Are we making the right descision here?

[CowboyAndy]

I would like to get some opinions on weather you would do if you were in our position.

Back in March, we decided we were going to heat with wood. We bought a used forced air wood add on furnace ($500), and planned to use it in conjunction with our oil fired furnace as a back up. We had a guy lined up to install a new chimney for the wood furnace for $1400. Then, he called and said he couldn't do the job due to insurance reasons (they said because the furnace doesn't have an automatic damper?). So my brother in law says he can do it and priced materials out at $1100. But here's where the installation of the chimney gets tricky. We need to have a clean out where the flu comes through the foundation and 90*s up. The problem is that where that happens is below grade, and there would end up being a huge hole aginst the side of the house. So we started looking for a combo furnace that we can just hook up to our existing chimney. Problem is that they are ALOT more expensive. We settled on the Charmaster Chalet wood/oil combo. The furnace is going to run us $5500 with shipping. In order to pay for it, we needed a loan. But our credit isnt that great, so our bank asked us to put our van for colleraderal.

So here is what I am going back and forth on...

If we kept the add on that we already bought, we would have no control over the heat output of the stove and we would have to deal with the chimney issue. On the plus side, it would all be paid for.

If we buy the new one, we have easy instalation and the ability to control the temp, plus have a newer more efficiant unit. On the down side, we would be another $6000 in debt.


What would you do in our situation?

 

[tw40x81]

I'd sell the add-on furnace and get a Englander NC-13 for the fireplace. If no fireplace, I'd install a prefab chimney, placing the stove in the living area.

 

[smokinj]

I would like to get some opinions on weather you would do if you were in our position.

Back in March, we decided we were going to heat with wood. We bought a used forced air wood add on furnace ($500), and planned to use it in conjunction with our oil fired furnace as a back up. We had a guy lined up to install a new chimney for the wood furnace for $1400. Then, he called and said he couldn't do the job due to insurance reasons (they said because the furnace doesn't have an automatic damper?). So my brother in law says he can do it and priced materials out at $1100. But here's where the installation of the chimney gets tricky. We need to have a clean out where the flu comes through the foundation and 90*s up. The problem is that where that happens is below grade, and there would end up being a huge hole aginst the side of the house. So we started looking for a combo furnace that we can just hook up to our existing chimney. Problem is that they are ALOT more expensive. We settled on the Charmaster Chalet wood/oil combo. The furnace is going to run us $5500 with shipping. In order to pay for it, we needed a loan. But our credit isnt that great, so our bank asked us to put our van for colleraderal.

So here is what I am going back and forth on...

If we kept the add on that we already bought, we would have no control over the heat output of the stove and we would have to deal with the chimney issue. On the plus side, it would all be paid for.

If we buy the new one, we have easy instalation and the ability to control the temp, plus have a newer more efficiant unit. On the down side, we would be another $6000 in debt.


What would you do in our situation?

Ok what kind on add on is it

 

[CowboyAndy]

I'd sell the add-on furnace and get a Englander NC-13 for the fireplace. If no fireplace, I'd install a prefab chimney, placing the stove in the living area.

Well, we had origionally looked into a free standing stove, but the way our house is designed it would not be practical. It's only about 2000 sq ft, but very spread out. The distance to the furthest bedroom to the only practical place to put a stove is pretty far.

Ok what kind on add on is it

I'm not sure of the brand, but its about 10 years old. 49,000 btu, 850cfm blower and a mechinical draft control (is that what its called? where it lets air into the stove).

 

[smokinj]

I'd sell the add-on furnace and get a Englander NC-13 for the fireplace. If no fireplace, I'd install a prefab chimney, placing the stove in the living area.

Well, we had origionally looked into a free standing stove, but the way our house is designed it would not be practical. It's only about 2000 sq ft, but very spread out. The distance to the furthest bedroom to the only practical place to put a stove is pretty far.

Ok what kind on add on is it

I'm not sure of the brand, but its about 10 years old. 49,000 btu, 850cfm blower and a mechinical draft control (is that what its called? where it lets air into the stove).

automatic damper can be installed

 

[Chettt]

I wouldn't take on debt unless you have an endless supply of free wood and are for sure never going to move.

 

[smokinj]

I wouldn't take on debt unless you have an endless supply of free wood and are for sure never going to move.

dido you can wire auto draft to the blowers and loop to temostat,sorry loop it in with a draft inducer or by its self sould be to code

 

[smokinj]

You can also make that furance stand alone meaning that you dont conect it to the other furance at all,that would change the codes and not even need the auto draft.

 

[CowboyAndy]

I wouldn't take on debt unless you have an endless supply of free wood and are for sure never going to move.

Well, we DO have an endless supply of free wood (200 acres), but we do plan to move in 5 years but will probably take the furnace with us

You can also make that furance stand alone meaning that you dont conect it to the other furance at all,that would change the codes and not even need the auto draft.

If it was stand alone, how would the heat get into the house?? It is a forced air wood furnace. Are you saying run all new duct work?


And again, its not really the draft issue that is the problem, its the chimney. I am willing to live with a furnace without the auto draft... its just getting this chimney installed!

 

[smokinj]

I wouldn't take on debt unless you have an endless supply of free wood and are for sure never going to move.

