Yes, I had a friend that raised his house a full story and set it down on ICF walls. Cool project. Another option is SIPs.
Woodstove for interior Alaska cabin
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The BK stove may work, but the first thing is to determine the heating requirements of the home, otherwise this is all just speculation.
I second begreen. You still don't know how many BTUs you need.
So we can't say whether you need a BK and another one from the heating perspective.
I agree with stovelark though that you better have two stoves for reliability. If one has issues, use the other.
I do suggest a cat stove and a tube stove combo pair for that.
So we can't say whether you need a BK and another one from the heating perspective.
I agree with stovelark though that you better have two stoves for reliability. If one has issues, use the other.
I do suggest a cat stove and a tube stove combo pair for that.
What insulation value is the house going to have? There is no way for us to know anything without that info.
We really don’t know the final size either.
If you don’t want to be moving 10 cords a year you have 2 options, go with something really energy dense like oil or shrink the building to something more manageable for a woodstove.
If you don’t want to be moving 10 cords a year you have 2 options, go with something really energy dense like oil or shrink the building to something more manageable for a woodstove.
I agree that any advice given now is just a shot in the dark until more is known about the situation.
If you decide to go ICF, check out Superform. They make a great product. I know there's a dealer/builder in Soldotna, AK. I think that is probably the only one in Alaska so would be a ways from you. My son works for a construction company that is also a dealer for Superform. They are the best ICF forms that they have found. They also make a system called Superpex that is for insulated concrete floors where hydronic heat is being installed. It has "pucks" that lock the Pex in so there is no need for other ways of fastening.
https://www.superformicf.com/
If you decide to go ICF, check out Superform. They make a great product. I know there's a dealer/builder in Soldotna, AK. I think that is probably the only one in Alaska so would be a ways from you. My son works for a construction company that is also a dealer for Superform. They are the best ICF forms that they have found. They also make a system called Superpex that is for insulated concrete floors where hydronic heat is being installed. It has "pucks" that lock the Pex in so there is no need for other ways of fastening.
https://www.superformicf.com/
I don't know if it would work or not, but if you had a well insulated house (like an ICF house, and a big Blaze king wood stove), I wonder if you could get by with a hyper heating ductless mini split? Mitsubishi, Gree, Daikin, Fujitsu, and LG all have a line of these hyper heating models that are made to work in cold climates.
They can pull heat from the air even at below 0 F - but they aren't going to be able to do all of the heating when it gets Alaska cold. That is where the Blaze King would need to be used to make up the heating deficit. In cold conditions, I think the hyper heat mini split could help hold the temperature that the wood stove got the house up to. Even though the mini split alone wouldn't be able to get the house up to that temp. Maybe something to think about.
They can pull heat from the air even at below 0 F - but they aren't going to be able to do all of the heating when it gets Alaska cold. That is where the Blaze King would need to be used to make up the heating deficit. In cold conditions, I think the hyper heat mini split could help hold the temperature that the wood stove got the house up to. Even though the mini split alone wouldn't be able to get the house up to that temp. Maybe something to think about.
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but if he's off the (electrical) grid, a minisplit would use quite some power from what one typically has in batteries.
The write off of anthracite coal is fine but nobody recommended anthracite. The local coal is still a valid heat source. Did you realize that there is more than one type of coal and that you can burn the softer types in stoves designed for it?
But yes, wood, oil, and propane will be your best bet.
But yes, wood, oil, and propane will be your best bet.
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From what I read about coal is that anthracite coal is the most efficient and less dangerous/toxic than the other types of coal. Bituminous coal and lump charcoal are not even recommended to be used in kitchen wood fired cook stoves compatible with coal. They're not recommended for indoor use...
In Alaska, Beach Coal (sub-bituminous) coal is sometimes used in coal stoves.
I'm open to a duel fuel cabin with a wood stove and coal stove only if the coal used indoors is safe for humans and pets and not going to be setting off carbon monoxide detectors...
"Indoor Safety & Health Risks: Burning beach coal indoors produces unpleasant odors and coal dust, which can spread throughout the cabin during cleaning. There is also a risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning if the stove or chimney is not properly vented. Additionally, coal dust exposure can contribute to respiratory issues, including black lung disease (anthracosis), though this is more likely with prolonged, uncontrolled exposure.
"Regulatory Compliance: In Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB), non-pellet hydronic heaters and coal-fired heating devices are banned from installation within the PM2.5 nonattainment area. Existing coal stoves must be rendered inoperable by December 31, 2024, unless grandfathered. Check your local regulations—this rule may not apply in other parts of Alaska, but compliance is critical.
