Posted on 10/13/2014 1:43:43 PM PDT by Little Bill
I was wondering how many of you in the Northlands, Portland, Maine West.
I was wondering how this affected your heating bill and how you have prepped for the coming freeze.
I have saved close to $20,000 since I converted eight years ago, looking for impute from other Freepers.
I like the idea of not being strictly dependent on a product that I have to buy, I’m hoping to put in a woodstove. I have trees on the property, and there’s a lot of useable deadfall.
More than willing to listen to the case for pellet stoves, though.
What is it’s electrical need, does it take batteries, do you use a surge protector?
Do you have a generator to run your pellet stove if the power goes out?
We installed a propane-fueled insert about 14-years ago. We have usually had it serviced annually until the last three years as we no longer can afford propane. It began to cost us $200+ every month.
We have started using oil-filled radiators for heat in the main rooms during the winter, and are no longer sleeping in bedrooms. Granted, we don’t usually have really cold winters along the south-west Washington area due to the presence of the Columia River estuary, but this past year we had Arctic temps down to 10-12 degrees.
I’m a wood-stove user. The one problem I see is that you have to be there to feed it. Modern pellet stoves can light themselves.
No frozen pipes if you go away for the weekend.
Like your post. Unless you use pellets you’re SOL. A good fireplace with a large hearth mass does the trick. Once the hearth whether brick or rock warms it keeps the house at an even temp.
P.S. use hard wood only, Pine burns fast and the tars coat the chimney. Only use it in a pinch.
Hi Doc,
I’ve lived more than once in houses where the fireplace was it. I’ve spent summers splitting wood with a sledgehammer and wedges. It’s a PITA at the time, but it’s kind of pleasant work, at the same time. Maybe it just...feels wholesome.
Right now, I’m out of work. I’d love to have a woodstove, but the last quote I got to put one in -to code- was around $5k, which I thought a bit much. Still want one, though.
Wood stove almost installed
I use 5.5 tons of pellets a year at 80% +/- effency , it gets cold in NH. To achieve the same result I would need about 8 cords of dry hard wood, in short supply up here at $240 a cord.
If you have a wood lot go for it.
My buddy in the Colorado mountains installed a pellet stove several years ago and swears by it. He installed it in his basement and the local price per ton of pellets for about $210 to $240 depending on season. Sometimes spring or summer specials can even drop that price to below $200 / ton. I personally live down the mountains in Denver and only use pellets in my smoker.
During a hard winter, my friend will go through about 3 tons of pellets but rarely does the central heat kick in. Most years, he only goes through 2 tons. Understand that where he is located routinely gets snow measured in feet and stays white from at least mid Oct through mid March if not longer.
I have been over to his house and the only complaint that I have is that it tends to “dry out” the house. His enthusiasm for pellet stoves as the main source of heat for his house has me considering it as a backup system for when build my next house (geo thermal will be my primary).
Will consider that. Thanks!
It is kind of late now for you but the marketplace is now selling wood pellet makers: http://www.pelletmilloutlet.com/wood_pellet_mill_diesel.html
Not cheap by any means at $4,000 for the low end. Plus with the price of pellets around here, it would take 6 to 10 years to just break even. Perhaps for a small co-op / group / family it might make sense.
I like the new efficient wood stoves. The don’t smoke as much so they burn more of the wood. One I had used half as much wood to heat.
Haven't had any problems with the locals or the Insurance Companies.
We built two ICF earth-sheltered buildings, both heated w/ infloor geothermal. We have a full sized wood cookstove in one and a fireplace in the other. Wood burning saves us a lot on electricity even when replacing geothermal.
All Power Labs (http://www.allpowerlabs.com) produces a gassifier driven power generator. I have not used one but I am told that it can act as an off grid generator. Kind of pricy in my opinion but hey, it wood is all you have ....
Isn’t it sad that the politicians have taken us back to the 1800’s method of heating homes?
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