Rednecktek
Solar Wizard
Diesel heaters I think would still be pretty good since they use so lottle electricity and fuel per BTU. Anything with an active fan would be better than anything radiant.
Interesting idea. OP didn't mention if they had a basement but in theory a gas water heater in the basement plumbed to the upstairs radiators could actually work via a thermosiphon like the old school boilers did thus meeting the without electricity goal. If they did have to use small circulator pump that would be pretty minimal wattage.Has hydronic heat been considered? Either in floor or radiator style. Gas fired water heater should provide enough hot water.
Efficiency is often interchanged (inaccurately) for expense. But it does indicate with some imagination and understanding that the wood costs so little per BTU that it is remarkably inexpensive.Biggest offender of this I think is outdoor wood boilers.
In most northern regions the cost/btu of using propane is virtually the same as heating with grid electricity. Propane can be convenient but dollar efficiency is only in the price per gallon versus heating oil.You’re going want the most efficient propane one you can find.
I know a lot of people in northern Vermont that have, too. But then there’s that spiderweb or buildup of dust or something and the burn gets some yellow and people die- especially after insulation upgrades.I’ve used unvented wall mounted propane fired heaters for LOTS of years
The air is already moving - convectively. That’s what makes them spin. I think those are a waste of money to satisfy the minds of the uninformed that need the visual comfort.some “heat powered fans” like they sell on Amazon to move the air.
That has some attractive features, but…hydronic heat been considered
Not quite. Those use a thermocouple, usually about half way up between the base and where the big vanes start, to generate DC power. That DC power runs a small electric motor which spins the fan and forces the air through the blades and into the room.The air is already moving - convectively. That’s what makes them spin. I think those are a waste of money to satisfy the minds of the uninformed that need the visual comfort.
I was unaware of those.Those use a thermocouple,
???Humidity is important it brings heat down from the ceiling keeping the room warmer so increasing humidity increases the temperature.
Odd metric to use… humidity levels are a moving target. Number of occupants, leaky ness of the home etc will drastically affect humidity levels. I suppose a fixed volume of air raised a specific amount will result in a specific drop in relative humidity, but I’m unaware of a rule like that being accurate.For every 10 degrees c of heat the humidity in a room drops by 50% so for a room to stay warm and comfortable it needs to be around 50-60% humidity
One neat trick I've seen to alleviate that issue is to drill a 4" vent hole in the wall directly behind the woodstove close to the base and just install a dryer duct vent. The stove will get all the fresh air makeup it needs via that vent and the air gets pre-heated in the process by having to travel across the bottom of the stove to get to the air intake vents. A damper can be placed on the inside end to close off the vent when the stove isn't being used. That pretty much eliminates the cold air draft in the rest of the house from your windows and door seals leaking by to provide the fresh air makeup.Wood stoves with outside air intake at the rear pull cold air making the fire work much better and do not pull cold air into the room pushing warm air towards windows and doors increasing room temperature lowering the amount of wood used.
I would like to understand how this assists heating a building… for cooling, sure, but heating is a different case, and aside from CO2 dispersal, not very helpful.Modern buildings now use outside air in ventilation systems to circulate the air/heat/humidity for the vapour control layer around rooms to be able to use heat source pumps efficiently lowering the carbon foot print of the building.
Some of those facts are superstitionThat's where the facts came from
I have never heard of such a thing as draft-induced pellet stoves. Will look into it. ThanksEfficiency is often interchanged (inaccurately) for expense. But it does indicate with some imagination and understanding that the wood costs so little per BTU that it is remarkably inexpensive.
In most northern regions the cost/btu of using propane is virtually the same as heating with grid electricity. Propane can be convenient but dollar efficiency is only in the price per gallon versus heating oil.
I know a lot of people in northern Vermont that have, too. But then there’s that spiderweb or buildup of dust or something and the burn gets some yellow and people die- especially after insulation upgrades.
I WOULD NOT DO THAT EVER
The air is already moving - convectively. That’s what makes them spin. I think those are a waste of money to satisfy the minds of the uninformed that need the visual comfort.
That has some attractive features, but…
Have you considered the 40k-BTU draft-induced pellet stoves? Cheaper than oil and way cheaper than propane or electricity per BTU. They offer an in-plenum water heating tube that will thermocyle to a storage tank and permit using a 12V circulator to transport some heat to other rooms or for domestic hot water.
This still makes one dependent on supply chain fuel (unlike wood) but- depending on region- offer 50% to 80% less cost per btu than propane and electric heating. AND IT RUNS WITH ZERO ELECTRICITY, is UL approved, and EPA compliant.
That’s what I would do, and will someday.
You can buy a small-volume pellet press for <$1000 that you can use to make your own pellets from blended hardwood/softwood chips from loggers and mix in brush, hay, dry field grasses for a ‘free’ component.
But straight up using pellets bought by the pallet is a huge savings over propane. And no electricity required.