I need some advice.

[junkman1946]

Most of you gents are in Central-MidWest U.S. Im in New England so this info may have absolutely no bearing on your particular situations. But.... With almost every ear of surplus corn going to make fuel. The price of corn is through the roof. Before corn went out of sight the economic advantage of a corn stove was marginal-unless you grew your own fuel. We have several wood pellet plants in this area. They make two grades of pellets, the cheap grade was exactly that-cheap, dirty, and in efficient. Better grade pellets are going for over $5.00 bag(40Lbs.).I considered an outdoor furnace, but was dissuaded by an honest dealer that informed me that the state EPA was getting ready to issue air polution restrictions on the smoke emmisions from these stoves. The tree huggers up here are up in arms over the smell of woodsmoke. Most of these furnaces have short stacks which lets the smoke hang low.. Frank

[Eugene]

Propane was just over $2.00 a gallon about 3 weeks ago.

[junkman1946]

Yikes...... Im paying $2.59 on a yearly contract and thats 20 or 30 cents cheaper than any other homeowner in my area. Frank

[Eugene]

I considered an outdoor furnace, but was dissuaded by an honest dealer that informed me that the state EPA was getting ready to issue air polution restrictions on the smoke emmisions from these stoves. The tree huggers up here are up in arms over the smell of woodsmoke.smoke hang low

Local city officials discussed not permitting any more wood furnaces within the city limits several years ago.

A rural neighbor and I also discussed the possibility of not being able to burn wood in the future due to state and perhaps federal regulations. This would come at a considerable personal expense to quite a number of individuals. Sad part about the possibility is that this area is heavily wooded.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

A rural neighbor and I also discussed the possibility of not being able to burn wood in the future due to state and perhaps federal regulations. This would come at a considerable personal expense to quite a number of individuals. Sad part about the possibility is that this area is heavily wooded.

In my area, which is pretty low income, wood heat is all a lot of people have, or can afford.

[Carm]

Is it possible to burn a ittle coal in a regular wood stove?

[George Willer]

Is it possible to burn a ittle coal in a regular wood stove?

I sure would do it. My stove always runs with minimum draft so it wouldn't make clinkers. There are no grates to shake so the poker would clear the ashes.

[Bruce Sanford]

Jack
Yes you need power for the auger.This is a basket made of stainless steel.Ihave only seen a couple of them.,but a welder can make one up for you.Which is what I thought of doing.Built to fit you particular stove.It sets on the inside floor of you stove,it should have a divider which will give you two compartments.You put the pellets in with a small scoop as required.I will say I have not seen one working myself,but have been told the do work. Something to think about as a option.
Bruce

[Rudi]

All:

Here is my 2 cents worth on this issue.

What most of these so called "tree huggers" do not understand is that in the grand scheme of things, and as long as there have been plants, trees and other vegetation sharing the same planet as lightning and water.. there have always been fires.. gigantic fires. For plants and trees to grow they need to have CO2 or Carbon Dioxide. As plants and trees breathe, their by products or refuse is O2 which is Oxygen. Fire which creates CO2 is a natural and a necessary process.

Who pray tell needs Oxygen to breathe??? Tree Huggers and every other human being and animal etc. Without trees and without CO2 there is NO OXYGEN.. Tree Huggers need to concentrate on real issues and not figments of their collective imaginations......


I heat my house with cord wood. It costs me approximately $25.00/ year in gasoline and oil to cut my wood. It costs me approximately $75.00/year to power my blowers. Tell me who else can heat a 36,000 cubic foot home for $100.00 And we have been doing this for years.

Even having to buy cordwood -- wood heat is still the most efficient and cost effective method to heat our homes. Plus, using a forced air system provides the needed movement of air which also reduces the amount of BTU's required to heat the same cubic capacity of air. Forced air also reduces the need for humidifiers.. to increase the humidity in homes that have less than 50% usually, electric and other passive energy solutions.

