So I currently heat with oil. Live in a 1994 built split level. About 1000sq ft living space. Upstairs is finished, downstairs is foundation, framing and insulation (poorly) over OSB/tyvek/vinyl. To me (a computer guy) the downstairs windows look like junk (wood and skimpy) and upstairs look a little better (wood and a little less skimpy). Tired of paying oil prices. A couple years ago, when pellet stoves were all the rage, we had one on order, it never came in so the place offered us an alternate (higher priced) at the same price as the one that never showed up. We (meaning my wife) was suddenly concerned about where we'd put it as space is minimal, especially now with TWO boys (9 month and 3 years) and their stuff. We cancelled the whole idea at that time. Now I DO have a huge Alaskan woodstove hooked up to a real chimney that I don't use much. I would like to, but whenever I try I fail miserably. The past few weeks I've wondered about replacing the woodstove with a pellet hooked up to the chimney. My concern is...in the unfinished basement, with (currently) no real venting to the upstairs, how well the pellet stove wood heat the upstairs. I have no problem installing a couple/few vents throughout the house to allow heated air to move up easier, I just would hate to do it all to find that the stove works so hard to heat the downstairs that we're still chilly upstairs and/or burn through 5,6,7 tons of pellets. Opinions? Other than me being a meathead. Thanks.
Rick
P.S. I realize there are lots of factors and no 100% way to know...just looking for opinions really.
Rick
P.S. I realize there are lots of factors and no 100% way to know...just looking for opinions really.