Natural gas vs. OWB?

[Pruning@trunk]

I know there are different reasons why people heat with wood but putting all those reasons aside and just making a decision based on cost, would natural gas win out or would burning wood be cheaper?

This would be comparing the cost of a traditional high efficiency natural gas furnace with an efficient OWB.

In this case, the wood is free but one would still have to cut, haul, split and stack it. Also figure in the cost of the OWB, installing it and the fact one would have to have a back up heating source of some kind since a few weeks out of the year I leave the house and go south so a stand alone unit would be needed so the pipes don't freeze.

Not sure if the size of the house matters but lets say it would be 3600 finished sq. ft.

 

[H-Ranch]

I know there are different reasons why people heat with wood but putting all those reasons aside and just making a decision based on cost, would natural gas win out or would burning wood be cheaper?

If the wood is "free", then you're looking mostly at the install cost and how much you value your time. You have to figure how many years you'll be in the house and how many years the OWB you can figure dividing the initial cost. I would not recommend choosing strictly on cost - I say you have to WANT to burn wood to have an OWB. There is no doubt that you will have more time invested in the entire process over natural gas. But heating with wood also has much greater personal satisfaction.

The need for a back up heating source, location to store wood, geographical layout of the property, how mechanically inclined you are, etc. should also play into your decision. Best of luck whatever you do.

 

[memory]

It definitely depends on a few things like H-Ranch has already mentioned. How long you plan on staying at this residence, if you can get help or will you be alone, how many wooded acres you have(you would be surprised how quick the trees will disappear).

There are a lot of initial costs involved with an OWB. The OWB will be the most expensive item. A truck and/or trailer if you don't already have one would be up there too. If you do stay at this residence your whole life, in the long run, it is cheaper to heat with wood but you do have to be committed to it. I am not saying you have to go out and cut every day or even every week but it does require a lot of time.

If you had to pay for the wood, I would rather pay the gas man. I myself enjoy cutting wood, you almost have to to burn wood, but I wouldn't enjoy it as much if I had to pay for the wood.

 

[Pruning@trunk]

Ok let's say this is the house you are going to live in the rest of your life.

The property is about 30 acres, so storage isn't a problem. I have a tree service that I get logs from but they don't deliver, I have to pick up. Also one has to include, cost of a splitter and chainsaw expenses.

Would you say that heating a house with natural gas vs OWB is the same "kind of heat", namely forced air? I know that in floor heat can be done as well.

Besides time, I see the other big costs when it comes to the OWB is the gas for the trucks to get the wood (20-50 miles round trip). That can add up when diesel prices are around 4 dollars a gallon and a truck can only hold about 2/3 of a chord.

Guessing natural gas is about $150 a month during the winter and one would go thru at least one and a half chords a month during the winter so that would be about $400 worth of oak retail if you had to pay for the wood but maybe your cost would be about $100-125 if you had to get it, chain saw expenses, and splitter expense.

Mmmm. I mean I like doing all the work but thinking it might not be really worth all the effort.

 

[Dalmatian90]

Around here, not many people (and perhaps none) live where natural gas is available who don't have neighbors close enough to annoy with the smoke.

50 miles per 2/3rds of a cord is going to be a killer, too. Some folks do it but the travel time alone is probably doubling or tripling your labor.

 

[groundup]

I have natural gas heat and a firewood business, I was going to put a burner in my house since I have free wood. My heating bills are about $140 higher in the winter using the nat gas vs a month where the heat does not run. I would have to burn nearly a cord of wood a month. It makes much better sense to just sell the wood to those who are not capable for $200

 

[cantoo]

Properly built house and common sense with interior temperature I think you would be cheaper with Natural Gas. OWB installed with exchangers, domestic water setup and 100 or 200' of Logstor is big dollars. And you still have a hydro bill to run pumps and blowers. Now if you have an old poorly insulated big house, add on a decent sized heated shop, retired owner who likes to cut wood, already has a tractor and a truck paid for, living in the country away from neighbours, bush on the property, wife who likes the house at 80*, etc etc then owb is the way to go.

 

[Pruning@trunk]

I have natural gas heat and a firewood business, I was going to put a burner in my house since I have free wood. My heating bills are about $140 higher in the winter using the nat gas vs a month where the heat does not run. I would have to burn nearly a cord of wood a month. It makes much better sense to just sell the wood to those who are not capable for $200

I was sorta thinking this too. Just selling wood on the side. I guess your statement says a lot---thanks.

Obviously getting a trailer hooked up to the truck would be better to get more wood at a time. I do have a 8 ton dump truck that could haul a lot of wood so that is an option too. The only problem that I have with getting the free wood is usually I need a skid steer to load it since the logs are usually 24" plus.

