*CENSOREDUNPRINTABLE* furnace!!!!

[K Frame]

If I had natural gas heating, instead of a heat pump, I wouldn't even be considering another form of heat.

You'd be MUCH better off to go with a small gas stove or other kind of heater, either vented or vent free, in the 8-10K BTU range than to try to put a pellet stove. You could go something like this:

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200664970_200664970?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Heaters,%20Stoves%20%2B%20Fireplaces%20%3E%20Dual-Fuel:%20Gas%20%2B%20Propane%20Heaters&utm_campaign=Pleasant%20Hearth%20Warming&utm_content=52646&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7dHSBRDEARIsAJhAHwj3qJWXzTTZhT7aGjXk1_AxaF27yncxrQoeCiFTXCkAmVPxrQ8KrFcaAvG1EALw_wcB

Far cheaper than a pellet stove.

[lupinus]

Growing up in the 90's in NJ a house I lived in we had NG but also a wood/coal stove that we used A LOT.

I hated the damn thing. Mainly because I had to lug buckets of coal from the basement to the stove. Other than that it was pretty nice though...

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[K Frame]

"I hated the damn thing. Mainly because I had to lug buckets of coal from the basement to the stove. Other than that it was pretty nice though..." 

You had it easy!

When I was growing up I spent a lot of time with a good friend mine. They lived in an old stone house built around 1815. It was three levels. They had TWO coal stoves, one on the ground floor, and one the second, and we had to lug 5 gallon buckets of coal to the house from the coal bin back beside the barn, a good 100 yards away.

One year either they couldn't get anthracite, or decided to go cheap, and bought a couple of tons of soft coal. To this day the Dad admits that it was one of the worst things he ever did. Didn't give off nearly as much heat, was FAR dirtier, and stank like mad.

I'm not sure, but I think they simply switched over to wood for the bulk of that year.

[charby]

If I had natural gas heating, instead of a heat pump, I wouldn't even be considering another form of heat.

You'd be MUCH better off to go with a small gas stove or other kind of heater, either vented or vent free, in the 8-10K BTU range than to try to put a pellet stove. You could go something like this:

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200664970_200664970?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Heaters,%20Stoves%20%2B%20Fireplaces%20%3E%20Dual-Fuel:%20Gas%20%2B%20Propane%20Heaters&utm_campaign=Pleasant%20Hearth%20Warming&utm_content=52646&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7dHSBRDEARIsAJhAHwj3qJWXzTTZhT7aGjXk1_AxaF27yncxrQoeCiFTXCkAmVPxrQ8KrFcaAvG1EALw_wcB

Far cheaper than a pellet stove.

I don't have a big enough service to add anything other than a gas fireplace to what I have. I have a NG Furnace, Water heater and Clothes Drier. I am adding a gas range when I get to remodeling the kitchen. Plus I would have to run a crazy amount of black iron to reach the rec room and especially the 3 season porch. Gas meter is in the SW corner of the house, 3 season room is in the NE corner. My house footprint is 75' long and 28' wide.  

[Scout26]

I can't recommend enough to get an insert or stove.  Wood or pellet doesn't matter, get what works for you.   The difference in type of heat and potential cost savings make the investment very worth while.

I'm surprised Rev hasn't chimed in here.  I know he has pellet furnace and was fairly happy with it.  

[Jim147]

Don't mess with the black pope to plumb it go with CSST. Wish I would have been using it a few years ago when I switched a bunch of houses in town over to NG.

[mtnbkr]

CSST?

I've been toying with the idea of putting an NG fireplace or heater on my 1st floor (above ground, on slab).  That floor is not true living space, mainly garage, foyer, and an unfinished area we refer to as "the basement" (laundry, storage, and my shop).  The thermostat is on the 2nd floor, so this 1st floor area gets cold in the winter.  We use the kerosene heater to warm it when we feel the need, but since we have NG service to the house (heat, water, and cooking), it seems running a line to the foyer for one of those wall-mount heaters would work well.  Maybe even put one in the foyer and one in the "basement" for spot heating as needed.

