heating your own home, woodstove, gas, electric?

7 Comments

1. grant_graveley says:

   November 30, 2009 at 11:43 am

   well they all pollute, personally i think electric is the worst polluter…but i like wood fires
2. judy_derr38565 says:

   November 30, 2009 at 11:43 am

   Depends on how much money you want to save. I like a wood burning stove, the ash dust is a hassle but if you use one similar to the old Fisher Stoves which require no electricity to run a blower they are quite efficient and will heat the house well, we heated a 1832 sq ft home with one of them, and depending on where you locate the stove it will do a good job, for a little back up heat I would buy one of the portable furnaces, they are very efficient to run, you can check them out at http://www.portablefurnace.com.
   At least if the power goes out you can still heat and cook on a good wood stove.
3. bigmomma3526 says:

   November 30, 2009 at 11:43 am

   hello, woodstove is the best and it’s cheat. know to find one?
4. sophie says:

   November 30, 2009 at 11:43 am

   There is nothing like the heat of a wood burning fire. But as we know, wood needs a lot of work. And is messy. If you are lucky to have trees all around you and an abundance of wood, without paying for it, it would be the best.

   Electricity is obviously the easiest and most convenient. Just turn up the thermostat and there you go. Cost however, well you know, that’s not cheap.

   Neither is propane. It also heats up very well. And no work involved.

   Right now, I’m heating the basement with my wood fireplace and supplementing with electric, as needed. We are trying to combine heat sources this year. As whether we will save on our electrical, well that remains to be seen. But we love our evenings sitting in front of the fire.
5. Building Inspector says:

   November 30, 2009 at 11:43 am

   Heating your home with a woodstove is the most dangerous and messy way to heat. If you choose this route, ensure it is installed by a professional. A complete list of professional installers in Canada could be found at http://www.wettinc.ca. If you are in the US, this website does have a link for the wood energy technical transfer US equivalent. It is also always best to choose a certified woodstove as their clearances to combustibles is always less, rather than having a woodstove out in the middle of your room.
   If you choose gas, it is the most efficient way to heat. Around 90% compared to wood which averages 60% efficency. It also cheapest, unless you cut your own wood.
   Electric heat, unless it is a forced air electric furnace, leaves your home stale and dry due to the lack of air movement. If you choose baseboard heaters, it is code in most places that a Heat Recovery Ventilator also be installed to push the air around. Electric heating would be the cheapest to set up but cost you much more in the long run.
   Good luck
6. pedohunter1488 says:

   November 30, 2009 at 11:43 am

   Where do you live? I am rural and have all 3. Central is electric, but I have a fireplace and 2 emergency heaters. The fireplace can heat my whole house with wood, the 2 heaters connect to the gas lines.
7. Larry m says:

   November 30, 2009 at 11:43 am

   the cheapest way to go is a pellet stove. Very efficient and clean air.Initial cost is a bit high but you make it up the first year