splitting wood...

we are a two-income family but still struggle if any "extras" come up, like a car repair, medical/dental bill, and so on. between daycare, vehicles, camper, mortgage, insurance, and the standard monthly expenses, there's not an over abundance of cash remaining.

like other families in our very common situation, we found a way to all but eliminate our dependence on propane by installing a wood burning furnace in our basement. last winter alone, we saved ourselves a minimum of $1,500! we had one fill in the fall since we use propane for our stove, water heater, dryer, and barn. a fill usually runs us right around $700-900 and we would need at least 3-4 fills per year so that was a huge savings for us. we've gone from a fill every 3-4 months to 1 per year! an added bonus-the heat from a wood burner was so much warmer, and in our old farm house, that's huge! in winters past we would bring the kids to sleep downstairs because it was just too cold. now, they sleep with light blankets and a t-shirt. another note about the savings--it paid for itself! d put up the chimney himself and retrofitted our ductwork, so if you are a DIY kind of family, it wouldn't take more than a weekend to get you up and running!

the drawbacks?
1. d is busy nearly every weekend cutting, splitting, hauling, stacking, and tending to this endeavor. thank goodness it's been a very mild winter thus far and we have been able to stock up instead of literally burning through it. also, we have an attachment for the bobcat that splits wood and is operated inside the cab. makes the work go pretty fast...
2. our yard to the west of the house is a mess. the lawn is torn up from the bobcat tires, there's wood chips, sawdust, and splinters all over, but it's not visible from the road or visitors or really from the family room so it's more of an eyesore only if you know it's there.
3. chimney fires are a real danger and maintenance of the chimney is a must. it is recommended to sweep them quite frequently to clear out the build-up of creosote, which is highly flammable. we had to clean ours twice and ended up not using it when the temps got too high since creosote is better carried out with the draft of cold exterior air.

if you have considered using an alternative method for heating your home, consider burning wood. d's dad bought a brand new corn furnace, burned corn for a season, and traded it for a wood furnace. theirs is outside and plumbed into the house underground. we're, and by "we're" i mean d, is happy to share more about our experience, cost savings, and methods.