We have an all electric house close to 4000 square feet. We have two large heat pumps that cover the main part of the house and a separate unit that heats our sun room, which we use as a den/TV room and for most meals. We heat almost exclusively with a VC Vigilant that does a very nice job in the main part of the house and occasionally turn on the small unit in the sun room.
Having two 40 gallon electric water heaters is a killer, especially in the coldest part of the winter when the replacement water coming in is very cold. One of the water heaters is on the side of the house where the two bathrooms are located. The other water heater is on the other side of the house and feeds only the kitchen and laundry room.
We are on balanced billing with our electric rural coop. Our bill year round runs about $200 a month with very heavy use for air conditioning from mid April through late September early October. In the winter time, the biggest expense by far is the two water heaters.
I'm curious if it would be worthwhile and make economic sense to have a wood burning boiler to supplement the water heater that feeds the two bathrooms. I wouldn't think it would need to be very large with this limited application. There are only two of us living here except for a rare weekend/holiday when we might have company.
I wouldn't have a clue as to how to hook up such an operation.
I have a virtually unlimited supply of oak available to me for firewood so fueling a boiler would be no problem. I'd never have to buy fuel for it.
Do wood burners have to be fed constantly, like twice a day? How often do you need to clean out the ashes?
So, I guess the main questions are: 1) does have a wood burner make any sense at all just to supplement hot water in the house.
2) Economic sense? What would the payback period be? (How many years of savings would it take for the boiler to pay for itself?)
3) Can any good plumber install this or does it take a specialist?
Thanks!
Having two 40 gallon electric water heaters is a killer, especially in the coldest part of the winter when the replacement water coming in is very cold. One of the water heaters is on the side of the house where the two bathrooms are located. The other water heater is on the other side of the house and feeds only the kitchen and laundry room.
We are on balanced billing with our electric rural coop. Our bill year round runs about $200 a month with very heavy use for air conditioning from mid April through late September early October. In the winter time, the biggest expense by far is the two water heaters.
I'm curious if it would be worthwhile and make economic sense to have a wood burning boiler to supplement the water heater that feeds the two bathrooms. I wouldn't think it would need to be very large with this limited application. There are only two of us living here except for a rare weekend/holiday when we might have company.
I wouldn't have a clue as to how to hook up such an operation.
I have a virtually unlimited supply of oak available to me for firewood so fueling a boiler would be no problem. I'd never have to buy fuel for it.
Do wood burners have to be fed constantly, like twice a day? How often do you need to clean out the ashes?
So, I guess the main questions are: 1) does have a wood burner make any sense at all just to supplement hot water in the house.
2) Economic sense? What would the payback period be? (How many years of savings would it take for the boiler to pay for itself?)
3) Can any good plumber install this or does it take a specialist?
Thanks!