Pellet Stove suggestions (will it work for me)

[Lunatics]

Hey guys, I was asking a little bit last year and I feel like I always get some mixed results or opinions but I am kind of kicking myself now that I did not try to go with and commit to buying something last year when the tax credits were still available however now it is what it is, so trying to move on and make the best decision for me moving forward as oil continues to rise.

Essentially, I have a ~1100 sqft home with an unfinished basement and an exposed ceiling. I primarily spend my time on the first floor of my house and keep the temp around 65 in the winter time.

My thought or hope is to install a stove in the basement for ease of placement and installation and my hope is that it will warm up the basement and allow the heat to rise and keep my first floor at a comfortable (for me) temp. If needed I could and would be willing to cut vents/holes in the floor but would prefer to start without them.

I have tried to attach a few images here which is a rough floor plan of my house from my vacuum cleaner which I know is probably not super accurate and I tried to use a floor plan website to estimate some distances/sizes for walls etc but please note these may not be accurate, I can always get more accurate measurements when I am home.

I understand putting it on the main floor would be the most efficient option however my place is fairly small, the floor plan is fairly closed off and its not like there is a lot of circulation or easy access from room to room without it being more open. If anything the living room would make the most sense however based on my picture there really is not much room to put a stove. It seems the best location would be where my recliner is (to the right of my AC in the image) however then I would be getting rid of seating. Where the image is taken from is next to the front door/staircase upstairs.

Do you guys with more experience with pellet stoves believe that this would be something practical or doable for me to try and get away with? I live in CT so winters can be hit or miss.

Ideally if I were to purchase something I think I would try to find a used Harman or something a bit better quality that should last me longer and require less repairs. What do you guys think, do you think I can accomplish what I am trying to do and if so do you think I could get away with a box store style stove or am I better off investing in something a little more reliable even if used?

 

[stoveliker]

If your basement is unfinished = not insulated, then 1/3 or so of the heat (pellets) you're paying for will disappear to the outside.

I'd not put a heater there unless you insulate it.
Once insulated, it'll help offset your ground floor heating for sure.

Note that cutting holes in the floor may be against fire code. Your wood floor is a fire barrier (yes, wood burns, but it takes a while go get through, giving you more time to get to safety).
Best to have firedamper (a valve that is spring loaded and will close when it gets hot (140 F or so) because it's held back by something akin to soldering alloy.

Also, make sure that the air can flow in "circles". Have a route for colder air to come down and a different place for warmer air to go up. Otherwise you get mixing at the one connection (e.g. stairs), leading to much less heat being transported up.