I haven’t had a choice for ten years. In 2008 when fuel oil went through the roof we shut the boiler down and even moved the tank to the farm for diesel. I figure for at least 10 more years we will do 100% wood then have a new boiler installed.
I've been 100% wood heat for the past seven years now, don't even have anything for backup in my old farmhouse. For the most part it's not bad unless we get into a long single digit temp stretch then just have to load alittle more than normal.
There you have it. 40 years of wood burning and the man has saved $1.00.... of course he also has a Kubota, ATV, Splitter, Chainsaws and other implements of destruction, a dray, a wood stove.. etc... etc... So in reality, we don’t really burn wood to save money... we burn wood so we will have an excuse to buy cool stuff.... at least Backwoods Savage is up a dollar in the deal... some of us, who are relatively new to the sport are still in the hole by a few grand!!
Four years here, only oil we've burned was for testing the furnace. Only got caught with real cold in the house a couple times. Fell asleep before loading the boiler once when burning coals down when it was like -20 out (coldest night of the year, '14-'15) and had a couple occasions where I got stuck at work a lot longer than planned and had to play catch up. That old 64 mile commute sucked, glad to have left that behind this year!
It's not all about the money or the toys. I'd bet with most of us, even if we don't want to admit it sometimes, have an independent streak in us that secretly is saying, "see I don't need your stinking propane, I can take care of me and my family myself"!!!
All wood heat is an admirable goal. Especially if you have access to free wood. We have been 100% wood heat for around 6 years now. I have some woods on the property, but my son-in-law works for a land clearing company so I had been getting free semi loads of logs. The boss now wants $500 per load. Still not a bad deal. I have an order in for load. I will be cutting more off my land this year. I have a 1920's farmhouse that was converted to all electric without the insulation. Six years ago, I got a $600 electric bill for the month of Jan. Something had to be done. Had the old chimney lined and installed a wood burner. Since then my electric bill runs $110 to $130 year round. I will be burning wood until the good lord says, "Enough you old fool."
Every fall I open the gas valve and test the furnace just to make sure that it works. Then I smile and shut it again. Grew up heating with wood (hated the chore as a kid) but I guess it's in my blood.
It can be done. We have no other source of heat installed other than the woodstove. How long can we continue to do it, I have no idea. I am hoping quite a while, but when we can't we will get something else installed. Our electric bills (the only utility) average about $60 year round, but frankly I can afford to pay more, to use oil or electricity. Money is a factor, but not the only one. We just like the wood heat, just weird that way. Today while walking the dog, I spotted two trees to take down this spring. It becomes part of a lifestyle, a good one at that. I hope you will enjoy it.
Have burnt very little fuel oil since 2008 (when my wood burning career started) and almost zero since 2012...only when we left for the weekend at Christmas. And since the in-laws moved closer the oil burner has not fired at all the last two years...it would take me a couple hours to change things around to even test it at this point (which I should probably do)
Yes...to me it's about independence and being less reliant on electric and propane! When I built my place two years ago I was in a rough patch and put in electric base board and a small 18k BTU propane heater in the main room. I went through just about 90# of propane and my electric bill averaged right around $35 a month...very economical, but still reliant on the grid and I have been missing having a wood stove for years now. This past summer I put in my awesome Fisher Baby Bear and I am all wood heat and I love it, it is truly a joy in my life. Granted my place is small, new, well insulated...but I always have heat, hot water, cooking on her too...no matter what the weather or if power is out...it's peace of mind, joy, and independence...not to mention taking personal responsibility for my own needs...I believe that is what this country was all about when it became a great nation and that our founding father's would be happy with us 'modern wood heat guys'! ... plus I get to say $*&#(# to the fossil fuel companies! Yeah, I like wood heat.
I'd get me an efficient electric hot water heater and leave those gallons of oil behind. No heat going up the chimney!
I save a couple hundred bucks a month in the winter, but the more figuring I do the more I'm in the hole! I guess I should quit buying saws! Better than having a useless pair of golf clubs hanging in the garage!
Ive been heating my basement room with the propane boiler this winter, it handles dhw too. That hear gets turned down all the way when we're no down there. Heat on the first floor only ran twice this winter. Once before the stove was installed, and once when the chimney sweet was coming. Upstairs only ran during the real cold snap to bring the bedrooms up the last 2 degrees I needed.
I enjoy my chainsaws much more than a 200-300$ a month power bill! I got a good friend started on firewood last year his power bill went from 250$ down to 115$, now if i can just teach him to keep the chain out of dirt when he is cuttin!
I'll keep you guys posted. It's a wee bit cool in here at 5:30 when everyone starts rolling in as I don't bur during the day unless the highs are in the 20's. I've never had a sub $100 power bill but it's been close a few times.
I've considered it, but the house has an odd layout for heat - 2000sqft downstairs on a single forced hot air zone and 1000sqft upstairs on 3 forced hot water zones. It's the upstairs hot water zones that worry me due to the heat from the stove not getting upstairs to keep the zone areas warm when temps drop well below freezing. I haven't looked at electric options, but did not think I'd find a unit capable of handling the upstairs heat + DHW when a real cold snap hits. Cheers!
I've said that a few 100 times and went right back to it! It's the "GREATEST" game you'll love to play and hate at the same time. Especially when you think you're good but you really stink!
I would almost kill for one that cheap! Hypatheticly speaking.... My neighbors are all electric baseboard and some of them have had electric bills $800.00 to $1200.00 a month! . Winter or summer, I'm ranging from $150.00 to $250.00 a month. I get the $250.00 when the air conditioners are cranking in summer. So, with that said, I don't feel so bad compared to some of my neighbors.
We keep our downstairs heat pump thermostat set at 70* during the week. It will run early in the morning when I'm getting out of bed. It makes it easier to get the kids going in the morning if it's a little warmer. I load the stove at 11pm, then head to bed. It stops throwin real heat around 4am and the heat pump takes over. I normally get out of bed at 530am to get the fire started off the coals. Kids are out of bed at 6, getting ready for school. Our dhw is electric now, but when this heater dies we are going to switch over to NG instant heater. Our electric bills are normally $150-200/month. We are a household of 5 heating ~3400 sq/ft.
