I want to heat and cool 700 sq' cabin in KY.

[twtrailblazer]

I've been reading threads on this site and wanted to get in on the help. I have a 700 sq' cabin that is a shell in western KY. I want to heat it with a wood boiler system with a propane back up system. I have a 2' crawl space so not much room. All the wood boilers that I see on market are huge and expensive. I would probably build a 24X24 work shop down the road and would tie into system but still that's only a total of 1300 sq'. Any ideas would be helpful. Thanks!

 

[Muhammad]

Welcome to TBN.

 

[creekbend]

If I was confronted with the same situation as you, I would use a wood burning stove for heating and a window unit AC for cooling. You stated that the cabin is only 700 square foot. If you decide to build a shop in the future, you could utilize the same systems. Is this a vacation home or your future residence? Just a thought? BTW, Welcome aboard.

 

[Carl_NH]

Agreed a small wood burning stove would be perfect for the space , and or you could look at a Rinnai propane room heater and Rinnai also make a demand based propane hot water heater (assuming you want to have hot water) that is small and would only be on when you are there.

Obviously if you have plumbing + cold temps = frozen pipes, so this is where you could set the propane heater at 46* and not be concerned about freeze ups. I am assuming by this comment this cabin is an occasional use property today?

I would also insulate the heck out of the place with insulation board and foam in the crawl space and around the base of the building, roof/walls etc and eliminate any leakage of the building envelope.

For the outbuilding/work shop a wood stove is fine, but also consider passive solar "hot boxes" you can design into the building wall to heat it during the winter if you have the right orientation.

Maybe some more details about your plans, and intended use would help.. BTW welcome to TBN!

 

[GPintheMitten]

How about a cast iron wood stove in the cabin?

 

[Bird]

I don't guess there is a perfect system. Wood burning stoves are nice, but take a considerable amount of space as well as requiring a bit of attention to keep the place warm enough. A window unit has been suggested for cooling. I've never been too fond of the noise of a window unit, but I've had several and they do a good job.

And right now, I have a 21' x 25' shop/recreation building with a 10' ceiling and I both heat and cool it with a 230 volt Whirlpool model ACE124XR window unit air-conditioner with heat; 11,400 BTU cooling capacity and 11,700 BTU heating capactiy. After 6 years the main switch went bad this Fall, so I didn't have heat until that switch was replaced, but it's all working now.

 

[twtrailblazer]

Thanks for all the input! I plan on living in the cabin full time in about 3 years. Right now it is a shell and if I wanted to put in radiant floor heat using heated water from a wood boiler I can put in the tubing and be ready for that. It's hard to find a wood boiler that heats such a small area for a reasonable price. I'm looking forward to doing the project and hope to start this year. I don't think that the outside was wrapped but all I have is 2x4's exterior walls that need insulation. I plan to use spray foam that they use on the DIY networks. Sure a lot to think about but exciting at the same time.

 

[radioman]

A small cabin with a wood stove seems to be your best bet as its also a cooking source. You can't exactly do that with a outdoor boiler can you? I dont know about you, but I rather spend my mornings around the stove feeding it then waking up and going out in the cold to feed the beast.

 

[gilbertmsg]

I would take a look at the mini split systems. Much cheaper to operate than anything on the market. Lineset goes straight thru wall and is a clean install.

Eddie

 

[Carl_NH]

Eddie,

I agree for a temperate climate in NC and VA this is likely ideal and is not too expensive. Didn't knowing these units were out there thanks for pointing out this option. I wouldnt want to pay the $$ to run it here in NH tho.

Also didnt know what a "mini split" was so found the description and this looks like it could do the HVAC for the house and shop with one system.

Ductless Mini-Split Air Conditioning (and Heating) Systems

These mini-split systems provide heating and cooling. They are a great equipment choice for home additions, or selective area heating and cooling, such as one floor or wing of a home.

1.It can provide heating and cooling in homes that do not have air ducts.
2.It provides independent temperature control for that area.
3.It allows for the addition of air conditioning and heating in homes without ductwork, and with the least amount of disruption to the interior space.

Mini-split systems are made up of two primary parts, the outside part called a "condenser" (for cooling-only models) or 塗eat pump (for heating and cooling models), and the inside part that mounts on an outside wall called an "air handler?

Mini-split systems are available to operate with one, two or three indoor air handlers, depending on the model. Each air handler is referred to as a "zone".