Suggestions/Insights for heating with wood in South Texas

[DuaeGuttae]

You may want to investigate another option - a hearth heater. Our home had the same majestic unit (20-inch clearance). I could have installed a Regency I1200 or a H2100, which is a hearth heater. I opted for the hearth heater for the additional heating and a slightly bigger firebox. Heats the house fine! Wonderful investment.

Thanks. I checked out your county on the internet. Looks like a beautiful place and possibly a similar climate to where we are in Texas Hill Country. Your insert looks like a smaller version of what we left behind in Virginia. We really did love that stove and have been missing it here. It didn’t get out of the thirties here today, but with temperatures everyone else seems to be facing, that seems downright balmy.

We’re planning to have a stove installer come out some time in the new year to talk options. It will be interesting to hear his suggestions.

 

[Poindexter]

One thing you can do, sorry, wasn't following thread, is track your utility usage this year to see how much kwh or therms or BTUS you are using to heat and then have a real meaningful number to compare when looking at wood burner outputs.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

Thank you, Poindexter. We are trying to do exactly that, subtracting out what we estimate are therms for the gas dryer and cooking. The trick is we have three natural gas furnaces, but a woodstove would really only distribute heat to one part of the house. The furnaces don’t run equally.

I found a calculator that looked at length and width and height of the space to be heated as well as insulation level and desired temperature change. Assuming a poor insulation level and 15 degree temperature difference from outside, it estimates just shy of 27,000 BTU/hr. If we change that to normal insulation, it’s just shy of 13,000. (We are well aware of the benefits of better insulation and air sealing. It will be something we work on.)

I’m sure you’ll laugh, but everybody down here is bracing for the cold. We’ve been warned: it may stay below freezing for 36 or more hours.

 

[Ashful]

One thing you can do, sorry, wasn't following thread, is track your utility usage this year to see how much kwh or therms or BTUS you are using to heat and then have a real meaningful number to compare when looking at wood burner outputs.

I used to think this was a good way to go, but now I think there’s really much more to it. Depending on day to day swings, and even variation throughout the day, average usage alone may not be a great indicator of peak (I.e. overnight) need. You might do okay if you scale this average usage by average low vs. average daily temperature for the same period.

BTW, Woody’s allusion about gunking up your chimney is just his usual BS. He just likes to troll any thread with mention of BK. Your chimney will be clean as long as your cat is in active region, and stalling a cat isn’t something you’re likely to do on a repeated basis. Implying BK’s gunk up chimneys by running low is just plain false. Highbeam’s situation was unique, a result of the flue gasses dropping below condensation point within the pipe. That ain’t gonna happen in South Texas.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

I used to think this was a good way to go, but now I think there’s really much more to it. Depending on day to day swings, and even variation throughout the day, average usage alone may not be a great indicator of peak (I.e. overnight) need. You might do okay if you scale this average usage by average low vs. average daily temperature for the same period.

I think I understand why average doesn’t work, just the way that saying the average high in December is 61 doesn’t really give an idea of how chilly many of the days are.

I will admit that you lost me once you got to the suggestion about scaling average usage. If it’s easy to explain, I’m all eyes. If you think it’s hopeless, I understand.

 

[Ashful]

Well, I’m sure this wrong... but it’s something. Let’s say the average is 61F, and you like to keep your abode at 71F. So, that would indicate need for an average 10F delta.

However, the reality is you probably won’t be running your stove much when it’s 61F outside, and that average implies it might be mid-70’s during the “average” day and below 50F on the “average” night. Moreover, you implied this week you’re in the 20’s at night, and below 32F all day.

So, I’d suggest you might look at the average evening temperature, thru which you’ll be heating by wood. Maybe you only run the stove when it’s dipping below 40F, meaning a desired 30F delta. In this case, you might scale your peak BTU requirement by 3x the average, having already identified the average at 10F.

This is a gross oversimplification, but probably closer to your real need than just scaling by average fuel usage.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

I’m getting there. I’ll have to ponder it some more.

The lows of 20 degrees F and highs below freezing were just yesterday and today. 20’s in the winter aren’t that unusual, but it’s usually up to the forties during the day. Tomorrow it’s supposed to break 50 during the day but still be in the 20’s at night.

I should clarify that the 61 I cited earlier was a historical average HIGH for December, not the average temperature. I found some good records, and the December average was 49 degrees. It definitely cools right off when the sun goes down, and our house stays pretty cool in the mornings (and the afternoons when it’s gray).

Thanks.