SteveKG
Minister of Fire
Pro wood: good system for those of us who do not mind or even like and prefer managing such aspects as heating the home, plenty of work to do keeping up with wood heat, as already pointed out. Wood heating requires involvement of time and effort, even more so if one cuts and hauls and splits and stacks his own supply. The effort involves significant physical exertion and, as I said before, time.
There are many who prefer to work more for income and pay for someone else to do much of this, even if they heat with wood. One must determine which category fits them to predict how they'll settle into heating with firewood. As with any effort, many think wood heating is a great idea until a year or two into it when they are sick of all the effort. Of course, they can then decide to purchase cords of wood. I'm in the camp of rather doing the work myself and not working as much for wages. I find myself in the minority by a rather large margin.
Haven't used pellets...less labor and time though still not as simple and more time-consuming than adjusting a thermostat and paying the monthly energy bill.
Con wood: see above. Plus, even with a couple of BlueAir filters going 24/7, and having used wood burning for heat and baking for 35 yr., we still have constant dust, some of which is from the stoves. Some is from windy weather [often] and semi-desert area with very dry conditions. But much of it is from the stoves. There are chores such as cleaning out ash pans, checking flues and so forth. More time.....
Another wood benefit: pleasant heat. People with wood stoves tend to linger near the stove in cold weather, even turning subconsciously to warm themselves all around. A friend once noted that even in the summer, hot weather and no stove burning, he and his wife would occasionally find themselves doing this at the stove, talking over something and turning every now and then. They were pretty amused; after he mentioned it, I caught myself doing it a couple times. The point is, a wood stove is a comfort. One of life's pleasures.
I don't recall ever seeing anyone turning slowly around the vent for a forced-air heater.
There are many who prefer to work more for income and pay for someone else to do much of this, even if they heat with wood. One must determine which category fits them to predict how they'll settle into heating with firewood. As with any effort, many think wood heating is a great idea until a year or two into it when they are sick of all the effort. Of course, they can then decide to purchase cords of wood. I'm in the camp of rather doing the work myself and not working as much for wages. I find myself in the minority by a rather large margin.
Haven't used pellets...less labor and time though still not as simple and more time-consuming than adjusting a thermostat and paying the monthly energy bill.
Con wood: see above. Plus, even with a couple of BlueAir filters going 24/7, and having used wood burning for heat and baking for 35 yr., we still have constant dust, some of which is from the stoves. Some is from windy weather [often] and semi-desert area with very dry conditions. But much of it is from the stoves. There are chores such as cleaning out ash pans, checking flues and so forth. More time.....
Another wood benefit: pleasant heat. People with wood stoves tend to linger near the stove in cold weather, even turning subconsciously to warm themselves all around. A friend once noted that even in the summer, hot weather and no stove burning, he and his wife would occasionally find themselves doing this at the stove, talking over something and turning every now and then. They were pretty amused; after he mentioned it, I caught myself doing it a couple times. The point is, a wood stove is a comfort. One of life's pleasures.
I don't recall ever seeing anyone turning slowly around the vent for a forced-air heater.
