Quanity of wood this season

[Dobish]

I burned as much as 10 cords per year in the old Jotuls, but I’m putting about 25% less thru the BK’s, so your guess is probably pretty close.

To be honest, I have not managed to have an “average” year of burning since I bought the BK’s, so I can’t say with any certainty. We have had a few freakishly warm years in a row, and last February I couldn’t burn at all, when everything melted and my yard turned to swamp (couldn’t access the stacks, until it re-froze in March).

I have a spreadsheet that tracks my oil usage and heating degree days, but until recently, I wasn’t recording my wood usage in the spreadsheet. Silly oversight, on my part.

i have a cousin who just recently decided to do an energy study on my house, and was trying to figure out what my total energy usage was (including wood consumption). He was very happy he could just take my spreadsheet, and after his analysis, we were able to come up with the conclusion that by burning wood, we are saving energy and money since our furnace is so inefficient.

 

[Ashful]

Oh, I’m definitely saving thousands of dollars in oil, per year. Of course, I’m also spending thousands of dollars per year on wood processing equipment and storage facility construction. I might be at net zero, after all of these years, I haven’t put much energy into making a tally of it all.

 

[Dobish]

Oh, I’m definitely saving thousands of dollars in oil, per year. Of course, I’m also spending thousands of dollars per year on wood processing equipment and storage facility construction. I might be at net zero, after all of these years, I haven’t put much energy into making a tally of it all.

we also determined that it is more efficient to burn wood than dollar bills, on a BTU scale.

 

[Ashful]

Okay, a quick stab at a tally:

Expenses:

Splitter: $1000
Chainsaws: $1500
Tractor: $10,000
- $3000 for smaller tractor I’d have bought otherwise
Splitter hot-rodding: $1000
Stoves: $6000
Insulated chimneys: $3000
Wagon: $1000
Misc. accessories: $1000
=====
$21,500 expenses

Oil saved per year: 700 - 1200 gallons
Avg. price: $3.2/gal
=======
$3k per year

So, 7 years in, I might be close to net zero. But now I’m looking at building a 1000 sq.ft. pavilion for wood and equipment storage, another $9k, so I’ll be back in the red.

What we’re not accounting for is my time, but I’d rather be spending my extra hours splitting and hauling wood, than sitting behind a desk.

 

[paulnlee]

My Harmon goes from late Oct. to Memorial Day. If I have a good supply of large pieces to put in at night I'll go thru 7 cords. This year my overnighters are not as large as usual so I expect to use more this season plus my damper is broken.

 

[Bushels20]

I wonder if those are face cords considering the 1000 gallons oil.

Right. So maybe actually 3-4 cords?

 

[Ashful]

I wonder if those are face cords considering the 1000 gallons oil.

If he is like me, there’s another factor at hand. When heating with oil, I keep my house at 70F for about 6 hours per day, and 62F the rest of the time. So, assuming some ramp up/down time, the average might be 65 - 66F, indoors. But when heating with wood I keep the house 73 - 76F all day, ever day.

We average 5000 HDD’s per year, and heat for roughly 6 months, so that’s 27 HDD’s per day, or a daily average temperature around 38F. So, with oil we’re heating by ~28F from outside, and on wood we’re heating by ~38F from outside. That additional 25% differential translates into 25% higher BTU loss, and higher wood usage than you might expect, from the amount of oil they’re “saving”.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

If he is like me, there’s another factor at hand. When heating with oil, I keep my house at 70F for about 6 hours per day, and 62F the rest of the time. So, assuming some ramp up/down time, the average might be 65 - 66F, indoors. But when heating with wood I keep the house 73 - 76F all day, ever day.

We average 5000 HDD’s per year, and heat for roughly 6 months, so that’s 27 HDD’s per day, or a daily average temperature around 38F. So, with oil we’re heating by ~28F from outside, and on wood we’re heating by ~38F from outside. That additional 25% differential translates into 25% higher BTU loss, and higher wood usage than you might expect, from the amount of oil they’re “saving”.

My man just dropped som knowledge on us....i feel insecure now...

