Heat source not requiring fuel or electricity. Advice? (acres, house, pole barn)
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We have land in the country with a well but no home when we bought it. We built a large pole barn with an apartment on the top level. It was our first building project ever and we made some mistakes in judgment. The entire place is electric because there are no natural gas lines coming out our way. If I had it to do over again, I would have built a wood fireplace, but, too late now. Anyway, the living/dining area is very small (that was our first mistake) so there is no convenient place to put a woodstove but obviously, priorities dictate that we do something.
We also just put in solar panels, but this is a rainy climate so we don't know how much we can rely upon them for generating electricity.
What is a good WOOD or non fuel stove that could fit into a smallish space? We have LOTS of trees on our 20 acres so I don't think finding wood would be a problem. Are there other things to burn for heat?
Last winter, we got caught in a bad snow storm and it took the electric company a WEEK to restore electricity. After three days with a faulty (and useless) gas generator, no heat, we were forced to admit defeat and had to ride down to the city to a hotel where there was electricity. It was a rude awakening for us to just how helpless we were. We won't be caught like that again.
Check out the pellet stove, I use a free standing one in my home office (12x12ft); you might also be able to get a tax credit. One brand among several:
Check out the pellet stove, I use a free standing one in my home office (12x12ft); you might also be able to get a tax credit. One brand among several:
Any regular wood stove, Quadrafire is good, so are Jotul, Jotul makes some good small stoves.
If you are not in CA or WA, you can order many small cheap woodstoves from Northern Hydraulic.
I personally prefer a good EPA rated non-catalytic stove, but there are arguments for and against every type of wood stove.
A fireplace insert is nice if the house has a fireplace.
What's a non catalytic stove?
In terms of survivalism, wouldn't a woodstove be preferable to a pellet stove, since one would have to find and buy pellets but can always just cut down trees for wood on one's own?
In terms of survivalism, wouldn't a woodstove be preferable to a pellet stove, since one would have to find and buy pellets but can always just cut down trees for wood on one's own?
Catalytic stoves have a catalyst that needs to be replaced now and then, I'd avoid them. They're slightly more efficient but not enough to justify the complexity and added cost and waste, IMHO.
Regular woodstoves would be best for that situation...
Well you have to buy the pellets and with 20 acres of woods why would you want to buy pellets ?
Plus if there's a bad storm and you need heat..the woods are right there while the pellets sit in a store miles away.
Just saying. Plus the pellet stoves require fuel..something you are looking to get away from.
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