1. Welcome Hearth.com Guests and Visitors - Please enjoy our forums!
    Hearth.com GOLD Sponsors who help bring the site content to you:
    Jotul Cast Iron Stoves
    Woodstock Soapstone Stoves
    Hearth and Home (QuadraFire and Harman Stoves)
  1. SlyFerret Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 12, 2007
    1,410 posts
    Delaware, Ohio
    I've burned about half of what I usually do by this point. Usually about 3 cords total for the year, so I guess I've burned just under a cord.

    I've also burned about 50 gallons of propane so far. That is about my average for a whole year, so that is up some.

    I'm tired of the perpetual shoulder season. Where is winter already!!

    -SF
    #26

    Helpful Sponsor Ads!



  2. larry3228 Member

    joined: Oct 29, 2010
    12 posts
    Middle Tennessee
    My last propane fill up was in August 2011. On a 350 gallon tank it went from 95% to 75% last winter - a very mild winter. It is down to 50% now after a normal winter. We burn 24/7 but the insert is just a bit undersized for the house. The furnace kicks in once or twice just before I get up and when sometimes it gets below 20* (bitter cold for middle TN).

    Before we installed the insert 3 years ago we used 3 or 4 tanks a winter. The stove was installed in late December 3 winters ago. That first winter we used 2 tanks. Better wood and more experience has helped alot.

    The propane truck comes once a month to check if we need a fill-up, I love to hear it rumble out of here after just a minute or 2.

    Larry.
    raybonz likes this.
  3. jimmieguns Member

    joined: Dec 10, 2012
    216 posts
    Long Island, NY
    NICE! love it--- me too (I think) look for my recent post---:) year to year i am on par to use 275 gal for the COLD part versus about 600 previoes years - if not more like 800 gal! so I am VERY VERY happy--- :) Long Island here.....
    raybonz likes this.
  4. billb3 Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 14, 2007
    3,068 posts
    SE Mass
    My tank gauge doesn't work, but they could only squeeze in 82 gallons last week at $3.71 per.
    Bought 250 gallons late last Spring.
    I have a zone water heater.
    New Buderus /Riello seems to be really sipping fuel.
    raybonz likes this.
  5. rkshed Member

    joined: Jan 15, 2012
    229 posts
    Bedford NH
    None.
    Average winter here.
    1100 sf ranch and the average temp inside the house has been around 72 all season.
    PA Fire Bug and raybonz like this.
  6. mepellet Minister of Fire

    joined: Aug 10, 2011
    1,499 posts
    Central ME
    No oil burned here for space heating. Only for hot water and occasionally turn it on to keep pipes in certain areas from freezing. For heat i have burned just over two tons of pellets and a few armloads of cord wood in the old wood eater.
    milleo and raybonz like this.
  7. Slow1 Minister of Fire

    joined: Nov 26, 2008
    2,338 posts
    Eastern MA
    You may want to try a different approach than running the HVAC so much. For less electricity a few well placed fans (maybe just one) on the floor to encourage convection may keep the place warmer. The reason for this is that most HVAC systems are not well sealed or insulated so you can lose a lot of heat through the ducts. Then again, it does depend on the exact install - if all your ducts run through areas you want to heat (i.e. none in attic or garage etc) then that 'lost' heat really wouldn't be. However in any case in many homes it is possible to distribute the heat of a stove with just a few small fans.
  8. DMbekus New Member

    joined: Nov 14, 2012
    22 posts
    central NJ
    last year 940 gallons
    this year (1st with stove) 400 gallons. hot water by oil also
    rideau and raybonz like this.
  9. Beer Belly Minister of Fire

    joined: Oct 26, 2011
    882 posts
    Connecticut
    I'd have to guess at 80 gallons max since November 1.......mostly for hot water
    raybonz likes this.
  10. soupy1957 Minister of Fire

    joined: Jan 8, 2010
    1,356 posts
    Connecticut
    More than I would have LIKED to burn, I can tell you THAT!

    -soupy1957
    firebroad likes this.
  11. chemical_man New Member

    joined: Feb 18, 2013
    14 posts
    NS, Canada
    I second soupy! Hence why I'm having a few guys come in tomorrow for sales info. I did a quick financial analysis and 3 years tops an installed stove with SS chimney will be paid off but the immediate payoff will be a much warmer house for a fraction of the cost.
  12. chazcarr Member

    joined: Jan 22, 2012
    169 posts
    Wolcott, CT

    I have noticed that too. They always come on an ever changing schedule when the price increase. Last delivery was $4 per gallon on the day oil went up so you know he didn't pay that much for it.

