There's a three yr old central boiler model 5036 coming up for auction would it be worth while to try to get. I average around 150 200 a month total electric bill during winter. But electric heat is about the coldest heat there is ,also i probally would have to buy alot of wood being i only have about 1 acre of hardwood
wood boiler or keep using heatpump
- Thread starter thornes
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a suggestion
Leave your heat pump, and add a stand alone wood stove so you got a "hot spot" to warm up on.
You will get a boost from the stove to reduce the cycle on the existing system, reduce your electric bill some.
bonus is that the stove will work in power failure...:msp_scared:
Leave your heat pump, and add a stand alone wood stove so you got a "hot spot" to warm up on.
You will get a boost from the stove to reduce the cycle on the existing system, reduce your electric bill some.
bonus is that the stove will work in power failure...:msp_scared:
Zeus103363
ArboristSite Operative
I would always recommend a wood stove to anyone. I turn off the electric heat in the winter and heat only with wood. Love those wi tear time lite bills! Barely $60!
zogger
Tree Freak
What you said! I can't imagine being totally at the mercy of the grid being functional, especially in the winter. Stand alone wood heater (plus can cook on most of them) is a must have.
Fred Wright
Addicted to ArboristSite
In your scenario a wood boiler purchase and install should pay back within a couple of years. Even if you have to buy firewood, you'll still be saving money.
Heat pumps make fine ACs but aren't much good for heating where winter temps regularly dip below freezing. We leave the heat pump thermo set at 60 during winter and burn wood 24/7. When we're not here to feed the stove the heat pump keeps the place from freezing.
Heat pumps make fine ACs but aren't much good for heating where winter temps regularly dip below freezing. We leave the heat pump thermo set at 60 during winter and burn wood 24/7. When we're not here to feed the stove the heat pump keeps the place from freezing.
In general I would agree with this. Heat pumps are great!!!!! I pay 130 a month for electricity, heat and hot water are oil boiler and fireplace insert. $200 a month to heat and cool your house is relatively cheap. The last house I lived in had electric baseboard heat, it cost between $400 and $600 a month. Adding a OWB seems like a money pit in your situation. By the time you buy the unit and buy all the plumbing too hook it up and install everything it will take you years (10 to 15 maybe even 20 years) to recoup the money if you are paying for wood. And you are still dependent on electricity for heat and hot water in your house, with a stove or insert you will have heat inside.
In my head I see you cutting your electric bill by no more than $1000 a year. if you use 4 cord a year at $225 = 900 X 5years = 4500, if you use 5 cord a year at $225 = 1125 X 5years = 5625 in wood. If it cost $5000 for the boiler to be purchased and installed you will recoup you initial investment in 20 years buy my rough numbers.
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newmanab
ArboristSite Lurker
I was in the same situation 2 years ago. My house has a heat pump with resistant back up. Dec,jan, and feb my heat bills were 5-700$. So i started to look @ woodburners. I researched for a year, then bought a 2 year old cb6048 from a former member of this site for $5200. This will be my second year with and i am very happy.
Thoughts to consider:
I have an endless supply of wood around me
i probably wouldn't go this route if i have to buy wood.
Since heating with the Cb6048, my house is now 75 inside ALL winter long! Feels great when looking out the windows seeing drifting snow.
I also heat my hot water and a pole barn with it. An extra bonus that is very rewarding.
Expense..... I had never burnt wood in my life, but jumped in it with both feet. I bought 2 saws and a fiskars x27.
Work+time... Its not overly hard work but it does give you a good work out (i'm 30) i process all my wood myself. It takes about 3 weekends to do. The key is to get a year or 2 ahead on the wood. ( make sure your wood isn't Green)
I think my OWB is a great device and wouldn't trade it, but if your heat bill is 200$ or less it isn't worth your time.
Thoughts to consider:
I have an endless supply of wood around me
i probably wouldn't go this route if i have to buy wood.Since heating with the Cb6048, my house is now 75 inside ALL winter long! Feels great when looking out the windows seeing drifting snow.
I also heat my hot water and a pole barn with it. An extra bonus that is very rewarding.
Expense..... I had never burnt wood in my life, but jumped in it with both feet. I bought 2 saws and a fiskars x27.
Work+time... Its not overly hard work but it does give you a good work out (i'm 30) i process all my wood myself. It takes about 3 weekends to do. The key is to get a year or 2 ahead on the wood. ( make sure your wood isn't Green)
I think my OWB is a great device and wouldn't trade it, but if your heat bill is 200$ or less it isn't worth your time.
Wait a minute
Really?
Have I got this straight?You join the Arboristsite
You log into the “Firewood, Heating and Wood Burning Equipment” forumAnd your first post is the question, “Should I heat with wood or electricity?”
Oh, by-the-way, welcome to the board.
