Wood is the best. Smell, sound, excercise needed to cut and swing that godevil, etc
Wood is the best. Smell, sound, excercise needed to cut and swing that godevil, etc
I'm on natural gas but I've got a wood insert in the fireplace and my folks a few miles away have a true wood stove. It's the best heat.
I'm on natural gas but I've got a wood insert in the fireplace and my folks a few miles away have a true wood stove. It's the best heat.
Definitely the best heat. It's hard for me to walk by it and not want to take a nap.
I replaced an insert several years ago with this stove. Less wood, more heat.
No pop burns in your pants?
Definitely the best heat. It's hard for me to walk by it and not want to take a nap.
I replaced an insert several years ago with this stove. Less wood, more heat.
No pop burns in your pants?
Not too many burns. I save most of my wood heap for emergency heat and I guard my wool longjohns jealously lol.
Not too many burns. I save most of my wood heap for emergency heat and I guard my wool longjohns jealously lol.
You're lucky. The wife, kids, and dogs demand fires when it's cold.
You're lucky. The wife, kids, and dogs demand fires when it's cold.
When the power goes out, I burn wood. I've got a woodlot, and trees are constantly getting blown over, so there is no shortage of wood.
But wood is a terrible source of heating energy. It takes a lot of energy to harvest and prepare. It's awkward to move around. It has to be dried to burn properly. It generated a huge amount of smoke that contaminated your house and your lungs. It leave huge quantities of ash behind.
By contrast, heating oil needs no preparation, does not need to be moved, does not need to be tended, or re-lit, leaves almost no soot, and there is no cleanup to do at regular intervals, as there is with wood.
Nobody in their right mind would prefer wood over heating oil, or gas. But when electricity goes out, wood is a good fall-back heating source.
When the power goes out, I burn wood. I've got a woodlot, and trees are constantly getting blown over, so there is no shortage of wood.
But wood is a terrible source of heating energy. It takes a lot of energy to harvest and prepare. It's awkward to move around. It has to be dried to burn properly. It generated a huge amount of smoke that contaminated your house and your lungs. It leave huge quantities of ash behind.
By contrast, heating oil needs no preparation, does not need to be moved, does not need to be tended, or re-lit, leaves almost no soot, and there is no cleanup to do at regular intervals, as there is with wood.
Nobody in their right mind would prefer wood over heating oil, or gas. But when electricity goes out, wood is a good fall-back heating source.
Collecting firewood is a hobby at best and good exercise at worst. Don't like running a saw or splitting wood? Collect blocks from a mill on the cheap. A trailer load of 10" x 8" blocks of varying thickness is $25 here (sometimes $40 depending on who's at the desk). The same load of split wood would cost $300 to buy. For $100, they'd drop a dump truck full of blocks in my driveway.
Wood doesn't have the energy density of fossil fuels, of course. If you can smell smoke or see smoke leaving your chimney, you are either doing something wrong or simply have an old stove. Franklin and pot belly stoves come to mind as inefficient stoves. No smoke leaves my chimney. Burning 24/7, I clean out a gallon ziplock bag of ash each week. It takes 2 minutes. That ash goes into my quail sandbox. I wish it was a little more ash each week. I'm burning oak, and I don't have experience with how much ash other trees create?
Doing nothing is easier than doing something, you're correct. Nobody would burn wood if they could just set the thermostat. We burn wood simply for the niceness of sitting near and watching the fire and the power bill savings. If I choose the wood blocks route, it takes an hour to pile 2 cords into my trailer. It takes another hour to neatly stack it where I keep it. 2 of those loads (4 total hours) and I'm good for the winter. I spend more time and money each year changing the oil in my vehicles and toys than I do dealing with firewood. Sure, I could take them to speed-lube, but I'm a man.
My situation isn't the case for everyone, and no offense here, but you're blowing things way out of proportion.
Collecting firewood is a hobby at best and good exercise at worst. Don't like running a saw or splitting wood? Collect blocks from a mill on the cheap. A trailer load of 10" x 8" blocks of varying thickness is $25 here (sometimes $40 depending on who's at the desk). The same load of split wood would cost $300 to buy. For $100, they'd drop a dump truck full of blocks in my driveway.
Wood doesn't have the energy density of fossil fuels, of course. If you can smell smoke or see smoke leaving your chimney, you are either doing something wrong or simply have an old stove. Franklin and pot belly stoves come to mind as inefficient stoves. No smoke leaves my chimney. Burning 24/7, I clean out a gallon ziplock bag of ash each week. It takes 2 minutes. That ash goes into my quail sandbox. I wish it was a little more ash each week. I'm burning oak, and I don't have experience with how much ash other trees create?
Doing nothing is easier than doing something, you're correct. Nobody would burn wood if they could just set the thermostat. We burn wood simply for the niceness of sitting near and watching the fire and the power bill savings. If I choose the wood blocks route, it takes an hour to pile 2 cords into my trailer. It takes another hour to neatly stack it where I keep it. 2 of those loads (4 total hours) and I'm good for the winter. I spend more time and money each year changing the oil in my vehicles and toys than I do dealing with firewood. Sure, I could take them to speed-lube, but I'm a man.
My situation isn't the case for everyone, and no offense here, but you're blowing things way out of proportion.
Wood is free. Cutting it keeps you fit, so it saves you money because you don't need a gym. Asked can be used for many things, an example would be for your garden. Wood is the BEST option. My entire neighborhood uses wood.
