Oil vs propane heat

[Fuddy1952]

correlation does not necessarily mean causation...

Correct. So the best, least expensive way to heat your home is by burning wood. End of story.

 

[atsah]

Correct. So the best, least expensive way to heat your home is by burning wood. End of story.

Not always.. I burn wood when it makes sense.. If I pay $220 a cord cut split delivered and propane is less than $2.00 a gallon, I burn more propane that wood..

If propane is cheap I light a fire at night IF the temps are 30F or below otherwise I burn propane and save the wood for when it's really cold.. If the temps are above 30F and I light the stove it will drive you out of the house if you don't open windows..

It's easy to control an air tight cast or steel stove but once my soapstone gets hot, it takes several hours after the fire is out to cool down.. Good in the real cold weather, not so good in the spring and fall..

 

[Industrial Toys]

Actually, I love a fire in the spring or fall. It is very pleasing, and heats the not terribly cold house very well. I also use wood when it gets VERY cold.

 

[jbrumberg]

Actually, I love a fire in the spring or fall. It is very pleasing, and heats the not terribly cold house very well. I also use wood when it gets VERY cold.

I do similarly. ~32ºF I'll fire up the wood stove, run a hot small fire, and then let solar gain, air heat exchanger, or propane baseboard heating depending on the weather. In really cold weather I'll fire up the stove for overnight heating with propane backup. Having frozen radiator baseboards in the past due to loss of antifreeze solution I like to keep the propane baseboard flowing to some degree in extremely cold temperatures. It can get to -23ºF here.

 

[grsthegreat]

I have 20 acres of trees, so never a shortage of free wood. Well, free is a relative term. If I worked an outside job instead of cutting and splitting wood, I guess my free wood is actually costing me $95.00/ hour to process.that sucks to think about it. But I will warm my feet by my fireplace tonight and ponder that. Wood heat IS the best heat in my opinion.

 

[ovrszd]

I've never heated a house with wood.

I've heated my shop with wood for 26 years.

I no longer heat with wood. Last week I decided to spit a tandem axle trailer load of wood for my Sons to use. About 3/4 way thru that I suddenly stopped. I couldn't for the life of me remember why I thought that would be fun. Trailer is still sitting by the block pile not quite full.

 

[CalG]

I've never heated a house with wood.

I've heated my shop with wood for 26 years.

I no longer heat with wood. Last week I decided to spit a tandem axle trailer load of wood for my Sons to use. About 3/4 way thru that I suddenly stopped. I couldn't for the life of me remember why I thought that would be fun. Trailer is still sitting by the block pile not quite full.

I cut off the black birch pile this afternoon, Two tanks worth of 14 inch stuff for the parlor stove. Then I split up about 1/3 of the rounds. That makes a split pile about 4-1/2 feet high and 8 foot around at the base. Most if it needed to be run past the splitting wedge twice even after the 4X. I split small. Stacking it will wait till all the rounds are split, but I also hate to see it on the ground.. I need the space. (All for next year.) I can't stand hearing the oil furnace run.

I'm looking in to a small coal burner........ Then I'll need a membership to the exercise gym. ;-)

 

[LouNY]

I cut off the black birch pile this afternoon, Two tanks worth of 14 inch stuff for the parlor stove. Then I split up about 1/3 of the rounds. That makes a split pile about 4-1/2 feet high and 8 foot around at the base. Most if it needed to be run past the splitting wedge twice even after the 4X. I split small. Stacking it will wait till all the rounds are split, but I also hate to see it on the ground.. I need the space. (All for next year.) I can't stand hearing the oil furnace run.

I'm looking in to a small coal burner........ Then I'll need a membership to the exercise gym. ;-)

As far as a coal burner I would recomend one that has the bi-metal temperature control for the combustion air.
I have a Hitzer insert in my fireplace and that is the only thing I like to see changed on it.

 

[kenmac]

Unless you have some type of wood burning insert, You are not saving by heating with wood.
That chimney is like a giant vacuum and any heat that is generated by burning wood, is sucked right back up that chimney along with other heat in the home

 

[grsthegreat]

Unless you have some type of wood burning insert, You are not saving by heating with wood.
That chimney is like a giant vacuum and any heat that is generated by burning wood, is sucked right back up that chimney along with other heat in the home

I myself have a wood stove, and most of the heat is used heating the house.. a wood fireplace does waste a lot of heat. If you can believe the specs it’s 80% efficient. Not bad for wood. Our old unit was less than 50 %