Gas AND wood?

[Tahoe]

Hello and thanks in advance for your help.

We're moving into a new house and will miss our wood stove/fireplace (xtrordinaire). The home we are moving to was built in the 70's and has a standard wood burning chimney. The current owners cut a hole in the back of the firebox to install a direct- vent gas fireplace vent. The gas fireplace is more of a decoration than a source of heat. I'm trying to decide if I should fix the masonry in the chimney and convert it back to a wood stove or if I should keep the existing direct vent and install a freestanding gas stove. I've also heard that there may be a combo wood/gas burner out there? I can't find anything like that on the web.

I'm looking to heat 2000 SF (knowing that the heat from the stove won't reach the far rooms). Our power goes out often in the winter and the wood stove has always been good peace of mind for keeping our baby and older boys warm. Gas should be equally reliable (unless someone cuts the line with a back hoe), but it seems like a lot of the stoves require a blower to actually heat well. I'd need a gas stove that doesn't require electricity to start and would be able to heat via radiant heating off of the warmth of the stove casting itself rather than relying on a blower.

Does anyone know of a "passive" gas stove able to start and heat a house without electricity?

Thanks!

 

[barnaclebob]

The Lopi Berkshire i just had installed claims to be able to run without electricity but it takes a few AA batteries for the stove and/or the remote to do so. I assume most of their gas freestanding stoves or fireplaces can do this but haven't checked. But the blower wouldn't be working without power.

You could always just keep a spare car battery and inverter as a backup but would have to do the math on how many hours of run time it would provide.

For a wood burning device your chimney will probably require a liner so you might not even need to repair the hole in the masonry.

 

[faithie999]

I have had experience with 3 jotul gas stoves, one non-vented in RI where the code permits it, and 2 direct vent in Maine. all 3 generate enough power from their thermopile to open the gas valve and allow the use of a low voltage thermostat. you said in your post that you were planning on forgoing the blower so power for that is not an issue.