Wood Stove Insert Questions

[lrharvey11]

Hey y'all, lots of questions here!

We live in a 2800 sq. foot house. 1600 is an open-concept ranch on the main floor with an existing fireplace/chimney right in the middle, and the other 1200 is a partially finished walk-out basement. We currently just use our central furnace/HVAC for the whole house, but I'm hoping to get a wood-burning insert for the upper room since we do 95% of our living up there. Downstairs is a guest room and the laundry room as well as a space that will eventually become the kids' play room when they get older (we have toddlers.)

My question is whether I will need something separate to keep the basement at a good temperature, or if I would be fine to just install one woodburning insert for the upstairs as long as the basement doesn't get below freezing. If we were to have guests staying with us then we would just resort to our central heat/HVAC to keep the whole house warm, but when we are doing almost all of our living upstairs I think I could save a lot of $$$ by just burning wood in the Winter (and I want my kids to grow up with the smells/rhythms/liturgy of chopping, drying, burning, etc.)

Do y'all have any thoughts on this?

Thank you!
Luke

 

[begreen]

A wood stove is primarily an area heater. Placing it where the heat and fireview is most appreciated makes good sense.

 

[stoveliker]

Given that you are in GA, I'd put a minisplit in the basement to keep it above freezing.l - or even comfy.

Minisplits work great for that.
I know heat pumps in the South conk out below 40 F (mine in East TN did so), but I now (in NY) have a minisplit that can heat my home down to far below freezing (still being twice as efficient as a plug in heaters at 17 F and with 100% capacity at that temp).

That would be my frost insurance for the basement if I was in GA.