Updated GreenWood learning curve

Thanks for the positive info ISEEDEADBTU'S I too am pleased with the outcome of my install and continue to learn. I have it down that my oil boiler kicks on for about 8 minutes in the morning and maybe 10 minutes in the after noon. I am serious about the 8 minutes because I hear the oil boiler rumble on at about 4:50 am and I get up at 5. By the time I get downstairs put on my boots and coat to go out to the garage it shuts down. I have the oil gun high point set at 135 and the low at 120 so even when it fires it is only heating the water from 135 up to about 142 or so then it shuts off. At that point the GW fire takes over and climbs to 175 - 180. Same scenario when I get home in the afternoon. The digital heat retention unit lets me know what the lowest temp was for the day and it is usually around 142 when I get home so the oil gun has not even fired. I used to get really mad about the oil gun running but now I think of it as daily maintenance to keep the system active. The last time we got oil was Sept. of 2008 and we are still above 1/2 tank (2 - 275 gallons or 550 total) Plus we use oil for dhw all summer. Any way all in all I am happy expensive install but with the old drafty stone house we are still looking at a payoff or payback within 2 years or 4 seasons total. Used about 3 cords so far and hope to be on track for about 6 total.

I am in total amazement on the wood consumption you guys are posting. I have chewed thru approx 10 cord and will run out before warm weather gets here.Not a huge deal as both my oil tanks are full,bought the GW to offset the oil useage. Not panning out that way. May try some kinda storage in the off season. But I feel I shouldnt have to with these style units. Am I wrong in thinking that? I havent done a heat loss calculation yet,goin to look into that and will post when I figure it all out.

Deere10, you are referring to the usage map?

My 2 cents is to look at you load side. Where are all those BTUs going?

Not sure what wood you are using, probably oak. Ten cords of season wood would be 260-290 million BTUs. That is about 2000 gallons of home heating oil you didn't use (assuming your wood boiler has the same efficiency as your oil boiler).

That is why folks love burning wood.

Steve thanks again gotta do a heat loss calculation. But no never went thru 2000 gals of oil,(but kept house much cooler on oil) had a small Avalon stove doing as well as this GW,granted it was 90 degrees in the kitchen where the Avalon was and 68 at the other end of the house,and now its 72-74 all the way thru house. But now the bad part the ten cords have bee since Nov 1. Alot of Cherry,Hickory,and hard Maple, no oak around here,been mixing splits and rounds I cant see a huge difference in burn times. I am amazed some are heating 2 buildings on what I am burning for one. May look into some kinda storage,at a reasonable price of course. But thank you for the info..

Deere10 said:

Steve thanks again gotta do a heat loss calculation. But no never went thru 2000 gals of oil,(but kept house much cooler on oil) had a small Avalon stove doing as well as this GW,granted it was 90 degrees in the kitchen where the Avalon was and 68 at the other end of the house,and now its 72-74 all the way thru house. But now the bad part the ten cords have bee since Nov 1. Alot of Cherry,Hickory,and hard Maple, no oak around here,been mixing splits and rounds I cant see a huge difference in burn times. I am amazed some are heating 2 buildings on what I am burning for one. May look into some kinda storage,at a reasonable price of course. But thank you for the info..

Click to expand...

I don't have any hard numbers, just experience, but it takes allot of BTU's for every degree you raise the house. The 4 or 6 degrees your house is warmer takes allot of wood but the whole house being warm is allot nicer. I set my house temp down at night to 70 and then kick it up to 73 during the day and I really see the storage temp drop during this time.

Hey thanks for the info I have a programmable t stat Once I figure it out I may try to program it to do temp changes similar..