Hardy h5 22 cord!!!

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Andrew Bednar

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Location
Ashuelot NH
So last year here in southern nh, I burned through 22 cord of wet hardwood chunks and split pine. About 15 of it was wet hardwood. Only reason I burned the wet is cause I started behind the 8 ball. Only source of heat is the boiler. I moved in aug1 and the dooryard was vacant.
I currently have wood stacked and drying now, but is this massive amount of wood typical for the hardy boiler?

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What is the square footage your heating. How well insulated are the buildings your heating. If your heating a corncrib, id say your right on pace. But a modern 2000 sqft house that has fairly new windows, I think that’s high.
 
22 full cord. 3 grapple loads 9 cord apiece. I started with two grapple loads, and saw I wasnt gonna make it through in late February. So I got more.

2200 sq ft farmhouse with single pane windows. Plus a small detached 2 bay garage. The blower fan just kept a blowing.


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Poor insulation or no insulation?
Old window?


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Original owner said he burned between 12-14 cord of dried pine. I dont know how that's possible. Pine just lacks the lasting burn time and the btus I thought.
House is poorly insulated it's all original. Probably old chopped up newspaper settled in the bottom 2-3' of the stud bays. Attic floor is well insulated. No water temp gauge inside but the shower and hot water is always scalding no complaints there. Thermostats were set at 75.

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How much of a water temp loss are you getting between the stove and the house? Do you have a trench of melted snow that you can identify where they’re buried?

Cheep mainline hoses and burring them too shallow are two huge factors to consider.

I would upgrade the insulation and windows first. You can rent those insulation blowers from menards if you buy the insulation there. And pick a window or two to per year. Then it won’t be so expensive.
 
Original owner said he burned between 12-14 cord of dried pine. I dont know how that's possible. Pine just lacks the lasting burn time and the btus I thought.
House is poorly insulated it's all original. Probably old chopped up newspaper settled in the bottom 2-3' of the stud bays. Attic floor is well insulated. No water temp gauge inside but the shower and hot water is always scalding no complaints there. Thermostats were set at 75.

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I would guess you'd get more heat out of dry pine than wet hardwood.

I hope you have next years wood split already?

How old is this setup? Like the post right above this one - I would bet the underground piping is losing heat. Maybe a lot. Exactly what type/brand of pipe is it? Can you post a pic of it where it enters or leaves the ground so we can see what type it is?
 
Sounds right. We heat a 2000sf uninsulated house (just like a pole barn) with a Central boiler and go through about 20+ cords a year. I feel the boiler runs best on dry pine with a little hardwood mixed in as it gives a lot less ash/charcoal. Short of insulating your house and putting in new windows, the best thing you can do to conserve wood is to buy the cheap clear plastic film window insulator kits and seal up your windows prior to heating season. You can also dump the thermostat down to 55F.
 
Andrew
Welcome to the land of boilers. I think you will cut the wood usage down a fair amount if you only burn seasoned wood. Wet wood takes a lot of energy to burn it. I think the last owner probably didn't run the thermostat at 75 and take long hot showers. Insulation and new windows would go a long way. I burn 10-15 cord a year in a Garn to heat my old farm house {Well insulated} and my shop. I run my Garn year around as I heat my domestic water with it. I keep my thermostat at 75 also and take a long hot showers. It takes a fair amount of wood to be extra warm. We had the winter of winters here this year and I will probably be around 20 cord. I have a leak in the Garn right now hope I can get it welded or we may have to go back to propane. The thermostat won't be at 75 if I have to go back to propane.
 
I think you've answered your own question! I find it takes a LOT more wood to run 75 versus even 70 or 72. Also I find it takes a LOT more wood when it is not somewhat seasoned. Insulation is one thing but air leaks around doors and windows are probably just as big an issue.
 
green load likely takes about 1/2 or more of the available btu's just to burn off the moisture in the wood. I have been fighting rain soaked/frozen fuel all winter. ( right now it just rain soaked ) ya it burns butt no real heat produced until some 2/3 of the way through a burn. None of this is green wood just ( most 3-4 years old)that I moved recently so things are a mess and nothing is top covered and is just laying around in piles.
 
Totally believable. My hardy H4 was very hungry all winter, but it barely got any actual dry/seasoned wood. It performed much better when it was fed the good stuff. Otherwise, consumption was up, but no sense in just letting the crappy stuff rot or burning it in a bonfire.

Good wood and start with some insulation in the attic; that will be your best bang for the buck to cut back on consumption.
 
Ok yeah. So I run my thermostat at 75 to maybe get the temp at 65-68 in the house. I have insulation in the attic. I guess I would like to know if I burn semi seasoned or seasoned, split (basically quartered) wood, would it help with overall consumption?

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