I started burning in September and I am through almost 2 cords. I figure 4 to 5 depending on the weather and how the spring goes too. All those "one last fire to take the chill off" fires in the spring have a way of keeping those piles shrinking even though the snow is gone...
How much wood are you really using?
- Thread starter Yarzy
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Danno77
Minister of Fire
Yarzy said:
These numbers are from my basic information, derived using degree days in my location, so YMMV. I am interested in hearing if anyone uses these numbers to get pretty accurate predictions. If You apply these numbers and you find I'm totally off, then let me know. So far any time I apply them to my burning they get pretty danged close, but then I haven't been burning that long. I should also mention that these numbers assume a steady use of the stove. Either consistently using it 5 days a week, or every night, or 24/7. Just so long as you don't decide to take a weeks vacation, or you are a solid burner in the late winter, but a weekend burner in the fall and early winter.
(1)Take whatever you burn from Jan first to the end of April and DIVIDE that number by .623 and you'll get what you would have burned in a year.
(2)For the rest of this year, You could almost double what you use in January and that's how much you'll use in Feb March and April. (multiply by 1.85, really)
(3)Take whatever you burn in January and divide that by .218 to get a year's estimate
Example (1) If you burn 3 cords from Jan 1st to the end of april, then estimate 4.82 Cords for a year of burning next year.
Example (2) if you burn 1 cord in January, then plan on burning almost 2 in Feb through April (1.85 cords)
Example (3) If you burn 1 cord in January, then plan on burning 4.59 cords.
[edit]these are the numbers I use for amount of wood each month:
October 4.6%
November 12.0%
December 21.4%
January 21.8%
February 18.0%
March 13.7%
April 8.7%
Wood Duck
Minister of Fire
I have had my new stove for about one month, and I think I have burned more than half a cord, less than 3/4. I have been burning full time and the wood, although dry, is a mix of softwood, hardwood, and some junk that I am surprised I bothered to cut and stack.
I have heard a cord a month is an average wood use. It has been cold here, by local standards, so I can have a hot fire all the time without overheating the room with the stove. Even with colder-than-normal weather, a cord a month seems too high an estimate for me.
I have heard a cord a month is an average wood use. It has been cold here, by local standards, so I can have a hot fire all the time without overheating the room with the stove. Even with colder-than-normal weather, a cord a month seems too high an estimate for me.
jlow
Feeling the Heat
I will burn about 7-8 cords this season. I am heating 2900 sq ft 24/7. Older house with two stories so air flow is not easy. I burn the EQ at 450-500 with one small floor fan pointed at it from about 7 feet away drawing cold air from the north end of the house to the stove. Keeps us at between 72 -74 without using the furnace. We were in Germany for three weeks and our daughter watched the house. We ran the furnace so she didn't have to mess with the stove and at 68 degrees our gas bill was $218.
Cal-MI
New Member
When guys here speak of cords, do they really mean equivalent to cords of 4 ft long splits? Or do they mean face cords? I used to burn 24 inch long stuff and now burn 18 inch stuff. There is a big difference between an 18 inch face cord and a 24 inch face cord.
Danno77
Minister of Fire
Cal-MI
New Member
Danno77 said:
That sounds reasonable to me. But I have never heard anyone in west Michigan mean other than face cord. I see signs at the roadsides and in papers saying $100-200 a cord and you know well the sign means face cord, of whatever length they happen to have cut it.
Cal-MI said:
It's not just a west side thing. People in this state love to refer to wood in face cords, this drives me crazy! On here when you hear a cord mentioned 9 times out of 10 it'll be full cord of wood which is 4'x4'x8'. I can't believe they're getting 100-200 a face cord on the west side, on the east side I can get "face" cords for 45-55 all day long.
I think I may have burned a little over a cord this year so far. Nights and weekends and all during a 3 week vacation. I started burning In early November.
Last year I got my new stove at the end of January and burned through March. burned 2.5 cords in that time. first season, wet wood and no clue on how to properly use my stove.
This year the wood is a bit better. Longer burn times,clean glass and a wee bit of knowledge gleaned form this site.
Last year I got my new stove at the end of January and burned through March. burned 2.5 cords in that time. first season, wet wood and no clue on how to properly use my stove.
