[Targo]

It's just me but I'd move to Death Valley before I had a house that depended on wood.

I lived in a couple houses where wood was the main source of heat. Great ambiance but a PITA. If you don't mind all the work and mess you can save some money if [IF] you get cheap wood. If you're buying dry/split don't count of low price as more and more people go with wood, the price is rising.

For back up [the radiant needs power] we have a vent-less gas wood stove from VT castings. It looks and works just like a wood stove, has no vent but burns propane either on a thermostat or on/off switch.

We use it in the spring/fall when the floors not "on" or if the power goes out.

If you go radiant tile the floor with the most dense tiles you can find. Thermal mass is your friend with radiant floor heat.


I ran the floor bay pipes to save a few bucks but Ryans in Vergennes designed the plumbing set up. Nother important thing about radiant is to have a good 'air-lock' entry, you don't want the t-stat kicking on every time you open the door in the winter.

[GregW]

If you plan on a wood stove I suggest getting on that burns coal as well. A good coal fire can be banked overnight and be producing a lot of heat in the morning by just opening the dampers and adding a scoop of coal. BTDT- I grew up and learned to cook on a combined wood/coal/propane kitchen stove.

[flu189]

Originally Posted by GregW

If you plan on a wood stove I suggest getting on that burns coal as well. A good coal fire can be banked overnight and be producing a lot of heat in the morning by just opening the dampers and adding a scoop of coal. BTDT- I grew up and learned to cook on a combined wood/coal/propane kitchen stove.

A great idea, coal is often overlooked, but very efficient and I assume pound for pound delievers more value. When my folks over 40 years ago bought a two family house in Queens of all places the cellar still had a coal bin with some left. The old coal fired steam furnace was still there as well even after the heating system had been converted to oil which to this day I remember being delievered by Stanley Fuel Oil for .27 p/gal. Musing on this shows how much things have changed in 40 years when a stamp was .06, a subway/bus token .20, the NY Daily News .08 a copy (odd price), an upper level ticket at Shea 1.20 and you could actually by a decent home for 25,000 with a single paycheck earning household.

[Catamount]

This is the first year I have used coal, and I like it.

I burn wood, primarily, because I am giving money to a Vermonter,
not an oil company.

It is a pita, but, I love a warm house, warm floors,
and I have a big old farmhouse, which seems to
heat better with wood.

Also, wood is not a fossil fuel.
I know, coal is, but, it's American.

[flu189]

Yup, coal is a good energy source which we as a nation have an ample supply of, but the GW gang will fight it's use to the bitter end irregardless on the improvement potential of technologies to clean up its emissions. The other good thing about coal is that the rail infrastructure can easily and cheaply move it to different regions and it's also easier to store and stockpile than oil in terms of cost.

[GregW]

I was suggesting anthracite coal as a supplemental household fuel. I have lived in upstate NY in a house not very well heated with a coal furnace. Running that thing was a real PIA.

In any case the first step in reducing heating costs is to insulate ALL the places that can be insulated. Next is to take the time to use curtains to save heat. Close them at night and open the sun facing curtains during the day. This supplies about 70% of the heat in my condo. I heat with electricity and buy about $250 worth of electricity per month in the winter.

I describe how a shallow ground based heat pump system works in a post on the HOUSE forum. These are probably the most efficient way to provide both heat and cool a building. I have suggested for new houses the owner build a solar house but leave off the collectors and use the money for a ground based heat pump.

[jvolzer]

Lola, have you considered alternative energy sources? All depends on your budget, etc., but I've heard great things about geothermal heating. It's much easier to do when building a new home than retro-fitting, and if you are drilling a well, then you are in a good position to do it and it should pay for itself beore too long. Without getting into the technology too much, it basically draws heated water from the ground to heat the home in winter and returns heat to the ground in summer. By using the earth's constant temp instead of the air's fluctuating temp, it is much more efficient and no carbon emissions.

Check out the Energy Star page: Geothermal Heat Pumps : ENERGY STAR

jv

[GregW]

Modern Geothermal is also know as Ground based heat pump.

[marcav]

I'm also in the designing stage for remodeling my barn and I keep hearing good things about geothermal on this forum, but when I ask my designer (and believe me, he is very green) he tells me that the costs are still not reasonable enough to recoup savings (he wants to go solar). I have also heard this from a neighbor who works for Efficiency Vermont. I already have a drilled well on my property; would this make a difference? Thoughts?

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by marcav

I already have a drilled well on my property; would this make a difference? Thoughts?

We were told that having a good well definitely makes a difference because you need a well for geothermal. So that's one cost reduction for installing geothermal right there.