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Firewood or Propane?

5K views 58 replies 32 participants last post by  big rockpile 
#1 ·
Ok we have a Fireplace Insert. Have it set up where we can put Firewood in a Box from the Outside and can clean Ashes out from the outside.

Have enough Firewood to do two Seasons. Propane for one season runs about 650 Gallons. tank is at this time 45% full they only fill to about 80%, 500 Gallon Tank.

To set up for Propane still have to Rerun some Line but very easy to set up for. Flue is Good shape, Lined it was Inspected 2 Years ago. It was cleaned out before Last Season.

I'm unable to move pieces of Firewood anymore. My wife says she Loads the Fireplace before leaving for work, I will be good until she gets home.

She says go ahead and heat next two Winters with wood and then Convert back over to Propane. I'm thinking go ahead and convert to Propane and no longer worry.

Can not resale the Firewood it would have to be given away because of where I got it. Yes I signed contracts and all.

This is keeping our 1,800 Sg. Ft. House at 80-85 degrees.

Thoughts?

big rockpile
 
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#2 ·
I am (was) in a similar situation. We've heated with wood since we bought this place 20 years ago. There has always been an oil furnace in the basement but the heat exchanger was rusted out.

My wife got crippled up about 10 years ago. I would do the same as you wife suggested - I always made sure there was enough firewood in the house for her during the day.

Then about 5 years ago it was my turn to get crippled up. We were now at the point of buying firewood cut/split/delivered and stacked as we couldn't stack it ourselves. I would then take my tractor/loader to the wood shed, load a bucket full, and between the both of us would carry the wood from the porch inside.

But it was getting harder and harder.

Another issue is that buying firewood was getting expensive. We burn around 5 full cord a year. At $150 per cord now that is $750. We finally decided to have a new furnace installed with my last ever income tax refund and have been using oil since. This past winter it cost us $960 for 550 gallons. So for $200 a year it was well worth it to change.

We still have around 3 full cord in the wood shed and I would never sell it or get rid of it. We get frequent power outages and that stack of firewood is our emergency lifeline for heat in the winter.
 
#5 ·
We went with firewood and an inside wood burner for ten years. No insurance because of it. Now we have a new old farm house. We're getting a new efficient propane heater. I don't want the fear of chimney fires or no insurance or higher rates on insurance and I don't want the darn work and mess of wood anymore. I'm done.
It saved money but was a total pain in the backside. We have enough to do fixing up the old house and ancient barn. Not to mention animals, milking, planting, harvesting, processing foods and so on.
I'm 57, have arthritis and a messed up spine. Time to make life easier, not harder. ;)
 
#6 ·
DH and I argued about heating with wood vs. propane 15 years ago. Used wood in Flagstaff and I love burning wood.
Still, I'm very happy he won. We use Waterford and Jotul gas stoves adapted for propane and it's easy, beautiful, and produces a lovely soft heat that isn't as drying as wood heat.
Neither of you are getting any younger and Mmoetc is right...what if she can't continue to haul wood?
 
#8 ·
I've burned firewood to heat my home for 34 years. I suspect you've probably heated with wood a long time, too. Since you already have the wood and you already have a work-around for handling it, I'd heat with wood this year and re-evaluate afterwards. After all, the firewood you've got has already cost what it's gonna cost, so it's all gravy now. Propane won't be that way.
 
#10 ·
Ok the Outside Box to put Firewood in is about 5 foot up and about 6 1/2 to 7 Foot to top of the wood. She would have to load it in Wheelbarrow , push it 35 feet then put it in the Box. Two Wheelbarrows full.

We cut the wood mostly over on Government Land this is the reason we can't sell it.

My wife is hard headed and believes she can do the Firewood no matter.

big rockpile
 
#14 ·
We could use both too just it wines up using one or the other. Me I just soon just go Propane. My wife says we have the Firewood use it.

big rockpile
 
#24 ·
No matter how you proceed you should keep some wood for backup in case of a power outage.

Unless some government flunky wants to do DNA testing of your firewood, they would be hard pressed to prove that you cut it off public lands. You can sell it and won't get sent to the big house. Your moral compass may not permit you to fudge in this way.

