Ratman said:
I would really like to hear the detailed stories (truth) of the wood only from a woodstove only house with running water in a non-southern location.
Sorry, I can't believe until I truly understand how without one exception and alternative, including solar, geo thermal or any second source was not used once.
Oh ya, having your neighbors, employees or non-resident co-workers assistance is not permitted.
My guess is that there are some substantiated claims mainly from people with large families all of which are primary residents.
Blast away!
I guess it depends on your situation. Here's mine:
Someone is always home day or night. Without this benefit it probably couldn't be done in cold climates. Like you say; running water issues.
If you have fairly good sized house it helps to have a forced air fan on your stove. I have a good sized fan motor and have 2 heat pipes pouring out the hot air. One is directed to lower level and the other one is directed to upper level. It took a few years to work this out so heat was distributed adequately. I also have flexible "duct" pipes attached to these 2 main pipes so I can direct heat in many directions. I have dampers (open & close) within these pipes to control heat flow. For example I can load a wood rack (1/2 face cord size) with wood wet from rain or snow and use that wood within an hour after having heat blowing on it. I also have casters on my wood racks so can move about easily.
I also have simplified starting of fire every morning. I have starting kit already made up. Just insert kit in stove, put a few pieces of wood on top, light it and forget about it for at least an hour. To our family that was a big obstacle - restarting that fire every morning. I have very little ash/coals in my stove so I don't burn out the grates. Learned that the hard way - accumulated hot ashes burn out grates = new grates (if you can find them) cost $100. A $100 can buy a cord of wood.
My recipe for starting kit:
Take a soda container, the long 12 pack type. Flatten it out and cut it in half and now you have 2 sleeves.
Now cut a brown grocery bag in half so you have 2 pieces. Staple the bottom of the top piece so now you have 2 smaller bags.
Fill one of bags with your "mix" of wood shavings, sawdust, chips, leave bits, etc. and staple top of bag shut.
Now tuck bag into "sleeve" along with 1 full size sheet of newspaper underneath bag.
Now tuck 5 or 6 pieces of small kindling into sleeve on top of bag.....and that's it. One neat little pack in a sleeve.
Leave a little bit of newspaper sticking out to act as a wick.
You can also use a cereal box for sleeve. Cut that in half also so you have proper size and can make 2 kits from one container.
I'll make up about a dozen of these kits at a time.
I told one of my friends about this procedure and he said - too much fuss. But he only has an occasional fire in fireplace about once a week. I just counted.....from now until April I'll (actually its so easy my wife starts them now) be starting a fire in my stove for the next approx 130 mornings. That's a lot of cereal and coke boxes
.
Sorry for lengthy post, but kind of hard to fully explain with short one.
