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How much wood do you burn during an average season?

Strictly Ambiance 1 cord or less 9 vote(s) 7.8%
1-2 cords 17 vote(s) 14.8%
2-3 cords 28 vote(s) 24.3%
3-4 cords 28 vote(s) 24.3%
4-5 cords 14 vote(s) 12.2%
5-6 cords 4 vote(s) 3.5%
6-7 cords 11 vote(s) 9.6%
7-10 cords 2 vote(s) 1.7%
10-15 cords 2 vote(s) 1.7%
15 plus cords 0 vote(s) 0.0%
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  1. scfa99 New Member

    joined: Dec 10, 2005
    316 posts
    New Jersey, USA
    Alright with the season upon us or rapidly approaching I'm interested in knowing how much wood everyone goes through during an average season.
    #1

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  2. BrotherBart He Who Moderates

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    21,957 posts
    Northern Virginia
    Generally three of hardwood in the main floor stove and two of pine in the basement office stove.
  3. madrone Minister of Fire

    Mild climate, good stove, and (looks at floor muttering) supplemental gas furnace. Not usually more than 2 of whatever I got for free.
  4. swestall New Member

    joined: Oct 29, 2007
    995 posts
    Connecticut
    No matter what I do, it is 4-5 cords every year. HOT house, COLD house makes no difference.

    I just light it at Thanksgiving, more or less, and let it go out around April Fools to May Day.
  5. woodzilla New Member

    joined: Dec 23, 2007
    168 posts
    Mid-Michigan
    last year was 3.5 full cord, but it was first year with learning curve and limited supply. I anticipate 4 + this season if conditions are similar.
  6. bebopin New Member

    joined: Dec 29, 2007
    78 posts
    Wisconsin
    This is going to be the 1st full yr. So i am just guessing at 2-3 cords. But will probably be more.
  7. rich81 New Member

    joined: Dec 10, 2006
    199 posts
    i'm thinking ur right about it being more
  8. RedRanger New Member

    joined: Nov 19, 2007
    1,428 posts
    British Columbia
    6 cords of softwood last year in the old dragon. Perhaps only 4 this year with the new beast? I still need supplemental oil heat for this 4 level house.
  9. mtarbert Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 23, 2006
    505 posts
    Maryland
    5-6 cords of Oak. We have a Fisher, Pappa Bear that serves until it gets really cold (!0 degrees or lower) And then a large wood/coal stove in our basement that hooks up to the duct system. I don't like using the basement unit too much......its like throwing wood into a Locomotive but, it does keep the house Warm.
    The old rule my grandfather used is You should have half your firewood left on groundhog day.
  10. BJ64 Minister of Fire

    joined: Jul 24, 2008
    608 posts
    NE Oklahoma
    NE Oklahoma winters are not that cold, but the wind blows more often than not. When the wind blows the wind chill really drops it takes much more heat.

    One in a while it gets bad enough you will see the horses with their butts up against trees for a wind break.

    I used about 5 cords with the silly fireplace. This year with the new EPA stove my goal is to keep the house a bit warmer and use 1/3 less wood.

    So 5 * 2/3 = about 3 cord
  11. North of 60 Minister of Fire

    joined: Jul 27, 2007
    2,449 posts
    Yukon Canada
    6-7 if we have a decent summer / early spring or a late fall. It didnt happen this year. August is the only month the stove was not lit and I was away for most of it. Working outa town during the week for the rest of it May June And July burning on weekends. I think 7+ for this year by the looks of it.
  12. fossil Super Moderator

    joined: Sep 30, 2007
    9,158 posts
    Bend, Oregon
    Whaddya expect when ya live someplace where the only thing you know about the Sun is what you read about? ;-P Rick
  13. BrotherBart He Who Moderates

