Can i ask what is "Your comfort" temperature with wood vs oil/electric.

[Adios Pantalones]

Why is it that if energy is chopped and not drilled/dug that its ok to waste it however we feel like? We aren't paying for it maybe? Many threads on how its an achievement to reach unreasonable temperatures during heating, yea 85 is normal. Do wood burners actually take any environmental responsibility?

Keeping your house 85 with wood is probably more responsible than 68 with oil.

Mine stays 64-70 ish- with wood, a bit lower with oil

 

[Hurricane]

People are going to use more wood than me based on there house size. I forget what post i was reading as I was searching topics but I remember someone mentioning their neighbor/friend had already burned 7 cords or so halfway through the season and yes I think thats excessive, not narrow minded. Are people going over the same issues( upgrading windows, insulation, heat loss sources, the burning source itself ) they would using a furnace? Or not bothering because wood heat keeps on giving even if the hot air is running right out the roof. And who cares right? Wood is renewable.

Someone saying they burned 7 cords can mean many things on this forum. To me a cord is 128 cubic feet others see a cord as a face cord and up to 3 face cords make a real cord. I like all of the energy you brought to the members here, and I think you should bring this up again after a year of burning. My other half and little ones love a hot fire after a few hours in the snow. It is a different heat and only experiencing it can bring understanding.
PS I do not like 85 degrees, windows open anything over 78

 

[Bobbin]

One of the great dangers of the internet is "reading to much" into something. Presuming too much without the benefit of seeing someone as they post the question or while they're making an effort to reply is fraught with danger... you take it too seriously, you read too much into a phrase that was perhaps not carefully crafted enough to avoid controversy, you take a particular aspect of a post too personally... we've all done it (at least once).

I looked askance at the post initially, too. But I answered the question. Not what I presumed was the "deep hidden meaning"/implied, "sarcastic" dig. Oftentimes, if you answer the question straightly you diffuse the potentially volatile "hidden/implied" intent. If there even was one! It's usually best to presume no intentional insult. It's the diplomatic way to promote intelligent discussion. An excellent and timely reminder for me and probably several others, too.

We don't shoot for a desert climate within the walls of our home. We know very well how much time, expense, effort, planning goes into making sure there is adequate, cured firewood "at the ready" for the coming season (and the next one!), just as we know very well how expensive the soundtrack of the boiler/furnace can be (in all aspects of the "price" of a gallon of fuel). We have only to look to the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the countless "spills" off the coast of Africa, and the greatly under reported consequences of "fracturing" for a quick reminder!

I think it was a reasonable question. Perhaps clumsily phrased, but not mean-spirited or intended to be inciteful, as subsequent replies from the OP indicated.

 

[ansehnlich1]

.

 

[Badfish740]

Thank you for proving my point regarding the left's intention to dictate to others how to live their lives....... and what one's proper response to this thread should be.

I think Yank's point was that no one is forcing anything on you-so quit playing the martyr. I happen come at things from a left of center perspective (except when it comes to the 2nd Amendment-then I jump to the right) but I don't giving a flying crap how much wood you burn. My point was that as someone who is interested in building a self sufficient homestead it's in my best interest to burn wood as efficiently as possible. I don't want to be processing firewood when I need to be feeding livestock, tending crops, etc...

 

[ansehnlich1]

Thank you for proving my point regarding the left's intention to dictate to others how to live their lives....... and what one's proper response to this thread should be.

I think Yank's point was that no one is forcing anything on you-so quit playing the martyr. I happen come at things from a left of center perspective (except when it comes to the 2nd Amendment-then I jump to the right) but I don't giving a flying crap how much wood you burn. My point was that as someone who is interested in building a self sufficient homestead it's in my best interest to burn wood as efficiently as possible. I don't want to be processing firewood when I need to be feeding livestock, tending crops, etc...

Yeah, I realized you guys are right, I jumped the gun on this thread and apologize. Bad day I guess.

That's why I went in and deleted my last post, it was wrong. Seems you snatched it up though.

Oh well, I'm moving on. Sorry guys.

 

[kenny chaos]

Hey Chimney Head-
Ya gotta understand that when the post is about how much wood you have, everyone has more than everyone else.
When the post is about how hot you keep your house, everybody keeps their's warmer than everyone else's.
If someone asks what little amount of wood someone uses, everyone claims to use the least.
When someone asks how much wood do you have to cut every year, everyone claims to have to do the most.
Acuna matata-

You ever been on a PETA forum?

 

[CHIMENEA]

No I'm not trying to be mean or offend the wood burning community since I want to be a part of it also, just trying to spark some discussion. Anyone has the right to burn 7, 8 , 9 etc cords at any rate they want but from my view and what looks like many others I'd rather try and get the temp I want with as little as possible starting with a clean stove and working on a tight house to retain the warmth. Its good to read everyones opinion and see how people chose to heat their homes. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Badfish740]

No I'm not trying to be mean or offend the wood burning community since I want to be a part of it also, just trying to spark some discussion. Anyone has the right to burn 7, 8 , 9 etc cords at any rate they want but from my view and what looks like many others I'd rather try and get the temp I want with as little as possible starting with a clean stove and working on a tight house to retain the warmth. Its good to read everyones opinion and see how people chose to heat their homes. Thanks for the replies.

I get what you're saying but everyone's situation is different. Right now I'm working with a late '60s era ranch and a non-EPA add-on furnace, so I'm definitely using more wood than I'd like, but the trade off is that I'm not burning or paying for oil. I got the furnace for $300 used so it's not like I was going to turn my nose up at it. Once we build new it will be a different story.

