How much wood have you burned so far?

[Eureka]

A similar thread in the Hearth Room prompted me to ask those of us heating with boilers or furnaces.

-Where are you?
-How much space are you heating and how is it distributed (radiant, forced air, etc)?
-DHW too?
-What’s your heat source
-How much wood so far and what quality?
-Normal year for you?

Me:
-NW Wisconsin (-21f when I woke up this morning)
-2 buildings 5600 sq ft (house, attached garage, 1600 sq ft shop w/12’ sidewalls sprayfoam to roof) 100% in-floor radiant slab distribution
-DHW both buildings
-Heatmaster C150 (yeah, the tiny 150k btu one, but in an insulated shed) I believe the BTU output to be slightly underrated. I do also run a Kozy Heat zc fireplace for comfort heating.
-Just rounded 9 cords with 85% being junk wood (boxelder, basswood, poplar, pine, willow) and 15% birch, oak and ash. All dry below 25% mc or better
-1st season but I hope to improve on everything after this year. We’ve had colder than normal temps.

Thanks!
(had to edit to 9 cords after I took another look)

 

[Fred61]

If you got your basswood down to 25% you must have had to put some weights on it so the wind wouldn't blow it away.

 

[Eureka]

If you got your basswood down to 25% you must have had to put some weights on it so the wind wouldn't blow it away.

You got that right, I notice the same thing moreso with willow. I almost tip over backwards picking up some pieces I get it from a tree service so there’s always a wide variety. I do like that I can cut it to 24” and split it big and still get it dry over summer. I’ve really gotten my processing efforts simplified.

 

[JRHAWK9]

-Where are you?

Wisconsin Dells area​

-How much space are you heating and how is it distributed (radiant, forced air, etc)?

Heating 31,210CF, including basement. 32'x42' (OD) footprint, 24.5' ceiling at the peak. Log cabin style with insulation issues. Heating the air volume of a ~3,500SF house with 9' ceilings.​

-DHW too?

Not anymore, as my old water heater I was using as a tempering tank started leaking late last heating season.​

-What’s your heat source

Kuuma Vapor Fire 100​

-How much wood so far and what quality?

10,932 lbs. Mostly hard woods,​

-Normal year for you?

16,000 lbs
​

Got down to -11° down here last night in the tropical part of WI.

 

[SpaceBus]

10,886lbs....soon to be loading to bring it up to 10,932lbs.

Got down to -11° down here in the tropical part of WI.

Heating 31,210CF. 32'x42' (OD) footprint, 24.5' ceiling at the peak. Log cabin style with insulation issues. Heating the air volume of a ~3,500SF house with 9' ceilings.

Two separate buildings or just one large house? I've been reading about furnaces and boilers as I'm in the planning phase for an enclosed and insulated pole barn and trying to figure out how to heat it for the least dollars with wood.

 

[JRHAWK9]

Two separate buildings or just one large house? I've been reading about furnaces and boilers as I'm in the planning phase for an enclosed and insulated pole barn and trying to figure out how to heat it for the least dollars with wood.

One house. I wouldn't say it's a large house, just lots of air volume due to the style of house it is.

 

[SpaceBus]

One house. I wouldn't say it's a large house, just lots of air volume due to the style of house it is.

View attachment 240479

Wow, even more of a feat. I see many people having issues with wood furnaces, but from what I've read the VF-100 is the only real choice.

 

[Eureka]

10,886lbs....soon to be loading to bring it up to 10,932lbs.

You burn all hardwoods, right? Just attempting to put that into a rough volume for my curiosity

 

[JRHAWK9]

Wow, even more of a feat. I see many people having issues with wood furnaces, but from what I've read the VF-100 is the only real choice.

I wouldn't clump all wood furnaces into the issues you've been reading about on here, which are mainly the Hy-C beauties. Caddy's are decent as well.

Very old photo's, but gives you an idea of the air space.

 

[JRHAWK9]

You burn all hardwoods, right? Just attempting to put that into a rough volume for my curiosity

yes, but it doesn't matter by weight All wood has the same BTU's per POUND to give. One of the reasons why I track my usage by weight. You can convert my weight into whatever species suits your fancy.

It would equal ~11.5 cords of balsa.

~5 cords of Basswood.

Going off of this chart: (broken link removed)

 

[AndrewChurchill]

Where are you? - Northern Vermont
How much space are you heating and how is it distributed (radiant, forced air, etc)? - Heating 5200 sq. ft plus baseboard hot water
DHW too? - DHW for house and apartment.
What’s your heat source - Buderus boiler with Pellergy PB-1525 with 500 gallons of storage
How much wood so far and what quality? - 6.3 tons 100% softwood
Normal year for you - 13 tons

 

[Eureka]

To me, the cord measurement is more about effort than anything. I do realize all wood is equal btu.

 

[SpaceBus]

To me, the cord measurement is more about effort than anything. I do realize all wood is equal btu.

That's worth mentioning. If you burn exclusively soft woods you will use the same weight as heating with hard woods, but you will use more cords.

 

[vtwoodheater]

Central Vermont
3400 sf
no domestic hot water
mix between hot water baseboard and water to air HX
Biomass 40
Just got into my 4th cord, mixed hardwood.
not a drop of oil burned.
Not sure what a "normal" year is yet. Thinking if I plan on 5 cord a year, should be all set for anything yet to come.

