Heating with wood burners/fire places only?

Denim Deb

More Precious than Rubies
Joined
Oct 21, 2010
Messages
14,993
Reaction score
616
Points
417
We've had at least 1 person land face down in the mud because their boot got stuck and they lost their balance.
 

sumi

Rest in Peace 1980-2020
Joined
Sep 26, 2013
Messages
7,025
Reaction score
5,296
Points
337
Location
Ireland
That's the kind of thing that would happen to me! Our mud is manageable thankfully, but with these WHITE tiles floors… :/
 

Awskin

Sustainable Newbie
Joined
Dec 14, 2015
Messages
1
Reaction score
1
Points
3
Nice project! :)
A friend of mine also completely relies on wood.
 

rhoda_bruce

Almost Self-Reliant
Joined
Jun 11, 2010
Messages
1,522
Reaction score
65
Points
187
Location
Lafourche Parish, LA
I'm late coming on but found a few interesting pointers since catching up and just wanted to jump in. Well, I bought a potbelly about 7 years back to replace the boxwood because I felt it might be nice to go from 76,000 BTU's to 200,000.
Now Bee mentioned that for the investment, her drum/kit gives the best BTU's and I'm not denying it, because I think I spent over $800 when I decided to make the change, but it REALLY was hot. But never did the study on how many BTU's Bee's method actually offers.
I have it centrally located in a very long house and it mostly keeps the whole house warm enough, except on very cold nights, to which I might rely on gas......but that was before we added a floor. Last winter and every other winter before, all I had was a subfloor and not I have a floor on top and the under portion of my house is closed in with greenhouse material, so its rather nice and all I have had to use is the stove.
Now the main, common areas of the house that are all extensions of the room that has the stove are warm, but the bathrooms and bedrooms do get a bit chili, so bedrooms I don't fret about. I just use a bedwarmer, because I figure even if the fire goes out, all I have to worry about is for the house not to freeze, which it won't anyway, and for the comfort of the humans in the house, which, hello.....they under the covers.
Now the bathroom, I use the terra-cotta, candle heater method, so I don't have to rely on electric heat....or gas. I prefer gas to electric, for financial reasons as well as speed in heating, but I read that the candle method was the cheapest way to heat a small room and it has been working for me for the past 2 winters. It gives me only about 4 hours of warmth, but it can be stretched to 8, if I go votive rather than tea candles. I just made improvements on my bathroom heater method today, in fact.
 

Britesea

Sustainability Master
Joined
Jul 22, 2011
Messages
5,676
Reaction score
5,732
Points
373
Location
Klamath County, OR
I had wondered if those terra cotta heaters really worked; glad to get your feedback on that. Only trouble for us is that our bathroom is so poorly laid out that I would be afraid of burning something tender while drying off after a bath.
 

rhoda_bruce

Almost Self-Reliant
Joined
Jun 11, 2010
Messages
1,522
Reaction score
65
Points
187
Location
Lafourche Parish, LA
I took every precaution even from the very beginning, by using stoneware as a platform.
Today I went a step further and bought a metal plant stand, which holds the planters about 18 inches above the floor with the platter next, and (this part is all my own idea) terra-cotta spacers positioned to support the above planters, then the smaller pot, followed by the larger pot. It actually looks nice. Really need DS to help me post a pic. I am rather proud of how it came out.
 

sumi

Rest in Peace 1980-2020
Joined
Sep 26, 2013
Messages
7,025
Reaction score
5,296
Points
337
Location
Ireland
I took every precaution even from the very beginning, by using stoneware as a platform.
Today I went a step further and bought a metal plant stand, which holds the planters about 18 inches above the floor with the platter next, and (this part is all my own idea) terra-cotta spacers positioned to support the above planters, then the smaller pot, followed by the larger pot. It actually looks nice. Really need DS to help me post a pic. I am rather proud of how it came out.
Pic please :)
 

rhoda_bruce

Almost Self-Reliant
Joined
Jun 11, 2010
Messages
1,522
Reaction score
65
Points
187
Location
Lafourche Parish, LA
IMG_20151221_132302.jpg
IMG_20151221_132203.jpg
 

rhoda_bruce

Almost Self-Reliant
Joined
Jun 11, 2010
Messages
1,522
Reaction score
65
Points
187
Location
Lafourche Parish, LA
I figured it out, with a little help. On the first pic, maybe I could have put a few candles burning to give a better idea. But hadn't thought of it. There are 4 terra-cotta wedges or supports, that I have calked in place with cement filler. I put this idea together, because of the plan DH sent me with carriage bolts, nuts and washers, which I couldn't put together or even explain to the man who was trying to assist me. When I saw I wasn't going to be able to do it that way, mechanically, I snooped around and improvised.
 

Latest posts

Top