reinbeau
Moderator Extraordinaire
They made a guy around here (I think it was in Rockland, but I might be mistaken, it was local to me, I know) take his out because of neighbor complaints.
Outdoor Wood Furnaces?
- Thread starter hobbychickener
- Start date
Sebrightmom
Lovin' The Homestead
We have one and I really like it. I was against it at first. But my husband wanted one. We have had ours for 4 years. We even moved it to our new house. We get all of our wood for free. We do have to spend the time and fuel cutting it and hauling it, but it is well worth it. The most our electic bill has gotten up is 40 dollars during the coldests months. Everyone I know their bill has gone up $70-$200. My husband built a shed around ours. It is nice to be able to put the wood in the stove without messing with snow.
plucky
Enjoys Recycling
Hey hobbychickener-
That's the biggest drawback for us. We have central heat/air as well as the outdoor stove, but when the electricity goes out (we're getting ice today, so I'm holding my breath), we're out of luck. You really DO need multiple sources of heat. If our electricity goes, tonight we'll be sleeping out in the garage with the wood stove.
Once it gets warm (and we run out of wood), we switch back to our regular hot water heater. However, we have some friends who keep a fire in their stove year 'round just for the hot water. Our stove is a bit different from theirs - on ours the blower sucking air into the house keeps the fire stoked, but on warm days (60's) it can be tough to keep the fire going, unless you check it fairly often and open the bottom door to feed the fire. Too much trouble to make it worth it for us.
Yesterday it was in the lower to mid 20's all day. We filled the box yesterday morning (took 5 large sticks), and I filled it with about 3 big chunks last night...it should be OK until mid-morning or so.
And, like freemotion said, you CAN burn pretty big chunks, and you don't have to worry AS MUCH about the wood you burn. We have a lot of hedge readily available, which burns really hot. Too many sparks for a regular fireplace, but it's just fine in the outdoor stove. Other than hedge, we mostly stick to oak. We had a large mulberry tree go down this summer so we cut it up and burned it - it seemed to burn really quick. And again like someone else said, consider your neighbors. We don't have any close, but if you do I'd try to burn better wood.
Hope the input helps with your decision!
That's the biggest drawback for us. We have central heat/air as well as the outdoor stove, but when the electricity goes out (we're getting ice today, so I'm holding my breath), we're out of luck. You really DO need multiple sources of heat. If our electricity goes, tonight we'll be sleeping out in the garage with the wood stove.
Once it gets warm (and we run out of wood), we switch back to our regular hot water heater. However, we have some friends who keep a fire in their stove year 'round just for the hot water. Our stove is a bit different from theirs - on ours the blower sucking air into the house keeps the fire stoked, but on warm days (60's) it can be tough to keep the fire going, unless you check it fairly often and open the bottom door to feed the fire. Too much trouble to make it worth it for us.
Yesterday it was in the lower to mid 20's all day. We filled the box yesterday morning (took 5 large sticks), and I filled it with about 3 big chunks last night...it should be OK until mid-morning or so.
And, like freemotion said, you CAN burn pretty big chunks, and you don't have to worry AS MUCH about the wood you burn. We have a lot of hedge readily available, which burns really hot. Too many sparks for a regular fireplace, but it's just fine in the outdoor stove. Other than hedge, we mostly stick to oak. We had a large mulberry tree go down this summer so we cut it up and burned it - it seemed to burn really quick. And again like someone else said, consider your neighbors. We don't have any close, but if you do I'd try to burn better wood.
Hope the input helps with your decision!
- Thread starter
- #14
hobbychickener
Enjoys Recycling
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I have thought about the neighbor aspect of this - another reason they won't like me 
. But I am on 5 acres so it isn't a big worry. We are in the middle of a huge ice storm right now. No power for the last 24 hours (415000 out state wide). generator won't start so things are looking to great. I am liking the idea of this a little more everyday. Things like this are a little easier to swollow when the DW is warm.
There are several that i have seen around here that have them and burn whiskey barrel heads/staves in them. They burn very hot and very clean and are pretty easy to come by.
I just wasn't really sure how long they would go before they had to be fed again and if there are any major problems from any certain ones. dont want something that will have to be messed with every 4-5 hours. my time is worth to much for that!
. But I am on 5 acres so it isn't a big worry. We are in the middle of a huge ice storm right now. No power for the last 24 hours (415000 out state wide). generator won't start so things are looking to great. I am liking the idea of this a little more everyday. Things like this are a little easier to swollow when the DW is warm. There are several that i have seen around here that have them and burn whiskey barrel heads/staves in them. They burn very hot and very clean and are pretty easy to come by.
I just wasn't really sure how long they would go before they had to be fed again and if there are any major problems from any certain ones. dont want something that will have to be messed with every 4-5 hours. my time is worth to much for that!
StoneBridge Farm
Power Conserver
We live way out in the country and purchased one this last fall. Our house is too all electric. Don't know who thought up that brilliand plan...did I mention our house is 3600sq. ft.??? Anyway, It heats our house easy... and we also heat our pool at times, although when we add the pool it really goes through the wood. We burn pine when we have to.... as well as paper trash. We have not had any problem with creosote.I mean, you will always have some. As long as you keep it clean, no worries. But all in all...a HUGE investment.. but well worth it. Our electric bill Jan. thru March is always $450... this year... almost $200 difference! 
We are ending our 3rd winter with one, It's a central boiler our house is 5000 sq ft, we keep it 68-70 inside all winter no problem at all. I have a couple tree cutters in my area that drop me pine for free, It costs them 70$ a tone to dump it at the landfill at my house they drop it for free, and I turn it into heat. everyone wins. This is the best investment we have made, It's hard work but worth it.
