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Can you put a wood stove in a fireplace? Does it have to be a certain type and size of stove? Will the walls of the fireplace hinder it from exerting heat since hte fireplace walls surround it?
I heard there are different types of stove like oil ones and such which is the best type? Can you buy a really large stove? How much are stoves?
Do wood stoves come with fans or can you just put one next to it?
Do fireplaces have fans or can you just put on next to it?
Is there something you can have built into your fireplace so that all the warm air in your house will not exit out of the chimney?
Answer
I have a fireplace I've had more than one stove in. As a fireplace, it was a total energy loss - it sucked more cold air into the house than the heat it produced. You're right, you have to close off this big opening to put a wood stove in. First, I had a piece of sheet metal fashioned that fit over the opening at the top of the fireplace. This sheet metal has a lip bent into it all the way around, and screws through the lip hold it into position. There's a hole cut into the middle that the chimney pipe fits snugly through. My first stove sat out in the room, right in front of the fireplace. This made a dramatic improvement in efficiency, but took up a lot of floor space. This was in a house with a concrete slab floor, so I didn't need a hearth. Later, when I could afford it, I had the stove changed for a "fireplace insert", which is a wood stove meant to be installed in the recess of the fireplace. Mine has a built in fan, although I don't use it anymore - it's my operating theory that the heat doesn't really go anywhere except in the masonry around the fireplace, and that radiates back into the house eventually anyway, and this way I don't have to listen to the fan. I also installed a 6" stainless steel liner in my chimney, this draws much better than the masonry chimney and I think it's safer.
I was at the wood stove shop the other day, and say an insert like mine for $2700 (the biggest Quadra-Fire insert made). Installation and chimney might run $1500 or so more.
Wood heat is messy, but it's a very comforting heat. I have electric I could use too, but I'm using wood now as we speak. I think it's cheaper, and I know it feels warmer. It works when the powers out, too.
I have a fireplace I've had more than one stove in. As a fireplace, it was a total energy loss - it sucked more cold air into the house than the heat it produced. You're right, you have to close off this big opening to put a wood stove in. First, I had a piece of sheet metal fashioned that fit over the opening at the top of the fireplace. This sheet metal has a lip bent into it all the way around, and screws through the lip hold it into position. There's a hole cut into the middle that the chimney pipe fits snugly through. My first stove sat out in the room, right in front of the fireplace. This made a dramatic improvement in efficiency, but took up a lot of floor space. This was in a house with a concrete slab floor, so I didn't need a hearth. Later, when I could afford it, I had the stove changed for a "fireplace insert", which is a wood stove meant to be installed in the recess of the fireplace. Mine has a built in fan, although I don't use it anymore - it's my operating theory that the heat doesn't really go anywhere except in the masonry around the fireplace, and that radiates back into the house eventually anyway, and this way I don't have to listen to the fan. I also installed a 6" stainless steel liner in my chimney, this draws much better than the masonry chimney and I think it's safer.
I was at the wood stove shop the other day, and say an insert like mine for $2700 (the biggest Quadra-Fire insert made). Installation and chimney might run $1500 or so more.
Wood heat is messy, but it's a very comforting heat. I have electric I could use too, but I'm using wood now as we speak. I think it's cheaper, and I know it feels warmer. It works when the powers out, too.
Ways to lower electric/gas bill?
Teetana
Okay, so my bill for January was $300 and I live in a townhouse. I'm trying to find ways to cut down on usage....so far, I:
-run the dishwasher less often/don't use the "heated dry" mode
-barely use any lights except when it's dark outside
-minimize how often we do laundry
What are some things most people wouldn't think of? For example, should I unplug lamps, appliances, etc.? I have gas cooking and electric heat.
Any suggestions are appreciated!!
Answer
The electric heat is harsh to anyone's bill! I would suggest:
-turn your washer water to cold/cold cycles as much as possible
-get a programmable thermostat (they are easy to install yourself-ask your landlord first if you rent) They do make a big difference!
-turn your heat down all together 68 when you are there, 63 when you are gone or lower for both (ours is 63-home, 59-gone)
-our state (WI) is offering an "Energy Audit" for $25 to help people get better results, we had one and it told us where we were losing the most heat and gave us ideas on how and when to do things to help
-lower your water heater temp to 120
-if you have a fireplace, you automatically lose 8-11% of your home's heat when you don't have it on if the damper doesn't work properly
-check your area's peak energy hours and do laundry and other chores requiring lots of energy consumption at those times
-surprisingly enough, you lose a lot of heat through your outlets on exterior walls, there are outlet insulators you can buy to help with that and they are easy to install
-if you own, check to see you have enough insulation in your attic, if you rent, ask the landlord to check
-as a rule, anything that heats up at all costs more money to run
-I hang my laundry to dry...no dryer!!! Inside in the winter, out in summer! That cut back quite a bit.
-an extra appliance like a chest freezer plugged in should be full, either with food or milk jugs of water to reduce cooling cost, generally just plugging in an extra appliance like a freezer is $20-$30 a month...do you really need it?
Hopefully these ideas help! If you need more, you should go to the gov't energy website for more ideas, it actually has some more ideas, but nothing mind-blowing. Good Luck!!!
The electric heat is harsh to anyone's bill! I would suggest:
-turn your washer water to cold/cold cycles as much as possible
-get a programmable thermostat (they are easy to install yourself-ask your landlord first if you rent) They do make a big difference!
-turn your heat down all together 68 when you are there, 63 when you are gone or lower for both (ours is 63-home, 59-gone)
-our state (WI) is offering an "Energy Audit" for $25 to help people get better results, we had one and it told us where we were losing the most heat and gave us ideas on how and when to do things to help
-lower your water heater temp to 120
-if you have a fireplace, you automatically lose 8-11% of your home's heat when you don't have it on if the damper doesn't work properly
-check your area's peak energy hours and do laundry and other chores requiring lots of energy consumption at those times
-surprisingly enough, you lose a lot of heat through your outlets on exterior walls, there are outlet insulators you can buy to help with that and they are easy to install
-if you own, check to see you have enough insulation in your attic, if you rent, ask the landlord to check
-as a rule, anything that heats up at all costs more money to run
-I hang my laundry to dry...no dryer!!! Inside in the winter, out in summer! That cut back quite a bit.
-an extra appliance like a chest freezer plugged in should be full, either with food or milk jugs of water to reduce cooling cost, generally just plugging in an extra appliance like a freezer is $20-$30 a month...do you really need it?
Hopefully these ideas help! If you need more, you should go to the gov't energy website for more ideas, it actually has some more ideas, but nothing mind-blowing. Good Luck!!!
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Title Post: A couple questions about a wood stove and a fireplace?
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Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thank FOr Coming TO My Blog
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