2nd Company out to home says do not get wood burner but gas or propane instead

[stoveliker]

So it's a choice of 3-4 times as expensive (not as an investment but as running cost) but being off-grid (if depending on a truck delivering stuff to you can be called off grid), versus 25-33% of the cost but being on a grid.

Now the nat gas grid is far more reliable than the electric one. ANd if electricity is out, grid-wide, your propane truck won't be able to fill up either...

 

[Eman85]

I had 2 large propane tanks on my property years back one for my home and one for my shop building. Couldn't wait for the utility company to finally run gas line in my area so I could get rid of the tanks.

 

[kborndale]

Because the grid is fallible.

I've had natural gas for over 30 years and there has never been an interruption in my service.

 

[Slocochef]

Very curious why this home is supposedly the only one on this residential street without NG hooked up…..to the house from the street….hope there isn’t a reason in particular that would not allow it!? Guess as we move forward I will learn more….. The propane people are coming out Friday to assist with deciding if that’s a viable option for this home or not…. Seems some kind of option would be available here….home built 1908….if oddly none of the gas options work then I am full circle to wood stove…. I just need to be patient to get the info!

 

[bholler]

Very curious why this home is supposedly the only one on this residential street without NG hooked up…..to the house from the street….hope there isn’t a reason in particular that would not allow it!? Guess as we move forward I will learn more….. The propane people are coming out Friday to assist with deciding if that’s a viable option for this home or not…. Seems some kind of option would be available here….home built 1908….if oddly none of the gas options work then I am full circle to wood stove…. I just need to be patient to get the info!

It isn't hooked to ng because no one paid to have it hooked up yet. I know I would pay $1200 in a second to have ng hooked up. But that's never going to happen for me even though there is a pipeline running through my back yard

 

[stoveliker]

I had the same. Admittedly in a warmer climate (Eastern TN). I had electric only heat, but that heat pump (ducted) conked out below 40 F. (Why, given my current minisplit heat pump still happy at 17 F, I have no clue...) Then it would simply resistively heat coils in the ducted air flow.

When I had to replace the whole shebang because it was old, I got a fairly good heatpump (still going to "emergency heat" below 40 F, though), but I added a natural gas furnace instead of the resistive coils. Put in a gas line from the street, about 40 meters, for I think $850 (2010 pricing). Best choice I ever made. On "cold" (i.e. below 40 F...) mornings we did not have the heat blowing (noise, ducts) for an hour before the home was reasonable up to temperature. Instead, the gas furnace kicked in, and we had HOT air blowing out of our ducts rather than cold feeling air. And the home was comfortable in 10 minutes.

Electricity was out a LOT. Spring and summer "tropical" thunderstorms and ubiquitous (d*mn maple) trees.
Gas was never out. And that is saying something, in a state like TN, where infrastructure is not a priority... (cheap electrons is, though).

 

[EatenByLimestone]

If I remember right, running the NG pipe to my house was free, but I had to use gas for 3 years.

 

[moresnow]

It isn't hooked to ng because no one paid to have it hooked up yet. I know I would pay $1200 in a second to have ng hooked up. But that's never going to happen for me even though there is a pipeline running through my back yard

My place has a similar story. 8 inch high pressure NG line crosses a few hundred yards behind my place in agriculture ground. Free hookup and gas was offered, and disregarded, at the time of the pipeline installation.
A small fee for that pipeline ROW was accepted instead. Stupid. Absolutely crazy. I've been on a LP tank for 32 years. Truck delivered LP is a great way to get you into burning wood as your "primary heat" source. Enough said......
To each there own. FWIW

 

[begreen]

Yes, our house had a propain furnace when we bought it. I got rid of it 17 yrs ago and never looked back.

 

[Newbie78]

I've had natural gas for over 30 years and there has never been an interruption in my service.

Me too. Over 30 years and two failures to deliver two autumns ago. I didn't even notice it was down until the gas company guys showed up to check things out. Thanks wood stove! There were a bunch of folks affected.

 

[Beerdog]

Thought I was going to buy a wood stove but this new company said no way….room is too small, hearth pad would be large, furniture in the way bla blah blah. The original local store guy said none of that and is ready to get to work…..then the next guy 2h away says no. I have no natural gas to home….(but it can be had for $1200 by the 2020 estimate to run from road to house). Propane would be a 120gal tank laying on ground next to house….sounds unsightly….I am just disgusted and disappointed. Does the first guy just want a sale? He has been here before in 2020 and said wood stoves wood be messy and inadvisable….but now he owns stove store and says go for it. Other guy in biz 40 years says gas or propane to a little freestanding stove is best……Never saw this coming….you helped me nail down all my questions for a wood burner so thank you soso sooooo much…. Now am stymied which way to go….ready to just skip the whole mess! It’s just for emergent use in outages or a Christmas Eve fire….thx for listening!

For emergency (and rarely needed) supplemental heat and for occasional decorative ambiance, I favor a propane or natural gas fireplace for its convenience and cleanliness, especially if you have no wood source or desire to store a wood supply. A gas appliance can be vented out the side wall, saving you thousands for the cost of a chimney.