wood pellets

[Chris0nllyn]

I'm beginning to wonder if a pellet stove is worth it.

I have a 3,000sq ft. + split foyer, and the pellet stove keeps the basement pretty toasty, but does little for the top floor. I've even got a fan at ceiling level blowing up the stairs.

I've only burned about 10 bags all winter (usually only when we hang out in the basement, or when company comes over), but in the past 3 months, we burned 150 gallons of oil.

Oil bill was a little over $450, or $150/month.

A ton of pellets would be closer to $280-$300 and last what, a month? And wouldn't heat the top floor enough for us to avoid burning oil.

I purposely got a cheap stove to test out, and now I'm leaning toward a wood stove. If I want supplemental heat, it should at least be (somewhat) free and not rely on needing power to do so.

 

[gwchem]

Isn't the advantage of a pellet stove over a wood stove in the automatic loading? Is there a wood stove that regulates temperature very well?

 

[Chris0nllyn]

Isn't the advantage of a pellet stove over a wood stove in the automatic loading? Is there a wood stove that regulates temperature very well?

I do enjoy simply dumping a bag in and walking away, but the main goal was to cut down on the oil bill.

I think my house layout, low(ish) heat output from the pellet stove, and low oil prices have made it hard to save any money.

 

[frogman68]

I turn on the fan for the hvac so it is circulating the pellet stove heat . When the furnace kicks on its only for a few minutes . Our propane bill has dropped more than a ton of pellets (50 bags to a ton so almost two months per ton)

 

[Chris0nllyn]

I turn on the fan for the hvac so it is circulating the pellet stove heat . When the furnace kicks on its only for a few minutes . Our propane bill has dropped more than a ton of pellets (50 bags to a ton so almost two months per ton)

Yea, I have been toying with that idea, but my furnace return is upstairs, so it'd be blowing cold air throughout the house.

I thought about putting one (a return) in the basement so I could damper the upstairs during the winter, and do the opposite in the winter.

Of course, my unit is undersized for the house (former DIY home owners), so I may have to add a second return anyway.

 

[frogman68]

Yea, I have been toying with that idea, but my furnace return is upstairs, so it'd be blowing cold air throughout the house.

I thought about putting one (a return) in the basement so I could damper the upstairs during the winter, and do the opposite in the winter.

Of course, my unit is undersized for the house (former DIY home owners), so I may have to add a second return anyway.

not a hvac person but 1 doesn't sound right

 

[mdram]

just saw this if you are still looking

Johnson's Seed and Feed has plenty of wood pellets. We don't have a bag limit and we can store them if the customer needs that service.