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Off the Grid/Homesteading Skills:  Changing over our heating system  |
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9438 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9438 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 22 2013 : 10:59:29 AM
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We are changing our heating system to work by using only wood to heat with. Dh heard about doing this from a neighbor and has decided we should do this. We seem to be able to get lots of wood here for a good price so it seems like it will be a big savings....in the long run. Has anyone else ever done this? We will have an initial investment in the stove of course but it is huge and we have gotten the cement pad poured for it already. Not sure just when we will be purchasing one yet but I am sure it will be soon. I will be happy that we won't have so much mess to deal with in the house from the two wood stoves we were using. We kept one in the family because when that part of the house was added we couldn't extend the existing duct work and we need to heat the rooms we added on. Just wondering how many others have gone this route.
Denise
Farmgirl Sister #43
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."
Psalm 119:105
http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
http://www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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kysheeplady
True Blue Farmgirl
1291 Posts
Teri
KY
USA
1291 Posts |
Posted - Oct 22 2013 : 11:42:31 AM
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Denise,
We have heated with wood for 20++ years, in this house where it is so big, we have 3 stoves. A Flame View wood cook stove in the kitchen, a large stove (not sure of the brand) in the downstairs living room with blower, and a large wood furnace in the garage that is piped into the upstairs. So we have about 3500+ sq. feet in this house and it is very warm. Heating cost is about $600.00 on a good year.We also heat the garage of course. Right now have 22 rick of cord wood in the wood barn. We won't use all of it ... I hope.:) heating with wood compaired to gas, oil or other is a lot cheaper.
Are you thinking of getting the outside wood furnace?
Teri
"There are black sheep in every flock"
www.whitesheepfarm.com
https://www.etsy.com/shop/whitesheepprimitive |
Edited by - kysheeplady on Oct 22 2013 11:44:51 AM |
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HealingTouch
True Blue Farmgirl
3448 Posts
Darlene
Kunkletown
Pa
USA
3448 Posts |
Posted - Oct 22 2013 : 6:43:26 PM
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There is a lot of controversy around here because of the smell and smoke produced by some stoves. Now the townships are putting all kinds of ordinances in place to eliminate or control them. The farm at the end of our lane took theirs out. I don't know why though. 2 other people we know are fed up with the year round use. We heated with inside wood stoves and I loved it. The house was always warm and toasty and I loved cooking on it. I wish we still had it but not as easy as we got older. It certainly is cheaper. As long as you are in compliance in your area I think you will save a ton of money.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
Darlene
Sister 1922
God first, everything else after!
When Satan's knocking at your door, just say "Jesus will you get that for me?"
When it gets to hard to stand, Kneel!
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Lanna
True Blue Farmgirl
330 Posts
Lanna
A little town in Idaho
330 Posts |
Posted - Sep 17 2014 : 02:09:07 AM
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We've been heating solely with wood for over nine years.
The biggest difference is getting a good quality stove. We have a Quadrafire and an Englander. I forget which one is our main one (Quadrafire I think?) in the living room. It has about a 75% efficiency, where the cruddy old fireplace insert that was here when we bought the house had maybe a 20% efficiency (aka, 80% of the heat went up the chimney) and smoked us out a time or two. Then newer ones tend to be more energy efficient, requiring less wood to keep you warm. Once we replaced most of our windows a few years back (and added insulation - there was nothing in between the trim!), we only need the one wood stove to keep us toasty. Even during the 3-4 weeks of 0*F-20*F in January/February. Before, we'd fire up the secondary wood stove during those few weeks to help the main stove keep up.
Now I'm just working on the hubby about getting me a wood cookstove in the lower room to replace the littler stove we have there, because, well, I want a wood cookstove. :D
Oh, and since last year was pretty mild for us, we only used the main wood stove, the house is 2180sf, garage is uninsulated (great for my lazy version of root cellaring), and I think we went through maybe 3 cords of wood? Hubby has all the fun equipment after all these years of collecting it bit by bit, takes a few kids with him woodcutting when he goes, and it just costs us $5/cord for a wood permit from the forest service. Last year or the year before, I started training my 10yo and 8yo how to start a fire in the stove, and how to load it. :D Mwahaha. Granted, it was for the nefarious purpose of leaving the kids at home with Grandma while I kidnapped the hubby to have him to myself for a few days for his birthday, but they do great with the responsibility (usually).
It can be a great savings, but it may take a few years to realize said savings. I live in a fairly low COL area power-wise (hydroelectric power!), but even then. To keep our house at 74*-80* (that's what our stove does!) with electric or natural gas it would make our bill at least $300-$350/mo, and only about $100 of that is all our appliances (two fridges, two freezers a hubby that works from home, washer, dryer, dishwasher, water heater, electric stove, etc.). So ours paid for itself and the utility truck (which we use for woodcutting, hauling appliances and taking things to the dump) within a year or two.
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Lanna, homeschooling mama to four little monkeys that still try to jump on the bed |
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westfork woman
True Blue Farmgirl
554 Posts
Kennie Lyn
Emmett
Idaho
USA
554 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2014 : 2:31:24 PM
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Hi Densie, there are several of the outside the house wood furnaces here in our part of the world. They seem to work well and don't take as much wood as an inside stove. We heat only with wood, and while there is a little mess in the house, nothing can beat backing up to a wood stove on a cold day.
Greetings from the morning side of the hill. |
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Dapple Grey Lady
True Blue Farmgirl
725 Posts
Betty
Goodrich
Texas
USA
725 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2014 : 5:31:10 PM
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What kind of wood stoves do you all have. It seems the one I have, everytime the door is open smoke comes in. It is a design flaw I believe. How do you prevent it?
