need advice for next heating season Must read!

[mtalea]

Ok people I have 2 pellets stoves...by april i will have gone thru 4 tons of pellets

thinking about adding a wood stove inplace of 1 pellet stove,. I need all opinions pros and cons please

 

[homebrewz]

Start gathering wood now so it has time to season. If you decide later not to get a wood stove you can always sell your seasoned wood.

 

[jtakeman]

Might get more replies in the woodshed section?

When I had the room for picker loads and free scrounged wood(used to keep the wood at the inlaws farm). I used to burn only wood. When my son was born we added the pellet stove to keep the house a more consistant temp. But the first stove was too small for the cold season. So I used the smaller pellet stove to keep the house warm in the shoulders. On the colder days the pellet stove keep the house from freezing. So I could fire up the wood burner once I got home. When the inlaws sold the farm and moved to florida, We were having to buy cut split and delivered wood that got kind of pricey so I upgraded to a pellet stove that would handle the whole heating chore.

If you got room for 3 seasons worth of wood in the yard, Don't mind cutting splitting and stacking and aren't going to purchase precut/split wood. Heck yeah. It can save you a ton of cash. If you have to buy it, You'll probably not save as much, But wood heat is unreal. You will not want to move to Florida anytime soon either! Another plus is it still works when the power goes out. Reason I still have my wood burner as a backup just in case. Having both is a nice option.

 

[save$]

Wood stove
pro
power goes out, you still have heat for warmth and cooking.
Can really crank out the heat.
you can harvest your own fuel if you have a saw, strong back and access to trees.
Con
Stove need attention several times daily.
heavy back breaking dirty work over and over.
Wood should be kept outside and away from house to keep critters and bugs away.
Need to buy well in advance of the heating season.
very limited market availability. (seldom available at box stores or hardware or feed shops)
Not worth a hoot for discussion in the pellet forum or for pellet pig status!
Pellet stove
pro
clean,
won't brake you foot if you drop the pellets.
Pellets can be kept inside without fear of bringing in pest.
Pellets are available in many outlets.
usally, daily atteniton is enough
multiple safety's on stove to prevent accidents
Can be installed in many situations that a wood stove can not
cons
dependent on electricity
price swings with fossil fuels (stove and pellets)
More of a space heater than a whole house heater.
More can go wrong with the stove.

to be honest, if my situation were to allow for having both a wood and a pellet stove, I would do it in a heartbeat. Burned wood for 15 years before going to oil and now pellets. My boys would make sure I had access to a good pile of wood should I need it.

 

[magsf11]

I grew up with a wood stove, cutting, spliting and stacking the wood in the summer, then having to , as my dad told me " when you come in the house grab a arm full of wood", feeding the stove every 2-4 hrs ( even in the middle of the night), having to deal with the bugs in the wood. I would rether just just dump a bag of pellets in every day and not have to worrie about the hasslewith a wood stove. for me pellets take up less room than cords of wood. I am heating a 1200+ sq foot house and I go threw 3.5 ton a yr. also with a pellet stove you can keep the house at the tem you want ( if the stove has a t-stat), with a wood stove you cannt. I rember as a kid my pearents having to open some windows cause it was hotter than h-ll in the house. just my opinion.

 

[mtalea]

Yes I know that this post may be better suited in the wood stove forum but I wanted pros and cons,and most people who had wood stove went to pellet,so I wanted to hear more from fellow pellet owners. And what they would say..So my concerns are restrictions of a wood stove.cleaning etc;

As gasoline and diesel rise so will our pellet prices..would if gained freely is cheapest,but storing,seasoning,carrying it in etc..

Any input is good input for me

Thanks so far to those of you whom have givin me your 2 cents,I do appreciate it

Matt

 

[jtakeman]

Matt,

Do you have access to wood? Problem with the bought stuff is it too will rise with the other heating fuels. Not trying to scare you off, Just a heads up. Its another option IMHO and options are good!

If you do get one, No only will you be hunting pellets. You will be stopping at every wood/tree you see beside the road!

 

[urkiddin]

I have 1 of each.Usually burn the pellet stove but wanted a wood stove just in case.I also have access to free wood.

 

[Snowy Rivers]

I had a wood stove for many years.

I tossed the wood burner in favor of the pellet stove and run nut shells in it.

I have a couple small generators in case the power goes off

Snowy

 

[gfreek]

Nothing like a wood stove radiating heat... However a lot goes with it as already mentioned. Burned for years, do I miss it, a little, would I go back, maybe, and use Bio-Bricks compressed wood blocks. Do I miss chimney cleaning & the potential chimney fire,(1) no., cutting,hauling, splitting stacking, etc no, chiropractor visits, no. Chimney ?? Installing a pre fab or block chimney is not cheap....

 

[m159267]

Agree with save$...
I currently have a Harman P38 in downstairs family room - absolutely love it. Went through over a ton of Greenways this winter. Upstairs great room currently has a cheap contractor-grade fireplace which I will be replacing with an EPA BIS Ultra in the near future. I have 18 acres with a lot of available firewood. Back is still strong and my wife is a massage therapist. ;-P Currently have some wood aging which should be ready to go by next heating season. Both units will share the same electrical line so my generator can easily power both via a transfer switch (along with other essentials). Living in a rural area we are prone to extended power outages.