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utherjorge
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# Posted: 12 Jan 2026 02:40pm
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Good afternoon! Great progress has been made with my 12x16 cabin build, as I stage materials for building shenanigans as the weather improves.
I'd like to share my HVAC ideas/plans so I can be told I'm a buffoon if I'm way off base. I continue to appreciate all of the great help I've been given. Also, while I have reliable electric at my spot, I also want to be able to be comfy when electric ain't so good.
1. Diesel heater: I have one already that seems to work fine, and I have a pop-up on the property, so simply running a duct off of the 5kw seems like a decent way to handle heat.
2. Some sort of cooling with heat pump: I haven't settled on a mini-split or through-wall unit, but definitely do not want a window unit. Obvs won't work without electricity, but I assume about any 6k BTU unit would handle the small space fine.
3. Small pellet stove. On the fence with electric or gravity fed, but as the diesel unit might cover the pop-up, having such a set up is in my thinking as well.
Not interested in a straight-up wood stove as the small interior means a small stove that would need re-stocked often.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this, folks.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 12 Jan 2026 03:04pm
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A wood stove takes up a LOT of footprint in a small space! The stove itself not so much but the safety clearances and a class A stack clearances add up quick.
If you have good cross ventilation and ceiling/roof insulation to avoid heat stacking inside, and a fan, you may not need 'ac'. That's what we found out, anyway, ymmv.
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travellerw
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# Posted: 12 Jan 2026 03:21pm
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I can maybe comment on the heat pump. We have a 16X28 with a loft.
3 years ago we installed a 12K BTU mini split. It keeps the building cool in the summer and would freeze you out if you put it on the highest setting. We have only used it for heat a few times since we have a wood stove, but it worked fine even down to -20C (0f). As we are fully off-grid I was worried about power draw, but it hasn't been an issue. It draws between 800-1200W in cool mode depending on the state of the building.
I will say that our cabin is VERY well insulated though. It has new modern windows, 2X6 walls with batt and is super well sealed. This definitely affects how easily the heat pump cools it.
I thought about a pellet stove, but was also worried about power. After seeing the cost of pellets, that also changed my mine (I have 160 acres of bush to cut wood from for free).
Good luck, I don't see anything crazy in your plans! The diesel heater is interesting. Up here, they are pretty expensive to run (diesel isn't cheap here). However, if you are only at the cabin occasionally its probably not a big deal (and pretty convenient).
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philpom
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# Posted: 12 Jan 2026 03:37pm
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Seems like a pretty solid plan, I think 6000 btu should work well for you, I use a single 6000 btu window shaker to cool the first floor of our 16x24, another for upstairs. One day I'll upgrade to a dual zone mini-split. We can see Temps in the mid 90s in the summer.
Are you talking about running a duct from a popup camper over to the cabin? Not exactly following that piece of your plan. I'd like to have dedicated heat for flexibility.
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Fanman
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# Posted: 12 Jan 2026 07:01pm
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Our cabin has only a wood stove and a coal stove for heat, but we're only there a few days at a time in the winter. No A/C, under the trees on the mountainside we really don't need it; fans suffice.
Our house is heated solely by three direct vent propane heaters and I love them... silent, efficient, and require no electricity. The one in the living room is a "fireplace" with fake logs and all, the other two in the bedrooms are compact wall mount units.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 12 Jan 2026 07:22pm
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What brand(s) are those FM?
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