~2 years ago I moved into a new house in the "sticks" of Northern New Jersey. We immediately became wood burners running a Jotul Oslo all winter in an attempt to reduce our oil use. I am starting to put together my "long term plan" to convert to 100% wood use for my house. Here is our current setup:
~2500 sq ft RANCH. 1/2 of the house is 1980 "typical" construction. 2x4 walls, Anderson double-pane casement windows. Attic is well insulated with blow in. The other 1/2 of the house is 2003 construction. 2x6 walls with well insulated attic. This 1/2 has vaulted ceilings. The basement under the "new" 1/2 is also finished (ceiling access still possible).
Current heating setup:
Hot water baseboard, oil-fired w/ 1995 boiler. 5 zones:
1. "Old house" living space.
2. 2 BRs in "old house"
3. 2 BRs in "new house"
4. Master suite in "new house"
5. Finished basement (this has 3 fan assisted radiator units)
Current wood setup:
Jotul Oslo located in family room in the "old" area.
FPX insert in finished basement.
Current heating strategy:
We run the Jotul 100% to capacity. Full loads any/all day the oil burner is firing. This keeps the main living areas of the old section warm Zone 1 never calls for heat. With some creative fans it also keeps Zone 2 heat demand at a minimum. Zones 3 & 4 are heated with Oil. We fire the FPX whenever we are in the finished basement for heat and Zone 5 is set to 50F on oil to provide freeze protection. If the FPX is firing, we can reduce oil Zone 3 & 4 call for heat.
DHW is provided with a Boilermate storage tank run on a separate zone from the oil burner.
My interest in a centralized wood burning is growing rapidly as I still burn through ~600 gallons of oil annually supplying heat/DHW.
I only have 1 flue in my basement, so any indoor solution would need to be a combo unit with oil backup. I don't have any way to power vent due to the lay of the land. We have no natural gas available and I have no interest in adding a propane tank for backup.
The other option is OWB. If I go this route, it would definitely be gassifier.
My main concerns:
Will I be "ok" with my current heating setup (radiators) or should I start planning on a radiant install since I have full access to my floors from the basement?
I realize storage would most likely be ideal (especially if I want to get DHW during the non-heat seasons), but could this be added incrementally later to spread the costs?
Any general suggestions/guidelines to help me come up with an ideal solution?
ac
~2500 sq ft RANCH. 1/2 of the house is 1980 "typical" construction. 2x4 walls, Anderson double-pane casement windows. Attic is well insulated with blow in. The other 1/2 of the house is 2003 construction. 2x6 walls with well insulated attic. This 1/2 has vaulted ceilings. The basement under the "new" 1/2 is also finished (ceiling access still possible).
Current heating setup:
Hot water baseboard, oil-fired w/ 1995 boiler. 5 zones:
1. "Old house" living space.
2. 2 BRs in "old house"
3. 2 BRs in "new house"
4. Master suite in "new house"
5. Finished basement (this has 3 fan assisted radiator units)
Current wood setup:
Jotul Oslo located in family room in the "old" area.
FPX insert in finished basement.
Current heating strategy:
We run the Jotul 100% to capacity. Full loads any/all day the oil burner is firing. This keeps the main living areas of the old section warm Zone 1 never calls for heat. With some creative fans it also keeps Zone 2 heat demand at a minimum. Zones 3 & 4 are heated with Oil. We fire the FPX whenever we are in the finished basement for heat and Zone 5 is set to 50F on oil to provide freeze protection. If the FPX is firing, we can reduce oil Zone 3 & 4 call for heat.
DHW is provided with a Boilermate storage tank run on a separate zone from the oil burner.
My interest in a centralized wood burning is growing rapidly as I still burn through ~600 gallons of oil annually supplying heat/DHW.
I only have 1 flue in my basement, so any indoor solution would need to be a combo unit with oil backup. I don't have any way to power vent due to the lay of the land. We have no natural gas available and I have no interest in adding a propane tank for backup.
The other option is OWB. If I go this route, it would definitely be gassifier.
My main concerns:
Will I be "ok" with my current heating setup (radiators) or should I start planning on a radiant install since I have full access to my floors from the basement?
I realize storage would most likely be ideal (especially if I want to get DHW during the non-heat seasons), but could this be added incrementally later to spread the costs?
Any general suggestions/guidelines to help me come up with an ideal solution?
ac