This morning Far Guy announced "It's Time." Time for what? A fire in the outdoor wood stove. We don't have a furnace in the house, we have a gas fireplace for a back up and to take the early morning chill out of the house. We use the outdoor wood stove for our main heat, it also heats our hot water in the hot water heater ( by conduction) ..so the electricity bill will go down. This stove heats water and the water is carried by two special hoses in the ground (I dug and buried the hoses..they are encased in insulation) anyway one carries warm water to the house and one carries cold water from the house. It comes into the house way underground and heats the area in front of my kitchen sink to a delightfully warm temperature where you can wash dishes barefoot when it is way below zero. Chance also lays there in the winter and melts all the snow balls he has collected on his feet and belly from running wildly through the snow banks.Far Guy has most of the wood cut for the winter, since we closed the greenhouse business..he will have more than enough wood cut for this winter...possibly several winters. He loads up the stove once a day, sometimes every other day. I can enjoy 72 degree warmth all winter without quilt. I am spoiled, and bundle up like a polar bear when going visiting..cause I get cold...in turn everyone who visits here may get too warm:)
I've never heard of this kind of stove. I'm thinking the down side would be having to go out in deep snow every day to fill it with wood. Is that the case?
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good investment you have there. I have a friend who heats her 1800's two story federal brick house with a stove like that. She loves it. She walks around barefoot all the time.
ReplyDeleteMy husband looked into a corn burning stove but he has not made that decision yet. He'd like to heat our house and work shop with one stove. We'll see....
Yooper and I have been talking about one of these alot lately. We certainly need another method of heating this big ole house other than propane, because we all know how much that has gone up to. $$$cha-ching!
ReplyDeleteIt certainly has become cold in a hurry. I can already hear the propane tank whispering "fill me"$$$"fill me"$$$. ;)
That looks fantastic! I love when fall comes and you can smell the burning wood from everyone's fireplaces! It's great......
ReplyDeleteHey Gals, thanks for the comments!
ReplyDeleteflydragon, Yes the snow gets deep, but we have a snowblower! It is much safer to have a wood stove with a fire in it outside than inside..the mess stays outside too, all the woodchips etc...
Milah, I have heard of the corn burning stoves..also pellet burners. Much more cost effective than some sources of heat.
DMV's Wife, You are going to have to hand out blankets at the door! Propane has really gone up here also. Some people are going to be really strapped this winter, I heard someone say the other day..that they hoped that they didn't have to choose between food or heating..sad.
Vodka Mom, Yes you can smell the woodsmoke all over Minnesota today!:)
I loved your post on this stove...I have never heard or seen one like it before..very interesting..
ReplyDeleteCould have used one like it this winter just gone, was the coldest on record for Australia
I came by Milah's blog..
Wow! That thing is nifty!
ReplyDeleteHOw long have you been using it and how did you get the idea to do it?
I've never seen something like that and am very fascinated!
Winter is on it's what her in NM, too. Over the weekend, the winds blew in, followed by 12 hours of cold beating rain. And it left us with chilly low 40's weather.
I'm not ready for summer to be over. wah!
~Lisa
This blows me away! How ingenious!
ReplyDeleteWe have been using this particular stove for 10 about years now. Lots of people have them. Wood is a plentiful, renewable resource here in Minnesota. These outside wood stoves are efficient, and take less wood than say an indoor pot bellied stove or a fireplace. Our stove is made by a company called Central Boiler..the stoves are made right here in MN. Thanks for all your comments:)
ReplyDeleteOur friends in the mountains nearby have a stove like that but much smaller -- for their hot tub and pool (they close down the pool - but the hot tub keeps steaming thru winter)
ReplyDelete