budget buster advice needed/HVAC

[mtquinn]

So, our house that we just bought a year and a half ago has a gas furnace that is about 25 years old. It still runs, but I am sure it is very inefficient. We use it to heat only the lower level (and basement) of our approx 3100 sq ft home. This is our last house and will not move until we are retired (unfortunately that won't happen for another 35 years).

My DH desperately wants a pellet stove. It would pretty much eliminate running the old furnace except when it is super cold to save the pipes, as we spend 98% of our time in the family room where it would be installed.

Question: do we spend $ on a new gas furnace or a pellet stove? Logically, my head tells me to get the furnace but I would love the warmth and feel of a pellet stove as well. And it would be in the back room where we always are, whereas a new furnace is great, but it would then be on much more often heating the entire downstairs.

(p.s. our upstairs is on a new, separate gas furnace)

what should we do? we will definitely buy one of these items within a year to take advantage of tax credits. help!!!!

 

[pl71]

I'd do the furnance. If there's any chance at all that you might want or need to move within the next 10 years, no one will want to buy a house with a 25-35 year old HVAC even if it has a pellet stove. I think your HVAC at 25+ years old is on it's last legs anyway.

 

[mtquinn]

Yes, it probably is on it's last legs. But it does work absolutely fine...for now. Not one problem.

Also, there is no chance we are moving. We just move here a year and a half ago. We are going to be buried in this house! )

 

[DMickey28]

Are you planning on moving at all in the future? If so, I'd do the furnace. We just bought a house with a (GASP) 37 year old furnace that is still kicking. The previous owners have a gas stove in the family room that heats most of the downstairs and we have the upstairs set very low as we like it cold at night. Before they put in the gas stove they had a wood stove then a pellet stove and finally settled on the gas stove ... the others where too messy or too much work for them. We love having it because we barely have to use the furnace.

However, IF we had the money we would be getting a new furnace ASAP. We are praying we make it through the winter with this one and getting a new one in 2010.