If it's cold where you live, what are you heating with and what is it costing?
- Thread starter 5030
- Start date
- Views: 41729
CalG
Super Member
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2011
- Messages
- 5,776
- Location
- vermont
- Tractor
- Hurlimann 435, Fordson E27n, Bolens HT-23, Kubota B7200, Kubota B2601
One of the first years in to this home, (30+ years ago) I bought some firewood from an older couple that were quitting wood burning. I showed up in my 1941 dodge stakebody and got a couple chords in the "throwed in" measure. The old guy put a tape to the box and declared the measure. It looked fine to me for bone dry cut and split hardwood. It stacked our more than fair.
Erstwhile, A few years back, I cut a log truck load into 4 foot "cordwood" and stacked it all to get a true measure.
Came in around 7+ cords in the strict 4X4X8 sense.
Boy! That was a lot of work! never gonna do that again! ;-)
CalG
Super Member
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2011
- Messages
- 5,776
- Location
- vermont
- Tractor
- Hurlimann 435, Fordson E27n, Bolens HT-23, Kubota B7200, Kubota B2601
Sure. But your date looks good by firelight eating s'mores.
Heck, our wood burning stove sucks cold air in through every crevice in our 100+ year old house. If I light it up, get it going good, I can sit in front of it and feel a cold breeze on my back.
A well-sealed house needs a fresh air intake for a wood stove or fireplace or it can't make a draft up the chimney nor draw enough air for good combustion.
Popular MISCONCEPTION that it is the stove pulling in the air.
IF you run the numbers relative the amount of AIR needed to burn a wood fire over some time period, you will discover that the number (Cubic feet) is but a small FRACTION of what a healthy home needs to turn over just to prevent staleness, odors and excess humidity.
If you feel a draft, it is because the warmed air in the room is ascending to the upper levels and exiting from any and all points of leakage.
Single point fresh air inlets to the combustion chamber of your stove will NOT change that turnover.
Fresh air is good for you! Enjoy it!
Alan W.
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
- Messages
- 1,914
- Location
- Kentucky
- Tractor
- Kubota L3650 & Bobcat 763G & Craftsman DGS6500
Boy, that's a nice resource to have nearby.
Yes it is.
The wood is clean and with no bark it cures out faster.
I stack it on skids allowing gaps for air flow and a tarp on top. By winter its dry.
I haul my parents two loads a year also.
LD1
Epic Contributor
Geothermal.
Electric bill in spring and fall with little to no HVAC is ~$200, Summer with AC is ~$240 Winter is ~$280 average.
So about $80/mo for a ~6 month heating season of Mid october to mid april or so here in cental OH. ~$500 for the heating season is usually what I round it to.
Back when I heated with wood, I'd burn about 4-5 cord. By todays prices thats about $1000 of firewood. Just couldn't justify it and dont like the mess, added work, and uneven heating associated with wood.
Electric bill in spring and fall with little to no HVAC is ~$200, Summer with AC is ~$240 Winter is ~$280 average.
So about $80/mo for a ~6 month heating season of Mid october to mid april or so here in cental OH. ~$500 for the heating season is usually what I round it to.
Back when I heated with wood, I'd burn about 4-5 cord. By todays prices thats about $1000 of firewood. Just couldn't justify it and dont like the mess, added work, and uneven heating associated with wood.
CalG
Super Member
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2011
- Messages
- 5,776
- Location
- vermont
- Tractor
- Hurlimann 435, Fordson E27n, Bolens HT-23, Kubota B7200, Kubota B2601
So true!Firewood is never free. Even if someone gives it to you.
Just this weekend the neighbor called to say he was clearing out some paths and trails in his woods, and if I wanted any of the wood he had blocked up. (He is using my utility trailer for end of season tasks, so I think it was a gesture of repayment)
Of course I said sure, we burn wood so why not.
Well, he brought over 4 loads (3X3X5 feet "throwed in")
Most of it was punky beech with the water frozen in, and hemlock.
Out of acknowledgement, I got out the splitting maul and split up most of the stuff less than 8" diameter, and then brought up the gas powered splitter to take care of the bigger rounds.
All told, likely 3 weeks of wood for one stove After it dries out.
It all took a couple hours, starting and running two tractors plus the splitter , stacking etc.
But I shouldn't have grabbed that splitting maul. I'm PAYING A BIG PRICE for that now. Shoulder and back ache! ;-)
CalG
Super Member
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2011
- Messages
- 5,776
- Location
- vermont
- Tractor
- Hurlimann 435, Fordson E27n, Bolens HT-23, Kubota B7200, Kubota B2601
I LOVE
A warm place when I'm cold from coming in from outdoors. And easy to get away from when I;m running a bit hot.
Plus, a great place to stand with my honey, backsides up to the stove, arms around waists....;-)
the uneven heating associated with wood.
A warm place when I'm cold from coming in from outdoors. And easy to get away from when I;m running a bit hot.
Plus, a great place to stand with my honey, backsides up to the stove, arms around waists....;-)
ovrszd
Epic Contributor
- Joined
- May 27, 2006
- Messages
- 32,246
- Location
- Missouri
- Tractor
- Kubota M9540, Ford 3910FWD, Ford 555A, JD2210
Absolutely correct. I'm too lazy to find the data, but experts say a house needs to breathe.
I just wanted to make the point that if hot air is rising out of the chimney it is being replaced in the house from outside. If the house can't "breathe" fast enough to take care of this vacuum then the stove will not draft.
ovrszd
Epic Contributor
- Joined
- May 27, 2006
- Messages
- 32,246
- Location
- Missouri
- Tractor
- Kubota M9540, Ford 3910FWD, Ford 555A, JD2210
I'll give you that one. In my house and shop I have nowhere to get extra heat when coming in cold. I have just learned to calm down and wait a couple minutes. Then everything is good. Course then the "moment of arms around waists" is gone.....