Wood Burning Stove - is it worth having

[Egon]

If there is a hot air heating system one can always keep the circulating fans on when the wood stove is being used.

 

[Ken45101]

If there is a hot air heating system one can always keep the circulating fans on when the wood stove is being used.

I have found that very INefficient. Yes, it levels out the temps throughout the house, bringing them all down to a common temp. But it does warm the basement....

Ken

 

[MotorSeven]

We love our wood stove. It is all we heat with. Dead of Winter? No problem. Power outages? No problem. Thinning all the dead trees on the property? No problem. No heating bills, just some gas in the chainsaw and splitter.
Burning wood for heat means some work, but I either have to work to build the wood pile, or work to pay a heating bill. I'd rather be outside working on the wood pile than at the job.

That's a perfect summation for me too:thumbsup:

I have a iron stove Buck copy in my shop, and a '86 Hearthstone H1 to heat my house...it put's out 100,000 btu's an hr when cranked up. With 70+ ac of mixed hardwoods I would not have it any other way.

 

[clemsonfor]

" And what other people call work, I very often call exercise."-EE Bota

Those who disdain the chopping and cutting and splitting often are found on a treadmill at the local exercise center- and paying good money for the "privilege".

As for the "Wood Police", a well designed and properly operated wood stove does NOT smoke.

They still do at start up, and loading. You would have to start fire in the night as even my Cat stove has 45 mins or so of good well seen smoke at the start untill i can engage the Cats. Then when you load it up it will smoke unless you load it before its down to coals and the cats are still wide open. Meaning you have a radging fire going and you open the door throw wood in and then reengauge the cats.

 

[Sutol]

Mines on now heating free hot water for my tea

 

[ultrarunner]

As for the "Wood Police", a well designed and properly operated wood stove does NOT smoke.

Exactly... unfortunately even those with the latest EPA certified stoves will be ticketed because the inspectors are not allowed to differentiate...

The Federal Government gave my neighbor a tax credit when he installed his cat equipped stove with a building permit... it is still illegal for him to use it on cold winter nights.

Last year... he fired it up for Christmas Eve and told his neighbors he was going to do so... law or not...

Guess being 80 years old he figures his days are numbered anyway.

 

[mattridessleds]

For the guys who are commenting on the "wood burning police". I must not be grasping this, so your saying that they will actually hunt you guys down for heating with wood. Not gonna lie I haven't read through all the posts about it just glanced but this seems ridiculous to me. Who is the person that actually hunts you guys down. Do you guys live in a urban area or whats the deal?

 

[Sutol]

As the burning of wood only puts back into the atmosphere the same amount of carbon as it took out when it was growing, I cant see the problem.

No problems this side of the pond as yet but more and more people in UK are fitting wood burners as the price of fuel is through the roof, Kerosene is two thirds the price of road diesel and rises every time the price of diesel and petrol go up which is every couple of weeks at the moment. Diesel at ｣1.40p per litre which is almost seven british pounds a gallon

Gas and electricity gone up 20% as well so its old pallets in the wood burner for me from now till next March

 

[Dozernut]

One thing that I believe that has not been commented on, is check with your insurance provider. If you install a wood stove and have a fire you might not be covered by your insurance.

I heated with wood for several years then I switched to a pellet stove. My insurance company had to do an inspection before I could fire them up, on both the wood and pellet stove. I have changed insurance a few times and had to go through the process with each one.

Some insurance companies will not insure a home heated with an interior wood stoves, heck, I had one insurance company refuse to carry me simply because I have a log home. Save your self some trouble and check with your agent.

 

[lockhaven]

the inspections must be a regional thing, when I applied for insurance I was asked about hearths which cover both stoves and fireplaces I just told them what I had and got the price for coverage. I have switched a few times and have never had to have an inspection. Perhaps I am just lucky.