How much wood for the season?

[Valkyrie Rider]

I just got a new wood stove and will be installing a new chimney to go with it.

The stove is an Englander 24-ACD that is "rated" at 82% efficiency.

It will be installed in an unfinished basement in a 1940 built cape with no insulation in the walls (attic and knee walls are insulated upstairs) and single pane windows with storms (unless I get to replacing windows before winter.... but I only expect to get to 1/2 of the 11 windows at most and three at a minimum). House is only 1150 sq ft. Stove has a blower installed. I have one 14X14" register in the hallway on my main floor that goes to the basement. I'm not adverse to open some more registers on the first floor to allow airflow to the basement if that would help.

I'm thinking 4-5 cords. Is that a good estimate?

 

[TheGrunt]

yep

I would say your are in the ballpark. I have a 2100 square foot house and hardly any insulation and I used 6 cord last year. I would put more registers in, the more you have the easier to get the heat upstairs.

 

[CharlieG]

The more the better. Ifyou don't useit, it will be there for next year.
Just keep cutting .

 

[Toddppm]

You mean one like this one?
I had this one in our last house-800 sq. ft. and about blasted us out of there. I probably used about 3-4 cords a year not burning all the time though.
Kind of a pain to get going with the catalytic but pumped out the heat once it was going.

 

[Valkyrie Rider]

You mean one like this one?
I had this one in our last house-800 sq. ft. and about blasted us out of there. I probably used about 3-4 cords a year not burning all the time though.
Kind of a pain to get going with the catalytic but pumped out the heat once it was going.

This pic is of the stove on the trailer before I put on the brass knobs and stuff.

 

[Toddppm]

That'd be the one. It fits good sized pieces of wood too!

 

[logbutcher]

It will be installed in an unfinished basement in a 1940 built cape with no insulation in the walls (attic and knee walls are insulated upstairs) and single pane windows with storms (unless I get to replacing windows before winter.... but I only expect to get to 1/2 of the 11 windows at most and three at a minimum). House is only 1150 sq ft. Stove has a blower installed. I have one 14X14" register in the hallway on my main floor that goes to the basement. I'm not adverse to open some more registers on the first floor to allow airflow to the basement if that would help.
I'm thinking 4-5 cords. Is that a good estimate?

From experience seeing others put heat in a cellar: don't. Yes, "heat rises" and it goes to the sides and down. You'll be heating a whole lot of dirt and foundation BEFORE any of the heat gets to your body. New construction insulates foundations, old buildings didn't. Put a woodstove where you live and spend time.
Next: registers are not safe anymore. Fire Marshals and codes don't recommend them: they give any fire a nice path and oxygen for a more effective fire. Don't.
And take some time to close up the place tight: temp plastic on the windows if you can't get insulated ones; caulk the hell out of all the openings around windows, doors, sills, etc...; get the attic floor insulated for a "cold" roof. Then spend the $$$ to get a whole house Energy Audit ( often the state pays) to get an assessment of where you need to insulate.

 

[Zodiac45]

I have too agree with Logbutcher,

The best money you can spend is on insulating and "tightening" up the house. You'll need less wood and get more bang for the wood you use. My house is over 200 years old (2500sq.) but it's insulated "relatively" well. The attic with rolls and the house with blow in back when that was cool and frankly the only feasable way for walls. The weakness is windows of course. Many are originals with the wavy glass of old. Each fall, they get the storm windows on the outside and plastic film kits on the inside. Make a big difference.
PS: I'll use about 6-7 cords between 2 stoves this winter.

 

[Billy_Bob]

If you are cutting your own wood and a lot of it will be green, then get enough for this winter and next winter. Then next summer get enough for the winter after that.

Then you will have a full winters supply of seasoned dry wood.

So I already have firewood I cut last summer for this winter. The wood I am cutting now will be for the '09 winter and the '10 winter.

 

[ropensaddle]

From experience seeing others put heat in a cellar: don't. Yes, "heat rises" and it goes to the sides and down. You'll be heating a whole lot of dirt and foundation BEFORE any of the heat gets to your body. New construction insulates foundations, old buildings didn't. Put a woodstove where you live and spend time.
Next: registers are not safe anymore. Fire Marshals and codes don't recommend them: they give any fire a nice path and oxygen for a more effective fire. Don't.
And take some time to close up the place tight: temp plastic on the windows if you can't get insulated ones; caulk the hell out of all the openings around windows, doors, sills, etc...; get the attic floor insulated for a "cold" roof. Then spend the $$$ to get a whole house Energy Audit ( often the state pays) to get an assessment of where you need to insulate.

I use registers and feel safe they are hooked up to an owf and piped into my floors. Different strokes, also I can't burn it fast enough it rots 7 cords a year turns to dirt and my place even though I burn seven too!

