Wood Stove

[Andrea.wiltfong]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

Is this your first wood stove? Just wanted to suggest buying one with a glass door....so relaxing to watch the flame.Like having a fireplace without all the inefficiency issues.

We have a fire place at the house, we were hoping to get a woodstove for the other side of the house to better heat the upstairs...but don't want to spend an arm and a leg for it

[Andrea.wiltfong]

Thanks for the suggestions! I will give them a buzz this week. Thinking between the fireplace and woodstove we just may be able to reduce the amount of oil we use this winter. This is our first winter in this house, its been empty so there are no service records as to how much oil was used in the past, its making me nervous LOL so thinking a woodstove would be a great idea.

[DickR]

Originally Posted by Andrea.wiltfong

We have a fire place at the house, we were hoping to get a woodstove for the other side of the house to better heat the upstairs...but don't want to spend an arm and a leg for it

A fireplace is fine for providing radiant heat to the immediate area surrounding it, but in general it isn't a very good way to heat a house. A typical fireplace draws far too much air up the flue, way more than is needed for combustion, and that air is drawn from the house's interior, and ultimately from the outside via all the cracks and minor holes in the exterior shell. In other words, while the room with the fireplace may feel cozy, the rest of the house may feel cold and drafty. Moreover, after the fire has died but while there still are glowing coals, the damper can't be shut, and so the chimney draws interior air up it all night long. Finally, a fireplace damper often does not close tightly later on anyway, so that it may leak air badly even when not in use. There are top-side, cable-operated dampers that can be installed to provide a much better seal than the hearth side damper.

A woodstove is a very different device, designed for careful control of combustion air, to minimize the air drawn from the interior of the house. Further, depending on the model, it may be possible to attach an "Outside Air Kit" (OAK) directly, with a duct to the outside, so that combustion air isn't drawn from conditioned space. It also nearly eliminates the cooling effect of continued air draw after the fire has gone out but before the air control can be closed.

If you are concerned about heating cost for the upcoming season and want the biggest savings for least investment, have a blower-door-directed energy audit and air-sealing project done. Much of the air sealing is a day of DIY effort. Start in the attic, moving aside insulation where wiring coming up from below is, and put a squirt of can foam into the wiring hole. Look for light fixtures and seal around them, too. I hope you don't have any can lights poking up into the attic; typically they leak air badly. However, you can build insulation boxes to go around them, using rigid foam board and with joints sealed with can foam. In the basement, go around the sill areas and apply sealant where sill meets foundation and where rim boards sit on the sill. Find and seal any places where wiring or plumbing penetrates the building envelope.

A good site to search for all sorts of information on air sealing and related topics is www.greenbuildingadvisor.com.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Andrea.wiltfong

We have a fire place at the house, we were hoping to get a woodstove for the other side of the house to better heat the upstairs...but don't want to spend an arm and a leg for it

If you plan on using both wood heat sources at the same time, you'll definitely need an Outside Air Kit (previously mentioned).

For the woodstove, I'd brush up on Canadian "code", which is more strict than US' codes. Those details will likely help you decide which woodstove to buy from Craigslist. Also check Craigslist for double-walled stovepipe, as it is pricey. I have a few left over. (Have to check).

When we refitted our outside chimney last year, we moved our "tried and true" woodstove to a more convenient location, fitted the stovepipes, and had a local chimney expert install only the chimney part. With a little trimming, we put the "kit" together, and are happy with the result.

Remember, that woodstoves get a real workout up here, and some will have literally "burned-thin". If you're in it just for the heat, don't buy a woodstove that is enameled. (All-black is best for heat transfer.) A glass window is OK, but if you burn unseasoned wood, it will blacken quickly, and is difficult to clean.

More wood stove advice at:

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...ad.php?t=17249