Seriously Pondering Replacing the PE Pacific Insert With An NC 30 ........

[Dix]

This winter was brutal, in many ways, but heat was at the top of the list. Both stoves were cranking Dec-Feb, with mid day & 2 AMish reloads (the Dixette was unemployed, so that part was easy ) Anyways....

Still having a problem with getting the heat to the master bedroom. I think the fact that a poorly sealed outside door between the apt. and the main house was a major factor, we're working on that issue. Seems to me that the heat from the 13 should work it's way through, but the door leaks caused a non movement of heat to the correct places.


So, the PE is in the den (labeled bedroom 19 x 11), middle of the house. Openings on both sides of fireplace (middle of diagram, in red). Still it will be 78 in the den, and 62 in the kitchen, even with playing with fans, etc. I'm thinking to open the top of the kitchen wall, for air flow help and a minor kitchen redo, and to put the 30 near the front door (outline in black, left side of layout).

Thoughts?

And BB don't need to give me a link to the TR 30, it's already in my fav's..... just watching pricing >:-(

 

[yooperdave]

all i have to pass along is to check home depot and maybe you can make a good deal. i was told they are discontinuing their store sales of wood stoves (available only online). i made an offer on some clearance priced englanders. i got it for $399...they had it marked down to $519. either price would have been good (i'm told).

i have no experience with inserts, so good luck with your choice.

oh yeah, i have fed trolls before...thats what we here in the u.p. call anyone from the l.p. since they live below the bridge!! (they keep showing up every hunting season)

 

[BrotherBart]

PE replaced with a Englander. :bug: :zip:

 

[begreen]

2 cu ft replaced with 3 cu ft. may be a good plan for longer burntimes, but I don't see it getting a lot more heat into the master bedroom or kitchen. Is there a basement under the whole floor?

 

[Dix]

PE replaced with a Englander. :bug: :zip:

You are incorrigible, and I love it

 

[Dix]

2 cu ft replaced with 3 cu ft. may be a good plan for longer burntimes, but I don't see it getting a lot more heat into the master bedroom or kitchen. Is there a basement under the whole floor?

No, unfortunatley. The partial basement is under the FP, about 15' out each way.

The kitchen reno would involve removing the kitchen wall at the "top" of the floor plan, hence increasing air flow, me thinx.

I'm hoping with more insulation, and alot of caulk, that the 13 will put heat into the MB. Otherwise, I'm pondering a pellet stove, or a LP stove. The gas tanks are off of the MB bathroom. Or an inexpensive wood stove. I'd just want it to run when it's cold like this past winter. 3 pipes froze down there this year, not doing it again.

 

[begreen]

Refresh my memory, is the 13NC in a separate, elevated area (apt over the garage)

 

[Dix]

The 13 is to the right of the house. In the floor plan, it's the last box to the right.

Issue is, that the apt & the master are on a 5 step down lower level. with 1 36" doorway to move heat from lower to upper levels. A split level would be a piece of cake.

 

[begreen]

That is an unusual layout. The critical area where detail is missing is the little basement stairs connection to the right of the MBR. Do you have to go through the MBR to get to the apt.?

The reason I ask is that I am wondering if you could place a wall fan (TBD) blowing from the MBR to the apt. with a return air grille somewhere connecting the apt. to the den. The idea being to create a convective loop between the two areas through the MBR (assuming the 13NC is always running when it's cold).

 

[BrotherBart]

Just put the 30 in and buy a case of sun tan lotion. ;-)

 

[iceman]

PE replaced with a Englander. :bug: :zip:

This could be a first!

 

[Dix]

That is an unusual layout. The critical area where detail is missing is the little basement stairs connection to the right of the MBR. Do you have to go through the MBR to get to the apt.?

The reason I ask is that I am wondering if you could place a wall fan (TBD) blowing from the MBR to the apt. with a return air grille somewhere connecting the apt. to the den. The idea being to create a convective loop between the two areas through the MBR (assuming the 13NC is always running when it's cold).

Yes, BG, you have to go through the MB to get to the apartment from the main house. The vestibule connecting them has an outside basement entry door. There is a 10' ceiling in the master, and 12' ceiling in the apartment. there are 2-3' of wall over each doorway.

