I made a mistake

[Ifish]

I was set on a pellet stove for our new home, but today I happened to run across Woodstock's website. That got me searching wood stoves, one thing lead to another, and well, here I am.

Spent teh day looking at different stove manufacturers, learning about the EPA stuff, and calling a couple lumber mills in the area.

Growing up we had wood stoves in home and camps. Papa Bears and Bakers were king, and you could load those things full of oak or coal (baker) and not worry about getting the stove too hot. They'd blow you out of the room though. Now I read about these new stoves and temp is important, but they are more efficient.

Cord wood split and delivered is cheaper than teh cheap pellets in my area, logs from the lumber mill are even cheaper. Some of teh best wood stoves are cheaper to buy than average pellet stoves.

So I gotta say, it's a tough decision at this point. A new woodstock Fireview is the same price as a used Enviro m55 steel off craigslist.

Wife wants pellet because she is pretty much scared of fire, but feels she can load pellets. Pretty sure a quality wood stove and a good pair of gloves, and some practice would get her loading logs.

Now it's finding the right wood stove, vs the right pellet stove. Still looking for both.

I gotta say though, after a week or more of really looking into burning units, it really feels like a light and dark side. Yes Vader, I will join the Dark Side for the right wood burner...

 

[bholler]

Wood is way cheaper pellets are way easier. Another factor to consider is what chimney do you have or will you be putting a prefab in? Liners for pellet stoves and pellet vent chimneys are allot cheaper than those made for wood stoves and pellet stoves can be direct vented wood stoves cannot. So that does even out the initial cost allot.

 

[Ifish]

Wood is way cheaper pellets are way easier. Another factor to consider is what chimney do you have or will you be putting a prefab in? Liners for pellet stoves and pellet vent chimneys are allot cheaper than those made for wood stoves and pellet stoves can be direct vented wood stoves cannot. So that does even out the initial cost allot.

Good points. Pellet or Wood would have to have a pipe vent. Whether through the wall or roof, doesn't matter. Provided it can be used down the road for another stove if needed.

 

[Dix]

Like Johnny 5, need more input

House size, lay out ( floor plan helps, even rough drawn )

Welcome to the forums !! Kinda sounds like my beginning of the journey .. I kept Googling wood stove info, and this site kept coming up .... and you're journey begins Be fore warned, we're a sarcastic bunch, at times !!

 

[Dix]

Oh, and gender does not designate who wears the welders gloves in the family

 

[BrotherBart]

If you put in the wood stove and someday she sees somebody just walk over and hit the start button on a pellet stove, she WILL dispose of the body.

I am a wood stove junkie but just sayin...

When she could my wife loved tending the wood stove. Some do, some never will. Male and female. We have ladies on the forum who's husbands wouldn't feed the stove on a bet.

 

[Simonkenton]

Forget that pellet stove, get a real wood burning stove. My fiancee is a city girl from Atlanta but she loves to put logs into our wood stove. You can convert your wife, you have to show her the way.

 

[husky345 vermont resolute]

Forget that pellet stove, get a real wood burning stove. My fiancee is a city girl from Atlanta but she loves to put logs into our wood stove. You can convert your wife, you have to show her the way.

Im with you on that one Simon. My gf love our wood stove and the feel good heat that it produces. Wouldn't have it any other way

 

[Grisu]

Wood stove pro's: Cheaper fuel, (much) nicer fire, less/no noise, no electricity, cheaper unit, independence from fuel suppliers

Pellet stove pro's: Fuel is less work, longer times between refueling, thermostat control, constant heat output, less messy, less smoke, less "accessory" cost (chainsaw, axe, splitter, shed etc.), easier fuel storage

 

[weatherguy]

In the long un wood is cheaper, if your like a lot of us you may get addicted to scrounging wood so most o your wood can be free. My wife had the same attitude as yours and we got a pellet stove, turns out that year pellets were scarce and expensive so I didn't save any money and the pellet stove didn't have enough firepower to heat the whole house. Thw next year I sold the pellet stove and bought a wood stove and haven't looked back, the wife has been happy since.