 

[Drewby]

Western Wisconsin here
Heating a very large shop/house combo (new bldg) set on a 5800 sq ft slab with 18’ sidewalls.
I run an old school royal boiler inside the Bldg. I’m tryin to run it hot for max efficiency.
Heating dhw also.
Very good insulation with lots of spray foam everywhere.
So far I’ve used around 10 cords of wood
300 gallons of propane
And 1100 lbs of anthracite coal in the same boiler. (So much nicer then wood)

 

[eauzonedan]

Bayfield Co Wi here. Bout 50 mi south of the big lake. Used between 5 and 6 cord of oak so far with normal about 7. That heats a 20x20 Garn barn to about 60 with no actual emitters. A 30x30 shop down with in-floor and a 30x20 loft heated on demand upstairs with a couple panel rads. The house footprint is 24x60 and we’re living in the lower level for now. Minimal 10” ceiling insulation as the upstairs is yet to be finished. Lower level floor is conc slab with 1 1/2” foam and Warmboard supplemented with a couple on-demand rads in the utility spaces when -20 or -30. Also supplying dhw about 8 mo of the year.

 

[maple1]

Northern NS. (Coldest part of the province - but still kind of moderate).

22 year old 2700 sq.ft. two story on an open hilltop.

Usually it is between 5 & 6 cord with the new (not so new anymore) boiler - heat & hot water. No idea what this year will be since we put in mini-splits in November to carry the shoulder season & milder day loads. But hoping to knock a couple cords off with the use of maybe $200 of electricity. Very curious what it ends up at.

That's a long way from the 8-9 cords plus a tank of oil it used to be.

 

[Eureka]

Northern NS. (Coldest part of the province - but still kind of moderate).

22 year old 2700 sq.ft. two story on an open hilltop.

Usually it is between 5 & 6 cord with the new (not so new anymore) boiler - heat & hot water. No idea what this year will be since we put in mini-splits in November to carry the shoulder season & milder day loads. But hoping to knock a couple cords off with the use of maybe $200 of electricity. Very curious what it ends up at.

That's a long way from the 8-9 cords plus a tank of oil it used to be.

Yeah that's a great improvement. Any improvements to the house or was that just the difference from your old to new boiler? Lots of labor in a cord of wood.
I hope I can improve as well but I'm pretty happy with where I've ended up so far with basically a conventional updraft design OWB that is heating 2x what it is rated for. I originally planned to only heat my shop with it. It sure doesn't idle much.

 

[maple1]

Yeah that's a great improvement. Any improvements to the house or was that just the difference from your old to new boiler? Lots of labor in a cord of wood.
I hope I can improve as well but I'm pretty happy with where I've ended up so far with basically a conventional updraft design OWB that is heating 2x what it is rated for. I originally planned to only heat my shop with it. It sure doesn't idle much.

No house improvements. There are a few I could be making but haven't got there yet. But most of the oil elimination was due to swapping in an electric water heater when I swapped boilers.

I just did some quick measuring between posts while I was down adding to the fire. The first section of my woodpile measured at 2.7 cords - I put the last of that in the boiler a week ago. So almost 3 cords so far. Should be into part time burning in another month or so.

 

[sloeffle]

Where are you?
North Central Ohio ( climate zone 2 )

-How much space are you heating and how is it distributed (radiant, forced air, etc)?
Roughly 3,000sq ft via forced air

-DHW too?
Indirectly via HPHW

-What’s your heat source
Geothermal and PSG Caddy Wood Furnace. Run the wood furnace when temps are generally below freezing.

Geothermal Cost below:

May 2018 - $7.46
June 2018 - $9.64
July 2018 - $18.86
August 2018 - $24.43
September 2018 - $16.25
October 2018 - $39.75
November 2018 - $66.59
December 2018 - $54.12
January 2019 - $38.88
February 2019 - $13.89

Grand Total for the heating season so far ( October to present ) = $213.23 plus free hot water

Grand Total for last years cooling season ( June - September ) = $69.18 plus free hot water.

How much wood have you burned and what kind:
1.6 cords of mostly marginal Ash firewood.

-Normal year for you?
1.5 - 2.5 cords

 

[huffdawg]

Vancouver Island BC. Canada 49th parallel
4000 sq.ft.
5 cord
2 dhw tanks one 80 gal. one 40 gal.
usually burn about 8
froling fhg 40/50

 

[hobbyheater]

About 2 cords so far this winter.

 

[Eureka]

Western Wisconsin here
Heating a very large shop/house combo (new bldg) set on a 5800 sq ft slab with 18’ sidewalls.
I run an old school royal boiler inside the Bldg. I’m tryin to run it hot for max efficiency.
Heating dhw also.
Very good insulation with lots of spray foam everywhere.
So far I’ve used around 10 cords of wood
300 gallons of propane
And 1100 lbs of anthracite coal in the same boiler. (So much nicer then wood)

How has the Royall been working for you? I remember the thread discussing your installation.

 

[Drewby]

How has the Royall been working for you? I remember the thread discussing your installation.

So far it’s been working good. Actually quite a bit better then I thought after talking to folks around here. The large concrete slab definitely helps even the burn cycles out. It does use a lot of wood but it’s under a huge load.
I basically use the largest zone which is the shop to dump heat into when the boiler is at full burn and that intern allows the burn cycles to run longer.
I am going to see about making a slight modification to the firebox to allow more overfire air into the firebox under High burn to promote gasification. I also am going to add about 10 sq ft more heat exchange surface area to lower the exhaust temps. After I do this i hope it will increase the efficiency a lot. It really is about 80% coal boiler and 20% wood boiler by design. I might just scrap wood all together and pay a little more and burn all coal. I burned 1200 lbs through it during the polar vortex and it was AWESOME. Wood truly is a distant second to coal heat when you factor in the extra time that it takes. However I like to cut SOME wood now and then so I won’t completly stop using it.
On a cold windy day that boiler can plow through a whole facecord in one day in my bldg. My heat loss calc for my bldg with a 70 degree heat rise is about 180k an hour.

 

[TCaldwell]

Another criteria would be thermostat set temp and heating degree days for your area to add another perspective.