Wood stove or fireplace?

I am curious about the debate on wood stoves or Fireplaces. What do you have and how do you like it?

CinnamonGirl wrote: I am curious about the debate on wood stoves or Fireplaces. What do you have and how do you like it?

I did not know there was a debate. Fireplaces exhaust several hundred cubic feet of air per minute so the colder it is the less net heat it produces.

I have two wood stoves. I love them.

Sorry I was abrupt, I was both in a hurry and preoccupied.

American style fire places are generally used for ambiance. With a decent set of glass doors they are OK as heaters but nowhere near as efficient as wood stoves. A Rumford style fireplace is a different animal and does a better job.
For new construction I would urge everyone to take a look at masonry heaters. The CSIA has one in their building in Indianapolis. I have seen it work but if I said how well, everyone would think I was a liar.

I was just wondering. I really don't know anything. Was hoping you could enlighten me.

I have a 1890s cookstove which we use more for heat than for cooking, but I have cooked on it.

And a broken pellet stove.

I was wondering, if I can't get it repaird and instead must relace, would a wood stove insert for this fireplace be effective? And would it be cheaper than a pellet stove?

I'm more in favor of a wood stove myself, since I like having heat when the power goes out, but husband like the pellet stove.

Local_Historian wrote: I have a 1890s cookstove which we use more for heat than for cooking, but I have cooked on it.

And a broken pellet stove.

I was wondering, if I can't get it repaird and instead must relace, would a wood stove insert for this fireplace be effective? And would it be cheaper than a pellet stove?

I'm more in favor of a wood stove myself, since I like having heat when the power goes out, but husband like the pellet stove.

Way too many variables to hazard a guess. If you give a call, I would be happy to discus it.
R/
Bob
303 838 0717

neptunechimney wrote: Sorry I was abrupt, I was both in a hurry and preoccupied.

American style fire places are generally used for ambiance. With a decent set of glass doors they are OK as heaters but nowhere near as efficient as wood stoves. A Rumford style fireplace is a different animal and does a better job.
For new construction I would urge everyone to take a look at masonry heaters. The CSIA has one in their building in Indianapolis. I have seen it work but if I said how well, everyone would think I was a liar.

If I were building a new house it would be getting masonry heater, retrofitting one into an existing home is probably too cost prohibitive for most people.

Masonry heaters are awsome. I actually studied these in college, many years ago. We were building them and conducting efficiency tests on different designs. Back then we called them Russian fireplaces, masonry stoves, and a few other names.

We found a few designs to be over 90% efficient - meaning that for every 1000 btu's of wood used in it - 900+ btu's of heat into the living space. A few were about 94% efficient and a house could be heated with just an armload of wood per night.

By the way - I know of no-one these days who is qualified to build a masonry heater properly. Proper design and construction are an absolute requirement to get it right.

I have 2 wood stoves and this is my primary heat source. I would like to build a masonry stove someday for my home similar to those we studied in school.

A traditional fireplace can be as much as 95% inefficient - with alomost all the heat going straight up the flu. The only thing worse than that - is a Fake fireplace - operated with gas.

I consider those units to be the "yuppie special" - especially fit for a McMansion owner with more money than brains, complete with a remote control to turn the fire on and off with.

If you have a fireplace - a wood insert will improve the ability to use it for heating the home. Fireplace inserts are essentially a wood stove placed into a fireplace space. Many wood stoves and fireplace inserts are 70+% efficient these days.

A pellet stove is a way to heat with wood too - except that you have to buy the pellets, and most of those stoves need power to run them.

I like the good ol' fashioned wood stove. The fuel grows all around us. Many of us don't pay much money for the wood, because we cut it ourselves. I like cutting and splitting the wood, but it's not for everybody.

I would not recommend this for Mr. Yuppie Mc Mansion owner - stick to your remote control fireplace.

I get excercise cutting wood - not in a gym but outdoors in the hills - and I pay my heating bill at the same time.

P.S. Somewhere I have all the literature I collected in college - I can't find it but someday I'll go through all my boxes of stuff. For anyone who might be interested in maybe educating some mason's in our area about these awsome fireplaces - I have dug up some information about them. It would be nice to see this technology used more in our area.

This PDF is similar to the designs I saw in the late 70's and early 80's. It will give some idea's of how to build a masonry stove correctly.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dnr.mo.gov%2Fpubs%2Fpub781.pdf&rct=j&q=missouri%20masonry%20stove%20pdf&ei=f8j3TL-TBoa8lQe9zY2OAg&usg=AFQjCNGpHkQ0O3bBFCJ65cD7tem5Hrzpew

Neptune - when it's financial feasible, you;re first on my list.

Bear - thanks for reminding me how long ago it was that we were in college. Ppppbbttt.

I like your point about a wood stove - since I don't want a gaping cold hole (no snarky comments please) in my livingroom, and this decorative bookholder needs to become useful then, I think a wood insert might be out best option.

Of course, I'd like to also put a hand pump in for my well, but that's another topic.