Did not use the furnace this year!

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par0thead151 said:
might want to turn it on once a month for a few minutes to make sure it still works...

Why? It's off for 6 months at a time during spring and summer and it kicks on just fine come winter.
 
I have one of the newer high efficiency heat pumps and when the weather gets into the mid-50's it cost so little to run I find myself wondering if it isn't cheaper than gas and chain sharpening for the saw. And then I go so tired of having to start a fresh fire every night just to burn a few hours, so last fall I ran the furnace for about a month before going to 24/7 burning. I don't think it was on even quite a week this spring; I've turned it off again as it is staying 70 deg in the house.
 
Same here, we haven't used the furnace at all since we installed the woodstove last January.(09) I really enjoy the fact that for a couple hundred bucks for gas in the truck and supplies for the saw we heat all year long. We keep the house a lot warmer than when we used the furnace too!
 
BrowningBAR said:
par0thead151 said:
might want to turn it on once a month for a few minutes to make sure it still works...

Why? It's off for 6 months at a time during spring and summer and it kicks on just fine come winter.

Why not? It takes very little electric or fuel for a few minutes worth. Heck, we do that with all motors.
 
BrowningBAR said:
par0thead151 said:
might want to turn it on once a month for a few minutes to make sure it still works...

Why? It's off for 6 months at a time during spring and summer and it kicks on just fine come winter.

Keeps condensation down, especially if the furnace is in a cold basement. Burn out cobwebs in gas manifolds. Generally it's a good practice.
 
5 yrs heating with wood only. When I had the hearth stone installed it really was going to be a supplemental heat source, wood heat is additive! I do keep the T-stat for my LP guzzler turned on, and I do run it like once a month just to keep it working.
 
PapaDave said:
Welcome to the club. There are several of us here that do that.

Yes, but look how he does it:

Chevy HHR with 4x6 Trailer
Electric Splitter
Electric Chainsaw


He gets an Adda Boy! for his effort
 
Lets see bought the house in 1978 . Yep been on wood only since so thats what like 32 years. I do test fire the LP boiler now and again just to make sure it would go if need be . Last time I bought LP was 2003 . I would guess it must be over a dollar a gallon now.
 
Yep, I made it 100% wood this season too. Gas furnace stayed off (maybe because it needs a new thermocouple). I got the new part setting on top of furnace, just never installed it (takes all the temptation away of turning it on). But had a close call. Bearing in blower motor on wood stove went on the blink one day in January. Temporarily hooked my garage wood stove motor to it, then my son brought a larger motor from work and we used that until I got my original one fixed. So it helps to have a backup motor on hand (especially if your backup gas furnace is broken).

This past season my cost of wood was about $400-$425. I pick it up at a sawmill, a face cord at a time, already cut in 20" lengths with a lot of blocks in stack, which I split in two. I'm sure gas would've costed more, and I look on burning wood as sort of a hobby.
 
PapaDave said:
myzamboni said:
PapaDave said:
Welcome to the club. There are several of us here that do that.

Yes, but look how he does it:

Chevy HHR with 4x6 Trailer
Electric Splitter
Electric Chainsaw


He gets an Adda Boy! for his effort

Absolutely!! Adda Boy!

Thanks Guys!
 
myzamboni said:
PapaDave said:
Welcome to the club. There are several of us here that do that.

Yes, but look how he does it:

Chevy HHR with 4x6 Trailer
Electric Splitter
Electric Chainsaw


He gets an Adda Boy! for his effort

Indeed. And prior to that he was hauling in a Geo Metro?! He has to be one of our best scroungers dedicated to the cause.
 
BeGreen said:
myzamboni said:
PapaDave said:
Welcome to the club. There are several of us here that do that.

Yes, but look how he does it:

Chevy HHR with 4x6 Trailer
Electric Splitter
Electric Chainsaw


He gets an Adda Boy! for his effort

Indeed. And prior to that he was hauling in a Geo Metro?! He has to be one of our best scroungers dedicated to the cause.

Thanks BeGreen
Chevy Aveo( Very Similar)
I have never purchased wood. Ever..
 
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