Reya Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 We have hydronic oil heat, but we mostly use out woodstove insert since we got it last year--for this purpose! We'll get a second bigger one in a few years and move this little one down to the basement. I love having a fire every evening that it's chilly out. I'm NOT wild about the noise of the fan/blower--apparently, they aren't rated the way dishwashers or bath fans are, to it's a bit of a crap shoot. :-( All our wood last year was free--hauled by moi to offset the cost of the unit. (Yes, I was hauling wood a week before I gave birth. I was repair the roof several weeks before that!) This year, we're starting with a dead tree we had to pay $$$ to get pulled down. Then we'll go to bought wood. The cost is approximately 1/3rd of what we pay for heating oil with bought wood (taking into account that I keep the house warmer with wood!). The total cost of the unit and installation came to $3500. At that rate, we'll pay it off in less than 3 years. And we use our pretty fireplaces all winter. :-)))) (I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in AUS Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 Sounds great! We always had a wood burning stove when i was a child and my parents still have it in their house. When they have wood they use it and when they don't they use their natural gas heater. Wood seems to heat the whole house, not just the air. I love cuddling up with a book and a hot choc by the fire, VERY nice :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 We heat with wood. We have a small soapstone woodburning stove. We also use our heat pump, as this stove isn't quite big enough for the entire house. We have another larger woodstove to install into the basement, but we just haven't put out the $$$ for the pipes and installation. The basement gets pretty chilly in the winter :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 I hate that the upper floor of our house gets HOT and downstairs is cool. We have an open design house with a ceiling fan and all the heat goes up. We have 2 rooms on the upper floor - the TV room and master bedroom. I keep my bedroom door closed so it doesn't get SO hot. The boys bedrooms are downstairs. My dh uses it a night. During the day we use the house furnace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 I love our wood stove! Nobody ever wants to be anywhere else but in front of it, though... I'm thinking of buying a gas stove for another room in the house in the hopes that we'll actually use that room in the winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 Two years ago I was delighted when our gas fireplace broke. The repair bill was going to be about the same as putting in a fireplace insert. I jumped for joy that we were getting a fireplace. The last two winters it has heated 2200 sq ft of space and keeps us oh so warm. We've been buying wood and we're spending about half what we did before and the house is much warmer. I asked DH to start a fire today---it is wet, cold and rainy here, and with 2 kids with the flu a nice fire would be so nice. SOoooooon. Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OHGrandma Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 (edited) We have a wood furnace. It's designed to be used hooked up along side another furnace, or stand-alone, both ways are hooked into the heating ducts. We use it as a stand-alone in our utility room, the first room everyone routinely enters from outdoors. The design of our 200 year old house, with the 150 year old addition where our stove sits, allows the heat to flow naturally throughout the rest of the house. We have a farm, with a woods, and plenty of fencelines that need wood cut to maintain them. Our wood costs our time, labor, chainsaws, & fuel. About 16 manhours/month maintains us in wood for the month. Sometimes we sell the excess. We have a fuel oil furnace as a back-up. We use about 50 gallons of fuel-oil a year in early fall or late spring. When we don't use the wood stove at all we will use 300 gallons of fuel oil a month, and that's not even keeping the house comfortable. You folks with inserts need to be extra cautious about creosote build up around the insert, and to check the chimney every year. Everyone should check & clearn chimneys every year, but inserts are worse about causing buildups and chimney fires. Edited October 17, 2009 by OHGrandma addition info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixglides Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 We have a catalytic converter woodstove that somehow converts the smoke into heat also. We the unit repaired last year and cannot believe how efficiently it burns wood!! In our area, there is also a lumber company that sells the 'edges' of the logs, cut the perfect size to fit into the woodstove. It's perfect & so much less than the furnace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie~Phlox Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 Before we moved, we did. I hated the mess, yes it was very warm and economical, but it was a lot of work. We do have a fireplace where we are, but dh & I both agreed that we were tired of burning wood. I have lovely candles in the fireplace now. BTW- we had a smaller house, and had a woodstove insert in. I hated the way it made me feel (allergies, etc) Now, we keep it cool, but I just make everyone bundle up, that was the hardest to get used to. We have not