"Regulations apply in certain areas. In the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) nonattainment area, non-pellet hydronic heaters and coal-fired heating devices are not allowed to be installed unless EPA-certified. Additionally, coal stoves must be replaced or removed when property is sold, unless they are compliant with ADEC standards.
Environmental and health considerations include air quality concerns—coal smoke has a distinct odor and emits particulate matter. While some users report the smell is tolerable, others note it can be unpleasant, especially in cold, stagnant air. Proper ventilation and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are essential."
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In the video below, these Alaskans are going to be using coal to heat their home but, look at what they have to do to get that coal back to
their home...
The stove looks like a DS Energy Max 160 stove, the ones you place in a basement or in a garage. He mentions the coal is sub-bituminous stoker coal...
their home...
The stove looks like a DS Energy Max 160 stove, the ones you place in a basement or in a garage. He mentions the coal is sub-bituminous stoker coal...
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The indoor air quality and CO is an issue for any type of coal.
Even wood "with inadequate venting" kills some people due to CO.
Get your system set up right before you burn anything.
Even wood "with inadequate venting" kills some people due to CO.
Get your system set up right before you burn anything.
In Alaska, sub-bituminous coal is most abundant and cheaper than buying wood per ton/cord.
But, what is the BTU of sub-bituminous coal vs hardwoods of Alaska ?
The Hitzer 354 and Hitzer 82 is compatible with bituminous coal. I will call them and ask them about their 354 model and compare burn times between sub-bituminous coal vs Alaskan hardwoods, how much it costs daily, monthly and annually between the two fuel sources.
According to A.I...
Sub-bituminous coal and Alaskan birchwood differ significantly in energy content, burn time, and stove performance.
But, what is the BTU of sub-bituminous coal vs hardwoods of Alaska ?
The Hitzer 354 and Hitzer 82 is compatible with bituminous coal. I will call them and ask them about their 354 model and compare burn times between sub-bituminous coal vs Alaskan hardwoods, how much it costs daily, monthly and annually between the two fuel sources.
According to A.I...
Sub-bituminous coal and Alaskan birchwood differ significantly in energy content, burn time, and stove performance.
- BTU Output:
- Sub-bituminous coal delivers approximately 12,500 BTU per pound.
- Alaskan birchwood (seasoned) provides about 23.6 million BTU per cord.
- Since a cord of wood weighs roughly 3,000–4,000 lbs, this equates to ~6,000–7,000 BTU per pound — less than half the energy density of sub-bituminous coal by weight.
You *first* need to know how many BTUs you need before anyone (including mfg) can comment on burn times. And cost per year.
Burn time is determined by how many BTUs the appliance needs to put out every hour to compensate for the heat loss of the home. There is only a finite volume of fuel fitting in a stove and the BTU release rate will determine how long that lasts, this how many loads per day or week you need, and thus cost per day/month/year.
You seem to keep ignoring this.
Burn time is determined by how many BTUs the appliance needs to put out every hour to compensate for the heat loss of the home. There is only a finite volume of fuel fitting in a stove and the BTU release rate will determine how long that lasts, this how many loads per day or week you need, and thus cost per day/month/year.
You seem to keep ignoring this.
So, hire one. Have the analysis done.
You can't proceed imo without it without risking you and your families well-being.
Designing (no, guessing, well, not even guessing) a place in the interior of Alaska without knowing whether the heating system is going to be sufficient, is, pardon my vocabulary, utterly stupid.
On the other hand it's a nice route towards a Darwin award.
You can't proceed imo without it without risking you and your families well-being.
Designing (no, guessing, well, not even guessing) a place in the interior of Alaska without knowing whether the heating system is going to be sufficient, is, pardon my vocabulary, utterly stupid.
On the other hand it's a nice route towards a Darwin award.
Proper ventilation and co detectors are essential for wood stoves as well .
I agree to listen to the experts and trust the science. I'd also like to know all those people who live in Alaska and those who built their own cabins if they hired HVAC engineers to decide what stove they should install? Some of them on YouTube might not have had professional help, they document their struggles for the world.
An HVAC engineer can make life easier and be more precise and when they show you the data/numbers you're not left wondering and making mistakes, that's for sure.
No i am sure most of them did not. But they generally dont build as big and they generally know how much insulation they have. They also usually have multiple back up options because their life depends on it.
Some of them don't. Some really wing it and take some big risks. I'm not going to be doing that.
So figure out how much insulation the house you will be building has. That is the first step in figuring any of this out
No, I'm not building until at least 2 years from now. This is just early stages of getting basic ideas and rough estimates and slowly putting it together and learn as much as I can before I start contacting different contractors and put pen to paper. This will be a cabin kit and a real estate attorney will be involved. The contractors will be under contract.
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