If you heat strictly with propane, your tank won't last the whole winter. Propane is cheapest in July and August. I suggest you burn enough wood over the winter so that your propane runs out the following summer and save some $.

My wood stove heats the whole house and is the main heat source. If it burns down and the house gets cool, the thermostat turns on the propane heat. You do need to have enough air leaks so the draft up the wood stove chimney doesn't suck outside air and CO2 down the propane stove's chimney and vice versa. I cut a 6 inch hole in the wall to assure this.
 
#26 ·
If you heat strictly with propane, your tank won't last the whole winter. Propane is cheapest in July and August. I suggest you burn enough wood over the winter so that your propane runs out the following summer and save some $.

My wood stove heats the whole house and is the main heat source. If it burns down and the house gets cool, the thermostat turns on the propane heat.
This is what we do. Our propane company has a monthly budget option so we pay one monthly payment and that way our bill doesn't spike in the winter. We ran out of wood and had to fill in like Jan, $580. Yikes.
 
#25 ·
You forget to say if this is your only way to heat or do you have a furnace also?
If you do have a furnace stick with wood. Is piping for propane done up to fireplace? Is yes then if she can't load wood you should be able to hire someone that knows what they are doing to finish propane install with a few days notice.
 
#27 ·
Furnace is Hooked up but the Fireplace heats the whole house with Little Wood. 5 Sticks of Firewood, good for 5 hours. Most the Wood is in the dry.

We could Lock in Price of Propane Last of May but didn't this year. We have enough Propane to do almost half the Winter.

big rockpile
 
#32 ·
You just answered your own question, let your wife do the wood in the fireplace and if something happens where she can't then you ha EA the furnace to take over.
Problem solved, enjoy the fire
 
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#29 ·
Got one we use when it gets real cold. That is where the Propane went to the last two Winters.

big rockpile
 
#33 ·
My wife says way things is heat with Wood until we just can't. If we have to buy wood we can get it cheaper than people in town. And all of it goes in Sheds.

big rockpile
 
#36 ·
I have two houses, burn wood primarily as I have cheap sources. I am still able to cut and I have a splitter for the tractor. That said I agree with all that propane is a good backup when away for an extended period. One house is occasional use, so it is on propane w/thermostat set at 45 in the winter to keep pipes from freezing. When I'm there, wood heat and 85 degrees, because I can. Main house here at Holt, I use Longwood dual fuel furnace(antique I guess) I use propane to start fires when needed. House goes on propane from separate furnace when away. Being I am well north of Rockpile, I used about 400 gallons of propane here and the house 20 miles south if Iowa line used about 200 by this method. Economics of wood are hard to dispute, especially if propane happens to go to $5 a gallon if you can get it, remember a few year back? The real question is how your or your wife's body will allow you to continue or not and only you can answer that one.
 
#37 ·
We have been heating with wood since we bought our homestead in 09. Yes, it is a chore. DH and I are in our mid 60s now and we harvest 7-8 cord per year to heat. We have an endless supply of wood on our 30 acres as we have a large supply of trees that need thinned.

We heated with LP back in IL. 2100 dollars annually. Wood cost us the price of a good chain saw and fuel/oil. We have a bucket tractor and a good wood splitter.

I can well empathize with you BR. Our backs are not the best any more. My advice is if you have to, use both. I agree. You have the wood. Heat with it during the day and fill in with the LP when the temps drop or you are to be away.

Also, team work. We split some pretty big rounds of wood. Biggest has been over 36 inches n diameter. Neither of us can handle wood that big so we don't, We work together and roll the wood to the splitter with the splitter upright, shove it into position and have at it. DH hands the wood up to me and I toss it in an open door on the barn.

I would suggest get rid of the wheelbarrow. Too hard for your wife to maneuver and push. We bought a garden cart at Orschelns for 100 dollars that hauls enough wood in one load to last us a day. It rolls easily and is not awkward.

We know the challenges of homesteading and being older. It can be done. You just have to learn to cut corners and find easier ways of doing things.

Do you have any Amish around you? Or Mennonites? They can always be employed for a reasonable amount to harvest and haul wood for you if have wood on your property.

Most of all, you have to do what is right for the two of you. What I'm saying is where there is a will there is a way.
 
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