 

[Dabster13]

Okay, a quick stab at a tally:

Expenses:

Splitter: $1000
Chainsaws: $1500
Tractor: $10,000
- $3000 for smaller tractor I’d have bought otherwise
Splitter hot-rodding: $1000
Stoves: $6000
Insulated chimneys: $3000
Wagon: $1000
Misc. accessories: $1000
=====
$21,500 expenses

Oil saved per year: 700 - 1200 gallons
Avg. price: $3.2/gal
=======
$3k per year

So, 7 years in, I might be close to net zero. But now I’m looking at building a 1000 sq.ft. pavilion for wood and equipment storage, another $9k, so I’ll be back in the red.

What we’re not accounting for is my time, but I’d rather be spending my extra hours splitting and hauling wood, than sitting behind a desk.

Hey dude, don't forget to add in that gym membership you don't have to pay for with all the wood you're moving around

 

[blades]

After one week, hardly a dent in the 1/3 of cord I brought into basement , so of the 168 hours the propane furnace would have been in use , that has been reduced to around 16 hours. If I can make it to next May on the current propane fill, that will amount to a savings of apx 1200. Therefore May of 2020 may be the break even point stove install costs vs propane. Added in winter of 20/21 and the break even point would be May of 2021 if including the purchase of a 6 log cord and 4cord of slabs. Slabs will be useful 2021, log cords 2022 if I get may tail in gear. Current inventory of css should last until 2021+. Current green inventory will be available in 2021 as well some 3-4 cords worth mixed hardwoods. Equipment paid for along time ago vs NG at previous 2 abodes.

 

[edyit]

so far we've gone through a full cord, 2/3's of it has been pine slabs we started burning in mid october winter appears to have fully settled in here in the adirondacks, guessing it'll easily be a 4 cord winter this year

 

[jebatty]

First burns were in September. It's been a cold Fall into winter, snow covered ground and lake is fully frozen over for two weeks already. And +4F thermometer reading right now. Have burned just about one full cord of birch so far.

 

[kennyp2339]

Living in NWNJ last year (winter 17-18) was pretty much in the top 5 bad winters, temps dropped in the beginning of November and got even colder in December (below zero at night for a few weeks) Jan was cold but it moderated to near normal cold towards the end of the month (low teens at night, sometimes single digits) Feb was much the same and March was our long snow month, April hung onto old man winter and come the first week of May like a light switch we switched to Summer weather. I burnt through about 4.5 cords of wood during that time, only circulating the baseboard heat twice a day (morning and at night) for 10 min just to make sure I wasn't setting myself up for frozen pipes. Total oil consumption for the season was approx. 120gal (also used for hot water production) or just under a gal a day.
This year seems like last year, November got cold, so far, looking at the empty spot in the shed I would say I used just over a 1/2 cord. The house is a smaller raised ranch with the stove in the basement, heating approx. 1500sq ft, Upstairs living spaces stay in the low 70's throughout, mid to upper 60's in the far bedroom which is perfect for sleeping.
My wood this year is primarily red oak, Norway maple, ash with a little bit of cherry. All split and stacked 3 years ago, oak is measuring 15% on a room temp fresh split face.

 

[Ashful]

Living in NWNJ last year (winter 17-18) was pretty much in the top 5 bad winters, temps dropped in the beginning of November and got even colder in December (below zero at night for a few weeks) Jan was cold but it moderated to near normal cold towards the end of the month (low teens at night, sometimes single digits) Feb was much the same and March was our long snow month, April hung onto old man winter and come the first week of May like a light switch we switched to Summer weather. I burnt through about 4.5 cords of wood during that time, only circulating the baseboard heat twice a day (morning and at night) for 10 min just to make sure I wasn't setting myself up for frozen pipes. Total oil consumption for the season was approx. 120gal (also used for hot water production) or just under a gal a day.
This year seems like last year, November got cold, so far, looking at the empty spot in the shed I would say I used just over a 1/2 cord. The house is a smaller raised ranch with the stove in the basement, heating approx. 1500sq ft, Upstairs living spaces stay in the low 70's throughout, mid to upper 60's in the far bedroom which is perfect for sleeping.
My wood this year is primarily red oak, Norway maple, ash with a little bit of cherry. All split and stacked 3 years ago, oak is measuring 15% on a room temp fresh split face.

I’m surprised you were much different than us. December was crazy cold, into January, as was April into May. But February was freakishly warm, I remember being outside without a jacket most of that month.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I burned as much as 10 cords per year in the old Jotuls, but I’m putting about 25% less thru the BK’s, so your guess is probably pretty close.

