Advice needed....woodstove to 21st century

Doug Wagoner

what ever is not the question. The question becomes whether your existing house is insulated properly so that whatever you convert to will be economical to operate. I remember helping a friend many years ago install an oil burning floor furnace in an old house in the mountains near Ashville, N.C. We worked a long first day and got the furnace going about 8:00 pm. The old man of the house, my friends father-in-law, said, "I'll never have to cut wood again". We went to bed there that night and the furnace never stopped running. The next day the insulation truck showed up and filled the attic with a foot of blown glass and pumped the walls full too. The second night I don't remember the furnace running more than a couple of times. If the insulation had not been installed the old man could not have bought the oil required to maintain comfortable conditions in the drafty old house. Get someone to run a heat loss and see if insulation will reduce the size of the heating appliance you plan to install.

Bill_23

converting from wood heat to ?????

Would like to know what my options are? Live in a 90 yr old, 3000sf, 2 story frame house with no basement and 18 inch crawl space. Also will add 900sf 1 story addition in future. Located in mtns of WV. Primary concern is heat. Currently use propane for dryer and cooking. Paid $2.23/gal last week to get filled.........Anyway would like some suggestions for heating system....Cost is a concern as I am retired.

Steamhead

Will your addition

have a basement? If so, I'd consider one-pipe steam. You can probably find radiators that someone else is getting rid of so you can get them cheaply. And you only need to run one pipe to each radiator, which disrupts the house less. Finally, this type of system is far less likely to freeze up than hot-water.

Downside? Steam pipes must be black steel, which has to be cut and threaded. This is labor-intensive. And people might think you're crazy until they experience the level of comfort you will have.

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