A Good Start on Next Winter

[Country Lady]

We've had a very cold winter and we've already ran out of firewood for the fireplace insert. I guess we were a little slack last year. However, we're off to a good start for next winter. We've already cut up two oak trees and another one on the ground to cut up. We have a friend that lives nearby that trimmed up his huge oak trees in his yard. He cut it all up stove length and it was ours for the taking. Hopefully, next year we won't have a propane bill like we got this morning. $341.36 and another $100.00 last Fall. Yup, we gotta do better this year!

[Country Lady]

Originally Posted by rose2005

We are prepping for next year by buying a Hitzer EZ-flo coal stove and anthracite coal. Should keep us lovely and warm.

Rose

That will be nice!

[Shepherd]

We're about out of wood too; it's been a hard year and DH was busy helping me after my cancer diagnosis, instead of out cutting firewood. I usually help with the splitting but wasn't able to this time. Thankfully we had a little left from the previous winter.

We've had to rely on the furnace a lot more and we're down to 30% now (it's a 1,000 propane tank). It's been an expensive winter so far. I hope next spring we can get a lot of firewood started for the following winter. Luckily we live in the woods and there are always downed trees we can use; we never have to cut a tree down.

I guess I should add that prepping in all forms can come in handy for a lot of things! I don't know what we'd have done otherwise.

[NCLee]

Agree this winter has been a rough one. (sigh) Here in NC we're running about 10 degrees below normal everyday. Been that way for most of the winter. Got hit last week with another $300+ propane bill.

Our fireplace insert isn't very efficient, so we don't use it except when we have a power failure. Wish we could put in a good wood stove. But, we're at the age where health problems limit the amount of wood that we can prep for winter. We'd end up having to buy most of it already split. Or try to borrow a neighbor's splitter. But at any event, we'd still have to buy wood. Can no longer handle a chain saw for any material length of time.

Wood around here, is expensive.

So, we're caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to heating.

Lee

[texican]

Rose, are you able to get your coal locally? As in real local? If you could literally walk to an outcrop of coal (or a mine), that would definitely be a deal maker for me, as far as going with coal.

We have a few outcrops of lignite coal, on the river nearby. It's nice to know if all else failed, I could walk the two miles and bring back sacks of coal. I haven't invested any money in a coal grate, or other coal burning necessities, because the current free gas has me hooked. (Have stockpiled extra pipe, valves, and fittings to 'fix' the line, if the hardware stores were to suddenly close).

[NCLee]

You're fortunate with regards to coal. All of the coal suppliers, that I knew about, quit stocking coal a number of years ago.

I remember when my Grandmother used to heat with coal. She had a boiler in the kitchen that she filled periodically from the coal that was delivered to her backyard. Her house was always warm in the winter.

At one time I worked for a manufacturing plant that had a huge coal fired boiler. Coal was delivered by the box car load, almost daily.

So much coal moved along the main rail line that people walked along the line with buckets, picking up coal for their use.

Now, it's all gone..................... (sigh)

Lee

[ChristieAcres]

DH seized an opportunity...we were on our way back from seeing his parents, when we saw utility workers logging the Alders along the road. They limbed them, ground up the branches, and then left the logs lying along the sides of the road. We stopped and asked about them, getting an invitation to "feel free." So, DH went back and loaded his truck, then again two more times. We have 75% of the firewood we will need for next Winter out there by the log splitter. The rest and more is lying on our property, just needs cut up, and split. This was all great timing, as DH modified the wood stove to heat our water, too, further reducing our energy cost expenditure. Around here, trees grow fast, and simply managing our own forest should provide most, if not all, of the firewood we will need. Right now, we take advantage of any opportunities to get it free. There isn't a road down there to our forest... Another item to put on our list this year!

[Country Lady]

Originally Posted by lorichristie

DH seized an opportunity...we were on our way back from seeing his parents, when we saw utility workers logging the Alders along the road. They limbed them, ground up the branches, and then left the logs lying along the sides of the road. We stopped and asked about them, getting an invitation to "feel free." So, DH went back and loaded his truck, then again two more times. We have 75% of the firewood we will need for next Winter out there by the log splitter. The rest and more is lying on our property, just needs cut up, and split. This was all great timing, as DH modified the wood stove to heat our water, too, further reducing our energy cost expenditure. Around here, trees grow fast, and simply managing our own forest should provide most, if not all, of the firewood we will need. Right now, we take advantage of any opportunities to get it free. There isn't a road down there to our forest... Another item to put on our list this year!

I see you received a blessing too.

[English Oliver]

We started out the winter of 08/09 without a stick of wood on hand and was able to make it through the winter without burning any propane. This winter, 09/10 we started out with around two years of wood on hand and by continuing cutting we haven't had to even tap into our reserve pile. We also have two thousand gal. of propane backup for the furnace or generator if needed. Let it snow.

"O"

[Randy Rooster]

This is my first year with a wood stove in the house. Thought I had enough cut from last year to see me through, but have been out to the woods 3 times now to find more blow down dead stuff to get through the season.

[Cabin Fever]

We generally have enough firewood that is cut, split and stacked for at least three years out. The main reason for this is...from experience...I know that it takes oak a minimum of two years to dry sufficiently. I suppose if we every had a real cold winter where we burned all the firewood earmarked for that winter, we'd just start on the next winter's supply of firewood.

[Win07_351]

Originally Posted by rose2005

We are prepping for next year by buying a Hitzer EZ-flo coal stove and anthracite coal. Should keep us lovely and warm.

Rose

After you get the stove and use it for awhile, can you post here how you like it and let us know how it works out for you?

[tamsam]

we have burned more wood and coal this year than ever before. Our supply is getting low and our truck has been down all winter with elect problems. Time to junk the old girl and replace when we can afford to. Usually we only use wood to get a good fire going then switch to coal. Most people don't even know we burn coal. Just a word of warning to anyone with a wood stove. Do not burn coal in it. We have also been told that an airtight stove can be dangerous with coal. Have heard of several that used an airtight wood stove for coal and had the door blown off it. When you throw a piece of coal on hot coals and close the stove before it starts flaming the gas can build up and BOOM there goes your heater. Everyone stay safe and warm. Sam
PS We have wood but it is snow and ice covered so it is a pain to get in.

[ChristieAcres]

Rose2005- Excellent choice for purchasing a dual stove (wood or coal). Lehmans is a good supplier for many things! We purchased the booklet on converting your wood stove to heat water from Lehmans. DH had the design completed and wanted to double-check the setup, for safety reasons, and for efficiency. Although he didn't have to make any changes, he felt much more comfortable moving forward having that resource. The wood stove has been converted and he upgraded it to include 2 heat exchanges inside the firebox (on at the bottom and one at the top, both hooked in succession). This is much more effective and burns less wood, also not "heating us out of house & home..."

[ronbre]

our outdoor wood boiler heats our home and our sons home and garage..his is 2 story..we went through 40 cord last year and have already gone through about 32 this year..we have 8 cord being delivered tomorrow..we'll probably average 40 cord a year

[big rockpile]

We still have 3 Cord of wood plus we had some Propane in two 100# Bottles left over from last Winter,emptied one still using off the other.

big rockpile