How many facecords a year in your OWB??

[Grovenburg]

Hello,

I'm thinking about getting a OWB. How may facecords do they burn a season on average? How about the phase two (gasifacation?) units. Thanks.

 

[utilityman]

I have an Econoburn 200 outdoor wood gasifier. Last Year I burned about 8 full cord.

My son has a Hawkin outdoor wood boiler and he used about 10 full cord.

 

[Guido Salvage]

How may facecords do they burn a season on average?

Since a "facecord" (or a fakecord as we now refer to it) is not a recognized unit of measure, you have posed a question that is impossible to answer. You may want to refer to my "Sticky" above on wood measurement.

However, since you asked I will say 5 facecords for me...

 

[sw18x]

Hi Grovenburg

Let me apologize for Guido. He has a real pet peeve about using the "F" word on this site (facecord), and he's not usually polite about it when he brings it up.

When you hear other homeowners talk about how much wood they burn for indoor wood burning stoves, etc., they like to talk in facecords because they burn smaller amounts. They're probably referring to facecords in terms of 1/3 of a full cord, but the fact is it's not really a precise measurement - even though I'm willing to bet that 99% of the people who use the word think of it in terms of 1/3 of a cord. For example, when I bought our house in March (outdoor wood burner came with it), the homeowner said "you'll burn about a facecord a week". Who knows what he meant by that since most of the pieces going in the furnace are longer than 16inches, but I assumed he was referring to 1/3 of a full cord, give or take. I've layed up 16 full cords for this year hoping I don't go through all of it so I don't have to start from scratch all over again next spring. Based on what I saw for the few weeks I ran mine last Spring, my assumption is that 1/3 of a cord per week should do it, a little less early in the season, a little more during deep winter. Mine is a Mahoning, just a straight burner, heats a 4 car garage and supplements a gas boiler in a 2600 square foot farmhouse.

 

[Biker Dude]

36 to 45 face cords per year depending on how windy it is. Mine is an ancient Taylor T-450 heating a drafty garage and an 1890s farm house.

 

[1harlowr]

My Hardy H4 burns about 10 full cords with year round DHW heating. Some say you'll burn less if you use green wood, but I find with seasoned wood I burn quite a bit less.

So to answer your question, 30 face cords.

 

[russhd1997]

I burn about 25 cords to heat 2 houses and use it all year for hot water in the non heating months. Face Cords I'm not sure because all of my wood isn't cut to a specific length. :deadhorse:

 

[Woodomaker]

Hello,

I'm thinking about getting a OWB. How may facecords do they burn a season on average? How about the phase two (gasifacation?) units. Thanks.

I burn about 8 full cords per winter in my Central Boiler....3000 sq ft...modern two story house

 

[applefarmer]

I have an Econoburn 200 outdoor wood gasifier. Last Year I burned about 8 full cord.

My son has a Hawkin outdoor wood boiler and he used about 10 full cord.

Are you guys heating roughly the same sq ft? With all things being equal I was told a gasser would use 40% less than a non-gasser.

 

[gwiley]

Here in central Virginia I heat 3500-3600 sf (74degF), lots of windows, tall ceilings, hot water for 2 adults and 3 kids (teenagers). My Central Boiler uses about 10 cords (8x8x4) each year - the wood is mostly seasoned, a mix of hard/soft.

 

[J.W Younger]

Hello,

I'm thinking about getting a OWB. How may facecords do they burn a season on average? How about the phase two (gasifacation?) units. Thanks.

I burn about 8 full cord a year but don't live in yer neck of the woods either. Best advise I can give you is (unless you don't mind using yer back up) is cut or buy untill yer sure you have enough and then double it. It gets eaiser after you get used to it but not much.

 

[shelbythedog]

Here in central Virginia I heat 3500-3600 sf (74degF), lots of windows, tall ceilings, hot water for 2 adults and 3 kids (teenagers). My Central Boiler uses about 10 cords (8x4x4) each year - the wood is mostly seasoned, a mix of hard/soft.

Fixed it for ya!

 

[Como]

One of my Neighbors gets through about 60 cords a year, Central Boiler Gassifier. But still uses a fair amount of propane. There is no way her Boiler can meet her main load, 9F tonight but it will get a lot colder.

I think the smokeys use that amount to meet half the load. Very difficult to be specific.

 

[Uncle John]

One of my Neighbors gets through about 60 cords a year, Central Boiler Gassifier. But still uses a fair amount of propane. There is no way her Boiler can meet her main load, 9F tonight but it will get a lot colder.

I think the smokeys use that amount to meet half the load. Very difficult to be specific.

60 cords?
+ propane
Whats she heating?

 

[utilityman]

In all honesty knowing what I know about wood gasifiers today I would not have invested in one.
Although my Econoburn used a little less wood than my sons conventional wood boiler, I have had a lot of issues. First of all you have to feed the thing every 6 hrs. in cold weather. My son goes about 12 to 14 hrs. in cold weather.

This year I have installed 325 gals of hot water storage. I am hoping to get more of time between filling the thing with wood.

The thing has way to many electonic components. The printed circuit board has already shorted out.

I am heating my 1200 sq. ft garage with 14' ceilings ( only set at 45 until working out there) and my 1500 sq. ft. house. I also heat the pool in the summer.

The bottom line is my son has about $10,000 in his system and I have close to $20,000 with all of the extras.

That would have bought an awful lot of oil!
Lucky for me I have a tree service business and do not have to buy wood.

 

[Laird]

8-10 full cords here depending on the winter.

 

[Fifelaker]

10 to 12 full cords a year I burn all year depends on weather,wood.

 

[applefarmer]

10 full cord heating house, dhw, and garage.

 

[russhd1997]

In all honesty knowing what I know about wood gasifiers today I would not have invested in one.
Although my Econoburn used a little less wood than my sons conventional wood boiler, I have had a lot of issues. First of all you have to feed the thing every 6 hrs. in cold weather. My son goes about 12 to 14 hrs. in cold weather.

This year I have installed 325 gals of hot water storage. I am hoping to get more of time between filling the thing with wood.

The thing has way to many electonic components. The printed circuit board has already shorted out.

I am heating my 1200 sq. ft garage with 14' ceilings ( only set at 45 until working out there) and my 1500 sq. ft. house. I also heat the pool in the summer.

The bottom line is my son has about $10,000 in his system and I have close to $20,000 with all of the extras.

That would have bought an awful lot of oil!
Lucky for me I have a tree service business and do not have to buy wood.

Maybe you bought the wrong furnace. I was talking to the dealer that I bought my Central Classic from Saturday. He is using the Central gasifier. I think he said that it was the 2400. He used to have an older version of the 6048 which is what I have. He said that he only has to put wood in it every 12 hours and that he uses 35% less wood than he used before. His wood is seasoned 2 years. My cousin has a Wood Doctor gasifier furnace and claims the same that you do that he can't go more than 6 hours without putting wood in it.

 

[1harlowr]

Maybe you bought the wrong furnace. I was talking to the dealer that I bought my Central Classic from Saturday. He is using the Central gasifier. I think he said that it was the 2400. He used to have an older version of the 6048 which is what I have. He said that he only has to put wood in it every 12 hours and that he uses 35% less wood than he used before. His wood is seasoned 2 years. My cousin has a Wood Doctor gasifier furnace and claims the same that you do that he can't go more than 6 hours without putting wood in it.

A dealer of any item wouldn't lie would he????