How much ya burn? Face cords/month

Well, I did a little searching and didn’t find exactly what I’m looking for here. This is the first full month that I have been heating my 1000 square-foot space entirely with a Hearthstone green mountain 60 and I am curious to know how many face cords per month others are burning in a similar climate.

Here are the general statistics for my situation:

- 1000 sq ft on slab with 2x4” walls, good attic insulation and good windows.
- Hearthstone Green Mountain 60 catalytic woodstove. Spec sheet here: https://www.hearthstonestoves.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/220411_Sales-sheets_GM60-8660.pdf
- Burning 2-3 year aged red and white oak at around 12–13% moisture
- Northern WI with average outside temp in Dec 2023: 10°F
- Burned through 2 face cords (90 cubic feet) in December (Nov 28-Dec 26)

How ‘bout you?

photos for funzies:

 

I don't track per month. But we do burn ~3.5 cord each heating season.

 

I’d guess I’d be in the 3 ballpark for this space entire winter as well.

You in MA? And only source of heat is wood?

 

Yes, Massachusetts.

Wood stove is our primary source of heat. Fuel oil furnace takes over when we're away for a few days. We've gotten a delivery of oil once in the last 6 years. Hot water is propane.

 

I was just wondering about my monthly use today but have never kept track. I do around 6.5 cords a year in my wood furnace but it's going up now that I refuse to use the LP furnace in the shoulder seasons...

 

4,960 lbs and 2,729 HDD's here. Been burning since the first week in October.

 

The term "face cords" is not a "scientifically approved" form of measurement, at least here (notice smiley face ). For "face cords" or a more accurate measurement, 4'X8'X16", I use about 12-15 face cords a winter. I usually start in September and finish in late April (or when I run out).

I, of course, live in a 120+ year old farm house that I never have to worry about lack of oxygen, located in the coldest $%#@!! country in the world.

edit to add: I buy my wood that is cut (obviously), split and delivered and every wood seller in Eastern Ontario, uses the "face cord" measurement. If I want to buy wood using the proper full 4'X4'X8' cord, I have to buy a tri-axle load from a logging company.

 

I don't use facecord measurement either. I typically burn 4-5 full cords per season to heat just under 2000sq ft home in south central PA.

 

Full cords here too...

 

Face cords is a common term here around me with the assumption splits are 16” (so 4’x8’x16”). Easy to picture a cord of wood as three rows of face cords making a full cord and commonly referred to as 1/3 cord/face cord, 2/3 cord, or full cord.

 

Exactly. Like I said earlier, stove wood sellers use the face cord measurement. However, they buy using the standard cord measurement.

 

I fill my 1/2 face cord wood box every Saturday morning. Last year, we burned 10 face cords

 

I plan for 2 cord before the new year, and 4 after. so far we're a little ahead: first burn was September, and we've been heating the east wing a little more this season. I cook on it when I can (bone broth into day four on it presently).
The gasser is our legal primary heat source (furnace), but our practical primary source is the wood stove. We've never heated a winter with the gasser. It is just for stupid cold nights where we don't wake early enough to feed the wood stove. Other wise it doesn't get run.

*rant*
I have a deep seated hatred for big petroleum since they gave our heating oil to someone else, having charged my account, and refused to make good prior to a big storm (which we ordered several weeks in advance for). We went out middle of storm for diesel because we didn't want to run out. I have zero issue bending big oil over gleefully every chance I get. They are, or our dependence on big oil, is a curse upon the face of the earth.

(No need for a little forgiveness here is there?!)

 

Find another home oil supplier.

 

Western CT
1200 sqft cape cod style home
Woodstock Survival stove on main floor
Natural Gas forced hot air furnace getting decommissioned this week
Heat pump system installed running 2 mini splits in the upstairs and new ducting getting installed for the main floor serviced by a 24,000 BTU air handler.

Old VC vigilant would go through 4 cords of wood a year & the furnace would come on every morning.
New Survival goes through I think 3 maybe 3 and a half cords a year and the furnace never comes on.
Anticipating only using 2 cords of wood a year with the new heat pump. We'll see....

 

I just got a new ideal steel this year, so I have also been curious about tracking my wood consumption. I am located in northern NY, just below Montreal Canada. I have a newer construction house 1,850 square feet, but my stove is in a insulated basement, so I heat more like 3700 square feet. I have a firewood rack that I have been filling up(picture included), I will use all the wood, then refill so I can keep track. the rack holds about a face cord, I cut my own wood and usually have about 18 in pieces, but I am not always exact, so I have a mix of smaller chunks also. Anyways I am going about 2 weeks between filling it up. Generally I am burning 24/7.

 

Emptying and refilling is a good measuring protocol.

 

I push about 3 full cords through mine, heating 2400 sq ft. well insulated

 

I think the most I can actually feed my stove is 3/4 to 1 cord max per month, but it never gets fed that much continuously. Nov-March with shoulder season before/after 4 1/2 cord max?

 

Just past the 1.5 full cord mark, all Quaking Aspen. Heating a 600sq ft log cabin with 200 sq ft loft in NW Wis. Jotul F45 V2. I went through 3.5 cords of Aspen last year.