To be honest, I have not managed to have an “average” year of burning since I bought the BK’s, so I can’t say with any certainty. We have had a few freakishly warm years in a row, and last February I couldn’t burn at all, when everything melted and my yard turned to swamp (couldn’t access the stacks, until it re-froze in March).

I have a spreadsheet that tracks my oil usage and heating degree days, but until recently, I wasn’t recording my wood usage in the spreadsheet. Silly oversight, on my part.

If I were getting a 24 hour burn out of each load, I'd only be burning 25% of the wood that I'm currently burning, on about 6 hour reloads. But you say you are burning 75% of the wood you were burning.

If I were getting 12 hours per load, I'd be burning 50% of what I'm burning.

What am I missing?

 

[kennyp2339]

I’m surprised you were much different than us. December was crazy cold, into January, as was April into May. But February was freakishly warm, I remember being outside without a jacket most of that month.

Maybe I blocked all that out of my head lol, time keeps going by faster and faster, im gona have to start writing this stuff down to remember.

 

[Ashful]

Moved 3rd cord up to the house this morning, before lawn had a chance to thaw. About 80% oak, 15% hickory, and 5% sassafras or sycamore.

 

[bfitz3]

.7 cord on the nose, even with a cold November. 2.6 cord more stacked in the garage ready to go. It’ll need to last me through May.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Moved 3rd cord up to the house this morning, before lawn had a chance to thaw. About 80% oak, 15% hickory, and 5% sassafras or sycamore.

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You and i.split similar. I split square or rectangle. It packs the stove nicely.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

My son and i will be moving additional wood up to the house tomorrow. It won't be much but I'll put more on the rack. Next weekend is going to rain, so i want plenty on hand

One of the things that I'm enjoying about this thread is to see how many people actually track and manage what they're burning and actually what kind they're burning it seems to be a very organized group of people

 

[Todd67]

So far I have burned roughly 1.25 cords in my Fisher Mama bear stove. No furnace heat all all in my poorly insulated 2-story house. Thanksgiving day was -9 with a -27 wind chill. I burn between 4-5 cords a year, and my stove fire doesn't go out for 5-6 months straight. My wife won't let it

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Okay, a quick stab at a tally:

Expenses:

Splitter: $1000
Chainsaws: $1500
Tractor: $10,000
- $3000 for smaller tractor I’d have bought otherwise
Splitter hot-rodding: $1000
Stoves: $6000
Insulated chimneys: $3000
Wagon: $1000
Misc. accessories: $1000
=====
$21,500 expenses

Oil saved per year: 700 - 1200 gallons
Avg. price: $3.2/gal
=======
$3k per year

So, 7 years in, I might be close to net zero. But now I’m looking at building a 1000 sq.ft. pavilion for wood and equipment storage, another $9k, so I’ll be back in the red.

What we’re not accounting for is my time, but I’d rather be spending my extra hours splitting and hauling wood, than sitting behind a desk.

Yes, but you are doing it all with style.

That's got to be worth something.

Did the $6k on the stove include the Jotul experiment?

 

[Ashful]

My son and i will be moving additional wood up to the house tomorrow. It won't be much but I'll put more on the rack. Next weekend is going to rain, so i want plenty on hand

One of the things that I'm enjoying about this thread is to see how many people actually track and manage what they're burning and actually what kind they're burning it seems to be a very organized group of people

Yes, when my stove is full, I mean it’s FULL, sometimes as if there were a single solid 2 cu ft brick of wood in there. Square is the only way to go, when splitting big stuff, IMO. I quarter the big rounds, then start splitting the quarters parallel to one of the straight sides.

 

[Ashful]

Yes, but you are doing it all with style.

That's got to be worth something.

Did the $6k on the stove include the Jotul experiment?

No, I didn’t count the cost of the Jotuls, but I probably broke even on reselling them, anyway. I think I paid about $6k for two Ashford 30’s, with delivery, but my memory could be off.

“Style” would be a firewood-sized pneumatic tube system between my wood lot and the porch!

 

[weatherguy]

If I were getting a 24 hour burn out of each load, I'd only be burning 25% of the wood that I'm currently burning, on about 6 hour reloads. But you say you are burning 75% of the wood you were burning.

If I were getting 12 hours per load, I'd be burning 50% of what I'm burning.

What am I missing?

A Blaze King