The top cause is home cooking fires. Second is brush, grass or forest fires. Third is home heating fires.
![[Hearth.com] 2 -2/3 cords too much for insurance? more Cdn BS](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/154/154888-4dab0ab44388e6f6babf7623fdd77cd3.jpg?hash=W7RpTZOPWO "[Hearth.com] 2 -2/3 cords too much for insurance? more Cdn BS")
(broken link removed to http://www.nfpa.org/research/reports-and-statistics/fire-causes)
2 -2/3 cords too much for insurance? more Cdn BS
- Thread starter DougA
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
The top cause is home cooking fires. Second is brush, grass or forest fires. Third is home heating fires.
(broken link removed to http://www.nfpa.org/research/reports-and-statistics/fire-causes)
Interesting statistics Begreen. I wonder if there is any way to break out types of home heating fires from those numbers. It could be oil, gas (propane or natural) electric or wood heating appliances I assume.
Interesting in Ontario you cannot according to the building code use an outdoor wood furnace for primary heat. You must have some other form of heating as primary. There are a number of these units around us and I suspect they are in fact used for primary heating purposes.
Interesting in Ontario you cannot according to the building code use an outdoor wood furnace for primary heat. You must have some other form of heating as primary. There are a number of these units around us and I suspect they are in fact used for primary heating purposes.
Can you give me more info on where the Ont building code stipulates that? I can't find anything after searching. I thought this was regulated by municipalities due to pollution/smog issues, which I would agree with in a city. I know of many outdoor furnaces that are the sole, not just primary source of heat.
Just goes to show, insurance policies are based as much on a ceo's personal bias and misinformation as actual statiscal fact. The trick is finding an insurance company that closely matches your values I suppose. :/
Ian
Ian
we still don't have paramedics still studying if it works hahahahaha sad
In Quebec it is the same thing. It's not related to smog: it's related to a busted pipe. A friend of mine just installed a mega outdoor boiler to warm his house. He HAD to install an electric coil as well and call the wood a secondary heat source. Why? Because should you die, be hospitalized, go on a vacation: who's gonna heat the house!! That is how they look at it.
Andrew
We do not have WETT inspectors in Quebec (imagine that!!)..we have our own governing body.
http://www.poelesfoyers.ca/
Doug, you will have to wait until early next week for me to get the details on this. My son just built a brand new house and they have a lot of property. His first thought was the outdoor burner until he discovered that it can only be secondary heat. The cost of the two units put an end to that idea. He will be back here late Monday and I will do my best to get the details.
I would think the easiest and cheapest way to solve that would be some baseboard heaters. I've got a 200 amp box but all rooms are wired for baseboards so it will not increase the cost of the box and baseboard heaters are typically under $50 for a medium room and cheaper for a bedroom. That becomes your primary heat - so to speak. In a new home, the heating requirements are much much lower. If I were building, I'd add a condenser to the plenum for central air anyway, so putting in a heater coil should be no big deal.
The thread actually is about using wood as auxiliary heat and most codes and insurance companies want to see that you have an extra heat source rather which one is actually in use more than the other. I searched and could not find anything about the code on wood furnaces but I suspect the post by Sedishchef is closer to the point, the code wants to ensure you have a back-up in case of emergency. The fallacy of that is that anyone with oil, gas or electric heat rarely has a back-up when the supply is shut off. How many of them have a year's supply of heat sitting in the back yard??? Most rural building inspectors have a lot more leeway for this than what you find in the city.
The thread actually is about using wood as auxiliary heat and most codes and insurance companies want to see that you have an extra heat source rather which one is actually in use more than the other. I searched and could not find anything about the code on wood furnaces but I suspect the post by Sedishchef is closer to the point, the code wants to ensure you have a back-up in case of emergency. The fallacy of that is that anyone with oil, gas or electric heat rarely has a back-up when the supply is shut off. How many of them have a year's supply of heat sitting in the back yard??? Most rural building inspectors have a lot more leeway for this than what you find in the city.
Doug: here's a pretty interesting link for you...
(broken link removed to http://www.noutilitybills.com/Burning/Insurance/InsuarnceODB.html)
Andrew
(broken link removed to http://www.noutilitybills.com/Burning/Insurance/InsuarnceODB.html)
Andrew
I had been on that site a few years ago. Thanks for reminding me. AFAIK, we are not paying anything extra for our home insurance due to wood stove. Their statement about 1 to 2 cords for 'cosmetic' use is the real question. I find that very low as even 30 yrs ago when I first started and had to buy wood, I was burning over 1 cord/yr. It's been 2 or more for the past 20 yrs.
Funny, as I was walking the dogs a few minutes ago, I was thinking in my head (yet again
) what the cost of adding an outdoor wood furnace plus a 10 KW solar plus batteries and go completely off grid - as the site suggests. My rough numbers worked out at $40K minimum if I did most of the labor. That works out to approx. 10 yrs for payback. Since we'll be selling the house in the next 10 to 20 yrs., the house & property will become harder to sell if it's off grid. Yes, great if you can find someone who aspires to your goals but that is a rare breed. Every time I work the numbers on having solar as a partial solution and still being on the grid, the numbers are worse.
I guess I am destined to continue paying hydro bills until I am 6' under.
Funny, as I was walking the dogs a few minutes ago, I was thinking in my head (yet again
) what the cost of adding an outdoor wood furnace plus a 10 KW solar plus batteries and go completely off grid - as the site suggests. My rough numbers worked out at $40K minimum if I did most of the labor. That works out to approx. 10 yrs for payback. Since we'll be selling the house in the next 10 to 20 yrs., the house & property will become harder to sell if it's off grid. Yes, great if you can find someone who aspires to your goals but that is a rare breed. Every time I work the numbers on having solar as a partial solution and still being on the grid, the numbers are worse.I guess I am destined to continue paying hydro bills until I am 6' under.
Just move to Quebec, we pay a lot less...and for beer/wine too!
Andrew
PS. We do pay a lot more taxes though.
Yep. I like my snow in the mountains, not in the driveway. I had my fill of rusting cars, early morning shovel outs followed by evening shovel outs, pipe freezings, airport closures, thawing out pipes, etc.. Snow is so much nicer visited at a distance.
Last edited:
I guess they never heard of draining the pipes? We used to every year, until I retired and moved here full time.
A 25% premium on my insurance would not be welcome.
I can't imagine anyone who lights a fire evenings, and on weekends, in Ontario not using more than a cord a year.
I can't imagine anyone who lights a fire evenings, and on weekends, in Ontario not using more than a cord a year.
Insurance companies are owned by shareholders. Shareholders want more earnings. Shareholders want their money and will deny you your claim any way that they can.
Yeah I'm still pretty much a weekend burner and the last couple of winters I pushed that envelope.
- Status
Similar threads