turned our heat on yet and our house has been about 60-65 on average this week. I just do a lot more baking! Also, now we have a solar panel, so if the sun is out, that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 We are having a fireplace put in next month. Dh and I both Love wood fires and it was one feature that our house is missing that we both want. We have a natural gas furnace too so it will only be used to supplement that. We go to a house that has a fireplace and gas heat. When we are there we use just the fan on the furnace (no heat) to keep the air circulating. The immediate area around the fire is warmer, but with the furnace running the rest of the house is a fairly consistent temp. We hope ours will work similarly. We won't have to pay for wood, just labor/equipment to go get it so it will pay for itself in a couple of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reya Posted October 18, 2009 Author Share Posted October 18, 2009 Ours is open, but it really doesn't get hot upstairs. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reya Posted October 18, 2009 Author Share Posted October 18, 2009 I hated the way it made me feel (allergies, etc) Now, we keep it cool, but I just make everyone bundle up, that was the hardest to get used to. Hmmm. You must not have had a good one, then. Ours draws well from the beginning of a burn. Very, very rarely is there any particle of smoke in the house. (I am dreadfully allergic of something that happens when oak bark is burned...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reya Posted October 18, 2009 Author Share Posted October 18, 2009 Be aware that fireplaces are -10%-5% efficient on their own. You need a masonry heater, a woodstove, or a stove insert to actually produce a decent amount of heat that isn't strictly local. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mammaruss Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 We have a couple fireplaces to supplement our propane furnace. We do not burn wood though--we burn corn/wood pellets. It gets QUITE toasty rather quickly and just feels so much warmer than the propane heat!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Be aware that fireplaces are -10%-5% efficient on their own. You need a masonry heater, a woodstove, or a stove insert to actually produce a decent amount of heat that isn't strictly local. Are you commenting to me? I read threads in linear mode so I am not sure, (it just seems to fit my post). If so, yes we are aware of our options. We are making choices to improve the efficiency and our state is strict about new construction and pollution options also. We are getting an insert with a blower on it. Thanks for the reminder though :) ~Tap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 yes, we burn with wood - wood we cut off our land. I *LOVE* the warm, cozy house even during power outages and blizzards. :D I just love burning with wood! Yes, it's messy, but nothing gets the chill out of the air like a good, hot fire. Our house is also open with bedrooms upstairs. I keep the door to the balcony closed, other open. We reverse the direction of our ceiling fans to have them blow down. This circulates the heat and prevents all the hot air from going upstairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reya Posted October 19, 2009 Author Share Posted October 19, 2009 Are you commenting to me? I read threads in linear mode so I am not sure, (it just seems to fit my post). If so, yes we are aware of our options. We are making choices to improve the efficiency and our state is strict about new construction and pollution options also. We are getting an insert with a blower on it. Thanks for the reminder though :) ~Tap Yep! :-) Good to hear! Inserts are nice. If I were building, though, I'd go masonry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 (edited) We have a woodstove insert. It doesn't heat the upstairs at all, or the big room that is an addition on the back of the house (through another room) so we use regular heat in addition to the woodstove. Getting a fire started can be a pain. I have to have gathered kindling (going outside to check for fallen branches), balled up newspaper (have to keep newspaper and other paper in a box and then ball up about 30 sheets for each fire I want to start), and have the wood cut small enough to fit the insert (dh has to do this--but he has neck and back problems, so it's tough on him). Then it has to be arranged the right way for the fire to start. Have to open an outside door to get a draft going, (or smoke gets in the house and sets off the alarm and smells pretty bad) then light the paper...hope the wood burns. Have to check every 10 minutes or so to be sure the fire has really caught (it can look like it has, but then it goes out.) Then, I have to check it about every 45 minutes to hour and a half to add wood as needed. So, if we leave the house for longer than 2 hours, the fire pretty much goes out. It takes a good hour or more to heat up the room when I first get the fire started, so in the morning, or when first coming back home, it's cold in the house. I like the insert on some levels, but it's also a pain on others. Does anyone else have my issues? Are we doing something wrong? I love the cost saving (even though I have to supplement for the back room and upstairs room), but it sure is a LOT of work. Edited October 19, 2009 by Garga Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katemary63 Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 (edited) Free wood for the cutting in AR. June 12, we had a HUGE storm w/ steight line winds. We lost about 30 large oaks, cherry and sycamore. It will be years before we have it all cleaned up. Anyone interested in cutting up a tree can take all they want to burn! Here's a link to my blog post w/ pictures. Just scroll down if you don't to read the whole story. http://harmonpfarms.blogspot.com/2009/06/storm-and-five-miracles.html Edited October 19, 2009 by katemary63 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reya Posted October 19, 2009 Author Share Posted October 19, 2009 Well, we're switching to the Cape Cod Fire Starter (silly name, but cheap to use), beut right now I used dryer lint and newpaper. Two balls of dryer lint, one twist of newspaper in between. One match to light. I put pre-broken twigs on the instant it catches. I keep an eye on it for about 2 minutes, then but on some narrow kindling. As soon as that's roaring, on goes the first wrist-sized pieces, and the fire's good to go. Lots of trial and error, but if you don't clean out the firebox but once every few days, it's a LOT easier to light. I clean it out when it gets too high to keep throwing wood on. Cuts way down on the work, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 http://www.climatedoctors.com/items/item.aspx?itemid=1661432 This outdoor stove is extremely popular in the area where we're moving. We'll have plenty of timber, but it seems like a LOT of work. Right now, in TX, we just mainly use our fireplace. :drool5: Right now, we have hot water baseboard, fueled by fuel oil. We have a wee little wood stove (that we're planning to upsize, come tax refund time) in the living room and a fireplace in the dining room. We were knocking around the idea of an insert for the dining room fireplace, since the fireplace itself it so dreadfully inefficient, and we were talking about a ventless propane insert for the foyer fireplace - the flue was sealed in favor of the furnace flue because we have one, central chimney and you can apparently only have three flues. That wood furnace would be AWESOME, though. Much better than the diesel furnace and, since it would be outside, we could reconstruct our back staircase (that was ripped out to create a furnace room). I am totally bookmarking that page! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OHGrandma Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 http://www.climatedoctors.com/items/item.aspx?itemid=1661432 This outdoor stove is extremely popular in the area where we're moving. We'll have plenty of timber, but it seems like a LOT of work. Right now, in TX, we just mainly use our fireplace. Those types of stoves are becoming common here in Ohio. Be aware that a new installation involves a lot of cost past the purchase of the stove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 Those types of stoves are becoming common here in Ohio. Be aware that a new installation involves a lot of cost past the purchase of the stove. I was wondering about how much installation would be. Still, last year the oil company wanted a monthly payment that was the same as our mortgage, so I'm feeling like I know how to pour a pad and dig a trench, you know? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 We primarily use our wood stove to heat our house all winter. We have a natural gas furnace, but the average bill for our house during the winter was around $250-$300! YIKES! Since we started using the wood stove it has been knocked down to around $50! So far we have been able to find plenty of "free" fire wood around here. People just want it hauled off. It works for us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OHGrandma Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 I was wondering about how much installation would be. Still, last year the oil company wanted a monthly payment that was the same as our mortgage, so I'm feeling like I know how to pour a pad and dig a trench, you know? ;) Yes, I know, that's the same argument my husband uses! But, for us, it also means breaking through the stone foundation of a 200 year old house. And since the outdoor furnaces, like that one, use hot water, we'd have to convert from our forced air system. It would be nice to have all the smoke & ashes outside. It would be nice to stoke the fire just once or twice a day, our furnace indoors will hold a fire overnight if you use the right wood. It'd be nice to cut longer pieces. I know a new house that just went in 2 years ago and they put in an outdoor stove like the one linked. They also built it behind an old concrete block garage and rebuilt the roof to cover both. It's concealed from view, protected from the elements, but also extremely convenient to dump logs in the garage to keep dry and easy to load into the stove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdeveson Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 We have a wood stove in our cottage in Canada. We live in South Florida, so when we arrive, we're SO READY for cool weather and a fire. The first winter we spent there, I was freaked out every night thinking my house would catch fire while we slept. Coming from an urban background in the deep south, it takes a while to realize that FIRE IN THE HOUSE is not always a bad thing. ;) I love the way it warms up the entire house, even though the stove is in the living room. It's a pretty open plan. We sleep with the bedroom doors open and the rooms are warm and cozy all night. Like the pp, we also have a mill across the lake and we get the edges (I guess they all do that). Three years ago we bought a cord of wood. Part of it is still in the woodshed since we're only there weeks at a time. Now that I'm not askeerd that the house is going to catch fire, I love my wood stove. We never turn on the electric heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 The bedrooms have radiators which run off a tank of LPG in the garden. