Wood stove burning...

[coachgrd]

I just had a wood stove installed in the family room of our home. I am located in northwestern PA. I would not go so far as to say we have Minnesota cold but ours are no walk in the park and they seem to drag on for 13 months a year.

Anyway, my intent in purchasing the stove is to take the chill off in the house while perhaps cutting into the propane consumption. My plan is the burn evenings & weekends throughout the season. I may even fill it up before I leave for work on exceptionally cold days. Any of you with stoves have an idea how many cords of wood I should get ready with a burning pattern such as the one I described?

Thanks in advance...
Gary

 

[ToadHill]

In Catt County we go through 5 full cords, or 15 face cords during the heating season.

 

[vallyfarm]

I live in upstate NY in a 1,000 sq ft house. Put in a small woodstove two years ago, and haven't used the furnace since. I burn 3 to 3 1/2 cords a year. My only problem is keeping the house under 85 degrees! You can burn twice that much if the wood is damp/unseasoned or soft (pine etc.) I burn almost only Cherry from the fence lines. I thought that I was only going to use it on the weekends too, but after you get used to the "real" heat from wood, you'll not want to go back to that old furnace ever again. P.S. I burn oil hot water, and the stove, pipe, and install paid for itself by Jan. of the second heating season. Mike

 

[schmism]

What size stove? who many sq feet will you be heating?

my uncle burns a Vermont Castings DEFIANT (the largest) to heat his entire home. He burns between 5-7 chord.

I run a small stove in my garage and only burn on weekends, and i can burn through a chord if its a busy shop winter.

 

[Thomas]

Morning Gary.
Around 6 cords should do it...better to have little left over,also plan on some scrape wood for fire starter.
Your gonner like that dents heat warming the chil bones.

 

[irwin]

My original plan was to cut down on heating oil expenses. What happened is, the furnace gets turned on very rarely - so instead of, only nights and weekends, I would load the stove before leaving for work, and have plenty of embers to just load it again when I returned 11 hours later. Last year in southern ct we burned 6 cords. Thats 6 cords, heating 1,300 sq ft, home without trying to be frugal.

 

[Red55]

Gary- it really depends on the type and size of the stove you have. I used to have a vermont casting defiant and that stove would devour wood. I upgraded to a stoapstone w cataylic converter (which my neighbors love cause a lot less smoke) and the new stove give twices the heat with half the wood. Three cords should be enough. It is critical for the wood to be season otherwise the moisture takes the heat up the chimmney. I had oak (red& white) that took over two yrs before it would burn right. Please check or/and clean your flue at least once a year. good luck and nothing beats the warmth of a wood stove. ED

 

[jbrumberg]

coachgrd:

Wood heats you many times over . When you cut the tree down, when you haul it, when you cut it up, when you stack it, when you haul it into the house, when you burn it, and when you clean the woodstove and chimney out . I clean my chimney out twice a year, but I burn some questionable wood on occassion (poplar; NO PINE). I heated my house for almost 20 years with wood heat and at one time had 4 operatonal wood stoves. Now I am down to one stove and I might burn 1 cord a year (vs 3+) since we went to central heating. Jay

 

[hazmat]

I have the smallest vermont castings stove (catalytic). I go thru 3 cords in a winter - trying my best to heat 24/7 (I often have to relight when returning from work - 11 hours). When my wife took the year off after my daughter was born, we used 4 cords.

 

[scott_vt]

I just had a wood stove installed in the family room of our home. I am located in northwestern PA. I would not go so far as to say we have Minnesota cold but ours are no walk in the park and they seem to drag on for 13 months a year.

Anyway, my intent in purchasing the stove is to take the chill off in the house while perhaps cutting into the propane consumption. My plan is the burn evenings & weekends throughout the season. I may even fill it up before I leave for work on exceptionally cold days. Any of you with stoves have an idea how many cords of wood I should get ready with a burning pattern such as the one I described?

Thanks in advance...
Gary

Mornin Gary,
I burn propane at my Vt home, but my neighbor with a 3 bdrm ranch and attached 2 car garage with a bdrm above burns 6 to 8 cords per year. At my Ct home were Im at most of the time I burn 4 cords per year and pretty much keep the stove going 24-7. The stove is located in the basement so it keeps my woodshop warm along with my first floor. Hope that helps !