$DOLLAR$ Savings Using Wood to Heat Water!

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max2cam

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The results are in!

Since I started heating my domestic use water in the summer months with wood I made the following astounding reduction in my liquid propane gas (LP) useage.

My previous tank of propane lasted 14 months; both for cooking and heating water. Since I started heating water with wood during the summer, the most recent tank of propane lasted 32 months!

It's true that I've added more labor to my woodpile work, but the wood that I'm using to heat water is junk wood like balsam and various branches. This wood burning is good stuff.
 
The results are in!

Since I started heating my domestic use water in the summer months with wood I made the following astounding reduction in my liquid propane gas (LP) useage.

My previous tank of propane lasted 14 months; both for cooking and heating water. Since I started heating water with wood during the summer, the most recent tank of propane lasted 32 months!

It's true that I've added more labor to my woodpile work, but the wood that I'm using to heat water is junk wood like balsam and various branches. This wood burning is good stuff.

I believe it is my greatest savings. I have a wife and 3 kids who think hot water is free and sit in the shower forever. I kept mine going through July last year (doesn't take much wood in the summer) and felt it was work worth doing.
 
I just got my electric bill for last month and it was $32! And no other energy bills - no natural gas or oil.

This low bill is because I heat entirely with wood and began using my woodstove heated water tanks prior to last month. The woodstove water heating worked so good, I have not used my electric water heater at all during the last month. I do some cooking on my woodstove.

Also I have all compact fluorescent bulbs, new Energy Star appliances which use less electricity, and all my electronic gizmos (except phone answering machine) are on power strips. I turn off power to these things when not in use. (Things like remote control stereo/TV and microwave with clock use electricity when "off".) I have battery operated clocks because I live in a rural area and electricity goes off at least twice a month. So I gave up on the plug-in electronic clock thing years ago.
 
What are you burning the wood in? OWB?

A very simple one. It's a old box wood heater with portholes and a simple metal pipe stack and I simply put big kettles of water on top of it and then carry them inside as needed. One firing in the morning does the job. It's a homestead setup with a simple gravity-fed shower system, etc.
 
I just got my electric bill for last month and it was $32! And no other energy bills - no natural gas or oil.

This low bill is because I heat entirely with wood and began using my woodstove heated water tanks prior to last month. The woodstove water heating worked so good, I have not used my electric water heater at all during the last month. I do some cooking on my woodstove.

Also I have all compact fluorescent bulbs, new Energy Star appliances which use less electricity, and all my electronic gizmos (except phone answering machine) are on power strips. I turn off power to these things when not in use. (Things like remote control stereo/TV and microwave with clock use electricity when "off".) I have battery operated clocks because I live in a rural area and electricity goes off at least twice a month. So I gave up on the plug-in electronic clock thing years ago.

Excellent work! I also cook on a woodstove as much as possible and have a solar panel & battery system for electricity and have no monthly power bill. My latest project is a wood-fired outdoor rock baking oven for summertime baking for bread, pizza, etc.
 
I believe it is my greatest savings. I have a wife and 3 kids who think hot water is free and sit in the shower forever. I kept mine going through July last year (doesn't take much wood in the summer) and felt it was work worth doing.

It's true! Month after month went by and I kept thinking: Why has this propane tank not run out yet? It just kept going on and on and on! Lasted an additional 18 months after I started heating water with wood. It's amazing the savings to be had with humble junk wood!
 
I heat all my hot water as long as i have my indoor boiler going. Sure was nice flipping the breaker off to the water heater all winter!!!
 
Hot Water Boiler

Years ago ( 1949-1952? ) at scout camp we had small wood burning cast iron boilers. They were a jacket type boiler about 18" dia. 24" high mabe 6x8" door. Build a fire. soon had hot water. Anyone seen these?
 

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