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheWillFly Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 We heat with wood. This year the cold came quicker than we were ready for so we are impatiently waiting on our chimney sweeping before we can start a fire. I really don't like our furnace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenoraddict Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 I sent this link to my DH (who is not on any forums) because we're considering a wood stove insert in our fireplace. Here's his response: "Thanks, read them all. What does dh stand for (designated hitter? dumb husband?)?" :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Yep! :-) Good to hear! Inserts are nice. If I were building, though, I'd go masonry. We would like to do masonry also, but the cost is prohibitive for us right now. We don't plan to be in this house forever, so we don't want to make a big investment now that won't be recouped later. We have several projects going right now, so we need to watch the budget :0) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdeveson Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 "Thanks, read them all. What does dh stand for (designated hitter? dumb husband?)?" :lol: :lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfarm Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 We heat exclusively with wood. We don't have any kind of a furnace. We burn approximately 6 cords of hardwood per winter. We cut the wood ourselves, so it only costs us about $150 per winter for heating costs since all we are paying for is chainsaw oil and gas, chain sharpening, hauling with the truck, and gas for the splitter. It is a pain in the posterior when it is 90 degrees with 90% humidity in the middle of the summer, but I sure appreciate it when I hear how much people are paying for propane. We do use a small electric heater in the upstairs bathroom, because there is nothing worse than getting out of the shower into a cold bathroom!:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricia Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 We have always heated with wood. Our wood is free to except for the effort to go get it. Which is our whole family. But our house is quite large and not insulated. An old farm house. Our 19 year old daughters room still gets really cold. So cold at times that you can see your breath in there. That's what happens in January in Wisconsin!! On those occasions she usually beds down in another room.:001_smile: And there are still those times though when our pipes freeze in the bathroom. And amazingly, the pipes are on an inside wall. So yep, we have a few days where we are a bit chilly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reya Posted October 21, 2009 Author Share Posted October 21, 2009 I like the insert on some levels, but it's also a pain on others. Does anyone else have my issues? Are we doing something wrong? You're building the fire wrong--not enough fuel. Our fire stays lit up to 8 hours (coals that can be reignited), and we have a TINY firebox. Throw on a BIG, THICK piece before you head out, making sure the fire's hot enough to catch it. Also, don't clean out the ashes every day. Wait until they get too high to add more. This helps fires to burn longer and hotter, as there is charcoal in the ashes that continue to burn and get hot. That said, the fire has to be burning for a good hour or so before it's strong enough to be kept during a long absence! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reya Posted October 21, 2009 Author Share Posted October 21, 2009 We would like to do masonry also, but the cost is prohibitive for us right now. We don't plan to be in this house forever, so we don't want to make a big investment now that won't be recouped later. We have several projects going right now, so we need to watch the budget :0) Oh, well if it's not your forever home, of course! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reya Posted October 21, 2009 Author Share Posted October 21, 2009 We heat exclusively with wood. We don't have any kind of a furnace. We burn approximately 6 cords of hardwood per winter. We cut the wood ourselves, so it only costs us about $150 per winter for heating costs since all we are paying for is chainsaw oil and gas, chain sharpening, hauling with the truck, and gas for the splitter. It is a pain in the posterior when it is 90 degrees with 90% humidity in the middle of the summer, but I sure appreciate it when I hear how much people are paying for propane. We do use a small electric heater in the upstairs bathroom, because there is nothing worse than getting out of the shower into a cold bathroom!:tongue_smilie: We have an electric heater for the bathroom, too! It's in the wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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