Are you a "slave" to your OWB?

[HEAVY FUEL]

Reading a lot of compliants about people having to load their OWB constantly makes me wonder what I did right. Walk by the stove in the a.m. throw in 5 or 6 pieces. Walk by stove in p.m. throw in 7 or 8. I spend more time on the toilet or in the shower does that make me a "slave" to the bathroom? I heat a 36x60 shop along with my house, I can't understand why some people have to FILL their stoves every 4 to 6 hours.opcorn:

 

[Husky137]

I don't get it either and I'm burning 99% pine. Twice a day and I'm out there with the dogs anyways. I can let it go 24 hours if I want, but no real need.

 

[bassman]

well.......
first off lets get climate out of the way so we are not confusing what COLD is .
minus 31c or minus 25f here
when it is this cold and i have a 2800 sq ft house with a 18x20 heat xchanger in the furnace and a 16x16 in the home theatre room and a 12x12 in a small greenhouse it pulls alot of heat out the boiler so that in return calls for fire and that fire goes for about 6 hours .
now heating a cement slab is adding thermal mass and that mass takes a while to heat but stays warmer than just water.
so that may have me adding logs more often.
bla bla bla .
bottom line is even with a 24 hour burn and it is possible at minus 10c you are still having to fill it every 24 hours.
so if you chose not to add a grand worth of antifreeze and your only backup is electric or oil or maybe nothing .... you are now a slave to your boiler.
my system has no antifreeze but will next year so i can let the gas run and take 2 week off and see mickey mouse.
boilers are great but they are not perfect as they burn up alot of wood and blow out 50% of the heat as smoke and tick off you close neibors .
my boiler is a compleatly different beast when it is fall as a couple of rotten logs burn for 2 days but if that is what you call winter you may not even need more than a woodstove and a electric space heater.
funny thing is a month ago i would have told you there is no better than a owb but as i see my woodpile go from big to small i have a different outlook.
I have to go now and you guessed it...... fill my boiler.

shayne

 

[windthrown]

Slaves?

Well, if you consider the time we cut and stack wood, and toss it into the boiler, then maybe we are slaves of a sort here. But I have to agree that we usually toss in 3-4 medium size logs in the morning and toss in 3-4 in the afternoon and maybe 2 big ones before going to bed. I keep the boiler wood stack lower to get better efficiency out of the wood. O/w you make a lot of charcoal cooking the top wood before it gets down to the burn level.

Also depends on the wood. I have these large grand fir rounds that we are burning now and they are pretty weak in heat and take more loading. Light wood, like cottonwood, willow, pine, and grand fir take about 2x the wood for the same heat as madrone and oak. Usually we burn alder, doug fir, oak and madrone. With those woods a few good sized logs is all it takes for a half day of heat. But the great thing about the OWB is that it burns it all.

 

[sredlin]

I think that any type of wood burning appliance makes you somewhat of a slave. My Jotul does not fill it self in the house. Part of the reason I burn wood is that I just enjoy cutting it, splitting it and stacking it. I have also been a lifelong pyromaniac--- so burning it is also fun. It is also good exercise. If it was drudgery I would just get another part time job and buy propane.

 

[Butch(OH)]

I think that any type of wood burning appliance makes you somewhat of a slave. My Jotul does not fill it self in the house. Part of the reason I burn wood is that I just enjoy cutting it, splitting it and stacking it. I have also been a lifelong pyromaniac--- so burning it is also fun. It is also good exercise. If it was drudgery I would just get another part time job and buy propane.

That my friend, is one very well thought out, simple and truthfull answer to a question that gets asked all too often. My opinion of wood burning is the same. Dont enjoy cutting and a day in the woods? then dont buy a wood burner of any kind because you aint goping to like it over the long haul.

 

[JUDGE1162]

I have to agree as much as people say I burn wood to save money, I think that is BS. By time you figure in the time it takes to cut, split, stack, and then feed your boiler/stove you are better off with a part time job and buying oil or propane, then figure in all the equipment you need i.e. saws, chains, fuel for the saws, spliter and maybe splitter fuel, maintenace of the equipment and stove, chimmeny sweep, etc.

For me burning gives me a contection to the past, the whole living off the land, fruits of your labor thing. Plus I figure I have downed trees to cut up, landclearing for new buildings, tops from having the land logged might as well use it for heat instead of letting it rot and the best reason chainsaws are fun and it is an easy way to justify buying them.

