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.
Wood stove almost installed
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).
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.
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.
My stove using about 3i/2 cords of wood per season. Keeps the downstairs warm and the bathrooms good and warm. I use mattress pad heaters in the bedrooms. A joy!
I have one floor in my home that is out of wood stove range and a living space over my 3 car garage that I heat with oil along with all the hot h20..That takes about 3K.
I use wood. I could buy a cord of wood for anything from $150-$275. Or I can get it myself for nothing but fuel and my time. I’ve heard that a cord of wood is equal to ~150 gallons of home heating oil.
Home heating oil in Fairbanks is only lately dropping below $4/gallon. So Worst case scenario, 1 cord of wood for $275 = $600. Worth it.
Won’t convert to Pellet because if the electricity goes out, no auto-feeding into the pellet stove.
I had an outdoor wood furnace installed when we built our house a few years back. The mess and stink stays outdoors.
I buy sawmill scrap from an Amishman about 30 miles from my house. He charges me $45 for a trailer load, which is just shy of 2 cord, and they load it.
I use ~12 cord a year, heating a 2500sq/ft home and 1200sq/ft workshop.
Located in central Missouri. I normally fire it up in mid October and it stays lit until mid April.
I have looked into pellet stoves several times. The one thing that stopped me is that I own some wooded acres and so do a lot of my friends, so firewood is abundant and free. Pellets I would have to purchase.
There might be an even better way. Whether or not you like these as a technology, they are some gorgeous pictures.
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2008/12/tile-stoves.html
http://www.inspirationgreen.com/masonry-heaters.html
http://www.rvharvey.com/kachelofen.htm
I would love to see some design engineer create one of these that was multipurpose, good enough for a home to be designed around, and craftily insulated to maximize efficiency. I can imagine a cooking oven, a drying oven, and a drying closet for clothes.
Hi all,
Does anyone have any ideas for a back up heating system for those of us that are city / suburb residents? I am on a smallish lot in a small house, so storage is a concern. In addition, I am currently on city natural gas distribution.
I have no idea how to handle a long term SHTF scenario where nat gas flow is stopped.....