Good wood stove ? basment or living room

[tawilson]

What have you basement woodburners got for chimneys? Because I don't have a full basement, full in middle with crawlspace on the ends, my oilfired boiler has about a 25' horizontal run to a masonry chimney on the end of the house. I had to put a draft inducer in it to get it to work right. My biggest drawback to putting something in the basement is trying to find a route for a chimney. As big as the house is, you would think it would be easy, but I haven't found a way that doesn't leave it sticking out in the way some where. I'd like to put a woodstove down there this year with a wood boiler to tie into my system in the future. I wouldn't mind plinking down a grand or so for a chimney, if I could figure out where to put it.

 

[hautions11]

Chimney

Tom,

My chimney is centered in the house, probably due to the original coal gravity feed set-up. If you look back at the picutre, my metal vent from the stove is about 8' long, but draws well. About 2' to the left of the stove is a walk-out basement door. Wood and ashes are easy to take care of. You can still walk downstairs in bare feet and throw a couple of logs on the fire. Don't overlook axcess to the stove and wood storage when you make your location plans. I like keeping all of that mess in a unfinished section of the basement.

 

[tawilson]

Thanks for the reply. My basement is unfinished, and I have a spot where a stove would be nice, near the Bilco door, which is under a second floor awning where I would store firewood. The problem is the design of the house. It's got a second floor apartment and things just don't line up right for a clean chimney installation. I may have to come up in a closet on the first floor and go outside till I clear the roof. I figured on using triple wall all the way anyhow, I just would have liked a straight shot.

 

[NORTHERN NYer]

I heat my 100plus year old little farmhouse (about 1200 sq. ft.) with a wood stove in the cellar. I hooked a plenum up over the stove and ran duct work to some registers. I had the plenum made so it was a couple inches wider than the stove on ether side so air would push the warm air up. Now I don't have to worry about the pipes freezing down there and it keeps the living room floor nice and warm. My houses foundation is old huge field stones about 3 feet thick so going through that wasn't an option I was up for.There was an old window in the cellar that at one time must have went bad and got boarded up. Only about 6 inches of my foundation sticks above ground. I dugout around the window, made a window well from landscape timbers, built a new frame around the window opening. I made half of it into a new small window and the other half I use to run my SS chimney through with a insulated through the wall kit for the pipe. Outside it hooks into a tee and goes up. I have to go up on the roof and run a brush down to clean it because the bottom of the tee is only 4 or 5 inches off the ground in the window well but its not too bad. I have to say I am glad I went with it in the cellar. All the mess is down there, I don't have to worry about my 2 boys burning themselves on a hot stove and the cellar and floors are warm.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

How long are your burn times. With that beauty.

Anywhere from 4-8 hrs depending on the way you load it and how you set it to burn.




This is judged by burning wood remaining in the stove, not just coals. I have coals for 12-14 hrs after a good load of oak and can start a fire up to 20hrs later by stirring the coal bed and leaving the dampers open for 5-10 min.

 

[monk680]

If I ever buy a new one the 5100 is the one I want.

 

[unjer]

my 2 cents....

hi gang....i have an old woodstove in my basement, and i'm happy with it don there, i have a ranch style house and it keeps the floors nice in the winter....now the other side of the coin...according to woodheat.org, a pretty good site in my opinion, they say not to put a stove in the basement, (me), and don't use an outside chimney, (me also), they make a good case on the site, but things seem to work fine for me....at the risk of running too long, maybe i can get some feedback on this, i have an 8" outlet on my stove, and an 8" well casing lining my chimney, i dropped it down to 6" between the stove and chimney because my uncle a wood burner for years said 8" will make too much draft and burn too fast...what do you guys think????

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Unjer, most modern stoves do require a certain dia flue pipe to be used, without it they will not draw correctly and do everything from get too hot to back smoke down the chimney on windy days. Cold drafts are the big problem, had ONE will never do that again!!!!



The powers that be say its a waste to put the stove in the basement and I agree to a certain SMALL point. While you do loose heat to the floor and walls I feel the benefits outweigh the detriments in most situations.


In one situation you loose heat to the masonry, in the other you loose heat due to opening windows when the stove is working at its peak, that is unless you buy the teeny tiny lil stove they would recommend to put in your living area.

Then theres the cost of moving the hot air around, humidifying it so you can breathe it, the mess is now in your living room and the wife isint happy, etc.


My house convects the air through gravity(saving electric), picks up much of its moisture from the basement(hopefully 100% this year with proper return air)(thereby saving electric) dehumidifies the basement(witch saves more electricity)


Its like a tri fecta of savings!! I think these are factors not taken into account buy the PPL who recommend against basement installations.


Thats my story and Im stickin to it.

 

[laynes69]

I have had the thought of an outdoor furnace, but they burn alot of wood. I have to go outside to fill it up, and i already have a chimney. I have an indoor wood furnace, never a lick of smoke in the house (45 Foot masonary Chimney) draft isnt a problem. Its tied in series with the furnace, keeps the house around 76 all winter long, 2400 square feet, 10 foot ceilings, 150+ years old. My dad has a woodstove in his basement, his house is a ranch, and he keeps his door open to the upstairs. Heats just fine through gravity, but is an open floor plan. You should put it where you are the most, Just my 2cents worth.

 

[logbutcher]

Wood Stove Location?

It's all what you like....so here's one opinioned fool from too many years of 100% heating with wood.

