I live in a 1500 sq ft, 1960s vintage ranch home, upgraded insulation & reasonably tight – area is Northeastern PA. Have a relatively new forced hot water oil furnace but with the cost of oil, it’s still prohibitive. I installed a 60,000 btu coal burner in the center of my basement, and have used that exclusively for the past three years. With the addition of a reciprocating fan and registers cut in the floor of each room, it is adequate, but a pain to keep up with, and, of course, I can’t GO anywhere lest the fire go out. I’m thinking about putting some propane units in the basement. My first thought was to use two or three, 30,000 BTU, blue-flame, wall-mount, ventless units, strategically placed, but wonder if this is the best/safest/most efficient approach. Cost is definitely a factor – I need to keep the installation cost under $1k. Something that will operate without electricity is also preferable, since we often lose power during the winter, though I can always supplement with the coal/wood burner. Speaking of which – I do have a double-wall, stainless steel chimney in place for the coal burner, which might or might not be usable for some kind of propane unit. Thanks in advance. Joe
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