Looks like natural gas with selling on the side might be the way to go.

 

[Joesell]

Don't forget you can heat your water endlessly, and your hot tub too!

I save $40 a month for the electric hot water heater, and $50 to $75 for the hot tub. Those savings should be factored in as well.

 

[ash man]

I have a 10 yr old house heated with geothermal, which is ssuppose to be uber efficient. I put in an owb last fall for three reasons. Geo is really frigin cold heat, who knows whats going to happen to utility bills in the future ( I think electricity will continue to skyrocket) and I love to cut wood. The way i look at it all the saws, trailers, splitters and owb are extremely useful toys(tools). I would have spent the money on something anyway, at least the owb and related stuff helps to keep the house and garage really warm.

 

[XSKIER]

I too am struggling with the purchase of a new heating appliance. I have lpg fuel, so costs are higher than Nat gas. Right now I'm using an old smoke dragon, and burnt about 30 gal of lpg in 2013. I also only have about three years worth of firewood on my property. At that time, I'd have to start chasing wood. Whether that be buy a dump trailer, secure cutting contracts, and go cut, or... just buy cut, split, stacked wood from someone. I do love running the saws, swinging the maul, and driving the loader. But, I do hate storing, carrying in, and then cleaning up the mess. I do realize the owb would eliminate some of the parts I hate, but I think the owbs are more wood hungry than my current usage. One example is my owb using buddies have fence row clearing contracts and use $150k worth of equipment to process their wood. They never offer me any though, yes I've asked, because they burn so much. When cold, I use about a wheelbarrow a day, whereas the owb guys are using a loader bucket a day of splits that are double the length of mine.

What are the fuel requirements in $ to feed a owb? $150 a chord, $1500 a year?

 

[groundup]

Every situation is different, but I can't justify the initial cost of an OWB because I'd never make it up on the money end.

 

[zogger]

You can't lock in natgas prices for like ten years. You can't store it, it is always on demand at a price they set and no other option. Same with electricity, grid supplied. You have absolutely no idea what those prices will be a decade or three from now. It gets hard to say which is cheaper, when no actual price can be used for future reference other than today's price.

Now wood has a price as well, but it is scroungeable. You aren't scrounging natgas or electricity.

As to an owb, I have no personal experience, other than these quantities guys talk about, geez loweez, that's a lotta wood. For wood burning. I want a simple appliance that does not require electricity to function.

I am really liking the masonry heater idea as the best possible home heating method when using wood.

 

[StephieDoll]

We're in Omaha so NG for us. I picked up a used smaller Quad 3100 2CF firebox for our 3000sf home. Yes it is small and I would love to upgrade. Would love to look at Blaze King but getting sticker shock. My gas bill will go up about $20-$30 per month using the quad so going to take a long long time to ever get a payback from an expensive stove. Guess I will just keep watching Craigslist for something. Wood Fairy will keep supplying me with an unlimited amount of wood. I can sell the extra.

 

[Pruning@trunk]

So would this be a fair statement to make that at today's prices NG beats out an OWB pretty easily?

 

[angelo c]

There are other options then an OWB ya know....need more info...
Heating garage? Barn ?
Old farmhouse ? New efficient house ?
Got room for an ol skool stove in the basement ?

What about a BK insert in a central room ?

 

[Pruning@trunk]

I am planning on building a one level with walk out basement and having the basement finished. Main level around 1800sq ft. Yes there is a 2300 sq ft shop that I just plan on heating it with a wood stove. The shop doesnt need to be constantly heated. Just when I would on stuff. Also would have an attached 3 stall garage on the house that I would want heated too

Don't want wood/fire inside the house.

There is natural gas at the site.

No neighbors around.

Have wood on site. Also can get free wood from a tree service 25 miles round trip. Also can store a lot of wood on site.

In floor heat would be nice but isn't a must.

 

[angelo c]

Do we have a $ limit?
How close is the shop to the main house.
Radiant heat is real nice...radiant heat in the shop is real real nice.

No matter what you decide...insulate the heck out of the garage and shop to start with....best heat money you'll ever spend. Thick insulated doors too.

 

[rancher2]

It is a tough call. I like my Garn I heat a 3,800 three story old farm house and a 30 by 60 shop and I like it real warm. We have pastures that need clean up so we are always cutting trees. We do have LPG back up but haven't used it in years other than to test it every fall. I run my Garn year around as I heat my hot water with it also. Good luck on your choice.

 

[angelo c]

I was thinking garn in the shop or garage as well...should make the math closer....over the wayyyyyy long haul.