Wood Heat Thread ~ post pics

It is 8'x4'6" with 2'6" sides. It was made by my father-in-law. It looks like sin, but if I can fit it in, it can haul it.

 

My old boss did that a few years ago and his gas bill dropped to about what it would normally cost around mid-fall (pool, water, dishwasher, showers, and heating of the bedrooms). It works really well for his home because he has an open floor plan mid-century modern house. He has to have a few strategically placed fans to move the air around. But all and all he likes it and swears by it. His dogs love it so much that if the fire gets low, they will find him and bother him until the fire is built back up.

I just got my December bill and started researching. I think that there is a tax credit of $300 dollars if you convert.

 

YUP, kinda. Our house had a very small fireplace, and last year we installed the smallest wood burning insert you could get. It claims to take 18" logs, but you MIGHT be able to fit ONE in. Using the insert this winter, my Nov and Dec gas bills were around $30. And up until this past cold spell (night tempts -10) I had only heard the furnace kick on twice. I dont expect this months to be much more than $50 or so, compared to the coldest parts of the winter, my gas bill would be used to be just under $200.

Not to mention, its pretty nice sitting around in shorts and a T-shirt in the middle of winter!!!

 

Wow. Did you self install?

 

No. I'm not that handy. I can cut sh*t up with chain saw and burn it, but not good with real tools.

 

Here's my main floor set up , Pacific Energy Alderlea T5 , I highly recommend this stove , best I've ever used

 

Sub'd

 

Is the one of those heat powered fans? How do you like it?

 

Yes , it's an Ecofan

They are great , this is the newer 3 blade version

 

I've been thinking of getting one of those also. Do they make a lot of noise? How are they with moving air?

 

I'd hate to tear this up with a wood stove. Maybe insert,damn they are high!

 

Interesting. I figured doug fir would be comparable to pine, ie low btu/cord rating but is actually rather decent, comparable to ash which is one of my standbys.

 

About 25 Years ago I finished my basement and gave bricklaying a shot. This is what it turned out like. This is a wood burning fireplace rated at heating a 1500 sq/ft home. There is a Blueflame (not that blue flame) gas log lighter so I don't have to use kindling to start it. Just throw in about 3-4 logs, turn on the gas, and hit it with a butane starter. I turn off the gas after 5 minutes and it keeps going. It has a vent on the outside of the house to the combustion chamber so it doesn't pull in inside air up the chimney. There is a blower the pulls in the inside air from the bottom and circulates it around the back and sides of the firebox and blows it out to top. It puts out a ridiculous amount of heat in about 1/2 hour.



Here is one of our firewood gathering trips. The wood I get is lodge-pole pine and it cost me $25 for a permit. I gather and burn about 2 cords a year. This picture also got me a lecture and the Leaf Spring TSB done from the dealer.

 

Damn, only $25 for all that? Mine has been mostly free but its a constant scrounge search to find sources, I'd pay more than twenty five just in the gas to get it .

 

Zero noise

The 3 blade is rated to move around 75 CFM at full speed IIRC

 

Really depends on the age of the tree too , older , tighter grain fir is amazing firewood

 

This is the setup in my upstairs living room. It is an Englander (24in log) and has a built in blower with air tubes through the stove. It was already installed when I bought the house so I don't know of the installation costs. I do know if I fire it up it easily heats the room (24X28) and if I leave the hall door open heats the bedrooms. I've had the upstairs to 82 degrees before. I can fill it before going to bed and still have heat in morning. Between it and a small Englander free standing stove (18 in log) in the downstair LR I can leave the furnace off whenever I am home.

 

Yea. There is so much pine beetle damage that about 50% of the trees are dead. The forest service wants the dead wood cleared out as much as possible. The $25 permit is good for 1 month and up to 4 cords total.

 

The only time I like to use those fire logs is when I don't want much heat output. Mainly for looks, on holidays so the boiler doesn't shut off and freeze the upstairs.

We have a Jotul Oslo 50,000 BTU with a secondaryt combustion. The flue temp gets up to 4-500 degrees and that is its sweet spot.

We are considering a wood-fired boiler. Our neighbor has a Classic outdoor boiler for his 13,000 sq ft house, but I think it eats a lot of wood.

We were thinking of going with an indoor wood boiler instead. We have to do something soon. It costs over $1300 to fill the oil tank and we usually have to do it twice a year.

 

Damn California