Sm.Vermont Castings Wood Insert-How Much Wood For Winter

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We just had a small Vermont Castings Woodburning Insert installed in our fireplace. It takes small logs of 16 to 17 inches long. How much wood will we use if burning it night and day during this winter (January 1 through March or April) in the Midwest??? Thanks. (Have a couple cords but want to get more.)

-- Maureen (Mo questions@This place.com), November 03, 1999

Answers

A rough rule of thumb is "a cord of wood = a tank (275 gal) of oil = a ton of coal"

This doesn't take into account the differences in efficiency between your furnace (oil), a wood stove and a coal stove.

A tank of #2 heating oil has theoretically about 39 million Btus A cord of hardwood (@12% moisture) has about 30 million Btus A ton of coal has about 28 million Btus

A typical furnace is probably 75% efficient (this includes losses that occur while the furnace is "off")

A typical woodstove is probably 65 percent efficient (no losses during the "off" period (unless you let it go out) but combustion is by necessity incomplete.)

A typical coal stove is probably 75 percent efficient (more complete combustion than wood)

Whatever you used for your heat last year, if you can figure the number of Btus, you can back into the number of cords you require with the numbers I've given you.

(For natural gas, the conversion is about 1000 Btu per cubic foot.)

-- Joe (KEITH@noosnet.com), November 04, 1999.


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