 

[Valkyrie Rider]

From experience seeing others put heat in a cellar: don't. Yes, "heat rises" and it goes to the sides and down. You'll be heating a whole lot of dirt and foundation BEFORE any of the heat gets to your body. New construction insulates foundations, old buildings didn't. Put a woodstove where you live and spend time.

I'd love to, but it's NOT going to happen. My house is WAY too small to put a wood stove in one of the rooms. Every room in my house is about 11' square give or take a little. By the time I got my clearances and fit a stove in, etc, there would be no room left to use the room.....and I don't have any unused space.

I know the basement isn't the best use of a stove, but I did it a bit last year with a MUCH more inefficient stove and NO blower or fans set up anywhere in the house and it made a VERY large difference on how often the boiler ran.

 

[CharlieG]

They have some pretty small wood stoves out there that would meet you requirements. My friend has an out building 12 x 16? with one of those fancy boat stoves---nice and cozy. Hearthstone also sells some small stoves-One is the Leperchaun. With approved fireproofing (tile, metal, etc, you can have a stove pretty close to the wall(s) ). GOOGLE small wood stoves and start shopping . And while your at it, buy a chainsaw .

 

[logbutcher]

I use registers and feel safe they are hooked up to an owf and piped into my floors. Different strokes, also I can't burn it fast enough it rots 7 cords a year turns to dirt and my place even though I burn seven too!

Heard tell it never gets below 60 F down there. Some thin blood in Swanee, huh ? :monkey:

I'd love to, but it's NOT going to happen. My house is WAY too small to put a wood stove in one of the rooms. Every room in my house is about 11' square give or take a little. By the time I got my clearances and fit a stove in, etc, there would be no room left to use the room.....and I don't have any unused space.
I know the basement isn't the best use of a stove, but I did it a bit last year with a MUCH more inefficient stove and NO blower or fans set up anywhere in the house and it made a VERY large difference on how often the boiler ran.

Woops, you're right. But look at the smallest stoves like a Jotul 602; the clearances can be small with their heat shields. The heat from a stove where you spend time is a big part of why many of us take so much time and sweat to wood heat. Hey, it can be romantic. ( Truth be told: I am addicted to lurking and drooling over my woodpiles. Sorry. It is a disease V.R. )

 

[ropensaddle]

Heard tell it never gets below 60 F down there. Some thin blood in Swanee, huh ? :monkey:




Woops, you're right. But look at the smallest stoves like a Jotul 602; the clearances can be small with their heat shields. The heat from a stove where you spend time is a big part of why many of us take so much time and sweat to wood heat. Hey, it can be romantic. ( Truth be told: I am addicted to lurking and drooling over my woodpiles. Sorry. It is a disease V.R. )

Heard tell wrong, I have seen below zero it gets cold just not as cold for as long. Thing is, I like it cold I don't care for the heat and I wished my customers would get that through their heads and call some in winter. I hope this winter is better than last or I may have to take a job!

 

[Vangellis]

I'd love to, but it's NOT going to happen. My house is WAY too small to put a wood stove in one of the rooms. Every room in my house is about 11' square give or take a little. By the time I got my clearances and fit a stove in, etc, there would be no room left to use the room.....and I don't have any unused space.

I know the basement isn't the best use of a stove, but I did it a bit last year with a MUCH more inefficient stove and NO blower or fans set up anywhere in the house and it made a VERY large difference on how often the boiler ran.

Hey VR.
It heats the upstairs floor up nice when it's in the basement. It warms up the bathtub floor real good too.


Kevin

 

[mranum]

I'd love to, but it's NOT going to happen. My house is WAY too small to put a wood stove in one of the rooms. Every room in my house is about 11' square give or take a little. By the time I got my clearances and fit a stove in, etc, there would be no room left to use the room.....and I don't have any unused space.

I know the basement isn't the best use of a stove, but I did it a bit last year with a MUCH more inefficient stove and NO blower or fans set up anywhere in the house and it made a VERY large difference on how often the boiler ran.

What about a zero clearance high efficiency fireplace? Thats what I'm doing, just got installed this past friday. This is the unit I had put in http://www.securitychimneys.com/pages/fireplace/high_BisUltima.asp?country=us
The brand name "BIS" stands for "Built in Stove"

They have the ability to plumb gravity heat tubes to other parts of the house as well as heat the room they are in. Best of all my insurance won't reflect a cost increase either. Apparently wood burning fireplaces are exempt from the inside wood burner debate. I checked with them 3 times to make sure it was ok,

Pellet stove....rate increase

free standing wood stove.....rate increase

wood furnace.....absolutely not

wood burning fireplace.....hey knock yourself out, we wont even raise your rates. Something about they are considered a large equity/value booster for the home and more for decoration than heat. Whatever the reason its cool by me