Contrary to popular opinion, mono species such as maple or oak or birch do not provide a better more cost efficient heat. In all actuality a mix of both hard and soft species along with tight rolls of newspaper etc., (keeps it out of the landfill and provides BTU's) provides the best all around heat with less creosote and less ash. A furnace that burns hot at least once per day will ensure that no creosote deposits build up in the fire box, the elbows, the Tee's or the main chimney. This has been proven over almost 54 years of personal experience in a number of Cold Weather Climate locations.. (Northern Ontario, the Arctic, Southern Ontario and the Maritimes.)

Personally, burning pellets that people cut trees to hog into dust makes absolutely no sense at all. Especailly since there is a good source of all kinds of sawdust and hog fuels that can be used from lumber mills that do not use it or haul it to other plants for hog fuel. I live beside a mill that has piles of sawdust 30 feet deep (yes that is why I have a contractor building a road and increasing the height of my property.. I have already lost 5 acres to flooding from this mill.

Tree Huggers need to start getting onto mills etc., that waste good by-products and they must also stop these other mills from hogging good wood to chip up and make pellets. Some common sense really would be useful.

To my mind, the only real responsible mode of heating ones home is with wood. It provides no hydro carbon emissions, kills no fish or other marine mammals or invertebrates, does not cover birds and other wildlife in a sure death from loss of heat (read oil spills), and is the only viable alternative to any other fuel. The only power source that is actually more environmentally friendly is nuclear.. but we won't go there ...

Btw, I am a disabled person and with my Cub and wood wagons, a little help from the family when available and I can cut, split, haul and stack 10 cords in a couple weeks of taking my time.... I can do it in 3 days with my girls... and son. That is the nice thing about being Independantly Poor and No Longer Required to Work For a Living :

The average home in most of the cases would not burn more than 4 to 5 cords of good mixed species 16" cordwood. And if they are R2000 or better, then they will most likely burn 1/2 that. I burn less than 5 cords per year on a normal basis and keep my house at a nice comfortable 24 C or about 75.2 F. If I need to crank it up during a severe Nor'easter (read BLIZZARD) then I might end up burning a 1/2 cord more per year. By cutting 10 I almost have 2 years complete. Also, using the waste cutoffs from my shop allows me to have kindling... never waste a BTU

So, lets say the average cost of a Long Cord (which is actually going to contain 64 cubic feet of wood, 4 foot wide by 4 foot high by 8 foot long, is $185.00 split or $150.00 round, then the cost to heat ones average house would be less than $925.00/year (long cord split), as a maximum based on average temperatures in the -20C or -4 F weather. Or as little as $555.00 for 3 cords in an R2000 home.

Plus, think of all the extra soil amendment stock you will have with the by-products (ash) and how much you will contribute to the growth of the trees you will need in 20 years

[George Willer]

That's a pretty good rundown, Rudi.

Wouldn't it be great if the greenies would/could read and understand it. Here's the kicker... those nut balls are under the false notion that hydrogen is the fuel of the future. They are also under the false impression we'll soon have a break-through that will allow us to burn carbon fuels somehow without producing CO2.

It demonstrates a failure of our education system that there are so many ignorant of basic science.

[Carm]

Rudi and George. Well put!

[Jack fowler]

Thank you to everyone for giving me your advice. It really helped!!!

Rudi wrote:

Btw, I am a disabled person and with my Cub and wood wagons, a little help from the family when available and I can cut, split, haul and stack 10 cords in a couple weeks of taking my time.... I can do it in 3 days with my girls... and son.

Now I know why you don’t mess with Canadian’s. Two of my son’s and I started this morning on two cords, stopped for Thanksgiving dinner for a couple of hour’s and just finishing up. Cut and split, but no stack. Two more days and eight more cords….ya right (Lazy American’s).

Note: For all you tree huggers, I hugged the tree before I cut it up.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v688/Jackf/?action=view&current=d406fe7b.pbw