Is there a certain outside temperature threshold you have before lighting a fire in the stove? Or perhaps you go by inside temps?
At what outside temperature do you light the stove?
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Not only a temperature but also a duration given the long burn time of my stove: I light if it's below 40-45 F got more than only one night.
If it's above that I use the mini split fed by solar electrons, and if it is below that threshold but only for one night I still use the mini split.
If it's above that I use the mini split fed by solar electrons, and if it is below that threshold but only for one night I still use the mini split.
Yes, lots of factors. We may light around 45º if the temps are heading down but will hold off if it's 45 at 6 am on a sunny day. We are burning more electrons now with the heat pump in milder weather since buying wood.
Gearhead660
Minister of Fire
I light a fire when I want heat. I can usually get away with the mini split until it gets down around 40*f.
Because
-there was no duct work in the home (heat is oil->hydronic). Adding duct work in an existing home is more ugly than a unit in the wall
- mini splits are FAAAR quieter than ducted systems. I had a ducted system in TN. I almost can't hear my mini split if it is quiet in the home. If the dishwasher runs I can't hear the mini split at all
- a mini split is far more efficient than a ducted system.
If I have a choice I will never have a ducted system again
-there was no duct work in the home (heat is oil->hydronic). Adding duct work in an existing home is more ugly than a unit in the wall
- mini splits are FAAAR quieter than ducted systems. I had a ducted system in TN. I almost can't hear my mini split if it is quiet in the home. If the dishwasher runs I can't hear the mini split at all
- a mini split is far more efficient than a ducted system.
If I have a choice I will never have a ducted system again
The answer to this question depends mostly on if you have some other heat source than wood or if you are 100% wood heat. When I was 100% wood I would burn a fire anytime the house temp was too low, had nothing to do with outside air temperature. Lots of fires with outside temperature above 60. Now that I have a minisplit the indoor temperature never gets too cold and the decision to burn is based on effort, cost, and the recreational enjoyment of burning.
These minisplits are great. Super cheap to buy and easy to self install in an afternoon. System efficiency is very high.
Ours is a central system. I've known and seen good mini-splits since the late 1990s when traveling but they were not easily available in our region back in 2006. Only Sanyo models were sold in our area and not many at that. I was concered about parts and service down the road. The house had a propane furnace so I took that out and had a new American Standard HP system put in. This was the most efficient option at the time for a ducted system. I insulated the trunk ducts, plenums, and replaced all of the feeds with insulated flex duct. It's been running trouble-free since then.
Now, all of the major mini-split companies are available here and Mitsubishi and Daikon have good ducted systems available if and when we update the system. Our house is a 2 story old farmhouse. The downstairs could be heated with mini-splits, but even heating of the upstairs would present more of a challenge. The indoor head units would look a bit odd in this 100 yr old interior, so we will likely stay ducted.
I started reading about them right after I asked you guys the question. May seem stupid but I didn't even know some houses don't have ductwork lol. I know a lot of people use them for off grid places, but I never realized that people use them for their main house too.
The places where you see window units won't have ductwork.
Our home didn't have AC until we put it in in 2018 or 19. (And it's from 1978.)
Our home didn't have AC until we put it in in 2018 or 19. (And it's from 1978.)
1. I only have a 30 year old house we built, I wouldn't want to look at the pieces of crap hanging on the walls. 2. Efficiency or not they still use electricity you must pay for. 3. Heat from mini splits and heat pumps suck and aren't hot enough output for us. ....
Aesthetics is hard to discuss.
I didn't like the vent registers everywhere either. And I hated the noise. The mini split has much less noise.
They get my home easily up to 72 when it's 10 F outside. That's warm enough for.our taste. (But yes, I do use the wood stove then, of course.)
They use less electricity than a ducted heat pump per kWh output. (And kWhs are free for me due to my solar.)
So it all depends on what.you like (!) and what.your situation is. It's not ideal for everyone- as nothing is.
I didn't like the vent registers everywhere either. And I hated the noise. The mini split has much less noise.
They get my home easily up to 72 when it's 10 F outside. That's warm enough for.our taste. (But yes, I do use the wood stove then, of course.)
They use less electricity than a ducted heat pump per kWh output. (And kWhs are free for me due to my solar.)
So it all depends on what.you like (!) and what.your situation is. It's not ideal for everyone- as nothing is.
My house is circa 1890, large cast iron steam radiators fed with an oil boiler, just had a major kitchen/dining renovation and the contractor put in a ducted HVAC system in the first floor. Also the wood stove was put in the new construction. Now I have three different sources of heat, kinda bizarre ha. The idea with the stove in my house is to maybe run it on the weekends while I’m home mostly cause I like wood burning but if it helps keep the oil burner off that would be a plus. I’m not sure what temps I’m gonna run the stove at. Probably anything under 50 deg but this is going to be my first full season with the stove so time will tell.
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every stick of wood you burn prevents an amount of purchased oil from being burned. So it doesn’t really matter what temperature it is outside so long as you need heat choose the cheapest.
I don’t think it’s bizarre at all to have options to keep you comfortable through different times, temps, conditions and preferences. Our mini-split and stove provide our everyday heat. Still there are occasions when the option to turn that little dial on the wall to fire up the boiler and get comfortable heat through the first floor panel radiators, no matter the temp, is awfully nice. We have a greenhouse with a door off the kitchen southwest wall that often can allow us some additional free heat once the sun comes around.
Sometimes early in the season when it’s not really cold but just rainy and raw it can be awfully nice to come into to the warmth of a stove.
Sometimes early in the season when it’s not really cold but just rainy and raw it can be awfully nice to come into to the warmth of a stove.
Wisco Shepherd
Feeling the Heat
I actually tend to go of indoor vs outdoor temperature. If the house isn't gaining any heat from the day and is consistently hovering in the low 60s I'll do a quick shoulder fire (maybe even with a cracked window) and let it fall back down from there. Occasionally I'll let our in floor radiant system or mini split take some of the load but all occupants in the house enjoy wood the most.
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