Wood Stove from Tractor Supply...Any Advice?

[miramadar]

Miramadar,

You may want to have a energy audit. I'm dumbfounded how you can live in a warmer climate with a similar sized house and pay over twice what I do to heat your home. There must be something wrong.

I live in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, and the winters here can be very cold (not "Minnesota" cold, but cold nonetheless). As I stated in the first post, I just built this house. I've got 2x6 exterior walls insulated with 6-inch R-19 in the walls and R-38 in the ceilings throughout. We also wrapped the house in Tyvek. We have a 5-ton HVAC unit designed to heat/cool the entire main level and about 70% of the basement, and a 14x28 attic space. Last winter, our first winter in the home, the main floor was "comfortable", but the basement stayed pretty chilly. We probably should have opted for two smaller HVAC units to heat the main floor and basement, but went with the one unit on the advice of the installer. We also have newer, double-paned windows. All in all, I think the house is pretty tight. We just need a wood burner to help the heat pump during the coldest parts of the year.

 

[tmajor]

There is one more obstacle, which you could encounter, since the house is "tight". You might not have enough "combustion air" available for proper operation of the stove? Many times, the basement will be under a negative pressure, which causes a downdraft in the chimney/stove. Usually, the upper floor has a neutral or positive pressure, while a second story might have a positive pressure.

If you open a window on each floor, one at a time, you might notice air entering the basement space and air not moving or going out on the first floor window.

Even though I have an old farm house, I couldn't burn wood in the basement, due to the fact, the air flow would reverse, when the fire was dwindling. Then, I would get smoke/creosote smell in the basement. Also, I would notice the curtains on the second floor windows suck in, when the oil burner fired. It might have been, that the house was a better chimney, than the chimney!

 

[ctbigman]

Go to a professional stove shop. Tractor Supply will sell you the stove and parts but don't have a clue how to install it. They aren't licensed to advise you. Many towns require permits and inspections and your insurance may have something to say about it too. Hate to see you have a fire and the insurance company say "tough luck, not properly installed". Just my $.02

 

[MarkV]

Sure not a problem everywhere but some have mentioned in the past that their homeowners insurance changed or was cancelled because they started burning wood. Might be worth a check.

I think I would also check with a pro shop. As Dave said, I have always heard of exterior mounted chimneys that long being a creosote problem or not drawing well.

MarkV

 

[lockhaven]

electric rate vary all over the place that would explain why the heating bill is so high. I disagree that a "pro" is necessary to install the stove. everyplace has a set of codes that are free for the asking. follow the codes as far as distance from combustible materials height and type of chimney or vent and you will be OK. Every insurance company in the world will try and find a reason not to pay that is what they do after all.

 

[brokenknee]

Sure not a problem everywhere but some have mentioned in the past that their homeowners insurance changed or was cancelled because they started burning wood. Might be worth a check.

I think I would also check with a pro shop. As Dave said, I have always heard of exterior mounted chimneys that long being a creosote problem or not drawing well.

Mark V

I just moved further North (Bemidji area), the house came with a wood stove that was built in a room off the garage, then duct work run through the attic to the house. My insurance agent came out to inspect the house, looked at the wood stove and said they would not insure it until I get some tin on the roof and the walls. It will then be fifty dollars additional a year to use the wood stove. I told him to add it and I would call him back out once I have the tin up.

 

[JRobyn]

Perhaps an outside furnace/boiler would be your best option? That should eliminate the chimney issue. I have seen them configured as either a boiler (so you heat with hot water through radiant coils or room "radiators") or as ducted air systems. I have just installed a "Charmaster" (indoor) furnace, tied into the heat pump system ducting in our new construction. It is situated in the basement near the heat pump/air handler. I can't yet provide any operating experience with it as we have only test-fired it so far. I hope that my extremely expensive triple-wall stainless, 30 ft+ flue does NOT creosote too much, but I intend to religiously control my fuel and burning techniques to minimize creosote.

One thing I did figure out during my quest is that most of the wood heat devices made are designed for very cold climates. Thus, they are usually designed for MUCH more BTU output than I expect to need. To get LESS BTUs out (and avoid cooking us) would require throttling down the fire, which can lead to excessive creosoting and poor efficiency. I had issues finding a small enough design. I'm hoping that the "Chalet" model will fit the bill.

 

[Car Doc]

That should give you a lot of heat probably a lot more than you expect getting the air moved around the house may be a trick, having a window in the stove is nice.

I have a US stove in my shop its a Hot Blast and its got forced air fans and 2 8" duct outlets on top. Its a wood only model and I absolutely love it its safe puts out a ton of hot forced air and it can be connected into the existing systems distribution duct works.

You might have a look at those too not as pretty as free standing but very functional and a lot safer. my .02

 

[dave1949]

..................

One thing I did figure out during my quest is that most of the wood heat devices made are designed for very cold climates. Thus, they are usually designed for MUCH more BTU output than I expect to need. To get LESS BTUs out (and avoid cooking us) would require throttling down the fire, which can lead to excessive creosoting and poor efficiency. I had issues finding a small enough design. I'm hoping that the "Chalet" model will fit the bill.

I believe you are thinking in the right direction. When running a 500 lb stove compared to a 200 lb stove, no matter how small you keep a continuous fire, you end up with 500 lb of hot metal.

It is better to maintain a small fire burning with a bright flame in a 200 lb stove than to choke down the fire in a 500 lb stove. Burning with a bright flame also raises your flue temperature which reduces creosote formation.

The particulates that leave your stove are going to settle somewhere. A low flue temperature can result in particulates condensing out (creosote formation) inside your flue rather than being carried away up and out the chimney.

Dave.