The problem with a return of some sort in the den, is that the den backs up to the apartment bedroom, and currently, due to the broken pipes, ripped up carpeting due to said pipes, I've relocated to the den. Keeping the 2 spaces with alittle privacy is mucho importante. I don't forsee the MB being habitable for months, atleast, One of the broken pipes was the baseboard heat, so a floor has to be ripped up to get to it >:-(

I had thought of a transom to connect the den & the apartment bedroom, but got shot down big time. I am not adverse to transoms in both walls of the MB/apt doorways/vestibule.

 

[dafattkidd]

If your stove room is 78 I don't think your problem is getting more heat. You just need to move that heat around a little better. I have an electric heater in my bedroom that I turn on for short spurts of time when for whatever reason it's significantly colder in my room than it is in the rest of the house. It makes life a lot easier. I find it is a lot harder to warm a cold room than to keep a room warm.

Sounds like it might be worth you effort to focus on moving that warm air around the house. I think with some minor modifications you could make it happen, and keep you PE.

 

[Dix]

Thanks, D.


Well, I'm open to any thoughts & suggestions. I did run a small electric heater in the master bath, but that didn't help the pipes in there from freezing, either (something else that has to be ripped apart & fixed). I think the space is to large for a portable electric heater, to be honest.

I am not adverse to opening up a portion of the wall between the den & the master, to move heat into the MB, either. The PE fan blows to the left, if you are looking at the front of it. I think the air gets caught up in the doorway area some how. The living room will be 75, and the upstairs extension will be 72 (in January, when we were freezing at about the worst temps that we had this winter) I think the kitchen temp issue would be resolved with the wall opening up,

 

[begreen]

It sounds like some plumbing has been designed (poorly) into the house by running piping on an exterior wall with inadequate insulation. If so, it could be that no stove is going to solve that particular freezing pipe problem. If this is the case, money would be best spent addressing the root cause.

 

[Dix]

It sounds like some plumbing has been designed (poorly) into the house by running piping on an exterior wall with inadequate insulation. If so, it could be that no stove is going to solve that particular freezing pipe problem. If this is the case, money would be best spent addressing the root cause.

Oh I figured out the root causes, BG, and he moved out of here almost 20 years ago Short cuts everywhere that have taken me a long time to get fixed as they were discovered. The usual quote is "he strikes again". Everyone who knows me knows what that means ;-P

The baseboard - I should have drained the system. Plain & simple. The master bath, yep the pipes run on 2 exterior walls, one was insulated a few years ago, it was the wall that was NEVER insulated that froze. Being addressed this summer from the outside. I hope to get the oil burner running for back up this year.

 

[wkpoor]

PE replaced with a Englander. :bug: :zip:

There have been other swapps this season that were more eye popping than that.

 

[BrotherBart]

PE replaced with a Englander. :bug: :zip:

There have been other swapps this season that were more eye popping than that.

Just not yours. :lol:

 

[begreen]

It sounds like some plumbing has been designed (poorly) into the house by running piping on an exterior wall with inadequate insulation. If so, it could be that no stove is going to solve that particular freezing pipe problem. If this is the case, money would be best spent addressing the root cause.

Oh I figured out the root causes, BG, and he moved out of here almost 20 years ago Short cuts everywhere that have taken me a long time to get fixed as they were discovered. The usual quote is "he strikes again". Everyone who knows me knows what that means ;-P

The baseboard - I should have drained the system. Plain & simple. The master bath, yep the pipes run on 2 exterior walls, one was insulated a few years ago, it was the wall that was NEVER insulated that froze. Being addressed this summer from the outside. I hope to get the oil burner running for back up this year.

It sounds like you did the major swap out - years ago. I'm tempted to say fix the other problems and see how next season goes before making dramatic changes in the stove dept. With the oil system for backup running a couple times a day during extreme weather, you may be just fine.

 

[BrotherBart]

I have been beating back sensible improvements with wood heat in this joint for a very long time. :red:

Starting to reconsider that.

 

[begreen]

I did that for a decade in this house, running two stoves and the furnace, then finally bit the bullet. Fortunately the change was in 2006 before the recent spikes in oil (and propane). We have not regretted an ounce of expense in tightening this house and getting the heating systems in order. Back up is good because stuff happens, be it extreme cold, sickness, vacations, a visit with friends or whatever.

 

[dafattkidd]

Eileen,

Let me know if I can help at all. I work in West Hampton and live north west of there, so I'm passing through your neck of the woods pretty often. I'm a carpenter and have a lot close friends who are good tradesman. If you have some repairs that need to happen I am certain I can be of assistance to you.