Kip, how tall are your ceilings? My shop peaks out at about 20 feet. I installed the heat pump return air intake at that peak and have been able to pull the hot air and recirculate it across the ground level.
I can put in a total of two 5 gallon containers worth of wood (throughout the day) for about 12 hours of burn time in the stove and the shop is kept at 65 degrees all day. Any warmer than that, then it seems too hot.
When I arrive in the morning, its dropped to 59 degrees where the heat pump is set at. Within 30 minutes or less after throwing a few logs in the stove, its back to 65.
So far this winter, the electricity bills have been from $20 to $26 per month. That includes using the lights, welder, compressor, tools, and heat pump.
Last winter, it was $140 and up per month (heat pump only) and the winter before was $250 and up (oil furnace).
We just got the approval to install more insulation on one wall and put in a fresh air intake for the wood stove. Yesterday, I walked around and could feel the cold air being pulled in from around the doors and the uninsulated and unsealed windows. So installing insulation and sealing up the cracks and leaks will help even more in lowering heating and cooling expenses.
I do have one important suggestion. Season the wood before you burn it. That alone has helped me to get a really clean and long lasting burn. Plus the wood is not so heavy when carrying a load to the stove!
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