~ Betty ~
Farmgirl Sister # 5589 |
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kysheeplady
True Blue Farmgirl
1291 Posts
Teri
KY
USA
1291 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2014 : 7:34:07 PM
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Betty, that could be a few different things, as simple as your wood may be wet. Do you have a damper in the pipe? If so, open it up before opening door in order to permit greater air flow, which will take the smoke up and out the chimney at a faster rate. I always, before I am going to load up the stove, open the draft and wait a few minutes for the smoke to rise. For a stove to run efficiently and to keep our home warm, we close the damper to keep the heat from going up the chimney. So, when you open it open the damper either the one on the stove itself (some have several) or the one on the pipe or both. Also, what size pipe are you using? In most cases, a 6" pipe proves to be to SMALL to handle the exhaust efficiently from a wood stove.
We have an 8" in all of our stove. Most all wood cook stoves, well newer ones will have and 8 pipe, you may be able to adapt 6 to 8.
How long have you been burning wood? Also most all stoves that I know of HAVE to be cleaned out from the creosote that falls from the chimney.Chimney's should be cleaned yearly. Sometimes you can purchase a brush and rods and clean it yourself.
Good luck, it will be wood burning season before you know it.
There is a lot of work to burning wood safely.
Teri
"There are black sheep in every flock"
www.whitesheepfarm.com
www.etsy.com/shop/whitesheepprimitive |
Edited by - kysheeplady on Sep 28 2014 03:27:16 AM |
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Dapple Grey Lady
True Blue Farmgirl
725 Posts
Betty
Goodrich
Texas
USA
725 Posts |
Posted - Sep 28 2014 : 08:06:42 AM
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Thanks, Teri, seems I have a 6 inch pipe. I am going to see what I need to swap it out. Also will try the tips you gave! :)
~ Betty ~
Farmgirl Sister # 5589 |
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9438 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9438 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2014 : 6:43:44 PM
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Well, we installed in time to use for the past winter and that thing really put out the heat. I know we saved a lot on wood. Used less I am than having the two inside going. We do use one in the family room to take care of the unheated rooms.
hugs,
Denise
Farmgirl Sister #43
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105
http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
http://www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1145 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1145 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2014 : 08:49:03 AM
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Nice, Denise!
I wish we could do heating with wood-only. We do have an insert in our fireplace, which I ADORE. I was hoping that in our new sunroom, I could add a little woodstove, but we haven't done that...yet. lol
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2916 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2916 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2014 : 10:59:28 AM
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I'm so excited; we are replacing our super old wood burner with a new one. We live in an A Frame, with a wing, and the wood stove heats most of the house, but doesn't quite make it to the wing(AKA man cave). We have toyed with the idea of putting a second one there, but the eve and other proximal obstacles were making it impossible. So we just use an electric Edenpure knock off in there. It never shuts off, and is a money hog.
Well, when we went to the stove shop, hubs fell in love with the Harman pellet stove; and the install is fairly unobtrusive, so we are getting a pellet stove for his man cave. It will also easily heat our exercise room, and a portion of the kitchen that the wood heat doesn't always reach.
All that, plus a new chimney rebuild and liner, and we should be toasty.
They are both Harman brand, and I am super excited about the wood stove; you can load from the front or top, and the top has a grill insert, so you can grill on your wood stove in the dead of winter.
This is happening tomorrow, and once it is all complete, I'll take some pics!
Sometimes I think we are crazy for spending as much as we would for a new furnace on this stuff, but we live out there, and lose power quite frequently. The gal at the stove shop said you can even run the pellet stove off of a car battery if we needed to, in the case of a power outage.
Can't wait; it was cold last night and since we took out our old stove, we would have had to run the furnace. I refuse to do that in October. Against my entire being.
Ha!
Love seeing like minded gals here
"We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” – R.R. |
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9438 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9438 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2014 : 11:15:17 AM
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We have a little Vermont Castings stove sitting out in our garage that someone gave us. We only used it for two years. I hate to get rid of it but we don't have a need for it now and it is taking up room in the garage.
Denise
Farmgirl Sister #43
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105
http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
http://www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2916 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2916 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2014 : 11:38:38 AM
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Maybe you could take a trip to Florida and sell it to Amanda... A good excuse for a vacation. HAHa
"We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” – R.R. |
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9438 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9438 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2014 : 1:43:46 PM
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Lisa, We brought my dad up here from Florida. He misses it in the winter but no one to help him out down there. No trips in the near future. We already have someone who might want it. He just has to get a way to get it out of here. Of course dad's first winter here would have to be the worst one for the whole country.
Denise
Farmgirl Sister #43
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105
http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
http://www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1145 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1145 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2014 : 8:32:59 PM
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Ha! I WISH!!! I love Vermont Castings stoves! ;) But I'm in Texas and not planning on making it to NJ any time soon. lol!
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2916 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2916 Posts |
Posted - Oct 06 2014 : 06:26:47 AM
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Oops Amanda! I saw Jacksonville, and well. oops.
"We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” – R.R. |
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houligan19
Farmgirl in Training
39 Posts
sarah
groton
CT
39 Posts |
Posted - Jan 14 2015 : 07:41:01 AM
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Have you looked at rocket mass heaters? This is something I would like to include in the home we are building. A wood burning stove that is very efficient!
http://nepermhome.wordpress.com/ |
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Off the Grid/Homesteading Skills: Changing over our heating system |
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Changing over our heating system
