I have already asked some questions over in the boiler room, so now I am going to come bug you guys. I have about 2500 sq ft of finished space (1500 main level with loft, and 1000 lower level) that is currently heated by a forced air propane furnace. It's a split level with an open staircase, and a 18' vaulted ceiling on the main level with the loft. The previous owners had either a pellet or wood stove on the main level and the hole is still in the wall, it's just got some insulation stuffed in it and a piece of stainless steel covering it, and now it has an electric fireplace sitting in front of it. It also has a thermostat wired over to it. I guess I was thinking outdoor wood boiler, or gassifier in the garage, but then started to read about how some of you are heating similar spaces to mine with pellet stoves that cost thousands less than the owb's and gassifiers. Since the hole is already there with a thermostat I figure I would save some install money too (maybe not, I don't know).
Anyway my main question is, do you guys that have experience with these stoves think a pellet stove will work well in my situation? Second, does it make any sense to install it in my finished basement instead of upstairs? Our kid's bedrooms are down there, so it needs to stay warm down there too obviously. The basement has it's own thermostat too, that I assume the previous owners used to kick on the propane furnace when the pellet stove wasn't keeping up. I wish I could call them to ask how well it worked, but I don't know where they are now. If we put it upstairs and run our forced air fan would that circulate enough warm air to warm the basement?
I am going to try to attach an image of our floorplan, so if it works you should see it below. You should be able to see where the pellet stove used to sit by looking at the drawing. The drawing makes it look like an insert, but it was a freestanding stove. Thanks!
Anyway my main question is, do you guys that have experience with these stoves think a pellet stove will work well in my situation? Second, does it make any sense to install it in my finished basement instead of upstairs? Our kid's bedrooms are down there, so it needs to stay warm down there too obviously. The basement has it's own thermostat too, that I assume the previous owners used to kick on the propane furnace when the pellet stove wasn't keeping up. I wish I could call them to ask how well it worked, but I don't know where they are now. If we put it upstairs and run our forced air fan would that circulate enough warm air to warm the basement?
I am going to try to attach an image of our floorplan, so if it works you should see it below. You should be able to see where the pellet stove used to sit by looking at the drawing. The drawing makes it look like an insert, but it was a freestanding stove. Thanks!
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