Bought a house with INOP heatilator. What direction should I go?

[Overkil]

Hello everyone! This is my first posting. I recently bought a 14 year old ranch style modular home with a fake chimney/ wood heatilator in the living room. I call it fake because the chimney area is sided and not brick like a real fireplace. The heatilator is not working and I want a viable heat source in there when it finally gets cold up here.

Here is my dilemma! I get propane at about $1.39 right now and oil at $1.83. Wood is around $ 280-$300 a cord seasoned. Do I go with a propane insert with less Maintence and ease of use or rework it and do a wood stove? I like both but I'm leaning toward the propane setup. My upstairs is about 1850 square ft. Downstairs is finished at about 1700 sq feet but I'm obviously not going to heat that from upstairs. The main heat is a forced hot air system that was only designed for the main floor when the house was built but now heats both levels. I want to use a rinnai wall unit downstairs to help it there but I'm still on the fence upstairs. Any advice would be great! Thanks

 

[weatherguy]

I think these cheap prices of oil and gas are going to be short lived. I'd do a wood setup myself since I love wood heat and love cutting my own wood.

 

[mark cline]

Do you have a source , time , equipment and physical ability to cut , split and stack firewood for a tleast a year ahead of when it will be burned?

 

[begreen]

Welcome, tell us more about the Heatilator and why it doesn't work. Is this a wood or gas fireplace? Rinnai makes good heaters if you like to use propane. One thing to look at is how great fuel prices have swung in recent years. Locally propane was going for almost $4/gallon just a couple years back. Can we be sure it's not going back up in the future? If historically it has stayed low cost in your area and you like the convenience then the Rinnai may be a good option to consider. Wood heating takes work and planning in order to have a good stock of fully seasoned wood set aside in advance.

 

[Overkil]

I think these cheap prices of oil and gas are going to be short lived. I'd do a wood setup myself since I love wood heat and love cutting my own wood.

I do agree with you! I love wood heat as my father has wood he can switch over to. My problem is time and it's gotta be serviced more often, plus this will be in the living room and will be dirtier. I'm just not sure what I want to do!

 

[Overkil]

Do you have a source , time , equipment and physical ability to cut , split and stack firewood for a tleast a year ahead of when it will be burned?

I have lots of friends with splitters and equipment but not a ton of time. I have plenty of room to stack it as well but I have kids and am always on the go! Winter months aren't easy as I drive a propane transport and this is my busy season.

 

[Overkil]

Welcome, tell us more about the Heatilator and why it doesn't work. Is this a wood or gas fireplace? Rinnai makes good heaters if you like to use propane. One thing to look at is how great fuel prices have swung in recent years. Locally propane was going for almost $4/gallon just a couple years back. Can we be sure it's not going back up in the future? If historically it has stayed low cost in your area and you like the convenience then the Rinnai may be a good option to consider. Wood heating takes work and planning in order to have a good stock of fully seasoned wood set aside in advance.

This unit is a wood heatilator. My home inspector stated the firebrick wasn't good. I don't think he realized it was metal but the fact of the matter is this unit wasn't serviced much or at all! The fan doesn't work and I don't trust it at all!
I'd like to replace it since its 14 years old as well!

I also don't want to be dependent on one type of heat source! I like options and I want to be able to keep my hot air system from dying young!

 

[begreen]

The unit could be replaced with a modern EPA fireplace that would also be an excellent heater. This is an expensive choice, but can look and work great. A less expensive option can be to install a rear-vented wood stove in front of the fireplace with a stainless steel liner running up the chimney. Room would be needed to have the flue exit below the fireplace lintel. This would depend on the lintel height of the fireplace.

Do you know the model heatilator? I believe that some are ok to put a Quadrafire insert in. The model number is usually on a tag in the door frame.

 

[Heftiger]

I think your best bet is to go wood, then you have the option of heating with gas or wood. My last home had propane forced air, and an oil parlor stove. All of this at the peak of the oil prices, so I had no choice but to pay the price. With wood you can use the forced air if you're busy and\or prices are cheap, and wood when you're not busy and\or you want to save some cash.

 

[Heftiger]

What kind of wood are you getting for that price?

 

[Overkil]

No tag that I can find at all! As far as I can tell it has a cinder block with steel liner like in a trailer. I want this to work well when done! I was thinking rear exit wood stove if I did go wood!

 

[Overkil]

What kind of wood are you getting for that price?

Maple, ash etc. why?

 

[Heftiger]

Maple, ash etc. why?

I was just curious about the price. We pay $150 per cord here, but we can only get pine.

 

[begreen]

If it is a reasonable distance check around the orchards. They often will be selling pecan, almond or fruit tree hardwoods.

 

[Overkil]

I have a guy I can get unseasoned wood for 220-240 a cord but would be a year till burn time obviously

 

[begreen]

Now would be a good time to start stocking up. Oak will take a couple years to season. Stacking it top covered in a sunny location so that the prevailing winds can blow through the stacks will help dry it quicker.

 

[Overkil]

Oh winds won't be a problem! I have tons of wind where I am!

Now would be a good time to start stocking up. Oak will take a couple years to season. Stacking it top covered in a sunny location so that the prevailing winds can blow through the stacks will help dry it quicker.

I have tons of wind where I am!

 

[Overkil]

There are lots of used wood stoves up my way! Hell I even deliver 10,000 gals of propane weekly to Vermont castings foundry and R&D/ fabrication shops! Maybe I'll go that route! I'd still like more advice though!

 

[Overkil]

I was just curious about the price. We pay $150 per cord here, but we can only get pine.

Wow aren't you scared about creosote build up with that? I don't think I would burn wood if that's all I could get!

 

[Heftiger]

Wow aren't you scared about creosote build up with that? I don't think I would burn wood if that's all I could get!

I've never burned hardwoods, pine is all I know. I'm sure some more seasoned folk will chime in, but I think that's a misconception. I've burned for a couple seasons low and slow in my blaze King and just keep an eye on the chimney. I usually sweep once or twice mid season.

 

[begreen]

Many folks in the west burn pine, spruce, fir. Doug fir is what's burning in our stove right now. Just like with hardwood the key to avoiding creosote buildup is only burning fully seasoned wood and keep the flue gases hot enough during the outgassing stage of the burn.

 

[Overkil]

I've only burned hardwood at my parents. I know the key to low or no creosote is keeping your stack temp up! If you get too big of a system you most likely won't use it to its fullest potential so you might create creosote that way.

I've been looking on Craigslist and see a hearthstone Clydesdale for $450. It says the upper liner needs replacing for around $150. The add says it heats 2000 sq ft. Any thoughts on this insert?

 

[Overkil]

I was just thinking about how I clean my flue with an insert. Where or how do I get the soot out of the bottom after the liner is clean?

 

[begreen]

I was just thinking about how I clean my flue with an insert. Where or how do I get the soot out of the bottom after the liner is clean?

Depends on the insert, but usually one removes the baffle and lets the soot drop into the stove.

 

[begreen]

I've been looking on Craigslist and see a hearthstone Clydesdale for $450. It says the upper liner needs replacing for around $150. The add says it heats 2000 sq ft. Any thoughts on this insert?

It's a good insert but may not be allowed. What is the model Heatilator?