How did you get started with wood heat?

Started in woodburning around '76 when I was living with my older cousin. That lasted for four years then I rented my own place with an oil stove. When my future wife and I moved in together we rented a basement apartment in town with gas heat. We then bought our own house out in the country that came with a wood/oil furnace in 1989 and haven't looked back since. I think we only burned one tank of oil through it before getting rid of the outdoor oil tank on the advice of the insurance inspector. It's funny, he didn't have a problem at all with the wood furnace and even praised it as "being a good one" but the oil tank didn't have a date stamp and he said they weren't going to insure unless it was upgraded. His advice since I told him we didn't use the oil at all was to get rid of it.
We both love wood heat and the fact you don't have to scrimp on heat and comfort because the price of heating with something else might have gone up.
I have a sister in Akron who lives in winter with the thermostat set at 65 during the day and 55 at night because she doesn't like to pay more for gas.
I think that's insane.

 

I am about a 1/2 hour drive from Akron.
55?! If I ever tried to lower the heat to 55*, my wife would pack herself and the boy up and go to her mamas house!
Heck, at 55, I'd go with her

 

I bumped it down to 49 F/9C the other day because the electric furnace kept running and I was afraid the meter was going to fly off the wall.. I will tell my story if I ever get my chimney and stove installed.

 

If my house was 49 inside I would be working late into the night to get that chimney installed!!

 

Can't remember not having to stack wood as a kid. Dad built his house in the early 70's. A modular with basically zero insulation. NG furnace musta been getting in his pocket. Also, it doesn't seem logical to own woodlands and not use 'free' fuel. I was always mad that all I was allowed/could do was stack wood in the truck and on the woodpile. Then again, an 8 year old with a saw is not the greatest idea. I will burn wood for heat as long as I am able to procure it. I get joy from a good day in the woods. Even if saving money wasn't an issue, I'd still want to get out and run the saws and the tractor. Tossing a couple splits into the stove is much more gratifying than bumping up the thermostat.

 

Waiting for the replacement tee to come; and now there is snow on the roof and they are saying perhaps another storm. I was hoping the tee would get so I could do what I could while waiting for the roof to be safe; I will have to use a roof strap on the chimney because I won't be at the gable end. I also don't have any sort of hearth yet.

 

Hope u get it sorted outsoon