Wood stove for house heating?

[MyAlberta]

Loved central gravity wood burner in BC. Moving back to Alberta I plugged every wood fireplace with a gas insert. What made it so nice in BC was not just the warmth, but that dehumidifying power that took the deep chill away. In Alberta, that same action can be punishing. Biggest problem with a local wood heater is combustion air requirements will add a chill to the space. Best scenario is your heater/boiler located in an adjacent cold room (for ample combustion air), piped to a heat exchanger within the local air handler.

[YYC338]

Originally Posted by MyAlberta

Loved central gravity wood burner in BC. Moving back to Alberta I plugged every wood fireplace with a gas insert. What made it so nice in BC was not just the warmth, but that dehumidifying power that took the deep chill away. In Alberta, that same action can be punishing. Biggest problem with a local wood heater is combustion air requirements will add a chill to the space. Best scenario is your heater/boiler located in an adjacent cold room (for ample combustion air), piped to a heat exchanger within the local air handler.

Or a direct outside combustion air duct plumbed directly to the stove. Not sure if it's as easy to do on a wood fireplace though. No drafts from having to pull air into the stove from the room or adjacent rooms, no need to leave a window open anywhere. Much lower risk of CO poisoning from reversing exhaust in home hot water tank or furnace chimney.