Probably just as well

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sumpnz

Member
May 16, 2011
68
Skagit County, WA
that I don't have a wood stove yet.

Been reading lots of threads on folks already burning. If I had a new stove this year I be about ready to lose my mind in anticipation of that first real fire. Can't believe it's October 5th, and it's still 75F in the house at 8:30PM with the windows open and the heat has yet be turned on at all since the spring.
 
I don't think you even plan on getting a stove.
 
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Oh, I plan on it. It's just a matter of time, money, and SWMBO buy in. She likes the looks of the BK Ashford. Just need to budget out the alcove build and stove/flue.

It's a good problem to have, but my electric heat is just too cheap to make the switch to wood justifiable on the basis of cost alone. If we had to rely on propane or God forbid oil for heat, or if electricity was even at the national average in cost (last bill it worked out to $0.093/kWh) it would be a slam dunk.

Heck, if the wife didn't want to wait I'd have put one in already.
 
sumpnz said:
Oh, I plan on it. It's just a matter of time, money, and SWMBO buy in. She likes the looks of the BK Ashford. Just need to budget out the alcove build and stove/flue.

It's a good problem to have, but my electric heat is just too cheap to make the switch to wood justifiable on the basis of cost alone. If we had to rely on propane or God forbid oil for heat, or if electricity was even at the national average in cost (last bill it worked out to $0.093/kWh) it would be a slam dunk.

Heck, if the wife didn't want to wait I'd have put one in already.
Click to expand...
My electric after taxes and all charges is around 17 cents/kilowatt hour.
My house is total electric also.
Heat pump is good till about 30f ..any colder then that and the big toaster in the basement will come on.
 
sumpnz said:
Oh, I plan on it. It's just a matter of time, money, and SWMBO buy in. She likes the looks of the BK Ashford. Just need to budget out the alcove build and stove/flue.

It's a good problem to have, but my electric heat is just too cheap to make the switch to wood justifiable on the basis of cost alone. If we had to rely on propane or God forbid oil for heat, or if electricity was even at the national average in cost (last bill it worked out to $0.093/kWh) it would be a slam dunk.

Heck, if the wife didn't want to wait I'd have put one in already.
Click to expand...

Where is electricity 9.3 cents a kilowatt hour?
 
$0.09x per go ahead rub it in. Son-of-a-guns just went for 2 more prices jacks around here which might double the cost per - already in the high teens
 
Blades I feel your Pain. National Grid just announced a 37% Electric hike.
 
Bigg_Redd said:
Yet you've lurked for 2.5 years? Creepy. . .
Click to expand...

Not creepy . . . just has a problem with commitment? ;) And yes . . . I kid . . . sometimes I go months before pulling the trigger on a purchase . . . and just do lots and lots of research.
 
I'm in a similar boat to sumpnz. I want to install an insert, but wife thinks they don't look good and that it won't raise the value of our home. I almost agree with the home value part since our house is definitely the top slot in our neighborhood, and the rest of the houses keep our value from climbing, but there are some VERY attractive inserts out there. Clydesdale, Napoleon EPI3 (C or T), etc.

I haven't lurked for 2.5 years though...just found the site a week ago!
 
First signed up back then as SWMBO was at the time only interester in a zero clearance high effeciency fireplace. Once I figured out the cost of that setup I quickly realized there was no chance of that happening. Dropped off the site after that until she became willing to consider a freestanding stove in an alcove. Came back after that.

Right now I'm working on getting my firewood stack going so that when I do get the stove it's 2 years worth at least (species available here don't need more than 2 years to season, 1 year is prob plenty for a lot of it). That way if I can it for next winter I'll have enough seasoning time, and be at primo seasoning each year thereafter. And if it takes 2 years to get the stove, then I'll be golden as far as wood supply goes.
 
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sumpnz said:
Oh, I plan on it. It's just a matter of time, money, and SWMBO buy in. She likes the looks of the BK Ashford. Just need to budget out the alcove build and stove/flue.

It's a good problem to have, but my electric heat is just too cheap to make the switch to wood justifiable on the basis of cost alone. If we had to rely on propane or God forbid oil for heat, or if electricity was even at the national average in cost (last bill it worked out to $0.093/kWh) it would be a slam dunk.