Well, we DO have an endless supply of free wood (200 acres), but we do plan to move in 5 years but will probably take the furnace with us

You can also make that furance stand alone meaning that you dont conect it to the other furance at all,that would change the codes and not even need the auto draft.

If it was stand alone, how would the heat get into the house?? It is a forced air wood furnace. Are you saying run all new duct work?woulnt you need the flue either way?


And again, its not really the draft issue that is the problem, its the chimney. I am willing to live with a furnace without the auto draft... its just getting this chimney installed!

woulnt you need the flue either way? or you talking about taking out your other furance as well

 

[begreen]

Moved to the boiler room for more targeted responses.

 

[CowboyAndy]

woulnt you need the flue either way? or you talking about taking out your other furance as well

Yes, we plan to remove our oil furnace and put a wood/oil combo in its place, using our existing chimney.

 

[smokinj]

woulnt you need the flue either way? or you talking about taking out your other furance as well

Yes, we plan to remove our oil furnace and put a wood/oil combo in its place, using our existing chimney.

now i understand that is a state of the art system and if your looking at it long term sounds like the way to go and a sound investment and sell the add on to someone else. install on the add on furance isnt easy

 

[begreen]

Read up here about warm-air wood furnaces. They are harder to regulate than a boiler because there is no mass storage buffer. It's not easy to cycle a fire, getting it to idle, then come up to full temp and then return to idle. This isn't so much a problem during the dead of winter, but can be during fall and spring. It's not an insurmountable obstacle, but often it's better to burn a smaller load of wood during the shoulder seasons and let the fire go out in between.

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

If you're gonna' spend 6k, do it right. If you have that much wood and the house is efficient enough, pull the trigger. Remove the oil and replace it with a quality gassifying wood-fired hydronic. You will need to spend a bit more on a water2Air HX. But you are going to burn what, 5 full cord a year?

The money you save in oil over the next 5 years will pay for the entire install. Plus, if you have 200 acres (now, this is not state land I am helping to subsidize, is it?) cut twice as much as you need and sell the other half. Down my way, a full cord is going at 160 plus delivery. An extra 5 cord each year and you will have your closing cost taken care of when you buy that "camp" in five years!

Jimbo

For those that don't know, in the ADK a 'camp' is what the rest of the country would call a McMansion :coolsmirk:

 

[markpee]

We just purchased an EKO 40 - the cost was just under $7k, however, if the price of oil goes to $5 this winter, we will spend the same on oil - so it's either pay now or pay later. What we did however, was find things to sell because we didn't want to take a loan, nor could we afford to. Everyone has stuff to sell laying around, we sold a snowblower we don't use, my wife's '92 honda which was our 3rd car (she was very upset by the way), we sold our two snowmobiles and trailer (we have a 2 year old and one on the way - so no big deal). This worked out great for us - and can for you too - sacrifice to stay warm this winter! Good luck!

 

[Wet1]

So my brother in law says he can do it and priced materials out at $1100. But here's where the installation of the chimney gets tricky. We need to have a clean out where the flu comes through the foundation and 90*s up. The problem is that where that happens is below grade, and there would end up being a huge hole aginst the side of the house.

Maybe I'm confused or misunderstanding, but... Either create an exterior man-well (which could be covered or lined) next to the foundation for clean-out or place the clean-out on the inside of the house through the foundation. This sounds a lot cheaper than buying a new system, which it certainly doesn't sound like you can afford.

 

[pybyr]

have you looked at whether you might be able to use a"power vent" instead if a chimney for your oil furnace-- and then use your "freed up" existing chimney for your-already-bought wood unit?

a lot of that will depend on your site details, inside and outside the house- but sometimes it is an option. it has trade-offs, but so do most things, and if you could put in a power vent in compliance with codes, and have it near the oil burner, it may cost you less than the other things you are looking at, including building chimneys

 

[RedRanger]

Unless you are really tech savy? I see headaches and more headaches coming your way. Just put in a wood stove,, so the power goes out, no problem, just migrate to that room where the stove is. Even if you just cut your other fuel in half, it is a decent accomplishment.

 

[CowboyAndy]

Unless you are really tech savy? I see headaches and more headaches coming your way. Just put in a wood stove,, so the power goes out, no problem, just migrate to that room where the stove is. Even if you just cut your other fuel in half, it is a decent accomplishment.

We are looking at more than cutting it in half... we are looking to eliminate the need for fuel oil... well, we will get probably 100 gallons for a back up.


I certainly do appriciate everyones input, and everyone's is just as important as the others.

We have decided to purchase the new furnace. Here's how we came to that desicion:

-ease of installation... compared to the current oil furnace haveing to be tied into, then putting in a new chimney for the wood unit.

-efficiancy... all of my research shows that a newer unit will burn more efficiant than the 10+ yr old add on unit

-resale value of our home... I cant imagine that having that 2nd chimney with a huge hole in the ground would be very appealing.


thank you all for your opinions.

 

[CowboyAndy]

Well, we settled on the Newmac CL 86-96c.

Thanks again for all the input.

 

[begreen]

Looks like a stout system. Do you know if they have any secondary combustion system for the wood fire?

Be sure to pay close attention to duct plenum clearances from wood for the supply and return ducts on the unit when installing.