 

[Simonkenton]

There you go, Grisu. No electricity needed with a real wood stove.
Imagine, you have an ice storm and the electricity is out for 5 days. You can't heat your house with your pellet stove.

 

[dafattkidd]

Hey Ifish,

Welcome to the forum. Wood heat is great. We heat our home with an insert and have saved thousands on oil. I like that I'm not dependent on the fuel costs and availability of pellets. I also like having the ability to heat my house even if the power goes out. I'm a pyro. So starting fires, staring at the fire, sitting by the fire, processing wood- these are all things I really enjoy.

That said, the storage or wood is probably the biggest draw back for me. I have a small piece of property, so storing three years of firewood isn't realistic. If I could just keep a pallet of fuel in my garage that would be amazing. Also my brother in law has a really nice Quad pellet stove with a remote thermostat. It's a much easier to use. Sometimes my wife wishes we had gotten a pellet stove for those reasons.

I still have no regrets. We decided to get a wood burning insert, and it worked out pretty awesome for us. My advice: Don't go rogue on your wife. Discuss the pros and cons of the wood vs pellet issue. Maybe show her a floor model burning in a showroom. If you just buy the wood burner and tell her she needs to learn to deal with it, it may be a headache you are constantly arguing about. If you take some time to arrive at an agreement together you will ultimately be more satisfied with whichever you decide on. Good luck!

 

[blades]

Compromise - wood stove and compressed wood blocks. There is at least one pellet stove on the market that requires no power. Relatively new on market. Mfg on left coast. around $1700 do not have link on this box can't remember name.

 

[AtomicDog]

I agree with the going rogue part. To me, and just my opinion, the pellet stove doesn't have soul. It's an appliance. I'm the type that will go outside and re-stack a wood pile just to stay off the couch though. It's also hard to envision a romantic evening curled up in front of the pellet stove. On the flip side, a wood stove is work. It's either a labor of love or a chore. Compressed wood blocks are another great idea.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

A wood stove requires more work on your part to generate heat, but you'll find that is part of the intrigue for most wood burners, it is almost more of a hobby than just a way to stay warm, although staying warm is the payoff, and if you do it right it pays off big time.
I've never been too impressed with any pellet stoves set ups I've seen. For me they just have too many draw backs, like the fact that you still have to pay for the fuel (you can't get pellets for free like you can wood), and you still need electricity to make them run. Yes pellet stoves are a little more convenient to run than wood stoves, but if convenience is your goal then go buy a shinny new electric baseboard heater.

Oh, and yes, if you haven't experienced owning a newer efficient EPA wood stove you are in for a treat, provided you get a quality stove and have some nice dry firewood. These newer stoves blow the pants off most of the older smoke dragon stoves that use to consume mass quantities of wood only to pump the majority of the heat up and out the chimney in the form of thick black smoke.

 

[Jerhurt]

I think after your wife sits in front of a nice woodstove and watch the beauty of the fire and feel the warmth she'll definitely change her mind and want to use wood

 

[fire_man]

On the flip side, a wood stove is work. It's either a labor of love or a chore.

That says it all. Even if fuel oil cost zero dollars in an alternate universe, some would still chose to scrounge,cut,split,stack,load, repeat.

 

[Jags]

This is like asking an addict if they are ready for their next hit...

 

[Highbeam]

To be fair, seek out the englander line of pellet stoves. Much cheaper than most woods stoves and seem to have a good reputation.

I like wood but until now I've had access to forest land to take logs for free. Now I have to buy wood and 250$ is the going rate per cord for CSD. I was able to find 100$ per cord for logs. When pellets are still, after decades, under 200$ per ton in my area the cost of fuel argument isn't a slam dunk for wood. Women like men that go outside and work. If you buy pellets you'll go soft.

Before I got heavy into woodstoves we almost went pellet. Those things are super noisy. Like a hair dryer running in your living room.

 

[begreen]

Pellet stove noise varies. Some designs are much quieter. The Quad Mt. Vernon uses DC motors and is an example of a quiet design.