 

[yanksforever]

Thank you for proving my point regarding the left's intention to dictate to others how to live their lives....... and what one's proper response to this thread should be.

I think Yank's point was that no one is forcing anything on you-so quit playing the martyr. I happen come at things from a left of center perspective (except when it comes to the 2nd Amendment-then I jump to the right) but I don't giving a flying crap how much wood you burn. My point was that as someone who is interested in building a self sufficient homestead it's in my best interest to burn wood as efficiently as possible. I don't want to be processing firewood when I need to be feeding livestock, tending crops, etc...

Yeah, I realized you guys are right, I jumped the gun on this thread and apologize. Bad day I guess.

That's why I went in and deleted my last post, it was wrong. Seems you snatched it up though.

Oh well, I'm moving on. Sorry guys.

It's not a big deal...we all have those kind of days. We are all like family here. We don't always agree with each other, sometimes we get
abrasive, but everything gets talked out in an adult manner. In the end...we still are getting along in this wonderful forum. We don't always agree on each others
political stance....but isn't that what makes this great country so great...we may not agree with what someone says...BUT...we will fight to the death for
his right to say it!

 

[CTYank]

No I'm not trying to be mean or offend the wood burning community since I want to be a part of it also, just trying to spark some discussion. Anyone has the right to burn 7, 8 , 9 etc cords at any rate they want but from my view and what looks like many others I'd rather try and get the temp I want with as little as possible starting with a clean stove and working on a tight house to retain the warmth. Its good to read everyones opinion and see how people chose to heat their homes. Thanks for the replies.

You should understand that what you can see here of any other poster's situation or response to it, is extremely sketchy. And ... since you're still officially a wannabe (no offense intended) and looking in from the outside, your information base on these subjects is extremely sketchy.

A potential learning experience. You might get up to speed much faster in some regards if you do some q&a with some local oil&gas; boycotters. Pick their brains.

Nobody's yet mentioned that those who've reduced their oil&gas; consumption have done their bit to reduce price pressure on oil&gas; for those still using oil, gas, and electricity.

This is the 4th winter that my gas furnace is "cold iron"- probably a spider colony by now.

Somewhere about 1.5 cord/winter keeps things sufficiently comfortable, without running around nekkid.

 

[kenny chaos]

[Nobody's yet mentioned that those who've reduced their oil&gas; consumption have done their bit to reduce price pressure on oil&gas; for those still using oil, gas, and electricity.

.

That's all well and fine but most wood burners are not worried about "reducing their oil & gas consumption," they're worried about saving money.

Let's not all be so self-righteous, even if it is the americon way. Can you say d e n i a l ?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I have a little one this year and had to buy my wood for the first time. All other years I found my wood either by the side of the road or at the local brush dump where it was sent to rot. What is the difference in CO2 (I'm guessing that is what you are thinking of.) released if it's in my home keeping my wife and newborn warm or rotting in the dump? None. But this way I get the benefit of the warmth and the fertilizer from the ashes. What could be more green?

My house stays 65 with oil and usually below 70 with the stove running. In my old house I've seen the wife crank it to 90 in the stove room. And it was just as green as if the wood was rotting away in the dump. The ash fertilized my lawn and garden.

Matt

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Burn with oil, can keep the Tstat at 64 downstairs if we are home and 62 upstairs.
Running the stove right now, and downstairs is about 68-69...anything over 72 degress I think is too warm.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I keep my house at 75 all winter. I really dont care who likes it and who dont, Its an old house and needs more insulation and it feels cold at anything less. On sunny days my passive solar sun porch will drive my 1st floor into the 80s even in the dead of winter so i guess i plead guilty of massive waste of resources.
I also burn waste wood in a EPA certified stove ,wood that would normally and up in a landfill somewhere,if that aint green i dont know what is.

 

[wally]

all with wood.

keep the upstairs at 62 day/56 night, and the downstairs at 64 day/60 night.

 

[Jeff S]

I try to be energy efficient in all of my practices.With my wood boiler and radiator system I'm able to thermostatically control my house at 72* during the day and 66* while we are sleeping under the covers.I have also installed a boiler controller on my water storage tanks so that the water temp running through my radiators is no more than necessary which is determined by the outside temp.Not only are we at are comfort level but saving energy(wood) as well.

 

[ironpony]

I keep the house between 65 and 68
no matter what is heating it
if it gets any warmer the
wife and I are ready to open windows
gas fireplace, pellet stove, or heat pump

 

[woodsmaster]

With elecric I cant make the house comfortable if I try. With wood I don't look at the temp. If It starts to get chilly I throw a few splits in the stove.

 

[woodchip]

Wood burner heat is different to electric fire heat or radiator heat. For me, there are two main differences.......

Like so many have said here, woodburner heat is unpredictable. Today we had a 24f forecast maximum, and 18f minimum, so I loaded it for a cold (for here) day. As it happened, we had a maximum of 36f, and when I got in lunchtime to check on things, it was rather cosy (well, 88f, more hot than cosy), but it didn't matter, because my wood has two choices, sit out and rot, or burn. Both seem to have equal effect on the environment according to the bits I pick out and believe from what I read. And there is more to the heat than just getting to unbelievably high temperatures. At the most basic level, the guy who chops the fastest is warmest, and there is bound to be a little kudos attached being warmer (waits to be shot down by someone who is an environmental activist)..........

And the second main difference is quite simple........
It is great to sit round a fire and chat or drink or whatever people do when they sit round their fire.
Sitting round a radiator just doesn't hack it on the same level............