Was thinking wood in the beginning, but may go with NG...

[eric-holmes]

New construction home. I have ALWAYS said that I would have wood heat in my home when I built a house. But now that we are about to start building, I may be leaning more towards gas. With the way my wife and I work, it could potentially be hard to do the upkeep/fire maintenance on a wood stove. The "easy-ness" of a gas fireplace seems like it may fit our life much better. I don't know much about them. How is the heat output compare to a wood zero clearance fireplace?

I was looking at something like this. http://www.fireplacex.com/ProductGuide/ProductDetail.aspx?modelsku=96900143

 

[Bret Chase]

If I was going to build a new house (not going to, my house is the family homestead, I will die here) I would probably go with a (NG) gas boiler and a wood stove. I've never been much of a fan of a gas fireplace personally. the way I see it, I could go to somewhere warm for a week or two in the dead of winter and still generally heat with wood.

I'd go NG because there's a 8" HP gas line running by the edge of my property, of course it's the farthest edge from my house...

 

[eric-holmes]

I decided to go with a wood stove, more specifically the FPX 35 Elite. I think I will forever regret it if I don't.

 

[Ashful]

I decided to go with a wood stove, more specifically the FPX 35 Elite. I think I will forever regret it if I don't.

Good choice. I'm assuming you have a NG boiler or some other central heating means, so this can be your "fun heat". Many of us (okay... maybe just me) enjoy the whole routine of felling, limbing, bucking, hauling, splitting, stacking, moving, loading, and tending that a wood stove requires, and use our stoves in conjunction with our central heating system. I'm a 10-cord-per-year part-time hobbyist burner. I'd have some form of wood heat, even if it didn't save me a dime... which considering what I've spent on stoves and wood processing equipment, may be close to true!

 

[Bret Chase]

Good choice. I'm assuming you have a NG boiler or some other central heating means, so this can be your "fun heat". Many of us (okay... maybe just me) enjoy the whole routine of felling, limbing, bucking, hauling, splitting, stacking, moving, loading, and tending that a wood stove requires, and use our stoves in conjunction with our central heating system. I'm a 10-cord-per-year part-time hobbyist burner. I'd have some form of wood heat, even if it didn't save me a dime... which considering what I've spent on stoves and wood processing equipment, may be close to true!

how in the hell are you a 10 cord a year part time hobbyist burner? I burn 6 cord a year in my barely insulated 1865 farmhouse for my ONLY heat..... in a hand me down Better'N Ben's smokedragon and I spend half the winter wearing shorts inside... truth be told, my house does have an Ideal #1 boiler in the cellar.... but it hasn't been hooked up to water, oil or power for decades.... and I scrapped the radiators 3 years ago.

 

[Ashful]

how in the hell are you a 10 cord a year part time hobbyist burner? I burn 6 cord a year in my barely insulated 1865 farmhouse for my ONLY heat...

I exaggerate for effect, but it's actually not out of line with the truth. I've never burned 10 cords in a single year, because I always run out of wood in January or February. That said, each of the last two years I've burned 5 - 6 cords PLUS 1000 gallons of heating oil PLUS 400 gallons of propane PLUS a lot of electrons (heat pump). It's a big old house, with the emphasis on big... and old.

 

[Bret Chase]

I exaggerate for effect, but it's actually not out of line with the truth. I've never burned 10 cords in a single year, because I always run out of wood in January or February. That said, each of the last two years I've burned 5 - 6 cords PLUS 1000 gallons of heating oil PLUS 400 gallons of propane PLUS a lot of electrons (heat pump). It's a big old house, with the emphasis on big... and old.

oh... my... God.... I can't even imagine. I was going out of my mind going through 5 gal a day of K-1 through my 2 monitors, and freezing at the same time. a friend of mine gave me the never used stove out of his garage... I scraped up the $600 for a class A chimney, ripped out the monitors and put the stove in. instantly went from a hoodie and fleece pants under a blanket... to a t-shirt and shorts.. and no longer spending $140/week to be just barely tolerable.

I cannot even imagine that situation.

 

[Ashful]

Don't worry, Bret. It's mostly a self-inflicted situation.

 

[CaptSpiff]

I exaggerate for effect, but it's actually not out of line with the truth. I've never burned 10 cords in a single year, because I always run out of wood in January or February. That said, each of the last two years I've burned 5 - 6 cords PLUS 1000 gallons of heating oil PLUS 400 gallons of propane PLUS a lot of electrons (heat pump). It's a big old house, with the emphasis on big... and old.

Sounds like you're running quite the Hotel. Hope the in-laws are helping split the wood.

Back in the day I remember my dad had a talk with me sitting at the kitchen table (I was 17 and not on a particularly good track):

Son, the way I see it you've 3 three choices when you graduate HS.
You can move out and go to collage,
You can move out and get a job,
You can move out and join the army,
But you ain't stay'in in this house.

That was one of the most sobering motivational speeches I ever heard!
I'm told I turned out OK.