Heck, if the wife didn't want to wait I'd have put one in already.
Click to expand...
If you're waiting on the price to justify it you might be waiting a long time. I'm a man of numbers and had to just eat the initial cost of putting it in. Be mindfull that you'll be accomplishing a couple of things:
  1. You'll be putting an investment into your home that will increase its value.
  2. You'll be minimizing ware and tear on the heat pump which doubles as your air conditioner.
  3. Most important of all, you'll be warm in the winter with the type of heat you have. There's nothing like wood heat and electric heat just can't compare:ZZZ
 
bcphillips said:
You'll be putting an investment into your home that will increase its value
Click to expand...
That really depends on the buyer. I have shown many houses with wood stoves in them and had buyers say that it would be the first thing to go. I agree with your other points though.
 
bcphillips said:
If you're waiting on the price to justify it you might be waiting a long time. I'm a man of numbers and had to just eat the initial cost of putting it in. Be mindfull that you'll be accomplishing a couple of things:
  1. You'll be putting an investment into your home that will increase its value.
  2. You'll be minimizing ware and tear on the heat pump which doubles as your air conditioner.
  3. Most important of all, you'll be warm in the winter with the type of heat you have. There's nothing like wood heat and electric heat just can't compare:ZZZ
Click to expand...

1. Questionable. I'd be taking out a propane fireplace and putting in a wood stove. The exact opposite of what most people are doing. Probably would see very little increase in value unless something happens to make wood heat FAR more popular than it is now.
2. That is a good point.
3. I ain't the one that needs convincing on that score.

End of the day, I'm the one that wants it the most. SWMBO is the roadblock. But I can understand the reasoning. Spending $7000+ ($3300 for the stove she'd be OK with, $700 for install, plus sales tax, plus $1400 for chimney, plus probably $1000-1500 for the hearth/alcove she wants) for something that will maybe save $800/year is not a great financial move. I still want it. I just know I can't use math to make it more attractive to her.
 
How about this. Cold night fire is going little wine... Works for me. It's still warm here in ct my wife is asking to fire the stove for few weeks already...
 
fire_man said:
Blades I feel your Pain. National Grid just announced a 37% Electric hike.
Click to expand...

Only for residential customers who use more than 500kWh per month.
 
sumpnz said:
I'm near Mt Vernon. Last bill was $225 (bi-monthly) with around 2500kWh. I'd have to look it up for the exact numbers. Maybe it was closer to 9.7cents but whatever the case, less than 10cents.
Click to expand...

Slight correction. 2625kWh for $246.14 or 9.377cents per kWh. That was for 62 days. It's been pretty warm this summer comparred to most so the AC has seen more use. Last year for the same period we used 2360kWh.
 
The only problem about using current pricing when calculating the return (time) for the investment is that the formula demands you use that fixed price as a constant. Stuff changes; sometimes for the better, more often though for the worse. My propane bill for last winter was apx ~$3000. Best case (*assuming a similar winter and add similar propane prices and similar usages) would be a ROI of 2.5 yrs. Maybe sooner, maybe later. The rule however is that the BKK will more than pay for itself well prior to my retirement on a fixed income.
 
sumpnz said:
Slight correction. 2625kWh for $246.14 or 9.377cents per kWh. That was for 62 days. It's been pretty warm this summer comparred to most so the AC has seen more use. Last year for the same period we used 2360kWh.
Click to expand...

I'm just up the road from you in Bellingham. The rate here is 10.36 cents per kWh. A good rate but 21.45% higher than the Washington average of 8.53 cents.

Last year was our first winter in this home. We had radiant heat powered by propane. When we turned it on, it was so expensive we immediately switched it off and went to electric heaters while we began researching other options. The heat pump option was our second choice but we went with wood for all the lifestyle and ambiance reasons. This was more my thing than my wife's but she was supportive. It didn't hurt that she found heat pump registers industrial looking and didn't want them in our home.

When we were heating with electric, our winter bills were around $200 to $300. Now that we're just using electricity for normal stuff, the bill is around $25 a month. We have LED and CFL light bulbs pretty much throughout the home and our appliances are all new. That helps but so does our low electric rate.

Of course water more than makes up for electric. That comes to around $100 a month (including sewer).
 
We're not minding the mild Oct weather one bit here. Last year had a sucky Sept and early Oct.. The heat pump can handle the chill when needed but with these temps the house is still at 68-70F in the morning. If this is a mild winter, no problem. Less wood to tote, stack and burn is not a bad thing. When I want cold and snow I will head up into the mountains.
 
We have four days of clouds, drizzle and highs in the low sixties and lows in the fifties coming in a couple of days. We shall see...

Still gotta get that chimney cleaned before firing up for the season. Skipped the mid-season cleaning last year for the first time out of curiosity. It actually looks just like it did at mid-season.
 
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