A wood stove is used as a space heater, which means it is intended to heat a space directly, unlike a central heating furnace, which supplies its heat to the house through a system of ducts. However, because modern houses conserve energy more effectively than older houses and need less heat to stay warm, it is now possible to heat an average-size modern home with a single space heater, provided it is located in the main living area.

 

If you want to heat most or all of your house with a wood stove, two considerations are important. First, the heater should be located in the area where the family spends most of its time. And second, there should be ways for the heat to flow to other parts of the house. These conditions are not usually difficult to meet, but they do need to be planned.

 

Choosing the right location for the stove may be the most important decision you must make. The heater should be located in the part of the house you want to be the warmest. This is usually the main floor area where kitchen, living room, and dining room are located and where families normally spend most of their time. By locating the space heater in this area, you will be warm and comfortable while you eat meals and relax.

 

For heat upstairs, don't put the stove in the basement. A basement is not a good location for effective space heating. Although the heated air from the stove does tend to rise to higher levels of the house, this movement is normally too slow and limited to provide comfort on the upper floor. Usually, in an effort to keep the main floor living spaces comfortably warm, the basement is overheated. This wastes fuel and the frequent high firing can damage the stove. Unfinished basements are particularly bad locations because too much of the heat is absorbed by the walls and lost to the outside. Also, wood stoves operating in basements may over-fire or smolder without anyone noticing. The basement is only a good location for a space heater if your family spends much of its time in a basement family or recreation room.