thing to have now. But if the world went to crap it would be great to have since you can get heat, cooking, and hot water with few moving parts. So it’s not only an investment, it’s also a hedge against risk. A payment in return for decreased risk and more certainty with regard to return on investment is called insurance And if one takes a look at it that way then these look even better as ‘investments’.
Some homeowners report that their investment in this heater has paid for itself in traditional home heating costs after only 6 heating seasons."
--Commercial Real Estate Insurance Person
Aye,
Marty
*For just 1 year, add up what you spend on non-essentials such as:
$25000. Your second or third vehicle
$3000 - ? Your boat
$15000 Swimming pool for your house
$125000 Your “hunting cabin” or second home
$1500 Tobacco $5/pk x 300/yr
$3600 Ethanol $10/day (wine, beer, booze)
$50000 - ? Your mistress
$2500 Eating at restaurants
$3500 Hunting and fishing trips
$1000 Blown pocket money, ATM w/drawls
? “Stuff” you bought but haven’t used in at least a year (It adds up)
Big Bucks A divorce or two
and the cost, ease, safety, effectiveness, eco-friendlyness and convenience of a big hot rock (aka masonry heater) in your home doesn’t seem so out of the question.
