On Oct 8, 10:37 am, "Don Phillipson"
wrote:
"SteveB" wrote in message

...



I want to put in a wood burning stove to help heat my single story 1900 sf
house. It has a heat pump now. It is either running inefficiently, or is
undersized. It is 3.5 tons. The ducting, to me, looks like it needs to
be
upsized in strategic areas.

That aside, what are your experiences and suggestions with wood burners?
I
would like an old black and chrome antique. But I know that takes room
air
for combustion. How much more efficient are the new ones that pull in
outside air for combustion?

You need to know about the two different codes:
1 = Fire Safety Code: this information is free from municipal
building licence offices where I live. Most municipalities require
a building licence before a stove is retrofitted.
2 = Environmental Protection Agency efficiency ratings of
stoves on the US market. These measure "efficiency" in
terms of chimney smoke contents (not the efficiency of
fuel in proportion to heat generated.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

And check with your insurance agent. Some companies won't insure for
a wood stove. Mine insisted on inspecting the installation. That was
over years ago and I have heard they are getting even more strict.

Harry K.