Considering pellet heat

[Chillz]

Hi we I live outside Ottawa ontario, winters get cold.
We live in a 1300 square feet raised bungalow with the same living space in the basement.
the basement has 2 bedrooms a bathroom and living room, so there is a lot of separation.

We have a chimney that is currently capped and have empty insert areas both on the main floor living room and basement living room which is exactly underneath each other.

We heat With oil forced air only and spend up to 4000 at least if not more last year in heating.
Our current furnace is located in a closet with the hot water tank just next to the living room.

I was thinking of replacing the furnace with pellet type furnace, does anyone know how much room or clearance is needed if in a closet?

do they make dual fuel pellet furnace with propane or oil.....?

Or could we have separate furnaces and have them connect to the ductwork?

Or we could add inserts in the empty fireplace spots......can the inserts be direct vented or is it better chimney vented?

We have two small kids and am some what weary of having one in the basement....

Anyways with the high heating prices it's time for a change....anyone have any recommendations.....and guesstimate prices

 

[JDenyer236]

First read the stickies at the top of this forum. There's a ton of good info there to get you started. I don't believe they make a pellet furnace that can go in a closet due to clearance issues. You could use your empty fireplace to put a pellet insert into or you can get a free standing pellet stove. Pellet stoves can be direct vented or vented to a chimney provided that the chimney meets the installation criteria. Most chimneys will require some type of liner especially if the size of the current chimney is too large or if the current chimney is unlined. Your best bet would be to visit a stove shop to get some ideas of what will work and have them come out to take a look.

 

[Wilbur Feral]

Agree w/ previous post that a closet unit is likely impossible. Combo with fossil fuels also likely not practical, and probably not available. Connecting to duct work possible but using those empty fireplaces may be far less expensive except for the liner, which can be pricey. Note that the overall surface of a pellet stove does not become hot like a wood stove (although glass and some other parts do). As noted, your best bet is a visit to a stove shop to see things in person and ask questions. Also, search this site for the fuel calculator to compare costs for various fuels.

 

[Polar Bear]

Pictures of the old fireplace would be beneficial.

 

[Tim Linden]

With kids you'll want a gate around it. The glass on the stoves get extremely
hot and since the entire stove itself doesn't radiate heat like a wood stove, kids
(even adults) think the glass must be cool too. It's not. A single touch can get
you in the hospital..

 

[Chillz]

thanks for the info ;
what is better fireplace or stove.... i think i remember reading that a stove is much more energy efficent....

the basement has alot of seperation .... do you all just run your fan on to circulate th heat?

 

[Chillz]

i think putting one in the basement first would be a good alternative, the basement is insulated but is a little bit colder then the main floor
; then possibly adding one on the main floor .
We have ceiling fas in the stair well and in each room of the house on the upper floor that could help circulate... just dont know how it would get to the rooms of the house. i would still have to run the furnace fan i guess to circulate also
Does anyone have any experience in connecting it to the forced air ducts

 

[Chillz]

Pictures of the old fireplace would be beneficial.

Basement fireplace

 

[Wilbur Feral]

I have not connected to the ductwork, but if you do so you need a pellet furnace, not a stove. The blower on a furnace is designed to move more air. There are several on here with pellet furnaces, but cost is higher and they require more room. Try searching for those threads, and you might want to research those on mfr websites. Pellet consumption will be higher as you're generating more BTUs.

 

[JTRock]

What's wrong with the woodstove in the picture?

 

[Chillz]

Nothing wrong with it,
The chimneys are sealed and have not been used.....
I don't want to deal with messy wood and bugs in the basement.

 

[Chillz]

Here is a basic plan of the main floor

 

[Chillz]

Basic plan of the basement

 

[Chillz]

There are fans in all the bedrooms on the mainfloor

Also the fireplace opening on the main floor is empty

 

[JTRock]

Nothing wrong with it,
The chimneys are sealed and have not been used.....
I don't want to deal with messy wood and bugs in the basement.

Why not unseal Chimney and burn compressed wood bricks?

 

[Chillz]

Never heard of compressed bricks; where can you buy them, is the price comparable to pellets?

 

[JDenyer236]

Yeah the price is pretty comparable. The bricks are essentially really big pellets shaped like a brick. They can be bought by the ton and are sold in most places that sell pellets.

 

[Chillz]

Is the burn time the same? A bag of pellets =a day of heating
I'll have to try and find a place around that sells it

 

[JDenyer236]

Is the burn time the same? A bag of pellets =a day of heating
I'll have to try and find a place around that sells it

Not sure of the burn time as I have never used them. I'm strictly a pellet burner.

 

[Polar Bear]

Pellets are nicer to burn than bricks

Not sure how well your wood stove moves the air though.

 

[JTRock]

Is the burn time the same? A bag of pellets =a day of heating
I'll have to try and find a place around that sells it

Eco bricks and Envi Bricks are 2 brand names. They are close to $300 a ton. They are advertised as comparable to a cord to a cord in a half I think. Less mess takes less room. Nice go to if you are just starting out or have 0 seasoned wood
Nice go to option if you have

 

[peirhead]

Have you investigated Heat Pumps.....unless you specifically want to look at the stove, I'd suggest you seriously consider them....I like my Castile but if I was doing it over again I'd go for the heat pump,

 

[Chillz]

I have considered it but our winters are cold minus 20 Celsius is not abnormal.....not sure it would be able to keep up and be warm

 

[canuck_22]

I have considered it but our winters are cold minus 20 Celsius is not abnormal.....not sure it would be able to keep up and be warm

You're correct, a HP wont keep up and as you get closer to -17c the performance degrades and eventually shuts down, I know I have one. I have invested in a P61A for the basement and an XXV for the main floor for an 1150 sqft home, the XXV will be used to keep up in January when we hit those nasty lows, fireplace mode and ready otherwise.

 

[Chillz]

You're correct, a HP wont keep up and as you get closer to -17c the performance degrades and eventually shuts down, I know I have one. I have invested in a P61A for the basement and an XXV for the main floor for an 1150 sqft home, the XXV will be used to keep up in January when we hit those nasty lows, fireplace mode and ready otherwise.

Does your house layout have many separations, does it heat the house and bedrooms well?