No outdoor furnace/boiler. It needs power to run. It smokes like hell: got close neighbors ? Want to run out 100' to fill the beast ? Know anyone thats used an outdoor boiler for a long time ?Wonder where the unburnt creosote goes to and what it does to the metal boiler ?:deadhorse:

Put the heat where you spend the time. Nothing like sitting with that drink on a January night close to the heating source. Kids and even infants learn fast not to go near a metal stove, or get a screen enclosure for it to protect them. Yes, a basement stove or furnace does heat up that big big mass of stone or concrete...then out to the ground. What a waste !

Wood stoves now are damn efficient and easy to fill. Pinnochhio runs some of their marketing departments for 10-12 hour "burns" (sic). Figure real time 6-8 hours for real heat production; or, a low burn overnight coaling for starting that morning fire.

Yes, the mess is "downstairs" with a basement setup. Moving wood and the mess is part of the game. No beer bellied wood heaters hereabouts anyhow.:hmm3grin2orange:
JMHO

 

[laynes69]

I use a barometric Damper, and a manual damper on my Wood Furnace. No back puffing at all, and I will say one good thing about a wood furnace or stove in a basement is if you lose power the pipes wont freeze. Like I said it depends what your requirements are, but remember heat rises, so trying to get heat to move down the stairs could do you no good. By the way I seen a new wood furnace in a Rural King of Ohio ad that was the only epa certified wood furnace made by US Stove Company, Anyone else seen these? If I get a new one this would be ideal. Seen it in an ad, but cant find it anywhere on the net.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Theres a new product out specifically for finishing off and insulating basements from (I think) owens corning. These panels are 2-3" thick foamb board wiyth moisture proofing on one side and a finins of choice(limited) on the other.


Im probably going to use a mixture of these sheets and some conventional insulation when I finish off and insulate mine.

Theres supposed to be a 60-80% savings depending on the layout and soforth.

As for the floor, if your slab is supported via a bed of gravel (as mine is) whatever heat it absorbs it will reradiate when the room temps allow.

 

[happycamper]

whats the biggest wood stove i can get at the store or have costom made

im looking for the biggest wood stove i can get for the longest burn time
im looking for a very large wood stove that would burn for at least 24 hours
up to 5 days with out having to put more wood in it

 

[Rspike]

im looking for the biggest wood stove i can get for the longest burn time
im looking for a very large wood stove that would burn for at least 24 hours
up to 5 days with out having to put more wood in it

The big issue is ............ Wood has only so many BTU's I have a Pacific Energy wood stove rated at max of 97,000 BTU with a 3.0 cf fire box . Your only going to get so much wood in 3.0 cf of stove and again wood has only so many BTU's per what kind of wood it is . Now to get max BTU's you are going to get less burn time ........ if you drop the controls to get less btu;s you get a longer burn time. You would have to have "special wood" that burns for 24 hours for 5 days , as of now that wood dont exist . You can get longer burn times with COAL but again everything only has so many BTU's .

 

[Rspike]

I'll agree with that------------>

It's all what you like....so here's one opinioned fool from too many years of 100% heating with wood.

No outdoor furnace/boiler. It needs power to run. It smokes like hell: got close neighbors ? Want to run out 100' to fill the beast ? Know anyone thats used an outdoor boiler for a long time ?Wonder where the unburnt creosote goes to and what it does to the metal boiler ?:deadhorse:

Put the heat where you spend the time. Nothing like sitting with that drink on a January night close to the heating source. Kids and even infants learn fast not to go near a metal stove, or get a screen enclosure for it to protect them. Yes, a basement stove or furnace does heat up that big big mass of stone or concrete...then out to the ground. What a waste !

Wood stoves now are damn efficient and easy to fill. Pinnochhio runs some of their marketing departments for 10-12 hour "burns" (sic). Figure real time 6-8 hours for real heat production; or, a low burn overnight coaling for starting that morning fire.

Yes, the mess is "downstairs" with a basement setup. Moving wood and the mess is part of the game. No beer bellied wood heaters hereabouts anyhow.:hmm3grin2orange:
JMHO

 

[Rspike]

I'll also have to vote for inside wood stove . Pacific Energy Summit . “Classic” ~Porcelain Enamel “Sunset Red” freestanding 97,000 BTU* Heating Capacity up to 3000 sq.ft. * 3.0 cf. fire box * Efficiency 73.5% * Emmissions 3.5 gm/hr. * Non-cat Stainless steel secondary burn chamber * EBT Technology (extended burn technology) * Hard wood burn times 8-12 hours * 1/4” steel fire box - 3/8” steel top plate * Front to back loading * Lifetime Warranty all but fire bricks-air inlet cover ** Ash pan option ** Door/Legs/Trivet color option: Black *
http://www.pacificenergy.net/
<img src="http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a97/Roospike/FOURM/P.jpg"> <img src="http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a97/Roospike/FOURM/PIC00005.jpg">

 

[laynes69]

The only thing that would burn 8 to 10 hours, and put alot of heat out, other than an outdoor wood stove would be an indoor wood gasification boiler. Also 8 to 12 hours from an epa wood stove is pretty good. I have burned hard coal and had it burning for around 15 hours, but coal is much different than wood. It was anthracite coal, 15 hours before reloading. Its good for those cold long nights, where I dont have to get up and reload it. Also hard coal puts out steady btus, and burns extremely clean.