Wood Stove?

[ChickaD]

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Sounds like what we have. We love our Quadra Fire, into our 9th year. We only have to empty the ash every few days, not quite twice a week.

 

[Stumpy]

We have a wood stove that we really like. It doesn't have blowers, but puts off a lot of heat and requires no electricity. It's not a cook stove, but does have a "top" where you can put a kettle to put moisture into the room or a pot of soup, etc. I love to use the "free" heat to cook a pot of potato soup or something on a cold winter day. I wonder if pellet stoves are a regional thing -- I've never seen one or heard of anyone owning one around here.

 

[Rosalind]

Our house also has a lovely brick chimney - but when the house was built they didn't "line" it or something, so it can't be used and was covered on the inside, so you can't see it - just the pretty chimney from the outside (why do people do stupid things like that?)

The chimney needs a flue. However, you can get someone to install your woodstove for you, and they will put in a flue for the woodstove. We have a non-catalytic Vermont Castings stove, and we love it. Only half the cost of getting it was the stove itself, though--we had to have the fireplace guys install it in one of our fireplaces, and they put in a new flue that goes right up the chimney. It was a giant pain in the neck, let me tell you. They didn't appreciate having to climb a steep roof and shovel the snow off and work up there all day, either. You'll also need a chimney cap installed for it, to keep critters out of the flue/stovepipe. Trust me, you NEED a chimney cap, it is NOT optional. You do NOT want your house scented with the lovely aroma of cooked raccoon fur.

You'll also need a masonry pad to put the woodstove on, it shouldn't be on carpet or hardwood or anything remotely flammable. Concrete, brick, stone, tile are all OK. Uncovering the original fireplace may also be an option.

I am not a huge fan of the cat converter type, because in a few years the catalyst will run out, and then you need to replace the catalyst cartridge--not cheap. The newer modern stoves with rebreathers are almost as efficient.​

 

[rufus]

I still have my mother's old box wood heater that came from Chihuahua. I have been packing the darn thing around since 1980; I just can't bear to part with it. We haven't used it since we moved in 1980. It is disassembled and in storage. Strange the things we can't part with.

Rufus

 

[ruth]

Here's our new pellet stove fireplace insert. Just now getting a chance to use it.

We needed to do something to help offset the over $300 a week in propane we were using last winter for one unit alone. The other two units were electric. Between the three we were going through over $2,000 a month in heating expense and this 100 year old farm house was still freezing.

Told DH we had to do something different this winter or I would have to spend it at my "summer home" in Covington which is so energy efficient you can run all three units, leave on all 1,000 lights and the electric bill for over 7,500 square feet of house is less than $200 a month.

Moving here was certainly an eye opener in experiencing a cold winter, well cold by deep south standards. I really thought I was so cold last winter that I would die. I had to go outside and stand in sunshine just to thaw out. Temps were mid 20s to mid 30s lots of days (yeah I know I'm a whimp) but that's really cold for someone from New Orleans who didn't own winter clothing since we never had a freezing day (well maybe one a year).

The new pellet stove is great. Nice warm blowers and I can sit on sofa right in front of it and stay warm. I know where the little MinPin and I will be this winter.

As compared to a wood stove, I just didn't want to have to chop and haul wood and I doubt our insurance would have covered a wood stove. They gave us enough grief about it being a 100 year old plantation home - in fact the first company cancelled us shortly after taking us on and we had to go with someone else.

We do have 9 fireplaces and if I need to I can use them - we have thousands of acres of woods around us and since Gustave took down several of our huge old live oaks and pecan trees, we have firewood stacked to the wazoo.

 

[seedcorn]

I've burned wood for 30 years now. If I was starting over, I'd put in a corn burner. Here it takes about 150 bushel/year. At $5/bushel that is cheaper than LP, electric, etc.

If your husband has never cut wood before, how many weekends will you give up to cut and haul wood? The hauling part is the tough part. I hear how my wife carries wood but I've yet to SEE it.

Wood is dirty but it is nice when I come in, to put my back side next to the stove and get warm quick.

 

[Linda in San Diego]

I realize that some may laugh since I am in San Diego County in So. Cal. BUT....
When we lived at 3,000 ft we actually did get freezing nights and dustings of snow.
We heated with a wood stove - since the house had ELECTRIC which we never used - and we were mostly either too hot or too cold! We would have freezing temps outside and have to open windows and the sliding door to let in some cooler air! LOL
But there is nothing wrong with "practice makes perfect"!

 

[seedcorn]

No, I wouldn't laugh at all. When my wife gets in control of fire, she burns me and kids out of house. If I had to heat this house w/LP only, my bill would be $4000+/year...........At $2 it's still $1500/year.

 

[Wildsky]

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I'll give up ALL his weekends till spring.

 

[Wildsky]

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A couple of days ago - I would have had ALL 9 going!