Anyone out there burn all year?
Still burning to heat domestic water.
Must have overloaded last night with only 3 chunks of wood but temp was 201 this AM and the water level was down a touch.
Must have boiled in the night.
Burned all year last year but will probably shut down Memorial weekend this year.
I have stopped burning about 3 weeks ago. Power is so cheap here that it's not a concern. I just use wood heat for living space, not water. The power bill is always around $75 in the summer $100 in winter. I checked the difference between drying rack and electric clothes drier, about $3.50 a month. :D But the rack was made for drying weavings, not regular wash, but I still use it as such.
Don't think I'm going to burn all year as we are going out of town for Memorial Day so once the stove goes out then I think that will be it until fall. But as of now we are still using the stove to heat the house as the nights have been in the low 30's to upper 20's.
I am still burning. We have still had nights into the mid 30's. Last nigh was only in the 40's and it is into the 60 during the day now so I'll probably shut down this weekend.
swamp donkey What do you mean electric is so cheap here? What is your rate? And is that the whole bill or just the power usage part?
The whole bill with recurring service fee and taxes included. The only thing different between summer and winter is the furnace fan, which is run off a 1/4 hp motor. Rate is 9.85 cents/kwH. Basic phone with dial-up internet costs more than power in the summer. $40 for flip'n dial-up, robbery.
My wood man came with a load of wood this afternoon, guess I'll be busy at that as soon as the sun rises. ;D
I have not shut mine down for 4 years now. Last time we went to see the stepson in DC in May. Mine will take a 54 inch stick. I need to pick up the branches that have fell out of the trees in an area that I keep clean. Yes,I may have to fill it 2-3 times a day,but I get rid of the branches instead of putting them on the brush pile. A load of branches will last a while.As long as my "flappers" stay closed,I'm all set. The rear one will fill up with clinkers if I don't keep up on it. I try to clean it out every so often. I had the inside heat off for 2 days and nights. No big deal to turn a couple ball valves if heat is needed.
I fire the stove up in the fall and it stays lit till just about 3 weeks ago. With this catalytic blaze king I no longer have to shut down mid season to clean/clear the stack and chimney connector of soot and creosote as this unit is over 90% efficient. And when I do tear it down their is next to nothing to clean up. I heat my 120 year old (insulated), 2000 Sq ft farm house at a constant thermostat controlled 74 degrees. Only burned maybe 2 1/2 cords instead of 5-6 cords with old traditional air tight stove. I thought about putting in a all home outside unit but did not want to have to set aside 10 cord. I'd rather sell the extra.
Stopped the OWB in mid-April, and use a Vermont Castings indoor wood stove to take away any chill the evening bring. Running low on firewood up at my house, so I hope the heating part of the spring is close to done.
We're in south central Michigan and keep our owb going all year. Shut off the main (now emergency backup) furnace in the basement about seven years ago. We heat two dwh year round. It's either pro-pain or electric. Not too mention the two baths are hydronic floor heated. And swmbo's bath usually 'needs' to be warmer for more months than mine, so we keep the heat going in there, too. Admittedly, the owb goes through less than 1/4 as much as colder months.
HMMMM Swamp Donkey - your cost of electricity is more than I pay here in Ontario. But its all the extras they add on that add up, like service charge, debt retirement, etc.
:D We have a little cold snap .As I was driving down the driveway coming home from work today I noticed a little white smoke .Evidently Mrs Smith got a tad nippley and fired up the stove again .Supposed to get to 33 tonight .Two days from now up into the 80's again .Ohio ,if you don't like the weather it will change ,thank you lake Erie .
The heat is on. I came in from getting a little wet and turned it up a couple degrees. Kinda raw out there.
Instead of burning up winter's wood for this coming season, I have a little heater here to take the edge off and remove the moisture in the house. It's 42 F this morning and full sunshine.
30 here in south eastern Wisconsin this morning, calling for 80s this week.
23.8 degrees at 6 am today in Marinette County, WI. Keep the home fires burning.
Right at 32 degrees here hope my apple trees don't get frosted.
Was in the 50's yesterday and quite warm in the house with the sunshine and I was busy in the evening so I forgot to put wood in the stove last night. Woke up early this morning to the blower running constantly in the house but only luke warm air coming out of the vents and a temp of 69° with the thermostat set to 70°. Went outside and the stove was at 100° and almost out of wood.
Went away for the week-end on Friday morning, hadn't run the stove in a week or so. Came home Sunday through light snow to a house with open windows and an temperature of 50 degrees. Lit the stove again. There wasn't enough snow to cover the green grass but it did cover roofs of houses and cars. Dripping now at quarter of eight Monday morning.
Welcome billporterfield I grew up between peshtigo and oconto. My father used to buy his nash and rambler cars in porterfield. 45 years ago I worked in the sawmill in peshtigo.
Still burning here. Heating domestic hot water and Buderus radiant panels in my 75 year old mothers rooms in the basement. She's off to the Cape on Tuesday. I'll let the fire go out and clean up this weekend.