Yea yea
.yea yea i know
Wait a minute
Really?
You join the arboristsite
and your first post is the question, “should i heat with wood or electricity?”
Oh, by-the-way, welcome to the board.
.yea yea i know
Hard for me to say for sure about your situation without more on the house, property, and your desire to burn wood. To me, an OWB is kind of an "all in" proposition. You have to be dedicated to doing it the entire season. With your current costs it's going to be tough to get a fast payback as noted above. My setup is ideal for me and I don't want to dissuade you from burning wood but you have to do an honest assessment of cost vs. benefit for yourself. Good luck - lots of guys here can advise if you decide on a woodburning device of some kind.
stihly dan
Addicted to ArboristSite
If a heatpump works at heating your house, it doesn't get cold enough outside to heat with wood.
Have had a heat pump for fifteen plus years and love it, and a top load Vermont Casting stove for wood heat. That might be a cheaper install, to do a free standing wood stove rather then an outdoor boiler. Maybe a more efficient use of wood also, a consideration if your buying wood. If your heating an out building, now or in the future, the out door boiler is way to go. There is nothing quite like warming up by the woodstove... Lots of choices.
Dont forget you can always buy your wood in 'log length' from one of the tree companies to save your self a couple bucks,
Jules083
ArboristSite Operative
A few have suggested a stand-alone wood stove, and I agree with that suggestion. I prefer the type with a blower, and maybe a way to duct heat to upstairs. You don't need a lot of ductwork. Currently I have 2 runs of duct, with one register at each end of the upstairs and the furnace downstairs. Works better than you would think as long as the interior doors are open.
However, here's the $5,000 question: Do you have a chimney?
I'm not a fan of outdoor boilers, from what I've seen they burn a lot more wood for the same amount of heat. Every good argument I hear about why I should have bought one I have, in my opinion, a good counter-argument.
'You can burn big logs'. That means I have to cut, move, store, and load big logs rather than nice small splits.
'you only go outside once a day to load it' Well, currently I go out every few days with my small trailer and haul a few loads to the back door of the house. When it looks like snow is going to hit, I haul extra in. At 6am when it's getting cold I walk downstairs and throw wood in.
However, here's the $5,000 question: Do you have a chimney?
I'm not a fan of outdoor boilers, from what I've seen they burn a lot more wood for the same amount of heat. Every good argument I hear about why I should have bought one I have, in my opinion, a good counter-argument.
'You can burn big logs'. That means I have to cut, move, store, and load big logs rather than nice small splits.
'you only go outside once a day to load it' Well, currently I go out every few days with my small trailer and haul a few loads to the back door of the house. When it looks like snow is going to hit, I haul extra in. At 6am when it's getting cold I walk downstairs and throw wood in.
Streblerm
Addicted to ArboristSite
If my heat pump would keep the house warm for $200 a month total bill then I would not even consider an outdoor boiler. I probably wouldn't ever cut a stick of firewood. Well, I probably would
If your bill is 200 a month what is the heat portion? $100? If you can get the unit for a couple grand (probably not) you are still going to have ~$5000 in install costs. Your payback comes in somewhere in the neighborhood of ten years. That sounds like a bad deal to me.
Then you want to buy firewood too. I doubt you could buy enough firewood to keep an OWB burning all month for anywhere close to what you are currently paying for heat.
Like others, I went to an indoor wood stove after having $5-700 electric bills with the resistance aux heat. I started supplementing the heat pump with the stove and ended up supplementing the stove with the heat pump. We really enjoy the simplicity and comfort of the free standing stove.
If your bill is 200 a month what is the heat portion? $100? If you can get the unit for a couple grand (probably not) you are still going to have ~$5000 in install costs. Your payback comes in somewhere in the neighborhood of ten years. That sounds like a bad deal to me.
Then you want to buy firewood too. I doubt you could buy enough firewood to keep an OWB burning all month for anywhere close to what you are currently paying for heat.
Like others, I went to an indoor wood stove after having $5-700 electric bills with the resistance aux heat. I started supplementing the heat pump with the stove and ended up supplementing the stove with the heat pump. We really enjoy the simplicity and comfort of the free standing stove.
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We heated a 2,500 ranch house with two wood stoves one in the basement and one up stairs for 25 years. When we move 15 miles to another farm we had we said no more wood mess or smoke in the house. We redid a old three story farm house spray foam insulation and new windows 48 in all. Then propane cost kept rising and I have a enless supply of hedge wood on one of our farms so I put in a Garn in one of the out buildings and heat the house and hot water and my 30 by 60 shop with it and love it. I think for you if you don't want to heat a out building and don't mind a little mess and smoke once in a while I would add a chimmey and a good quailty wood stove. It will pay back quicker. I probably have $30,000 in my garn set up but I will live here for many years to come.
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