| Author | Message | ||
     Brian Friend (Brianfriend) Senior Member Username: Brianfriend Post Number: 1167 Registered: 09-2002 |
I have been curious lately if anyone still uses a wood fireplace or stove to heat their house or if it is just really impracticle? | ||
| Reed Cotton (Reedcotton) Senior Member Username: Reedcotton Post Number: 280 Registered: 01-2003 |
Since the previous owners of my house, burned pine, and other high-pitch woods in the fireplace, it is so badly coked up that I can't build a fire in it. I had to have a propane insert put in. but many of the people in my community still heat their homes with wood burning stoves ( usually iron fireplace inserts that work like Franklin stoves.) The community is high in the mountains, and wood is very abundant. For the most part I would guess it is about 50/50 between wood and propane up here. Electricity is way too expensive here in California :-) -Reed | ||
| Matthew A. Barnes (Discoveryxd) Member Username: Discoveryxd Post Number: 184 Registered: 08-2003 |
We have a really big cast iron stove in our living room. My parents are extremely happy that we have it too. It keeps our house warm all night long if you put hard long burning wood in there. The top is big and flat, so when the power went out we cleaned the top and cooked off it. We have a pellet stove, but you can't use that when the power's out. | ||
| Bill Bettridge (Billb) Dweb Lounge Member Username: Billb Post Number: 1278 Registered: 02-2002 |
We heat lower level of the house with wood. Have an old fisher stove - not terribly efficient, but very functional. Also have two other wood stoves in the house, but used very little, The main stove usually burns about 12-16 hours/day. Last winter I burned 4 cords and ran out - this year put in 6-1/2 (hope it lasts). Depends on what you mean by practical.....if you have access to lots of wood (I cut from 7 acre lot next door), if you like to skid wood, cut wood, split wood, stack wood, then move it again to the stove, well then you're fine  If you don't like that much trouble, then not. Sometimes it gets to me too, pellet stoves are looking good (except as noted above, they're no good without power which is common for me). Of course you can also buy wood - but that takes away some of the financial benefit - though still cheap in the long run IMO. Around here wood is about $155-175/cord. Bill | ||
| Dean Brown (Deanbrown3d) Senior Member Username: Deanbrown3d Post Number: 1120 Registered: 02-2002 |
I wish I could burn my freakin junk mail | ||
| Garth Petch (Garth) New Member Username: Garth Post Number: 24 Registered: 02-2003 |
I live in the hills in southernmost city in mainland Australia...a bloody cold day is when it reaches a maximum of about 45F, so I'm not talking about extreme cold. Then again, most Australian houses are designed for cooling, not heating. We have 2 fires in the house which we use on weekends for heating...we find that doing so saves out 30%-50% on our heating bills over winter (we both work, so use natural gas heating during the week). We're lucky in that we live on an bush block I don't have to buy wood. Wood fires are notoriously inefficient though, so if you are looking for one get the most efficient you can. The fire in our family room is a semi slow combustion, with an exposed flue and backing against a brick wall to act as a heat bank. In our lounge we have an open fire which is a metal fire box surrounded by a cavity which allows air to be heated and blown back into the room by convection. That is highly efficient (for an open fire). Both fires will comfortably heat 2500 sq ft (if I've done the conversion from metric correctly) Chainsawing, splitting and stacking wood is also good exercise (cutting out gym fees) and keeps you warm during the day anyway Garth | ||
| Brian Friend (Brianfriend) Senior Member Username: Brianfriend Post Number: 1168 Registered: 09-2002 |
Good info guys. I just moved into a house built in 71 that runs a boiler and baseboard heat and I don't think there was much emphasis put into energy conservation. The first 4 days in the house yeilded a $47.00 gas bill. On tat pace we would be over 300. per month just in heating costs. Seems just a bit too much for me. In doing some shoping around I can buy a cord of wood for about $170. but not knowing much about fires for heating I don't really know how long a cord will last. We are experimenting now. I have always enjoyed stacking and cutting wood, so maybe with the purchase of a log splitter and a trailer I could drop my cord cost significantly, especially if I co-ordinat wood cutting with wheeling. | ||
| Clif Ashley (Cta586) Senior Member Username: Cta586 Post Number: 442 Registered: 04-2002 |
Mount a log spliter on your bumper, like some tree trimming rigs and wheel with a sankey trailer... $$$ | ||
| Peter Carey (Peterca) New Member Username: Peterca Post Number: 9 Registered: 10-2003 |
I've used a wood stove to heat 1800sq' really well. Living in moderate Seattle weather I'd go though about 3-4 cords between when we burn October to March/April. Our stove is nestled into a large brick hearth that has a lot of brick to absorb the heat, so it stays warmer overnight as compared to the forced air Propane. It's actually nice having propane in the house but mainly using the stove. When the power goes out, we still have hotwater for showers and dishes and the house is plenty warm without worry. Only worry is the fridge, but in a pinch hooking the Engel into the car can keep a few things from spoiling. I don't have time to split the wood so we usually get some delivered and $170 is about normal for a cord. Compared to propane in our house, it is a slight bit cheaper or maybe about the same cost. the biggest benefit I like is not having the sound of the forced air intake humming in the background. pwc | ||
| Will Cupp (W_cupp) Member Username: W_cupp Post Number: 201 Registered: 07-2003 |
"I can buy a cord of wood for about $170" SHI*, $170.00 for a cord? Here in VA a cord delivered and stacked would run you $85.00. Just dumped in you year cost about 70.00 and if you come get it 60.00. Thats for seasoned hard wood. I have had a wood stove, fire place, gas heat, oil heat, and electric base board heat in the places I have lived. Even though wod heat is dry heat, and a little messy I like it the best. I have gas heat in my new house, but I will be adding a wood stove next summer to the basement. Fire places are nice too. Just a little more messy and you have to really watch them (sparkes jumping out and all). At least where I live wood stove are very common. Load them up about every 4 hours with 3-4 sticks of wood and they will heat your whole house. | ||
| michael a. kerr (Ethanrover98) New Member Username: Ethanrover98 Post Number: 8 Registered: 11-2003 |
Brian, My wife and I have been burning apprx. 4 cords a year to heat our home (2 fireplaces and 2 woodstoves). We have access to unlimited free wood (we cut and split it ourselves) and we love doing it. It is definetly a labor of love. We are looking at an outside furnace that will heat the hot water as well as the house and will be able to run the kiln that I want to install as well!! Great exercise and it feels good to be somewhat self sufficient...... | ||
| Rupert J (Tehamarx) Member Username: Tehamarx Post Number: 88 Registered: 11-2002 |
The newer wood stoves are really efficient, same with the newer fireplace inserts as compared to 10-15 yrs ago. Using seasoned hard woods (eg. dry oak) is the answer to avoiding massive tar, coke buildup. If you can climb up your roof safely and remove the chimney cap, buy a chimney sweep brush (looks like a giant metal bottle brush) to clean the chimney flue. I do it once a year before winter starts to prevent possible flue fire. If I can only get Mary Poppins to do the dirty work....! | ||
| Tim (Snowman) Senior Member Username: Snowman Post Number: 600 Registered: 12-2002 |
I use wood and propane. Wood is messy and needs more attention than most systems however the feeling of wood heat cannot be beat IMHO. A cord of hardwood cut and delivered in my area is now about $135.00. I am also considering adding a pellet stove and getting rid of the propane altogether. Pellet stoves can be run with an electrical back-up battery when your main current is out. I will need this because my electrial service goes out quite often in the winter. |
