Posted by Harmon Seaver on September 27, 2001 at 11:46:02:
In Reply to: Re: Primary and Alternate Boiler on one system? posted by Harold Kestenholz - Hydronic Network on September 26, 2001 at 08:26:42:
What? Gee, we used wood heat exclusively for 18 years -- also a wood cookstove as our only cookstove. And now we are going back to it, at least partially. We'll still have gas for when we go away, but I'd rather spend my time out in the woods cutting firewood than work some crummy job for somebody else any day. Cutting and splitting and stacking wood is great exercise and very satisfying.
: Adding a wood boiler to a gas-fired system in parallel is not totally crazy. However, the lifetime of work required to fire, clean, maintain and worry about the wood is not an overall savings. It is more economical to get a part-time job or hobby you love that will support the small gas bill. Ten thousand dollars of boiler, wood chimney, installation is better spent enjoying life. I have lots of neighbors who took on a handicap from the chain saws during the energy crisis 2 decades ago. Most of us abandoned the wood stoking within 3 years. The wives certainly wouldn't add that to their childraising and housekeeping aside from their outside job.