 

[Fish4Brains]

I sure dont feel like a slave when my gas bill is 30 bucks instead of 300 I feel like a genius. Truth be told I enjoy the whole deal cutting loading running the saw filling the stove, all of it. However I have been called a workaholic by my alcoholic friends a time or two. Dont get me wrong I love the suds to just like to work a bit more
later

 

[BIG JAKE]

No-slavery is being forced to do something I don't want to do. I like running a saw, splitting, stacking-all of it(except shoveling ash). The type of wood I burn does affect things. I have a little stove, so if I burn hardwood I shovel ash every day, but my load times way less frequent than pine or fir. The thing I like the least is shoveling ash. So my favorite woods are douglas fir, pine, and juniper. Bright lively fire, quick heat output, less ash at the end of the day. I can usually go a couple days without shoveling ash with these woods. More loading but I'd rather load than shovel. I load the hardwood when I'll be gone for prolonged periods during the day.

 

[luckycutter]

I have to agree as much as people say I burn wood to save money, I think that is BS. By time you figure in the time it takes to cut, split, stack, and then feed your boiler/stove you are better off with a part time job and buying oil or propane, then figure in all the equipment you need i.e. saws, chains, fuel for the saws, spliter and maybe splitter fuel, maintenace of the equipment and stove, chimmeny sweep, etc.

For me burning gives me a contection to the past, the whole living off the land, fruits of your labor thing. Plus I figure I have downed trees to cut up, landclearing for new buildings, tops from having the land logged might as well use it for heat instead of letting it rot and the best reason chainsaws are fun and it is an easy way to justify buying them.

Some people have a lot more time on their hands than money.Besides, if you get in the right opportunities, you can spend a bit more time to process some extra wood to sell. That lowers your expenses considerably. For my arrangement. My investment of a saw and such was made up after two years. The rest is all gravy and a bit of sweat, but the overall satisfaction is well worth it. Besides, every man needs a hobby so you might as well make the hobby worth the while.

 

[JUDGE1162]

Some people have a lot more time on their hands than money.Besides, if you get in the right opportunities, you can spend a bit more time to process some extra wood to sell. That lowers your expenses considerably. For my arrangement. My investment of a saw and such was made up after two years. The rest is all gravy and a bit of sweat, but the overall satisfaction is well worth it. Besides, every man needs a hobby so you might as well make the hobby worth the while.

True but my comment was is your time worth more at a part time job or cutting wood

A cord of good dry hardwood is worth the same as 150 gallons of heating oil or 225 gallons of LP Right now I pay about $2.50 a gallon for heating oil so a cord of wood is worth $375 worth of oil my wood stove and oil burner have about the same effeceincy so all things are equal.

SO now the question is how long does it take to cut, split, stack, load the stove, clean the ash ect. per cord. Then figure out how much an hour a part time job will pay and see if you are ahead still then figure all your equipment on top of that.


Basically what is your time worth? For me it is more cost effective to work some overtime but I burn wood because I like it not because it saves me money.

 

[MS-310]

I sure dont feel like a slave when my gas bill is 30 bucks instead of 300 I feel like a genius. Truth be told I enjoy the whole deal cutting loading running the saw filling the stove, all of it. However I have been called a workaholic by my alcoholic friends a time or two. Dont get me wrong I love the suds to just like to work a bit more
later

Yup your so right, I have never heard any thing so true.

 

[Butch(OH)]

I love it when people ask what "time is worth". The fallacy to applying some mythical per hour charge to our wood cutting and splitting time is this, where did this money come from?? and to who did it get paid?? you just cant use some figure to charge aginst the work but not be paid now can you?? Next time I cut wood I am going to pay myself $22 per hour OK? If I work 4 hours I am going to take $88 right out of my wallet, place it in my right hand and stick it in my left hand. How about $50 per hour, or how about 50 cents? it makes no difference, take out of left pocket and place in right pocket equals $0, do you charge yourself this same mythical dollar per hour figure while at work? if so I hope it is less than you make per hour or you are going in the hole by going to work

What it boils down to is exactly what sredlin said earlier. Looking for a reason to quit burning wood, just quit, dont need to justify it further.

 

[windthrown]

I have to agree as much as people say I burn wood to save money, I think that is BS. By time you figure in the time it takes to cut, split, stack, and then feed your boiler/stove you are better off with a part time job and buying oil or propane, then figure in all the equipment you need i.e. saws, chains, fuel for the saws, spliter and maybe splitter fuel, maintenace of the equipment and stove, chimmeny sweep, etc.

