Probably just as well

[BrotherBart]

I like the cold and any winter without snow is kind of a rip.

You obviously don't have a 900 foot uphill driveway.

 

[begreen]

And have chosen the wrong climate to live in.

 

[Parallax]

Nonsense; this is the perfect climate. We typically get two snowstorms per winter. The snow lasts just long enough to lose its novelty (a couple of days) and then is gone.

 

[begreen]

Oh, I thought you meant serious snow. Not the stuff we get here.

 

[sumpnz]

I'm just up the road from you in Bellingham. The rate here is 10.36 cents per kWh. A good rate but 21.45% higher than the Washington average of 8.53 cents.

Last year was our first winter in this home. We had radiant heat powered by propane. When we turned it on, it was so expensive we immediately switched it off and went to electric heaters while we began researching other options. The heat pump option was our second choice but we went with wood for all the lifestyle and ambiance reasons. This was more my thing than my wife's but she was supportive. It didn't hurt that she found heat pump registers industrial looking and didn't want them in our home.

When we were heating with electric, our winter bills were around $200 to $300. Now that we're just using electricity for normal stuff, the bill is around $25 a month. We have LED and CFL light bulbs pretty much throughout the home and our appliances are all new. That helps but so does our low electric rate.

Of course water more than makes up for electric. That comes to around $100 a month (including sewer).

I'm up in B'ham twice a week for the evening MBA program at WWU.

We've been in this house for over 4 years now. Given all the problems we had with the heat pump and furnace over that time I wish we'd just ditched it and gone to wood heat from the start. There's usually only a few weeks each year we'd need the heat pump for AC anyway. This year it got used more, but this was a warm summer and fall comparitively speaking.

 

[Seanm]

Oh, I thought you meant serious snow. Not the stuff we get here.

Yeah like what we get in the east kootenays. 6 months of where the stuff doesn't leave the ground. Weve already had a few snows and our first burn of the year is way behind us. Loving this mild weather right now though!

 

[blacktail]

Sounds like someone's wife won't let him have a stove. Probably won't let you have a pickup to haul wood either. And a chainsaw probably sounds dangerous to her.
My girlfriend grew up with an insert. Her first words the first time she came in my house were, "your wood stove...it's so small."

 

[Parallax]

Yes, I grew up in the east. I remember shoveling snow and the way it would turn to black slush and then freeze. When the ice finally melted, we'd go out of our minds. True spring fever.

Begreen and Sumpnz, we should get together sometime.

My house is up in the woods so there's really no need for a/c. Maybe one or two days a summer it would be nice but that's not enough to keep the unit from seizing up. So another advantage of heat pumps was a non-factor for us. Really happy with the choice to go with wood and really happy with the stove choice too. Best move was discovering this community. I've gotten so much good advice and been able to avoid the many mistakes I would have made on my own.

 

[Parallax]

Sounds like someone's wife won't let him have a stove. Probably won't let you have a pickup to haul wood either. And a chainsaw probably sounds dangerous to her.
My girlfriend grew up with an insert. Her first words the first time she came in my house were, "your wood stove...it's so small."

Well, as long as it wasn't your chainsaw . . .

 

[blacktail]

If she said my bar was too short, then I'd be insulted.

 

[firefighterjake]

I like the cold and any winter without snow is kind of a rip.

Agreed ... if it's gonna be cold I want it to also be snowy ... sleds don't run so well without snow on the ground ... plus they tend to overheat without the snow for lubrication.

 

[lindnova]

At least the OP is looking before buying. Gotta pull the trigger though!

I bought my outdoor furnace, then found forums, but it worked out fine. I did a lot of research here before buying or installing my wood stove though.

When I built the house I was planning to install a propane fireplace in the future, but I did install an outdoor furnace new. I didn't do my research and had more work to build a chase last year, but would rather have wood than gas. It is cheaper, actually saves money and much more relaxing and enjoyable, not to mention the backup heat should the power go out.

My electric is $0.11 / KWH, but if you figure the facility charge and tax it is actually $0.19 - $0.22 / KWH. Of course the more electricity you use, the more KWH you have to spread the fixed charges around. I don't use very much compared to most people (400-600 KWH), so the fixed charges get me.

 

[sumpnz]

Sounds like someone's wife won't let him have a stove. Probably won't let you have a pickup to haul wood either. And a chainsaw probably sounds dangerous to her.
My girlfriend grew up with an insert. Her first words the first time she came in my house were, "your wood stove...it's so small."

Marriage is a give and a take. Those that understand that have long happy marriages. Those that don't wonder why they're paying so much alimony and child support.

And she actually loves that I have a chainsaw and know how to use it. She is too scared to use it herself after trying a couple times. Between her being left handed and not having the upper body strength to feel like she can adequately control the saw she's perfectly happy letting me run it. That way all the yard alteration projects can actually get done.

She also does want me to get another pickup. When we sold the last one she really wanted to find a way for me to keep it. But we really needed a minivan (4 kids). There was just no other way to get the money for the van without debt. And we committed to a debt free life many years ago. I still have some money left from that for a truck. Just need a bit more to get the truck I want.

