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AYP1909
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# Posted: 9 Mar 2012 03:46pm
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I had been considering a wood burning stove for the new cabin since we have an abundance of wood available. However, a recent visit to a bed and breakfast that used a beautiful enameled cast iron stove for heat got me to wondering; what are the pros and cons of each?
Please let me know your thoughts on each.
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justincasei812
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# Posted: 9 Mar 2012 03:59pm
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I have a propane stove in our cabin. I was there when I purchased it. When I went to insure my place I was told that if it had wood heat the insurance would go up by a lot (which I knew from owning one at the house). I think wood burners are nice for colder days. They can really put out the heat if needed. Propane is limited. I do like that once the propane is on there is no mess or fuss but there is gratification with cutting and splitting wood. Also look at long term as we get older do we want to split, stack, and haul wood just to keep warm. It can become a hindrance and you will think twice about going there. Wood burners "bounce back" faster than propane too. I like propane because it is safer and when we get up to the cabin it is turned on (winter) and then we head out for dinner and I am not so worried about the place burning down.
So after all the babbling and flip flopping..... I like both and they both have there pros and cons. Just depends on where you are at in life and what you personally would like to do.
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groingo
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# Posted: 9 Mar 2012 04:08pm - Edited by: groingo
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I have opted to use both, propane for cooking and wood for heat and sometimes I get lazy and don't want to build a fire so I use propane to warm things up till I get the fire going.
It's just always good to have a backup.
As far as pro's and con's of each, in my world propane alone would mean an ongoing cost while wood trades labor for out of pocket expense.
Wood heat is also just much nicer while propane is a moist heat that just doesn't warm the way a good cast iron woodstove can, but that is just me....and my cat also agrees so there.
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PA_Bound
Member
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# Posted: 9 Mar 2012 04:09pm
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A few that come to mind quickly...
Wood burner:
pros:
cheap, plentiful fuel
great heat output
doesn't add humidity
fun to watch wood burn (as long as it's not your cabin )
cons:
dirtier
wood splitting is too much like real work
Gas:
pros:
cleaner
instant on/instant off
easier temp control
cons:
adds humidity (if not vented, less efficient if it is)
doesn't smell nearly as good
boring to watch
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larry
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# Posted: 9 Mar 2012 04:23pm
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for me i like wood. i have more than i could burn and when i do buy hardwood it is much cheaper in terms of BTU then propane. however there may come a day when i may change over to propane. i wont hold my breath for that day. both are great sources of heat. you need to look at your situation and see what suits your needs or cost best.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 9 Mar 2012 04:32pm
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Depends on the cabin size, in part. Really small cabins (200 sq ft?) lose too much space to wood burning stoves.
For larger cabins like ours (432 sq ft inside) and bigger, both.
We have a wood burner rated at 18K BTU/he and a wall mount direct vent propane that is also rated at 18K. (Don't even think about used a vent-free propane heater... lots of arguments against them can be found in other topics here.)
It's a part time cabin. When we arrive in cold weather we use both the propane and the wood burner to get maximum heat and to warm up more quickly than either on its own would do.
Then depending on the weather we use one or the other. When it is colder the wood burner gets used. When all we need is a small morning jump to feel comfortable we use the propane. We also leave the propane set and ready to go if the inside temp drops low enough over night and we haven't left the wood burner with fuel to carry over.
In a small well insulated cabin I don't find the amount of propane used to be an issue. But that's me.
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Martian
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# Posted: 9 Mar 2012 04:37pm - Edited by: Martian
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I have both. The small propane heater is here for when I'm not, but the wood stove is my main heat source.
While propane is expensive, over $2/gal here, wood is not free. Some of the cost of wood are: chainsaw and maintenance, bar oil, fuel, vehicle fuel to get the wood, and a trailer if you drive a Jeep like I do. And there is the 'work' factor, but I think of that as saving me money on a gym membership. One of the advantages of a small space is that my stove is small; so I handle shorter (11") logs which saves a lot of work. Short logs are easy to split by hand; therefore I didn't have to buy a splitter. I love tending the fire, too.
The propane heater cost as much as the chain saw, but not as much as the wood stove. It is convenient, but not as efficient or as warm. When I get too old to cut wood, the propane heater will keep me warm while I die of starvation since I'll go broke buying propane.
There is the 'mess' that comes in with the wood, but its not much worse than the mess the dogs bring in and provides almost as much comfort as they do. I plan on using wood for as long as I'm able.
If you're thinking long term, plan for both.
Tom
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ChristianOlsen
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# Posted: 31 May 2012 07:05am
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I bought one of these from ChimneyHeaters.com . I installed and it works fine. Heats my 2000 square foot house. I have the pump connected to a UPS but I am not sure how long the pump will run if the electric goes out. I had it installed all winter and did not have to turn on my Electric heat once which saved me about 200 euro a month here in Romania.
The Electric is not stable here so I had to rush to take out the fire a couple of times because the water pump had stopped and the pressure valves were going off. The UPS will solve that but I don't know how long a UPS will keep my central pump going. I will attach a pic of what chimney heaters are in case you are not familiar with them. The pump is a Grundfos and has three speeds.
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aktundra
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# Posted: 31 May 2012 06:06pm - Edited by: aktundra
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I prefer wood. Although it takes work for wood, it is an abundant source where I am and not subject to price inflation (propane is $4/gal here!). I can cut my own wood and not worry about high heating costs. Whereas propane -- how much will it cost if 5/10/20 years?
For a part time cabin or full time? I heat my house with wood (backup with oil furnace) and my cabin.
I find splitting wood very relaxing and a good time to think! I think the best idea is two heat sources whatever you choose. Also consider using the cabin at an older age and the work of a woodstove. My river neighbor is 78 and heats with woodstove and a backup oil drip stove. His solution to wood splitting was a woodsplitter.
AKTUNDRA
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 1 Jun 2012 12:10am
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How about a pellet stove. Have fire, no splitting etc. I have a wood stove and wouldnt trade it for anything.
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TomChum
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# Posted: 1 Jun 2012 12:32pm - Edited by: TomChum
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Same here. I enjoy the ritual of gathering, cutting, splitting, starting, tending, watching a real fire. Wondering "how well is --->this wood<--- gonna burn?" and then finding out.
I use a "Buddy" propane heater in addition to the woodstove to help warm up the cabin, then put it away after cabin is up to temp. (Log cabin, takes about a whole day to get the logs warm)
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 1 Jun 2012 07:13pm
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use wood and enjoy harvesting your own firewood!!!!!.....
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