 

[Ifish]

Thank you all for teh replies!

I want my wife to be a part of the whole process. She went along with me to look at pellet stoves last weekend. We'll have some time to sit and talk about the woodstove this weekend, and maybe go look at a couple.

The house is an old farm house. Not sure on exact date built, but I would guess around teh Civil War. It's very similar to the house we used to live in that is just down the road. It was built in 1850. We have a stone foundation and gravel floor in the basement. The house was wrapped, sided, and replacement windows and doors about 5 years ago I believe. It is not a tight modern home, but it is not too bad either. We cooled the house nicely on some really hot days this summer with 3 5000btu window ac units. Two upstairs in bedrooms and one down stairs in living room. The house is 1600sq/ft. I'll try and doodle up a sketch. I think the house is setup perfect for a stove.

As for storage, we have a nice sized barn. There is a lean-to off of teh barn facing the house. Plenty of room to store pellets or cord wood under the roof on one side.

As for a stove, I am really liking Woodstock fireview and Hybrid, Jotul f400/500, Pacific Energy alderlea t5, and Quadra fire Isle Royale. I am sure that there are others out there to take a look at, and I would like to have some suggestions.

Looks are not as important as heat and efficiency to me, but the Wife likes "Pretty" stoves. So, i'll get working on the layout.

 

[Swedishchef]

ke the fact that you still have to pay for the fuel (you can't get pellets for free like you can wood), and you still need electricity to make them run. Yes pellet stoves are a little more convenient to run than wood stoves, but if convenience is your goal then go buy a shinny new electric baseboard heater

I agree. The only problem is that my land doesn't have wood for me to cut! So I end up buying my hardwood, $250 a cord. Then I move it with a wheelbarrow, stack it. 2 years later I move it again into my greenhouse. Then I move it again into my basement. If I had pellets, I'd stack them once in my garage, end of story.

In the end, as others have said, it depends on what you and your wife agree on + your budget. In my case it was a simple decision: in 1998 the province of Quebec had one of the biggest ice storms of all time. People lost power for weeks. When I nuilt my house 5 years ago I figured I'd try heating with wood. NOBODY in my family has ever heated with it. $3500 was my initial setup cost + $800 for my first 3 cord of wood.

Ideally I'd love to have both: a pellet stove and a wood stove. $400 transfer switch in my electrical pannel, my generator outside and the pellet stove need not worry for lack of electricity.

However, with a new job, promotion, a 4 year old and a 2 year old, this moving wood by hand is getting old. I am running out of spare time!!

The stoves you mention are all awesome HUGE heaters. Just make sure your wood is seasoned 2-3 years (split and stacked).

Andrew

 

[Ifish]

Here's a quick sketch. The Bath, Mudroom, Laundry is a newr addition built off of the back of the house. Insulated well and a pipe vent can go right up through the ceiling or wall.

Only 4 bedrooms upstairs, and they dont need to be real warm. We like a cool room for sleeping, and in fact we like to keep the house around 70* in the winter.

I figured placing the stove in that spot would work well. The main house is open with only 1 wall running down teh middle of the house, and several doorways through it. The heat could go up the stairs as well from that spot. Won't be able to see while watching TV or eating, but there is room to put a love seat in front of it.


Not to Scale!

 

[Swedishchef]

I'd consider putting it in the largest open area, especially if you're planning on getting one of those heating beasts. The room it looks to be in is small-ish, no? ANd you're hoping for the heat to travel out that room into the rest of the house? If so, you'll be able to bake cookies on the floor in it!

ANdrew

 

[Ifish]

The room is smaller, but not as small as I made it look. Also teh back door is closer to the Laundry room, and teh stove would be more infront of the large openings for the stairs and both larger rooms. I figured a fan or two would have the heat moving enough. I thought it would be a good place to get the heat upstairs, and into the two larger rooms.

We have a porch with a roof that wraps around the other 3 sides of the house. Not sure how the piping would work if we were to put it in the living room. OUr furniture is on the outside walls because the doorways make the inner wall unusable for a long couch.