Who doesn't have back-up heat?

[MNfarmer]

Just wondering how many people heat only with wood and have no other means of heating their house? I'm looking into buying a new wood furnace and would like to get the fuel oil furnace out of the way because I never use it. I've got some prices and dual fuel forced air furnaces and the wood only is quite a bit cheaper. What are your thoughts?? Thank you.

 

[dimanager]

I don't. The stove does have a place to bolt on a burner, but I have never even looked into one.

Sam

 

[buckwheat]

'me neither.

But my sister and her husband have a sweet wood/oil/coal unit heating a baseboard loop in their home. If the wood fire burns down then the oil automatically kicks in. You can also use the oil flame to start the wood fire. He's also got a trap door in his front porch that feeds the logs into an 8X8' bin right next to the furnace.

Their house is always warm.

 

[Dok]

The wood stove is it for heat. The bedrooms have in-wall electric heaters in case of emergency, but I wouldn't call them a second source of heating.

We had a good month last month, the propane truck passed us by (tank was still full) and the electric bill was an all time low $38.65.
Dok

 

[ktm rider]

'me neither.

But my sister and her husband have a sweet wood/oil/coal unit heating a baseboard loop in their home. If the wood fire burns down then the oil automatically kicks in. You can also use the oil flame to start the wood fire. Their house is always warm.

I have the same thing. it is nice to not have to rush home to tend the fire..

 

[habanero]

One thing to be mindful of is a lot of insurance companies get nervous if your only source of heat is wood heat. My insurance is that way, they don't raise a fuss about wood heat but it can't be considered "primary" heat. Most everyone I've talked to is in the same boat.

I think the reason is if you're gone for some reason in the winter, the house could get cold enough to freeze the pipes, in turn bursting the pipes, which results in an insurance claim. Thus there has to be some provision for backup heat if nobody is in the house. I guess I can't argue with the logic too much.

 

[Locoweed]

Being in my 60's, I want a back up in case I become disabled and unable to deal with heating with my woodstove. I have a propane furnace that I only use a small amount in the spring and fall when I just want to take the chill off, but don't really need much heat.

 

[MNfarmer]

Thanks for all the replys. I called the insurance company today and they said it was fine to have wood only and no back up. I figure that if I get a wood only furnace by the time it burns out I'll probably be old enough to where I'd probably want a combo, so I'll worry about it then. Thanks again everyone!

 

[aandabooks]

The only problem that I can see with a wood only setup is if you have to go somewhere in the winter and can't tend to the fire. Then your house is out of heat and you take a chance on the pipes bursting. Unless you buy a few electric heaters and use them if that eventuality were to arise.

I'm on 95% wood heat and 5% natural gas. The gas furnace kicks in if the wood fire isn't keeping up.

 

[HUSKYMAN]

Better have SOME sort of backup just so you can go on vacation without the pipes freezing. Also you never know when you could get hurt, be in a car accident, etc.

I hurt me knee off a ladder of all things and couldnt load my OWB for a month and almost ran out of wood. One day you will be glad you had a backup.

 

[MNfarmer]

Good point on the backup, only thing is someone has to be here at least twice a day to feed my cows. I see your points though, thanks so much for your input.

 

[CharlieG]

Definitely have backup heat. Propane, though pricey, can run furnaces/hot water heaters/stove top + oven/LP dryer/generators/barbeques. Like was mentioned-what if your not home, away on an emergency, vacation, hunting, etc. I bet the frozen pipe bill would cover that heat system.

 

[user 19670]

We replaced an old wood/electric forced air furnace with a fuel oil one when we moved in about 14 years ago now (Has it really been that long?).
Then we tore out a zero-clearance fireplace w/o glass doors and installed a woodstove in its stead. Now am on the 3rd woodstove. The first was used and got us through a winter. The second was a cheap non-EPA from Canada Tire and the one we have now is EPA non-cat from a local Fireplace Store.

The fuel oil is the primary heat source as far as the Insurance Co. is concerned but we keep the temp. set low so it doesn't cycle unless the fire in the woodstove goes out.

Gotta have some kind of backup. The fuel oil kicks in so we don't freeze and the woodstove works even when the power goes out (a common occurance in Nolalu). Hopefully all eventualities are covered

 

[Farmerjon]

We have no backup heating source. Someone has to be here to feed livestock twice a day regardless if it is us or a worker (like I can afford a worker!!!). Been over 7 years this way no problems. Do have a generator for long power outages so the pumps can pump the hot water and the furnace blower blows hot air through the duct work. So I guess my generator is my back up. Furnace had a crack making it unsafe.