Chris

[Nick1911]

I just don't charge enough.

Yeaaaa... We both have that problem.

CSST?

Corrugated stainless steel tubing.  It is to gas pipe what PEX is to water pipe.   Flexible, easier to install.

[K Frame]

"Don't mess with the black pope"

It's NEVER a good idea to mess with the black pope. He'll excommunicate your sorry ass in a heart beat.

Oddly enough, I was watching This Old House last night where they were talking about extending the natural gas service on a home remodel. They were using the black iron pipe, but were showing a new way of making the connections.

The old way was to thread the pipe on a power threader, then make your connections. Time consuming, and the power threader is a substantial investment.

There are new fittings out that use a power compression tool to press the fitting onto the iron pipe. The fittings are gasketed to prevent leakage. The only thing you have to do is measure and cut the run pipe, and that can be done with a hacksaw. A huge savings in time, and the tools you need are far less expensive.

[charby]

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200664970_200664970?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Heaters,%20Stoves%20%2B%20Fireplaces%20%3E%20Dual-Fuel:%20Gas%20%2B%20Propane%20Heaters&utm_campaign=Pleasant%20Hearth%20Warming&utm_content=52646&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7dHSBRDEARIsAJhAHwj3qJWXzTTZhT7aGjXk1_AxaF27yncxrQoeCiFTXCkAmVPxrQ8KrFcaAvG1EALw_wcB

Far cheaper than a pellet stove.

I like the stove, but running gas to it would be a bear. I briefly thought about propane but the 100# minimum size might be hard to hide in my yard. I can buy propane less than a 1/4 mile from my house, but still trying to hide a 100# tank.

[Scout26]

I like the stove, but running gas to it would be a bear. I briefly thought about propane but the 100# minimum size might be hard to hide in my yard. I can buy propane less than a 1/4 mile from my house, but still trying to hide a 100# tank.

Put the tank in the basement or on the porch !!!!

[charby]

Put the tank in the basement or on the porch !!!!

Basement bad, LP is heavier than air. Leaks don't end well.

3 season porch is on a slab,  shares the long wall with a 2 car garage and a short wall with the living room. I have 4' between the north window wall and the neighbor's fence, just enough room for the riding mower. East window wall faces my lake.

[K Frame]

Put the tank in the basement or on the porch !!!!

If you put it on the porch you can snuggle it right up beside the stove. The heat from the stove will help keep pressure up on those cold Iowa days...

[K Frame]

Oh, and don't hide the tank... decorate it!

[Larry Ashcraft]

I like the stove, but running gas to it would be a bear. I briefly thought about propane but the 100# minimum size might be hard to hide in my yard. I can buy propane less than a 1/4 mile from my house, but still trying to hide a 100# tank.

If you are paying for propane by the pound, you are paying way too much.  A 20# tank will hold 4.7 gallons and costs (around here) about $22.  By the gallon, it's about $10.  We have a 500 gallon tank at the new house, which holds 375 gallons (they'll only fill it to 75%)  Propane over the last two years has been between $2.15 to $2.50 per gallon.  Our tank rental is $50 per year.

On the wood stove, we bought a Vermont Castings Encore in 1994, when we bought the old house, and used about three cords a year for 23 years.  We just refurbished and repainted it a couple months ago and installed it in the new house.  It's amazing how that little stove heats this 4800 sq ft house!  We use wood, but we have 40 acres of river bottom, so the wood is essentially free.  The Encore sells now for about $3,500 and is catalytic, so it's over 80% efficient and gives off very little smoke.  I think the stove is a little cheaper the farther east you go (we're in Colorado).

[K Frame]

Vermont Castings was sold a number of years ago and the new owner instituted a series of "improvements" (cost cutting) measures.

The customer satisfaction and quality reviews, which had always been about the best in the industry, plunged for a number of years....

OK, the company's been sold again, and closed one of its assembly plants, but at least its reputation is recovering.