    I am keeping tabs on oil as you can see here, and it seems we run nearly identical. I've been thinking of going electric/propane for hot water and ditching oil almost all together. (I'll keep some for when I escape to a warm place in the winter and don't want my pipes to freeze).
  13. velvetfoot Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 5, 2005
    4,840 posts
    Sand Lake, NY
    Same here.
  14. firefighterjake Minister of Fire

    joined: Jul 22, 2008
    13,477 posts
    Unity/Bangor, Maine
    I burned a bit more this year than I have in the past . . . mainly because we went away for a week. For most of the winter the oil gauge was a bit above the half way mark . . . now it's more than a quarter but less than a half.
    raybonz likes this.
  15. raybonz Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 5, 2008
    5,982 posts
    Carver, MA.
    We were in Aruba last week and my oldest daughter stayed here with my youngest daughter.. I told her to use the stove only if we lost power or ran out of oil.. She ran the friggin' stove the whole time I was gone and I only gave her a 10 minute lesson.. Think she got it too hot once but no real issues and I still have 1/4 tank of oil lol.. She likes to be warm! Just a chip of the 'ol block I guess!

    Ray
  16. DeerHunter New Member

    joined: Jun 25, 2012
    44 posts
    Adirondacks, NY
    NONE!

    Wife refused to turn it on, even though it meant that she had to reload while I was at work. First year of burning, and we're all in! Upstate NY to boot. Figure I've burned about 6 cord so far for a 2600 sqft 2-story Colonial. We augment with electric space heaters in the kids' rooms overnight when it gets really cold.

    Tom
    rideau and raybonz like this.
  17. gyrfalcon Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 25, 2007
    1,399 posts
    Champlain Valley, Vermont
    Tell your oil company you want to switch to "on call" only. There's zero need for that kind of regular delivery if you're using so little.
  18. gseith New Member

    joined: Nov 15, 2012
    8 posts
    NE Ohio
    My wife also has also refused to turn the furnace on this year. She does 75% of the reloading of the stove. I'm just stuck doing all the CSS of the wood.
    rideau likes this.
  19. begreen Super Moderator

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    36,118 posts
    South Puget Sound, WA
    None, zip, nada other than the canola oil in the frying pan.
  20. Beer Belly Minister of Fire

    joined: Oct 26, 2011
    882 posts
    Connecticut
    I had the same problem the first year with the stove.....not the pricing.....we are locked in on that....but the oil man showed up every 30 days....after two trips, and dumping about 20 gallons of fuel oil they called to warn us that buying oil elsewhere would void our contract (1 year)....told them we were burning wood....now they come twice a year.:cool:
    firebroad and raybonz like this.
  21. ansehnlich1 Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 5, 2006
    1,506 posts
    Adams County, PA
    we've burned about 80 gallons of oil in 5 years :)
    raybonz likes this.
  22. ailanthus Member

    joined: Feb 17, 2012
    195 posts
    Shen Valley, VA
    Just enough to keep the house at 50 while we were away the other weekend. I shut off the valve at the oil tank last spring & forgot that I had done it. 10 minutes of troubleshooting & I figured it out, but, doh! ;em
    raybonz likes this.
  23. adrpga498 Minister of Fire

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    750 posts
    New Jersey
    About 120 gallons. Not at half way point on the dip stick. Dec, Jan , & Feb, I have stat set at 60* or 6 am whichever comes 1st. Furnace kicks on for about 15 minutes during those months.::P Oh well what can I say, at least the air handler for AC get a little work out. Looking to go for f600 when castine craps out. ( may be awhile) this old stove is a work horse. Last 10 years I avg. 130 gallons per year . Better than 900 gallons pre Castine.
    raybonz likes this.
  24. Beer Belly Minister of Fire

    joined: Oct 26, 2011
    882 posts
    Connecticut
    Topped off in begining of November.....topped off today.....52 gallons....likely most of it for Hot Water.:cool:
  25. Sirburnsalot New Member

    joined: Mar 7, 2013
    2 posts
    I turn my thermostat down to about 50 degrees when I go on winter vacations. Between burning the fireplace and doing the thermostat thing, I save lots of oil.

Share This Page