Wood is free. Cutting it keeps you fit, so it saves you money because you don't need a gym. Asked can be used for many things, an example would be for your garden. Wood is the BEST option. My entire neighborhood uses wood.
I used to have a fireplace insert. My father in law and I used to cut down trees on nearby farms and drag them with a tractor back to his place to cut and split. Those times I spent with him were the best. I miss chopping wood now since I moved.
I used to have a fireplace insert. My father in law and I used to cut down trees on nearby farms and drag them with a tractor back to his place to cut and split.
Those times I spent with him were the best. I miss chopping wood now since I moved.
Great story. Treat it as a hobby, exercise, or time spent with someone you like. I wouldn't do it either if it felt like a chore. Well, unless I was a pioneer hermit and my life depended on it.
Great story. Treat it as a hobby, exercise, or time spent with someone you like. I wouldn't do it either if it felt like a chore. Well, unless I was a pioneer hermit and my life depended on it.
We're on propane this winter but am getting my wood seasoned and stove installed for this next winter.
We're on propane this winter but am getting my wood seasoned and stove installed for this next winter.
What stove's you looking at?
What stove's you looking at?
I'm getting a hand me down from the in-laws. They went to pellet stove. It's just a small pot bellied stove. I can't wait because that's free cooking during the winter as well. I use cast iron so it's perfect
I'm getting a hand me down from the in-laws. They went to pellet stove. It's just a small pot bellied stove. I can't wait because that's free cooking during the winter as well. I use cast iron so it's perfect
That's cool. Better than no wood stove, especially. See what you can do to fix any leaks it might have.
We cooked on ours once just to say we did. I do set a kettle on it for humidity sometimes.
That's cool. Better than no wood stove, especially. See what you can do to fix any leaks it might have.
We cooked on ours once just to say we did. I do set a kettle on it for humidity sometimes.
I have a modern wood stove with a wonderful after burner in the top layer. When the temperature gets right, the wood just vaporizes below without flames. Up above, the wood vapors ignite in the air, and there's a layer of floating flames at the very top of the wood stove. Every once in a while a white/blue flame on the wood will peak up and disappear. It is mesmerizing to watch when it gets to that point.
As for my pants, I have work pants. I don't have 'pajama' pants, those are for children and women. I wear my pants until I go to bed.
I have a modern wood stove with a wonderful after burner in the top layer. When the temperature gets right, the wood just vaporizes below without flames. Up above, the wood vapors ignite in the air, and there's a layer of floating flames at the very top of the wood stove. Every once in a while a white/blue flame on the wood will peak up and disappear. It is mesmerizing to watch when it gets to that point.
As for my pants, I have work pants. I don't have 'pajama' pants, those are for children and women. I wear my pants until I go to bed.
The secondary flame is cool to watch, especially when it's the only one going. Looks like magic. The flame sort of pours around like a liquid. Other times it rages.
As for the pants, that's the wife's doing. Mesh shorts to bed in summer, flannel-esque pajama pants in winter.
The secondary flame is cool to watch, especially when it's the only one going. Looks like magic. The flame sort of pours around like a liquid. Other times it rages.
As for the pants, that's the wife's doing. Mesh shorts to bed in summer, flannel-esque pajama pants in winter.
Ah yes, I sleep in underwear year around, enough for me to get out of bed in, little enough for me not to get warm on most nights.
I'm glad we're all burning wood and not the coal. =)
Ah yes, I sleep in underwear year around, enough for me to get out of bed in, little enough for me not to get warm on most nights.
I'm glad we're all burning wood and not the coal. =)
You're the guy who hears a bump in the night and rolls out with a rifle in tidy whiteys wearing a vest, helmet, and NVGs!
You're the guy who hears a bump in the night and rolls out with a rifle in tidy whiteys wearing a vest, helmet, and NVGs!
I burned this really nice japenese wood in a fire a couple days ago, it smelled amazing.
I burned this really nice japenese wood in a fire a couple days ago, it smelled amazing.
I have my wood imported from Bavaria.
I have my wood imported from Bavaria.
Yeah, but my wood is all wet due to the poor construction of the wood shed the previous owner left me with. Looking forward to building a new one in spring.
Still enjoy the fire once we get it going!
Yeah, but my wood is all wet due to the poor construction of the wood shed the previous owner left me with. Looking forward to building a new one in spring.
Still enjoy the fire once we get it going!
I only burn coal
I only burn coal
You'll pay the toll!
You'll pay the toll!
Huh? I meant the fuel..
Huh? I meant the fuel..
LOL
LOL
A man who cuts his own wood warms himself twice.
-Henry Ford-
A man who cuts his own wood warms himself twice.
-Henry Ford-
My dog barks at the fireplace every night after she comes in from her walk. Even in the summer.
My dog barks at the fireplace every night after she comes in from her walk. Even in the summer.
My big male sits unreasonably close to the glass and stares at the fire. He'll even squint more and more as his eyes presumably heat/dry.
My big male sits unreasonably close to the glass and stares at the fire. He'll even squint more and more as his eyes presumably heat/dry.
I just have the one yearling, but she chases the cats away from the fire and loves to curl on the hearth and snore. I adore her. I’m going to completely spoil my kids if I’m not careful
I just have the one yearling, but she chases the cats away from the fire and loves to curl on the hearth and snore. I adore her. I’m going to completely spoil my kids if I’m not careful
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