Wood Stove Philosophy of use - What's yours??

we put in a wood stove because the wife didn't like to sit in the house at 62F and I wasn't paying 4$ a gallon for fuel oil. that is the main reason. the other reasons are we both grew up with wood heat and really liked it, we also live in an area that gets icestorms and extended power outages, lots of things in our house are made to be used with no power, propane cook stove, wood stove, municipal water is 95% gravity fed.

sutphenj said:

My reasoning for installing a wood stove was focused around a secondary heat source (geothermal is #1) that can be used to supplement #1 and for power outages. Additionally I wanted a backup that required essentially nothing from outside resources. I.e no recurring consumable parts, minimal maintenance that I can do myself including sweeping the chimney along with something where I can harvest and hoard the necessary fuel (wood) from my backdoor. Perhaps I'm just a simpleton. Burn times are important but don't trump the others factors above.

Ok so what is your philosophy of use?

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I burn to be self sufficient. Free from outside companies and lessen my dependency on third parties and thier supply chains. I can cut unlimited amounts of hardwood and it's great for my health.

Quite an easy decision for our family. My wife was cold; propane at the time was $4 per gallon; we live on a large area of land with plenty of wood; and payback on the wood stove would occur in only 2 1/2 years. Today (4 years later), wife is warm, I have no propane cost, and heating my house is basically free other than what it costs me to C/S/S wood.

All stoves use consumable parts even if it's just door gaskets or bricks. Many of us have had to replace a ceramic firebox ceiling too.

I burn for romance and ambiance.
I burn short hot fires for a good flame show with the air wide open and the fuel limited.
Burning wood (bought in bundles at grocery and hardware stores) is way more expensive than natural gas.

sutphenj said:

My reasoning for installing a wood stove was focused around a secondary heat source (geothermal is #1) that can be used to supplement #1 and for power outages. Additionally I wanted a backup that required essentially nothing from outside resources. I.e no recurring consumable parts, minimal maintenance that I can do myself including sweeping the chimney along with something where I can harvest and hoard the necessary fuel (wood) from my backdoor. Perhaps I'm just a simpleton. Burn times are important but don't trump the others factors above.

Ok so what is your philosophy of use?

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Right ON!
Our primary is oil, though, as our electricity is the highest in the whole NW region. We use less than 100 gal oil/yr when supplementing with wood heat.

A local propane company made the decision for me to burn full time 20 years ago...called them 6 days in advance to fill my tank....my daughter was ready to enter this world...that day came 5 days after I called them...came home to a empty tank with a new born in tow...called voicing my concerns...was told you will be fine...ran out at 2 am...no problem they say...they bring 100 gallons...then bill me for a $75 emergency fee! They received another call...lol Your tank will be setting in the street and I am not paying...and I didn't.

When the fuel is FREE how can you go wrong. I like the fire show as much as the free heat. Of course there is processing labor involved ,but think of the labor your doing to earn the dollars to PAY for other the fuels, plus the resulting taxes on that labor.

Highbeam said:

All stoves use consumable parts even if it's just door gaskets or bricks. Many of us have had to replace a ceramic firebox ceiling too.

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Very true. Gaskets and a baffle here.

My fisher papa bear didn' use a gasket. And with fire brick, you don't "need" them. It will still burn wood and make heat.

sutphenj said:

My reasoning for installing a wood stove was focused around a secondary heat source (geothermal is #1) that can be used to supplement #1 and for power outages. Additionally I wanted a backup that required essentially nothing from outside resources. I.e no recurring consumable parts, minimal maintenance that I can do myself including sweeping the chimney along with something where I can harvest and hoard the necessary fuel (wood) from my backdoor. Perhaps I'm just a simpleton. Burn times are important but don't trump the others factors above.

Ok so what is your philosophy of use?

Click to expand...

I really like to be warm.

I really hate to spend money.

I'd prefer to minimize my reliance on others, particularly "the man" peddling liquified/gassified dinosaurs.

