Heating 2600 sf home???

[pro94lt]

I currently live in a 1600sf house I might turn my electric heat on 4 times a year so basically I heat it exclusively with wood my question is how will I be able to heat a 2600 sf home the second floor is around 400sf... I currently have a Englander NC 30 and my doors and windows are open many evening's. Temps are lows in the 30-20s highs 30_50s... anyone have a home around this size?

 

[TimberWolf530]

It's going to depend on several factors. First off, USA is a big place. A more specific area would be helpful. A home in Minnesota will have different heating needs from one in Tennessee. Second, how your house is insulated will have an affect. The layout of the house, & the location of the stove in that house will also play a role, especially with a 2 sotry. Your stove is designed to heat a home aproximately that size, but again, according to the above mentioned factors, it may or may not do as well in one as another of the same square footage. I just bought an NC 30 this summer, and I'm anxious to get it fired up this fall.

 

[LogSawyer74]

We recently built a new 2 story home; 3700sf (my wife's idea; I would have been happy with a small A frame cabin). It's about 2000sf downstairs and the rest up. We ended up putting in a RSF Opel 2. I've gone two winters without turning on the heat pumps once. I'm in eastern Oklahoma, so not super cold winters, but we do have times when it runs 20-30s for a couple weeks at a time. The key to the Opel 2 is the ability to run a duct off the fireplace and blow heat up to 50 feet away (IIRC). I ran a duct into the upstairs TV room on the opposite end of the house that the fireplace is located (downstairs). I can keep the house a pretty constant 70-74 pretty easy. I don't think I could do that without the ducting ability. Not sure if your question if relating to a new construction home, but if so, I'd highly recommend a zero clearance fireplace that can be ducted. We couldn't be happier with ours.

 

[svk]

We recently built a new 2 story home; 3700sf (my wife's idea; I would have been happy with a small A frame cabin). It's about 2000sf downstairs and the rest up. We ended up putting in a RSF Opel 2. I've gone two winters without turning on the heat pumps once. I'm in eastern Oklahoma, so not super cold winters, but we do have times when it runs 20-30s for a couple weeks at a time. The key to the Opel 2 is the ability to run a duct off the fireplace and blow heat up to 50 feet away (IIRC). I ran a duct into the upstairs TV room on the opposite end of the house that the fireplace is located (downstairs). I can keep the house a pretty constant 70-74 pretty easy. I don't think I could do that without the ducting ability. Not sure if your question if relating to a new construction home, but if so, I'd highly recommend a zero clearance fireplace that can be ducted. We couldn't be happier with ours.

That's a heck of a good sized house! How many cords/what kind of wood are you using?

 

[pro94lt]

The house is in northern arkansas, so not very cold. I like the idea of a vent and duct work but I'm sticking to a wood stove for this winter. Stove will be in living room next to kitchen all bedrooms on the opposite end with a hallway just like my current home. I can say after 3 Winters with the nc30 it heats to much for my current home...

 

[Streblerm]

NC30 owner here. I'm heating about 2400sf of drafty, poorly insulated old farm house. It's fairly open, not like current construction though. The stove in the middle of roughly 1500sf first floor and there is about 900sf second floor. I get about a 10 degree spread from the warmest to coldest room with no fans or blowers. I find this to be comfortable. If cold, go by the stove. Too hot? Move away.

I have no problem keeping the house 65-75 degrees from warmest to coolest room no matter what the outside temp. Coldest we see here is negative single digits. I can keep it warmer if I want to.

 

[CaseyForrest]

We are just under 2600 and heat mainly with a medium sized wood stove. Stove isn't exactly centered in the house but it is in a location that apparently sets up some good convection currents. We do also have a large insert on the other side of the house that gets used when it gets really cold or we want the ambiance.

This will be our first winter with the new stove which is just a hair larger than the old one so I'm excited to see how well it performs.

 

[NSMaple1]

How is it currently heated?