Save $$$ - Heat with Wood

[s219]

The geothermal heat pumps intrigue me. I heat with wood but have a traditional heat pump. Wife can not feed the wood stove due to health issues so the heat pump does get some use. While we do not get much cold, cold weather here, the defrost cycle on the outdoor unit drives me crazy from a noise standpoint. Are the geo wells drilled in a traditional manner as a water well is? My house is literally 50 from the beach (salt water) so there should be plenty of thermal absorption capacity down there relatively shallow. Since they do not draw water or discharge anything I would not think the county would care where the wells went but they would probably find a reason. What is in the ground in bottom of the wells? A coil of some sort?

Some geo systems only have a ground loop, and no wells -- they would just dig a long trench and lay pipe, or a wide pit and lay coiled pipe. Typical pipe is just black poly tube, same as you'd use for water/irrigation/etc.

My geo system has four wells about 120' deep. Was drilled similar to a regular well, but without casing. At the bottom, there is a "U" elbow that is sonic-welded to the tubing (before it was shoved down the well). Once the pipe is down the well, the well is grouted with bentonite. This makes good thermal conduction with the earth and also serves to seal off the well from contamination. Even though the geo system is sealed, there is a threat to groundwater/aquifer contamination from drilling any well, and that's probably the biggest concern as far as environmental/health department permitting etc.

 

[4570Man]

There is something special about watching the flames and coals which makes cleaning the glass regularly less of a chore.

Does your glass not burn clean? Mine will turn black if the fire isn't burning hot, but if it is it'll clean the glass.

 

[goeduck]

Does your glass not burn clean? Mine will turn black if the fire isn't burning hot, but if it is it'll clean the glass.

It won’t burn clean in the lower two corners, but the center and pretty much across the top it burns off easy.

I very much like to see the fire vs my previous cast iron doors. Just my preference.

 

[Oldpath05]

A wood stove store near me only sells woodstoves that has glass on them, the owner says those are now the best selling woodstoves. Since my wood stove is down cellar not sure if that would be worth the extra cost, but upstairs if one's house has the room to use a stove with a glass door, yeah I can see how nice that would be.

 

[ultrarunner]

Having the glass door in the family room wood stove is a big hit... during the holidays my brother hosted for about 40 people and the grandparents/parents were telling the kids this is how we use to heat/cook...

The under teen kids had never seen a wood fired stove in action... then the questions started like can we get one but they are no longer allowed in new construction for most.

Amazing just how fast things change... Mom was getting cold out on the tree lot last night... it was in the 40's but even layering when you are almost 84 wasn't doing the trick... I went in and started a fire... only the second one this year and she was VERY happy to sit by the stove and watch Judge Judy...

Earlier that day... I brought my splitter out to the farm... some of the storm fallen oak from over a year ago had been gathered into a pile but not split... some on the dirt was getting "Punky" but we split two nice piles of oak... she loves to help out and I find I am far more efficient feeding with her helping... sister-in-law was sure happy to come home to a toasty home...

Wood has to be short because the pedestal stove is the smallest Lopi made... but it isn't lacking in heat output... and the fire is captivating... always swish the glass with a piece of newspaper before I start... like to have a clean "Window" to view the flames...

 

[Industrial Toys]

I had a big (Nice and Big) airtight given to me for my garage. The glass broke, I replaced it with a sheet of steel, but I miss not seeing the fire. I often have a fire going with the Big door open. Makes no sense, but somehow just knowing there is a source of heat there, is warming. Too bad that Pyro-Ceramic is so expensive!

I bake a fair bit of paint on that stove as well. Makes the shop smell like the auto parts companies I used to service.

I was going nuts because the glass on our fireplace was turning black almost immediately and was taking up to an hour and a half (in the kitchen sink) to clean the four separate panes. I thought (somehow) it was the wood.

Finally, I decided it must be a chimney issue and got up on the roof. Seems the expanded steel grating I put over the flu was 80% closed from creosote.

Made a fire yesterday, and the glass is (to my relief) still clean!

 

[Egon]

Easy off works well on smoked up glass.

 

[/pine]

Question about a wood stove a friend has...
...It's a home made stove that has a flat 1/4" plate door that just overlaps a flush opening...with welded on gate hinges...there is no space (offset) for a typical stove door gasket...

The stove works well enough but when it gets hot the bottom left (unhinged) corner of the door warps out leaving a big gap that effects the dampening ability...

Would welding some pieces of heavy angle iron across the door be enough to stop the warping?

Is adding a 1/2" return to either the door edge or the opening a worthy option?

 

[ovrszd]

The fire wood "thing" is just like the hunting/fishing thing. Save money? Boat, rifles, rod's, license's, gear, etc. etc. If it's your thing, enjoy it and the satisfaction it brings you, the price be dammed!

Admitted Sidebar....

Good friend of mine leases 1800 acres of hunting land to 4 guys from the city. They pay him $50K per year. I said "how the heck can they even begin to justify that"? He laughed and said, each is driving a $50K diesel pickup, pulling a trailer with a $15K side by side on it, hauling a $6K gun, wearing $2K in hunting gear..... The $50K for the land lease is "chump change".

 

[goeduck]

Easy off works well on smoked up glass.

I just use the ash from the bottom of the stove. I wet a few paper towels, dab them in the ash and use that.