I've always found their stoves to be particularly attractive.

[charby]

If you are paying for propane by the pound, you are paying way too much.  A 20# tank will hold 4.7 gallons and costs (around here) about $22.  By the gallon, it's about $10.  We have a 500 gallon tank at the new house, which holds 375 gallons (they'll only fill it to 75%)  Propane over the last two years has been between $2.15 to $2.50 per gallon.  Our tank rental is $50 per year.

On the wood stove, we bought a Vermont Castings Encore in 1994, when we bought the old house, and used about three cords a year for 23 years.  We just refurbished and repainted it a couple months ago and installed it in the new house.  It's amazing how that little stove heats this 4800 sq ft house!  We use wood, but we have 40 acres of river bottom, so the wood is essentially free.  The Encore sells now for about $3,500 and is catalytic, so it's over 80% efficient and gives off very little smoke.  I think the stove is a little cheaper the farther east you go (we're in Colorado).

I buy it by the gallon, I have two LP heaters that I use ice fishing, in the deer blind and in the garage as needed. I have 2 20# tanks and a 11# tank. Smaller LP tanks are measured as lbs of propane.

[charby]

Oh, and don't hide the tank... decorate it!

I live in a little more affluent neighborhood than most of town, probably 3rd level down in pecking order in town. First is the FLW area, second is the modern McMansions, then my hood. We don't have any covenants but there is a unspoken word on neatness of the outside. So much that you keep your grill in your backyard shed when not in use. Whomever designed my house and my immediate neighbors was a big fan of Frank Lloyd Wright. Next door neighbor's house a Usonian copy. Mine and my other neighbors has a lot of the lines of prairie style. Plus you can see my backyard from across the lake from the road, I can see someone bitching to city folks about a larger outdoor propane tank.

[K Frame]

"I live in a little more affluent neighborhood than most of town..."

So.... a sombrero and serape, then?

And don't forget the mustache!

[charby]

"I live in a little more affluent neighborhood than most of town..."

So.... a sombrero and serape, then?

And don't forget the mustache!

https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/7a26c4f5-e840-44f6-bf52-add596da9fe9_1.5884cc6de2cd6fe2fe31e33aea19ae59.jpeg?odnHeight=450&odnWidth=450&odnBg=FFFFFF

or bent over fat lady in the garden.

[K Frame]

"Usonian copy"

My Subaru Forester has more storage space than a Usonian house.

[Scout26]

Basement bad, LP is heavier than air. Leaks don't end well.

Sure they would.

[charby]

"Usonian copy"

My Subaru Forester has more storage space than a Usonian house.

So true, especially sans a basement

[Scout26]

Houses in my neighborhood were all built in the mid-late 1950's right at the peak of the Frank Lloyd Wright craze and copying by just about every architect in Chicago.    While they are aesthetically pleasing, they are a maintenance and repair nightmare.   As mechanical engineer friend of mine said, "The nicer they look, the harder they are to build."  So my neighbors that have flat roofs practically live in waterfall when it rains. They've patched, repaired and/or replaced several times in the last decade or so.  They building's useful life is about 60 years, whereas "regular" homes are 150-200.

I'm soooooo glad I just have a "regular" ranch.

[charby]

Houses in my neighborhood were all built in the mid-late 1950's right at the peak of the Frank Lloyd Wright craze and copying by just about every architect in Chicago.    While they are aesthetically pleasing, they are a maintenance and repair nightmare.   As mechanical engineer friend of mine said, "The nicer they look, the harder they are to build."  So my neighbors that have flat roofs practically live in waterfall when it rains. They've patched, repaired and/or replaced several times in the last decade or so.  They building's useful life is about 60 years, whereas "regular" homes are 150-200.

I'm soooooo glad I just have a "regular" ranch.

I have a hip roof, so glad I don't have a flat roof where it snows as much as it does here. The FLW neighborhood here is full of maintenance problems. So glad I didn't buy a house there.