This year the wood is a bit better. Longer burn times,clean glass and a wee bit of knowledge gleaned form this site.
raybonz
Minister of Fire
Danno77
Minister of Fire
Hiram Maxim
Minister of Fire
Starting in September
I have burned about 1/3 of a cord in the Englander
And about 2/3 of a cord in the BK
So about 1 cord.
I run my natural gas furnace one day a week to get the basement warmed up.
The last 4 Winters have been Very Cold in the Great Lakes region.
I have burned about 1/3 of a cord in the Englander
And about 2/3 of a cord in the BK
So about 1 cord.
I run my natural gas furnace one day a week to get the basement warmed up.
The last 4 Winters have been Very Cold in the Great Lakes region.
Hiram Maxim said:
You just have to be the winner of the least wood used sweepstakes! That insulation job you did is doing mind boggling things.
Dix
Minister of Fire
Way more than I thought I would, since adding the second stove. December was brutally cold, and this blizzard schnitzola isn't helping. I'm going to be in big trouble in a few weeks if the weather doesn't break.
I know the Dixette & I are learning the 13's ins & outs, but geez, she's using ALOT of wood. The PE is cruising easily. Got that one down
I know the Dixette & I are learning the 13's ins & outs, but geez, she's using ALOT of wood. The PE is cruising easily. Got that one down
BrotherBart said:
+1 and congratulations. How do you decide which stove to burn? Flip of the coin, weekend switch?
Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:Way more than I thought I would, since adding the second stove. December was brutally cold, and this blizzard schnitzola isn't helping. I'm going to be in big trouble in a few weeks if the weather doesn't break.
I know the Dixette & I are learning the 13's ins & outs, but geez, she's using ALOT of wood. The PE is cruising easily. Got that one down
Burning two stoves eats a ton of wood. It did when I had my office in the basement. That stove has to be more than enough for the Dixette's space. Probably time to get it cranking and then let it burn down.
Burned 3 cords so far, hope to get by with a total of 6 this time. And that's using a little natural gas in the A.M. to help out. Last year was especially cold so I used 6 1/2 cords. House was built in 1994 but is pretty big. Can hardly imagine getting by with only 1 or 2 cords in those cold climates!
gibson
New Member
I am behind my pace of last year. I have probably burned a cord thus far. I have been slacking about starting a fire before leaving for work somedays as well. It also has not been COLD yet. By that I mean lows in the single digits or below zero. I know that we will get our dose for sure. With lows of 20 and highs in the 30's the house holds the heat OK during the day. I'm sure the dog doesn't mind the temp plummeting down to 62* for a few hours.
Somehow, I will burn another two cords by April 15th, probably more.
Somehow, I will burn another two cords by April 15th, probably more.
SolarAndWood
Minister of Fire
Hiram Maxim said:
You've only loaded that thing 23 times in the last three and a half months? The 30 must be one helluva heater or I really need to get my house done or both.
BrowningBAR
Minister of Fire
Hiram Maxim
Minister of Fire
BrotherBart said:
With all the money & time I put into my home I don't find it as mind boggling. :cheese:
I replaced 27 single pane windows with gas filled double pane low-E.
Brought the attic insulation up to R-50, some rooms barely had any to start with.lol
Exterior walls in main part of the house are 8" thick. First 4" closed cell spray in foam,and then R-15 fiberglass in the last 4"
Even insulated the interior walls most of which were 2x6.
New insulated Exterior doors.
Also eliminated a lot of problem areas where outside air was making its way in.
I shut down about 800 sq ft of my house, I don't heat 2 of my 3 bedrooms, and the second bathroom. So I'm heating around 1300 sq. ft. give or take.
I only burned a few times in September. During the month of October I would have a fire in the Englander about every 2 to 3 days until the temps dropped in mid/late October.
With the solar gain and the house being tightened up, the house really holds the heat well.
I got the BK running in mid November.
My wood is well seasoned and splits are biggens this year.
BK runs on 1.5 to 1.75 on the T-stat most of the time.
Hiram Maxim
Minister of Fire
BeGreen said:
I ran the Englander until the BK was put in!
The Englander has been lit once since then.
Hiram Maxim
Minister of Fire
raybonz
Minister of Fire
You might think that firewood grows on trees the way you go through it heating your homes! I have heated my home 24/7 since November and have only burned 2 boxes of toothpicks so far! The rest of my heating needs are supplied by the hot air generated by this forum lol...
Ray
Ray
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