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    21,957 posts
    Northern Virginia
    Yeah but he has a Blaze King. He meant 6-7 splits. Not cords. :lol:
  14. North of 60 Minister of Fire

    joined: Jul 27, 2007
    2,449 posts
    Yukon Canada
    In the summer we forget what the moon and stars look like. You can fish 24/7. As for you Uncle B, just keep it up. :blank: :cheese:
  15. michaelthomas New Member

    joined: Feb 10, 2006
    286 posts
    The last 3 years I only had my Resolute and burned about 3 cord. This year I have the resolute going and the new 30 going. It will be interesting to see how much I go through this year juggling between the 2 stoves. The 30 is in my greatroom and heats the 24x36' greatroom and the 4 rooms above the garage. The resolut heats the main part of the house and the bedrooms upstairs, about 1600 sf. I don' know yet if I will run the 30 24/7 yet. It would be the nice to come home to a warm house and it will definately burn for 12 hours where the resolute is about 8 hours max with all of the stars aligned and god smiling on me:) If the 30 is running 24/7 then we might be close to 6-7 cord for the year, if it is a restart during the week and both going all weekend then we will be 4-5 cord. Bring on the cold weather!!! I have 2.5 cord of wood on my screen porch and everything is set to go:)
  16. otsegony Member

    joined: Dec 19, 2006
    30 posts
    3.5 to 4 full cords in moderately severe climate in Upstate New York. Have non-catalytic airtight in basement as supplement to oil-fired radiant heat. Using wood in this way has brought my oil usage from 700 gallons per year to a little less than 200. I will have to add a wood fired boiler to the equation to heat DHW and knock out the rest of the oil usage.

    Garet

    Cooperstown, NY
  17. savageactor7 Minister of Fire

    joined: Jan 25, 2008
    3,699 posts
    CNY
    I've never calculated/measured wood in over 30 years of wood burning but the little lady swears we're good for 40 face cords a year. The guy that cleans a lot of chimneys around here says no way we could burn that much, cause non of the other 24/7 wood burners do...so truthfully I dunno.
  18. adrpga498 Minister of Fire

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    751 posts
    New Jersey
    I burn about 1 cord of scrap, ugly splits and partial punky wood during the shoulder season. When I go 24/7 its prime cuts only, usaully 3 to 4 cords.
  19. Todd Minister of Fire

    joined: Nov 19, 2005
    8,804 posts
    Lake Wissota
    I averaged 3 cords of hardwood burning 24/7 from mid Oct-Apr each of the last two seasons.
  20. CowboyAndy New Member

    joined: Feb 29, 2008
    744 posts
    Chateaugay, NY
    This is our first year burning, so I have no idea how much we are going to use. My in laws burned with wood for years and years in their farmhouse and used 7 cords. Their house is bigger and not as well insulated as ours. Plus they had an older innefficiant boiler. I have 7 ready and standing by, but hoping that we only use 5 ish...
  21. ScottF New Member

    joined: Aug 7, 2008
    411 posts
    Southern NH
    last 10 years have been about 3-4 cords per year in the open Rumford fireplace. This year we will have a modern 1890 smoke dragon in the kitchen area and we plan to use mostly the old smoke dragon for heat. My guess is that we will use also about 4 cords because we will burn 24/7 but it will use less wood than the open fireplace. I have 12 cords ready to go anyhow. Will use the fireplace for ambiance also. The old smoke dragon is almost ready to go in . I have been working on the addition non stop nights and weekends for 6 mos now.
  22. granpajohn Minister of Fire

    joined: Jul 13, 2007
    585 posts
    Central Maryland
    After 2 or 3 tries, I can usually make out what he's trying to say, but this is a tough one.
  23. Joey Jones New Member

    joined: Sep 13, 2008
    237 posts
    New hampshire
    I did make a pact with my self that I would never burn K-1 again unless it fed the shower and DW heater water that I wash dishes with monitor heater. Or if I had to go away on emergency...I have kept my promise so-far...
  24. ISeeDeadBTUs Minister of Fire

    joined: Nov 7, 2007
    2,241 posts
    NY
    And don't forget to get Mary Jane's approval first :lol:
  25. billb3 Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 14, 2007
    3,068 posts
    SE Mass
    One cord or less doesn't have to be ambience.

    Small well insulated / sheltered house , weekends and nights only.
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