I require some sort of outlet that allows me to cause mayhem without getting thrown in the clink, and the chainsaw, axe, sledge, and maul fit the bill.

Plus, what would I do with all this wood?

Newburnerwisconsin said:

I burn to be self sufficient. Free from outside companies and lessen my dependency on third parties and thier supply chains.

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This. And I'm always looking for an excuse to be outside. Cutting wood is a good one.

In 2008 heating oil was around $4 per gallon . . . I could get firewood for not much more than the fuel to power my saw, splitter, truck and ATV. Grew up with wood heat and for a long time I wanted to have a back up heat source for those times when we lose power in the winter. It was a no brainer.

Fast forward to now and my "back up, part-time" wood heat is now my main source of heat. Pretty much the only "trade off" as I see it is that burning wood as the primary heat source means heating with wood the way I do (i.e. main source of heat) is more of a life style choice.

New house bought 2+yrs ago has a chimney with an big ash tree literally at the corner of the same room + stove and liner for sale at $800. Been very happy since all the logs were c/s/s, stove hits 650F with 2yrs aged ash and 4+yrs maples from scrounging last year.

BTW one burning log is touching the viewing window, I don't usually place logs this close to the window, this one just happens to roll down. Any harm in that?

My electric heat pumps and air handlers seemed to run non-stop last winter, which was our first winter in this house...the constant noise and a couple of high-$600 electric bills was enough to seal the deal for me. This winter the main heat pump hasn’t come on once, despite the polar vortex making for a much colder winter than last, and my highest electric bill was $250.

Two reasons: fha/oil heat sucks, unless the furnace is blowing it feels cold, second, oil was really expensive for a time, it's come down but still is more than wood. The stove paid for itself in two years and the house is always warm, win/win.

Because my only alternative without installing a new system is electric baseboard. Some of that argument is moot because I spent a decent amount on a zc fireplace this fall. But I get the house much warmer with it as opposed to the basement stove or electric baseboard, and I use less wood than before.

I also like the self sufficiency aspect, as well as the utilization of a renewable resource that grows on my land and is free for the taking.

I like not to pay for gas, wood can be free if scrounging, the heat from a stove is much different and much better than from a HVAC. And the view of course.

My 1890's Victorian farmhouse came with a smokedragon in the living room. Used it exclusively to heat the house for the last 4years. Bought a EPA non-cat stove in the fall and also 450 gls of oil for the furnace since I am away from home occasionally now. Anyways I heat with wood because it's cheaper than oil, I enjoy looking at the flames, and like my living room toasty warm while other parts of the house are cooler. And I love telling my city friends my electric bill is $60-$70 /month and heating bill averages out to $50 /month for the year for the 2 cords of wood I bought this season.

I burn wood for self sufficiency, exercise (split by hand), an excuse to get in the woods and place to get rid of wood I drop to improve my woods.

I switched to the wood boiler with storage so I could heat the house when I was not home for few days.

I live in town and have relatively cheap natural gas available, but I like cutting and burning wood. I am a teacher, have summers off, and like to be in the woods. My uncles farm has 35 acres of woods and he constantly has trees he wants gone. Its a win-win for both of us.

In the winter here in Minnesota, nothing beats sitting next to a wood stove, drinking coffee, and reading hearth.com

excessads said:

New house bought 2+yrs ago has a chimney with an big ash tree literally at the corner of the same room + stove and liner for sale at $800. Been very happy since all the logs were c/s/s, stove hits 650F with 2yrs aged ash and 4+yrs maples from scrounging last year.

BTW one burning log is touching the viewing window, I don't usually place logs this close to the window, this one just happens to roll down. Any harm in that?

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No harm in that. Rest easy!

Our wood stove was supposed to be an open fire place in a new woodzee cabin. I knew we needed a wood stove. Only when we found the Oslo did my wife come to my way of thinking. We use it almost 100% of time for the only heat when we are there. It's a much better fireplace than an open fireplace would have been. It funny how it happened, but we are all glad it did. It has become a way of life for us and all that visit. We love the stove.