outdoor wood stoves?

[greenthumb]

Are they worth it. We have been tossing the idea around of adding a wood stove inside. would it be better and less mess to add a whole house (and barn heat) source outside with a word burning stove. I have seen several go up around here but have not talked with anyone who uses one. I know they are not cheap but can you make back the cost preatty quick. right know we heat water and house with natural gas. biggest bill this past winter $225 average $185 for winter months. by the way the house is about 2000 sq feet

I think I have read they can heat more then one area for instance house and outbuilding, is that true. that would open the posibilities of living in my shop year round (i mean working) How difficult are they to install etc.?

Thanks for any help.

 

[marty]

Go for it, I have just finished the seventh year with one and am pretty happy.

I have the smallest Central Boiler unit that serves a newer 2200 sq ft house with 1200 sq ft garage and the hot water. I would cetainly get the hot water heater conversion kit and plan on adding a tempering valve to the house if you have kids. I have to put wood in once a day and twice a day below 20 F. Of course, this twice can be both after work. Keep in mind that my stove is undersized for my house.

Other things I recommend:
- get the units bottom of the door at waist level
- insulated water reserve tank in the basement
- foil bubble wrap for the buried pipes for insulation
- keep a good distance from the house
- treat the water with corrosion / oxygen inhibitor
- install a filter within the circulation system

Plan on cutting a little more wood, but the inefficiencies of the outdoor units are off set by the ability to burn green fence row wood and other soft wood. I would recommend planning to burn some soft wood for it helps burn down some of the coals.

 

[heehaw]

you access to wood and its cost is a big issue here. if you have to drive 30+ miles to a national forest, to cut your wood, purchase a chain saw, splitting equipment, and a couple new tires for your truck every year, to replace the ones that got the sidewall cut from rocks or stobs...maybe the gas isn't quite as expensive as it seemed. plus if the power goes off, the outside wood furnace doesn't do much good.
heehaw

 

[Slamfire]

My wife and I like the stove inside, but then we both find the heat soothing to our arthritic joints. Hot water heat just isn't the same. That said, the difference in your insurance costs may make the outdoor more appealing to you. The best thing I can see about them is you don't have to cut your wood into 16" lengths. 4' seems about average.

 

[SPIKER]

I've been looking into them for a long time too, and have already bought the in-floor heating tube and soem parts. I will build my own as I'm in that kind of a busness anyhwo. cost can be 5000 for one with good insulation and eady to run. that may or may not include pumps and such so watch out what DOES and DOESNOT come with it...

Mark M /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[EdKing]

I just put one in this march. I set it up as a forced air to heat the house. I also have it set up to heat the wife's swimming pool in the summer. I paid about $6000 for the whole system, and installed it myself. The hardest part was digging the ditiches to run the water lines to the house and the pool. I didn't have any central heat in my house, I used several gas space heaters to heat, and the heat seems much more uniform using the forced air. Our gas bill has dropped dramaticly, but I won't know the full effect until after next winter. All in all I consider it a worth while investment.