Well, BS or not, we did buy the boiler to save money, and as we have a lifetime of firewood here already, and have to cut and thin and fell anyway, may as well burn the wood and save money. $300 a month is not bad, saved money after income taxes. The OWB will pay for itself in less than 5 years use. And we are more self-sufficient. Don't have or need a splitter either. The CB takes HUGE logs. And we could not afford to heat our house in winter to 70 degrees. Used to be at 65, electric heater. Now it is always 70 degrees inside. Confort level is much much higher in winter here with the OWB. Chimney sweep? On an OWB? Not needed either... maintenence is about zero for us. I plumbed and wired it right. :biggrinbounce2:

 

[luckycutter]

True but my comment was is your time worth more at a part time job or cutting wood

A cord of good dry hardwood is worth the same as 150 gallons of heating oil or 225 gallons of LP Right now I pay about $2.50 a gallon for heating oil so a cord of wood is worth $375 worth of oil my wood stove and oil burner have about the same effeceincy so all things are equal.

SO now the question is how long does it take to cut, split, stack, load the stove, clean the ash ect. per cord. Then figure out how much an hour a part time job will pay and see if you are ahead still then figure all your equipment on top of that.


Basically what is your time worth? For me it is more cost effective to work some overtime but I burn wood because I like it not because it saves me money.

The only part time jobs in my area pay near min wage so I wood have to put forth a lot of time on the job in addition to the driving to and from, paying taxes etc. I would much rather give up 2-3 saturdays a year and put it behind me. Being able to keep the house warm when the electricity is down is a bonus people rarely appreciate, which is another reason to think about wood heat.
It does not always have to be a side job vs wood thing. Some people actually do have spare time on their hands, so for them they do have times when they could be watching tv,vegging, being bored and wondering what to do with their time, or they could be doing something productive, like, oh, say... cutting a few logs. Spare time does not cost anything.

 

[loveroftrees]

No-slavery is being forced to do something I don't want to do. I like running a saw, splitting, stacking-all of it(except shoveling ash). The type of wood I burn does affect things. I have a little stove, so if I burn hardwood I shovel ash every day, but my load times way less frequent than pine or fir. The thing I like the least is shoveling ash. So my favorite woods are douglas fir, pine, and juniper. Bright lively fire, quick heat output, less ash at the end of the day. I can usually go a couple days without shoveling ash with these woods. More loading but I'd rather load than shovel. I load the hardwood when I'll be gone for prolonged periods during the day.

Try the Cougar II ash vacuum. It will change your life. I have been heating my house for 30 years w/wood stove. A friend had one of these and after I saw it in action I went right to the dealer 35 min away and bought one. I got it home and with the fire going I stuck it right in and sucked out alot of ash. A great product...bob

 

[hbbyloggr]

Our home was built in stages, starting around the 1790's. It had never seen a modern central heating system. I installed a FHW system in 1989, filled up the 275 gal tank with #2 oil and there it sits. Still 2/3 full from the original filling.

I like my wood stoves, I like it when the power goes out. Am I a slave to the stove and OWB ? Let me put it another way: I refuse to be a slave to the oil company and power company.

Hbbyloggr

 

[stonykill]

That my friend, is one very well thought out, simple and truthfull answer to a question that gets asked all too often. My opinion of wood burning is the same. Dont enjoy cutting and a day in the woods? then dont buy a wood burner of any kind because you aint goping to like it over the long haul.

exactly. If anything I was a slave to the 2 wood stoves that were used in my house before I got an OWB. I filled those each several times a day. Then if it was below zero, thats Fahrenheit, I had to get up in the middle of the night if I wanted to stay warm. Also every time I used the hot water I swear I heard the meter spinning. I've been heating 100% with wood in this home for 16 years, no backup source whatsoever. Ripped the oil furnace out completely in 1991. In all honesty, my life is easier with the OWB, and my shop is also warm. It never was warm in the winter before, just tolerable. :greenchainsaw:

 

[grandpatractor]

I,m a slave to the Chainsaw

The OWB is just a way to get rid of all this wood that is piling up.

 

[hockeypuck]

When I was using my Vermont Casting resolute, I would have to fill it every 4 to 5 hours to keep the house warm. That is being a slave to wood. On the coldest of days once at 6:30 am before work, then once at 4:00 pm before the sun goes down. Now that the sun is up longer, I can go 24 hours. I like the fact that my wife does not have to mess with the wood stove anymore. I am looking at 7 chord of wood by the end of april. 3/4 of that was hemlock and pine. I still think that the horror stories of upteen chord of wood for a 2000 sqft. house is due to improper pipe installation.

puck