 

[sumpnz]

Yes, I grew up in the east. I remember shoveling snow and the way it would turn to black slush and then freeze. When the ice finally melted, we'd go out of our minds. True spring fever.

Begreen and Sumpnz, we should get together sometime.

My house is up in the woods so there's really no need for a/c. Maybe one or two days a summer it would be nice but that's not enough to keep the unit from seizing up. So another advantage of heat pumps was a non-factor for us. Really happy with the choice to go with wood and really happy with the stove choice too. Best move was discovering this community. I've gotten so much good advice and been able to avoid the many mistakes I would have made on my own.

I grew up in upstate NY (by Lake Ontario). We got lake effect snow there. Also spent many years near Philly. Lots of snow and ice there too.

 

[sumpnz]

Yes, I grew up in the east. I remember shoveling snow and the way it would turn to black slush and then freeze. When the ice finally melted, we'd go out of our minds. True spring fever.

Begreen and Sumpnz, we should get together sometime.

My house is up in the woods so there's really no need for a/c. Maybe one or two days a summer it would be nice but that's not enough to keep the unit from seizing up. So another advantage of heat pumps was a non-factor for us. Really happy with the choice to go with wood and really happy with the stove choice too. Best move was discovering this community. I've gotten so much good advice and been able to avoid the many mistakes I would have made on my own.

Hey Parallax, who did you buy your Ashford from? I don't recall seeing that detail in your thread. I'd like to hit up that dealer for a quote so I can start figuring out more exactly how much money I'll need for the project. I'll be taking some detailed measurements too in the next month or so to figure out how much chimney pipe I'll need.

 

[Parallax]

Hey Parallax, who did you buy your Ashford from? I don't recall seeing that detail in your thread. I'd like to hit up that dealer for a quote so I can start figuring out more exactly how much money I'll need for the project. I'll be taking some detailed measurements too in the next month or so to figure out how much chimney pipe I'll need.

I'm from Long Island and my wife is from Philly (or rather the NJ suburbs of Philly, around Cherry Hill). Our BK dealer is Northwest Energy Systems. Their guy, Dan, is really cool. He took great care of us and gave us a more than fair deal. We put all the BK dealers back to back and he's the one who we felt most comfortable with. He also offered the best price. Dan's number is (360) 734-0219. If you want to mention me, my name is Roy.

On the pickup truck front, just bought one last month. Fortunately for me, I've long wanted a POS truck and I managed to find one for $500. Of course the new clutch set me back $600 more so I'm into it for $1100. It's an old Nissan Hardbody and it's one tough little MF. Has $213,000 miles but feels like it has plenty more. Perfect little truck for hauling around wood; just not too much at a time.

 

[Kool_hand_Looke]

Marriage is a give and a take. Those that understand that have long happy marriages. Those that don't wonder why they're paying so much alimony and child support.

And she actually loves that I have a chainsaw and know how to use it. She is too scared to use it herself after trying a couple times. Between her being left handed and not having the upper body strength to feel like she can adequately control the saw she's perfectly happy letting me run it. That way all the yard alteration projects can actually get done.

She also does want me to get another pickup. When we sold the last one she really wanted to find a way for me to keep it. But we really needed a minivan (4 kids). There was just no other way to get the money for the van without debt. And we committed to a debt free life many years ago. I still have some money left from that for a truck. Just need a bit more to get the truck I want.

Dont explain yourself to these internet Rambos. Brother Bart uses $100 bills for kindling, has money stacked the brim of his house, and three log splitters. Not to mention, most of them have absolutely everything figured out. So much so, I don't even know why they're here. They sure as heck like to "fuel the fire" (yes, pun intended) more than help.

Also, a wood stove isn't going to decrease the value of your home. And if the other houses are holding you comp down...you'll have a stove that no one else has.

 

[Kool_hand_Looke]

And before someone shuts this thread down now because I "derailed" (HUGE air quotes) it (even though it was derailed right off the bat), am I not allowed sarcasm myself? Lol's, LMBO's, ROFL's.

 

[BrotherBart]

Not to mention, most of them have absolutely everything figured out.

Actually, I do.

 

[Kool_hand_Looke]

^^^ See what I mean?

BB, save me some $100 bill ashes. They're probably worth more than the $100 bill.

 

[BrotherBart]

Good grief. I only did that until I discovered Super Cedars.

 

[Kool_hand_Looke]

Got a pretty good chuckle out of that.

 

[Kool_hand_Looke]

I'm up in B'ham twice a week for the evening MBA program at WWU.

We've been in this house for over 4 years now. Given all the problems we had with the heat pump and furnace over that time I wish we'd just ditched it and gone to wood heat from the start. There's usually only a few weeks each year we'd need the heat pump for AC anyway. This year it got used more, but this was a warm summer and fall comparitively speaking.

I'm assuming this is Bellingham Washington. I'm too lazy to actually look if that's it. But I was stationed at Whidbey and lived in Anacortes. Played A LOT of paintball in Bellingham at Semper Fi.

 

[sumpnz]

I'm assuming this is Bellingham Washington. I'm too lazy to actually look if that's it. But I was stationed at Whidbey and lived in Anacortes. Played A LOT of paintball in Bellingham at Semper Fi.

Yep, Washington.