Thanks for the info - What did you end up buying?

I'm just starting to read up on this subject to add a more efficient heating source to my house over oil. I have a pre-fab metal fireplace and want to add an insert. Right now my thoughts are pellet or wood? I ruled out the LP gas firelogs.

I'm not sure I want to invest a lot of money and get locked into a fuel source that has to be manufactured and price depends on supply & demand...I already use one of those in my oil burner...

I can get cord wood locally and have tons of trees on my property that need to get cut also.

I'm going to visit a few local dealers in SE CT/RI to get the opinions on wood vs. pellet etc...

Thanks.

If one has "excess" wood on their property and they are willing to put in the sweat labor, maybe in stead of going to the gym, another savings it seems to me, then wood by all means. Wood takes more hands on management, but some of us find that work enjoyable.

I've see on another forum a lot of talk about problems finding a supply of pellets, that's a major concern in my mind.

Rich, if you have a prefab fireplace, you may not be able to use an insert. My understanding is that codes don't allow it because the prefabs are not designed to take an insert. You might be able to install a free-standing stove into the chimney, though. The dealers and your local building permit agency can fill you in.

Dayle Ann

Dayle Ann,
Very happy for you. A house is not a house without a wood stove especially when you live where you live or where I live (in Nova Scotia). We have a Pacific Energy and we love it. Enjoy on those cold and damp days!

Anic

Dayleann,

Yes you can put an insert into a prefab fireplace. These fireplaces are called "Zero clearance" fireplaces and many inserts are indeed certified for these installations. I put an Avalon insert into a Heatolator prefab fireplace in the early 90s. And although I sold the house in 2002 the new owner still uses it with no problems.

We're having a Pacific Energy zero clearance wood-burning insert (Vista model) installed into our existing Heatolator fireplace on September 5. As long as it's properly prepped and installed and the existing structure is sound, there should be no problems.

I too live in New England and enjoy my woodstove. I have a Regency F100 unit and it heats my 1200 sq ft ranch very nicely. Especially when the nighttime temps often go to minus 25. Wood dealers are local businessmen who won't screw their customers. They want the business again next year. And often on a snowy winter evening we'll turn off the TV and just watch the fire. The wood fire can be damped down to a lazy soft flame. Not the busy fire I always see in a pellet stove. And to be honest, sometimes the fire is more entertaining than what's on TV today! ("Number 3, with the silicone chest. Open the case")

We built a garage last summer that required the elimination of several rather large hardwoods (big maple and several smaller red oaks). We had it cut into to 16" rounds and picked away at the pile last fall/winter. We did OK, but we weren't really serious about dealing with the bounty as we were otherwise occupied with DIY finish work inside the garage.

We were on vacation last week and we spent 5-6 mornings in the company of our splitter to get the rounds split and stacked before it rotted on the ground. It wasn't unpleasant work at all. We managed to get nearly 4 cord put up for the '09/'10 heating season and beyond (we have seasoned wood put up for the coming season). We have a few more small piles of rounds to address in the coming weeks, but it's pretty much under control. And we had a good time doing it, laughing and joking as we stacked and finding an easy rhythm for the teamwork of splitting.

OK, I'll get to the point. We have just under 3 acres that were wooded when we built our home in '91. Our "first major appliance" was our Woodstock Soapstone stove. In the years hence we've never purchased wood. We've simply used what was taken down for the house, garage, or landscaping projects. And we've had plenty for our needs. We set the thermostats at the lowest setting and use wood to keep the house as cozy as we want or to simply "take the chill off" when it's raw outside. We have a splitter and honestly, the hardest part of the operation is just DECIDING that we're going to deal with wood. Once we make the decision the work is pretty easy and the feeling of accomplishment is terrific.

I live in New England, too. And there have been a number of stories of pellet manufacturers being stretched beyond capacity by the volume of orders. I'm all for eliminating the middleman whenever possible.