Wood Stove Operation

[Kat Kanning]

Lauren explained to me the whole male/air flow issue. 

[Sweet Mercury]

Are wood stoves significantly cheaper than other forms of heating, even if you're buying the wood and not cutting it yourself?

[Russell Kanning]

I think so. Sometimes it is hard to compare apples and oranges, but for us it is much cheaper at $170/cord delivered to our driveway.

[Sweet Mercury]

I think so. Sometimes it is hard to compare apples and oranges, but for us it is much cheaper at $170/cord delivered to our driveway.

And how long will a chord last?

[slim]

I think so. Sometimes it is hard to compare apples and oranges, but for us it is much cheaper at $170/cord delivered to our driveway.

And how long will a chord last?

Are you asking about a full chord or a face chord?

It depends on how cold it is. The colder it is the more you will use to heat the home. It also depends on how large the house is and how well insulated the home is.

Also the efficiency of the wood furnace/boiler will depend on how long the cord will last.

[Tom Sawyer]

A full cord is 4 x 4 x 8 feet...

I heat about 1500 sq ft in a not that well insulated house and use about 6 cords for about 6 months of heating.

[Sweet Mercury]

I think so. Sometimes it is hard to compare apples and oranges, but for us it is much cheaper at $170/cord delivered to our driveway.

And how long will a chord last?

Are you asking about a full chord or a face chord?

It depends on how cold it is. The colder it is the more you will use to heat the home. It also depends on how large the house is and how well insulated the home is.

Also the efficiency of the wood furnace/boiler will depend on how long the cord will last.

And here I didnt' even know that chords came in different sizes!

So much to learn before I move!

[KBCraig]

Cord, half cord, face cord, and rick tend to have localized variations in meaning. Be sure to find out how much wood you're actually getting.

[slim]

Cord, half cord, face cord, and rick tend to have localized variations in meaning. Be sure to find out how much wood you're actually getting.

How true buyer beware or "Caveat emptor"

[mvpel]

I bought some wood from a reseller who apparently didn't think to ask whether she was getting a face cord or full cord.  Luckily I have a 4x4x8 alcove in the garage so I could tell easily.

The bright side of the electricity cost is that the payback period for renewables is better.  When I redo my main panel I plan to make room for an inverter.

[Russell Kanning]

but your main question was which is cheaper .... so when you take it all into account ... I think wood is cheaper for me. It is more work .... you even have to ask people on a forum how a woodstove works.

[slim]

but your main question was which is cheaper .... so when you take it all into account ... I think wood is cheaper for me. It is more work .... you even have to ask people on a forum how a woodstove works.

I think using wood is cheaper but it would depend on how much your time is worth.

[money dollars]

There is also wood pellet....

[Pat McCotter]

There is also wood pellet....

...and corn.

[Sweet Mercury]

but your main question was which is cheaper .... so when you take it all into account ... I think wood is cheaper for me. It is more work .... you even have to ask people on a forum how a woodstove works.

I'm cheap as hell, so I generally don't mind putting in a little work to save money. It actually sound's pretty cool, to sit and read by a wood burning stove.