Looking to add pellet stove to home

[Lousyweather]

Please note that that PF100 needs to have a cold air return ducted to the filter box! Also, the sizing of the ductwork also needs to be taken into consideration (as well as insulation, sealing, and the settings of the close room vents versus the far room vents. I am also curious what the BTU ratings are of the propane furnaces......is their total output roughly 100k BTU's? I think your possible lack of success with the unit could be an accumulation of errors.......and, for what its worth, there are different sized fans available for the PF100.

 

[Jack768]

Propane? You will save a ton replacing those BTUs with wood or pellets. Propane is the second most expensive fuel, right behind (in most places) electric. Whereas I have NG and pellets are a much more marginal proposition compared to that.

 

[Jack768]

Considering installing a pellet stove this year, but was running the numbers for my wife and the economic case, at current NG prices, is pretty marginal. Diversification is basically the only argument.

 

[Ksuwildcat2010]

What's the best way to insulate a square trunk duct? I know most will say fiberglass batt, but it's so hard to get to and try and wrap it around that. What about rigid fiberglass foam on 3 sides? Not sure if that's against code or not. And sorry for all the hvac questions, this might not be the right place.

 

[Thomas Anderson]

Propane? You will save a ton replacing those BTUs with wood or pellets. Propane is the second most expensive fuel, right behind (in most places) electric. Whereas I have NG and pellets are a much more marginal proposition compared to that.

You must not have seen heating oil prices lately.

 

[Thomas Anderson]

Low hanging fruit is to weather seal your house and install radiant barrier in the attic ceiling and loose-fill insulation in the attic floor.

 

[Ksuwildcat2010]

I understand that having it connected to the cold air return is important for efficiency, but I don't see why the pf100 needs it more than any other furnace. I'm not positive of the BTU rating of the furnace in my attic, but the combined total is probably more like 180,000. But the one in the attic hasn't been run in years, the furnace in the basement is 125,000 btu and it kept the downstairs very warm, in fact the previous owner, who I know, kept the house at like 80. My pellet furnace had trouble keeping it in the mid 60's on really cold nights. I know that my pf100 won't keep the upstairs really warm, that's another reason I was looking to add a stove by the staircase to help with heat upstairs.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Any hot air furnace needs a cold air return in order to function. You can decide how your furnace gets the cold air returned to it.

The only question is the volume of the place you are going to be heating. Oh and one other thing some convection fan system blowers do not last long when operated in "open air", the motors burn out sooner than they should.

 

[Ksuwildcat2010]

It's not open air, it still has static pressure on it because it is hooked to the supply. But I agree i will hook up return air.

 

[pip3398]

I understand that having it connected to the cold air return is important for efficiency, but I don't see why the pf100 needs it more than any other furnace. I'm not positive of the BTU rating of the furnace in my attic, but the combined total is probably more like 180,000. But the one in the attic hasn't been run in years, the furnace in the basement is 125,000 btu and it kept the downstairs very warm, in fact the previous owner, who I know, kept the house at like 80. My pellet furnace had trouble keeping it in the mid 60's on really cold nights. I know that my pf100 won't keep the upstairs really warm, that's another reason I was looking to add a stove by the staircase to help with heat upstairs.

Besides the difference in BTU's the other things could be leakage in the duct work (how much heat is going into the basement) and the CFM's of the blower. The 1000 CFM blower is probably pretty small for your duct sizing. Aluminum foil taping the ducts will go a long way to making sure the heat gets upstairs. As far as the cold air return, reheating air from upstairs is a lot easier than heating air from the basement. I am sure the furnace is drawing in a ton of air from outside (about a 1000 cubic feet per minute). That's a lot of extra air to heat.

 

[DexterDay]

Besides the difference in BTU's the other things could be leakage in the duct work (how much heat is going into the basement) and the CFM's of the blower. The 1000 CFM blower is probably pretty small for your duct sizing. Aluminum foil taping the ducts will go a long way to making sure the heat gets upstairs. As far as the cold air return, reheating air from upstairs is a lot easier than heating air from the basement. I am sure the furnace is drawing in a ton of air from outside (about a 1000 cubic feet per minute). That's a lot of extra air to heat.

Drawing 1,000 CFM of outside air per minute?

The exhaust blower isnt 1,000 CFM? The air is recycling in the home at a rate of 1,000 CFM. The exhaust blower is prob around 80 CFM. So if no OAK is installed, it would be around that # more likely.

There is no way that 1,000 CFM of air infiltration can happen because of the Distribution/Convection blower. Only the exhaust blower pushes air outside the home. Which needs replaced. The Big Blower just circulates from top to bottom.

(Maybe I mis-read this somehow. But 1,000 CFM from outside doesnt make sense?)

Which leads to the question? Does the OP have an OAK connected to the PF 100? An OAK will stop what air infiltration is caused by blowing heated air outside through your vent.

 

[Ksuwildcat2010]

No I don't have OAK, and that is something else I have considered doing. I just don't want to drill another hole in my basement wall too much, but if it's worth it.