Out of fuel oil and I don't want to fill it. Wood power activate!

[UpOnTheHill]

We have a wood burning stove in our family room which is the largest room in our home. I burn it 24/7 in cold weather trying to cut down on the fuel oil bill and to make it nice and cozy for the family. Oh and I get to have some cool toys... I mean tools to harvest the firewood. Burning the wood, we still go through about a half tank of fuel oil a winter, which isn't too awfully bad. We started this winter with a half tank. Well I got home from work today and the family room was a toasty 72 but walked into the kitchen...57 degrees. The furnace fan was running but no heat. Go check the tank...empty. Quickly arranged a couple of mini box fans in strategic places and got a rippin fire going in the stove. Within 15 minutes the kitchen is at 61 degrees. Looks promising. It's been about 40 minutes now and family room is at 75 and kitchen and living room are at 63. Gonna pour a glass of wine and see what happens tonight but I hope I don't have to call the oil delivery man. It's looking pretty good so far. Wish me luck!

 

[stihly dan]

If you have the wood and the WILL, you will be just fine.

 

[UpOnTheHill]

If you have the wood and the WILL, you will be just fine.

Plenty of both. Also lots of blankets...lol

 

[Bushmans]

Luck has been wished! Sounds like you need a Binford 1800 woodmeiseramatic!

 

[flotek]

Half a tank of fuel oil is half a tank too much .. Burn wood instead . In this day and age of high fuel prices you could almost buy the biggest baddest wood stove out there and pay for it the first year compared to giving the money to oil company

 

[zogger]

Good luck and better skill!

Always cut more than what is your highest estimate of burn per year, and stack it away. Keep doing that.

 

[UpOnTheHill]

As soon as the darn snow melts some, I've got my eye on about a dozen downed oaks and ash trees in the woods. Tried to go out Saturday morning with my son and my "new to me" 365 special but the snow was just too deep. Hardly got the tractor back to the house. I did cut a few rounds though and happy with how the saw ran in that little time. 76cc big bore with a 20 inch bar and it rips pretty good especially compared to my 350!

 

[Whitespider]

I'm wishin' all the best for ya' I can.
I'm thinkin'... hopin'... if you can make it through the next 10 days or so it has to get better... I mean we are nearly halfway through February.
It is gonna' start warming up.. right?? "Cause if'n it don't... I'm gonna' be bringin' even more firewood in the house.
*

 

[UpOnTheHill]

I'm wishin' all the best for ya' I can.
I'm thinkin'... hopin'... if you can make it through the next 10 days or so it has to get better... I mean we are nearly halfway through February.
It is gonna' start warming up.. right?? "Cause if'n it don't... I'm gonna' be bringin' even more firewood in the house.
*

It's supposed to get into the low 30's here next week. The stove heats the whole house up nice in that kind of weather anyway. The kitchen is almost 70 now and the living room is about 66 so I consider this a success. I have a thru-wall fan between our family room (cathedral ceiling) and the second floor where the kids area is. Is blows the warm air right into the second floor hallway. I'm calling it good for this year. It'll have to make do. I'd really like to get a dual fuel furnace (oil and wood) then my house would be in the 70's all winter. They're pricey though.

 

[Whitespider]

It would be a relief to see some 30's for sure.
When temps are in the 30's I can heat the entire house with a ½ load in the firebox twice a day, and maybe a couple extra sticks before bed.
*

 

[olyman]

It's supposed to get into the low 30's here next week. The stove heats the whole house up nice in that kind of weather anyway. The kitchen is almost 70 now and the living room is about 66 so I consider this a success. I have a thru-wall fan between our family room (cathedral ceiling) and the second floor where the kids area is. Is blows the warm air right into the second floor hallway. I'm calling it good for this year. It'll have to make do. I'd really like to get a dual fuel furnace (oil and wood) then my house would be in the 70's all winter. They're pricey though.

I believe,,longwood,,is long out of business...but when they built a duel fuel, when you were on either gas or oil, they were EXTREMELY inefficient....something like 35%!!!!!! be sure to check on the ratings of that stove!!!!

 

[alleyyooper]

Ya already have a furnace just buy a wood burning furnace ad on to ad to that. that way you burn fire wood to heat the house but have oil heat if an emergency arises and you need to be away for a few days the oil furnace keeps the pipes from freezing. My England 28 3500 was less than 1500.00 including the stove pipe and heating duct work to hook it up to the chimney and my heating ducts.
My calculations say 250 gallons of fuel oil at 3.25 a gallon is over 800.00 and that is if you can get fuel oil that cheap.

Al

 

[Jredsjeep]

oil ran out in my house about 4 years ago, now my wife thinks it gets cold in the house if i dip below 70. a couple of cealing fans in the living room is all we need in our open ranch house plan to heat it all nicely. i figure the wood stove payed for itself the first year we got it, that was about 9 years ago. its been money in my pocket (or to feed my growing family) since.

 

[UpOnTheHill]

Ya already have a furnace just buy a wood burning furnace ad on to ad to that. that way you burn fire wood to heat the house but have oil heat if an emergency arises and you need to be away for a few days the oil furnace keeps the pipes from freezing. My England 28 3500 was less than 1500.00 including the stove pipe and heating duct work to hook it up to the chimney and my heating ducts.
My calculations say 250 gallons of fuel oil at 3.25 a gallon is over 800.00 and that is if you can get fuel oil that cheap.

Al

I'd like to get an add-on but in these parts I think you have to install a separate flue for it which would cost a lot of Benjamin's for the length I would have to run it (3 floors up).

 

[UpOnTheHill]

Well it's been almost 2 weeks so I thought an update is in order. I haven't called the oil delivery man and the stove has been keeping the house very comfy. A couple days were cold (around 10) and a couple nights below 0. I'm burning a little more wood than usual but I'm happy with how this worked out. It's a good feeling knowing i can heat my house when out of fuel or without power. Getting low on wood, going to start into the emergency supply this week which is about a months worth. Going out cutting today for some small, dead leaners that I can use right away.

 

[cat-face timber]

not to ask a stupid question but what is fuel oil

my nat gas furnace died this fall and have heated entire house with wood, it is just me and my wife and 3 dogs but when the grand babies come over i get out the high heat pinyon wood

the coldest it has gotten here is about 10

 

[mdavlee]

Kerosene or No 2 heating oil.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Kerosene or No 2 heating oil.

OR number 1 heating oil...

It just depends on where you live, the time of year, AND where you store your fuel as to what you use.

And, NO, kerosene is not the same at Number 1 fuel oil...

SR

 

[Chris-PA]

If what you have works, why make it more complicated? I don't know what kind of stove you have, but maybe look into a newer style to reduce wood use. Or just keep using it.

You may be able to modify your ductwork and add a separate control to turn your furnace blower on without running the burner, and use that to distribute the heat without box fans. This is what I do, but the stove is in the basement where the return ducts come through so it was easy for me.

 

[UpOnTheHill]

If what you have works, why make it more complicated? I don't know what kind of stove you have, but maybe look into a newer style to reduce wood use. Or just keep using it.

You may be able to modify your ductwork and add a separate control to turn your furnace blower on without running the burner, and use that to distribute the heat without box fans. This is what I do, but the stove is in the basement where the return ducts come through so it was easy for me.

I have a 1 year old englander EPA stove that burns just fine. The way my house Is ducted and where the furnace is, it doesn't make sense to run my blower or I would. I do hvac controls for hospitals, colleges, school districts, etc. my ideal setup would be an OWB to both the house and shop or a combo fuel oil/wood furnace. If i find a bucket of cash laying around someday, I'll change it up. I'll move somewhere warmer! Lol