Homestead mailing list

["Lisa K.V. Perry" <lisakvperry AT gmail.com>]

On 10/1/06, Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com> wrote:
> Wood chopping and stacking is not fun work for many. If hubby has an open
> mind about the subject make sure the negative connection is for real. Seems
> to me like different muscles and tendons are used for the
> two performances, guitar and woodstove. Perhaps, even, woodstove work
> might help strengthen guitar-embattled wrists. The usual disclaimer: consult
> your doctor.


Any extended period of holding a piece of equipment (i.e. chainsaw or an 8#
weedeater) gives him fits for the next two or three days.  He mowed the lawn
for 4 hours a week ago giving our oldest son a break as he'd had a very long
band competition the day before on a Saturday  (two competitions on
consecutive Saturdays) and was gone all day long.  Our son had been very
helpful recently (voluntarily--not usually the case for our 16.5 year old),
so hubby gave him a day 'off'.  Hubby paid for it.  We have a push
mower--and land with inclines and slopes to various degrees.  It took my
husband nearly a full week to recover from mowing the lawn.  He's in the
studio working on his next cd and he's having a hard time making chords with
his left hand without pain.  He's only 42 (I'm his old lady at 44).  He has
been regularly treated for the last 12 months by an Accupuncturist, the guy
has helped him tremendously--almost night and day comparison, but
ultimately, my husband will most likely have surgery.

I have no regrets about our propane heat. If the sky begins to fall I can
> return to wood heat, but propane on a thermostat is efficient, high
> adjustable with puny effort, responds immediately on or off if the weather
> dictates. The cost balance is mostly dollars versus time and effort.


We won't have a choice--it's one or the other.  The salesman at the local
gas & oil store that sells stoves of all kinds said we could buy a woodstove
and convert to propane, but could not buy a propane stove and convert to
wood.  Something about the way it's made, a stove for gas logs is made a bit
thinner since it throws out less btu's I guess.  I had inquired with an eye
to the next owner of our home, incase we decide to sell when the boys are
done with school or we decide to make good on our threat to relocate to
Ireland or other points in W. Europe.

Last fall I finally did something I thought about for many years. I bought a
> thousand-gallon propane tank.


That is a BIG tank.  We bought our 100 g. tank and had to move it
strategically under the new deck this past summer.  Room to lift the lid and
still hide the darn tank.  We dug a 2' hole and put the tank in it on a
sloping hillside.

For convenience it's no contest. For aesthetics, I like a wood fire. Someday
> I intend to have both. In addition to hubby's body, your immediate decision
> likely depends on available dollars and longevity of the considered
> appliance. Earth-tempered heat pumps are highly
> efficient but cost much. They don't work if electricity is off due to
> playful squirrels or falling trees.


The power goes off often around here due to any particular reason.  We are
also at the end of a line, so we are without power more than most.  During
the hurricane season of September 04 (Isabelle and Jeanne come to mind), we
had an outage for almost 4 days.  Funny thing is that we moved away from
Charleston SC, in part, to escape problems from potential hurricanes.  We've
had more hurricane-related problems here in the same amount of time than we
ever did there.  We're leaning towards propane but already feel like we'll
miss the fire of a woodstove.  I suppose we'll get over that when we aren't
constantly vacuuming up stray ash or hauling in wood from the pile.  But it
kind of feels like a cop-out.

You did not say if your house is tight and well insulated. I don't know the
> precise balance but suspect that an expensive but highly energy efficient
> system is more cost effective in an energy-efficient house.


The stove is located in the half of our house that was built in 1936.  It
used to heat the entire house (except the kitchen which has a kerosene
Toyostove wall unit) before we added the addition two years ago.

Lisa