Winter Comfort: How I Keep My Home at 73°F All Season

[@TheRuralWorld24]

Great video! I heard your channel mentioned while watching another channel. Came over to check it out, and I have enjoyed watching several of your videos. Keep up the good work!

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Awesome, which channel? Subscribe and keep on the lookout for more!

[@TheRuralWorld24]

@@offthetrailsoutdoors Joe, over at Ohio Wood Burner, mentioned your channel. He gave a shout out to you, for covering the International Firewood Expo. Nice job on that too! You got a new subscriber, looking forward to checking out more videos. 👍

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

@ awesome . Yes I do remember him doing that!

[@philstevens9914]

I have 5500 SQ. FT. House with oil fired Energy Kinetics System 2000 running hot water through hydronic Baseray heaters in every room in the house. I heat it for $900 - 1,000 a year. My house is as warm as toast all through winter. I have 3 fireplaces that have never been used since the place was built 30 years ago. No complaints with this system at all.

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

That sounds like a winner there!

[@MountainTopElectronics]

$1000 per year? I spend $600 a month to heat my house in winter!!

[@philstevens9914]

@@MountainTopElectronics Entirely the reason why I didn't rush to get away from a heat oil system!

[@GießenGusto]

What state though? Average winter temperatures make a difference. Here that many SQ. FT with an efficient system and efficient house I would expect to burn 3500 gallons on the lower side if you are keeping it at 73 degrees. Very impressive. But if you are in the South it's not as impressive.

[@philstevens9914]

@@GießenGusto It's 28 degrees here in PA right now. We've had as low as 9 this year. expecting single digits again in the coming week. Snow Sunday and Monday. Next question?

[@Nova-m8d]

Make your house air tight and double the insulation. That will reduce your heating and cooling needs by 75%.

[@aaronburford5701]

Love the content! You are the best,...

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Thanks

[@bullybluecoal1831]

For your replumbing, mount your circulators vertically. They are not supposed to be mounted horizontal.

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Awesome . Thank you. I’ve noticed that on others

[@LogCabinFirewood]

Nicely done!!! Love these things💪

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

That’s a lot for the support!

[@LogCabinFirewood]

@offthetrailsoutdoors you got it!!🤜🤛

[@AliG-iq4gd]

I wish you had gone into detail on the heat exchanger, the circulating water dosing, how the furnace regulates the burn to the desired water temperature etc. What facility do you have for being away from the property (in winter)? Supplementary boiler in the house? Also - is it 'renewable' unless you are growing the remaining trees and planting new at the rate you are consuming?

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Great suggestion!

[@michaelabell8963]

Just so you know! This makes sense for homesteaders, hobby farms or any “ from home working people” I don’t know the term?! If you work in any type of professional capacity outside your home, this really doesn’t work out well. There is a lot of time investment year round , initial cost is very high, you must have access to or own equipment to be able to harvest, transport and process firewood. If you like to stack stones down at the river you may enjoy this, you will be stacking firewood year round every day.

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

I have a professional , shirt and tie job. In the winter month I do not travel much. I’m able to keep the house warm.

[@truckguy6.7]

@@offthetrailsoutdoors I process firewood for my conventional air tight. The work is extremely rewarding.

[@jamesmcdonnell5617]

What part of the States or Canada do you live?

[@Mainelyoffgrid]

That thing is a beast!!! I would love to move to a wood boiler. Great video! Subscribed

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Thank you sir

[@davidsignor7931]

@Mainelyoffgrid it's not that hard and even if you don't have your own wood depending on where you are at I think you could buy a triaxle load of wood and heat all year much cheaper than oil or gas and I won't even mention electric

[@Harley-k6h]

Allways enjoy your videos! Keep up the hard work brother!

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Thank you for the support. Please subscribe for more!

[@myronparks3495]

I have a 2300 sq ft house. I have geothermal to heat and cool my house. I do have a fireplace that I use when it gets really cold. I am all electric and it probably costs me around $600-700 in the winter to heat my home.

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Sounds like you are set for winter!

[@myronparks3495]

@offthetrailsoutdoors I and my parents cut wood on the weekends when we have time

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

@ I love it

[@davidsignor7931]

At that temperature and a relatively same size house I think my Central Boiler 6048 is just about as efficient with a lot less work I burn 1 full wheel barrow in temps like that

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Interesting

[@johnwinner8511]

So what does the chainsaw run on, the truck to get it there run on and how many hours does to take to gather transport and stack your free energy.

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Haha. We all know nothing is free

[@mnjimmy21]

We have the same size home, checking my annual LP bill 💵, I spend $1,500 per year give or take $200. So if you're purchasing $1,000.00 of track wood 🪵 once a year, how does it make economic sense to cut the other wood you need, drag it to your wood yard, cut it, split it, stack it, then tend your wood burner 2-3 times per day, and maintain it? No problem with what you're doing, it's good exercise and nothing wrong with that. I'm wondering what happens should you need to be elsewhere for a few days, or you hurt your back, who tends the burner , then what? No problem with what you're doing, but let's be honest, it is NOT free to you. There's a cost to your time and efforts.

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

There’s always a cost .

[@scottjohnson371]

My dream to heat with wood. You would benefit hugely from thermal storage in your basement. A large well insulated hot water storage tank would almost guarantee that you could heat the house with a single hot continuous burn a day.

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Great thought !

[@dand2440]

Heated with an outdoor boiler here in Mi for 4 years. Do the math and include your time as the most valuable commodity and heating with wood is more expensive than propane. Not to forget chainsaw, chains, gas, two stroke oil, bar oil, log splitter cost, gas for log splitter. I love living off the land but economically it just didn’t make sense for us anymore.

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

I’m not claiming that this is the cheapest way to heat, but it is the most satisfying!

[@farnorthhomested844]

plus, how much is that outdoor boiler?

[@stephensherlock5307]

What about the resale value of the wood and the cost of the land and taxes on the land. These are all expenses associated with heating with wood that are not free.

[@ConceptualRift]

I would load that thing with all large pieces. Nice vid. 👍

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Burns better with smalls

[@notagain8661]

Wow, cool setup. It seems like insurance companies are pretty anal about how and where these outdoor furnaces are installed. Can't believe you have it under a roof?

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

No issues!

[@vincenttarling5902]

Are the trees growing back quicker than you are cutting them down ?

[@Susan.I]

Do you replant the hardwood you saw down and burn?

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

The forest regenerates

[@geezerindawoods]

Fill mine about 1400hrs each day, go back out about 0700-0800 next day..all good. Like you 2,000sq ft at 75degrees and 78 at shower time.

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

That’s awesome

[@maxpower-u1t]

21 oct 2024 - A hot water tank is one example of thermal energy storage, where energy is stored as heat rather than electricity. Although it might not seem ...

[@northidahodreaming5657]

I'm off grid (solar only) and have been considering a wood furnace (boiler). During much of the heating season with very dominate cloudy weather, I must depended on charging my batteries with a generator. Currently I heat with only with a wood stove. I'd like to know the power (wattage) consumed for blowers and pumps to support this system. Is it possible that you know this and could detail? Thank you

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

I will look into this , I have been thinking about this for myself as well! Subscribe and I have some follow up videos .

[@thomasschafer7268]

Hallo. Sind das vergaserkessel? Habt Ihr einen pufferspeicher. Sind die Leitungen dick gedämmt? Wenn nicht ist das reine Energievergeudung!!!🤔🤔🤔🇩🇪

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Negative

[@BobSponge-m2m]

Iam sorry did u say the hot water goes in the top of the rad ? So cold water goes out the bottom?

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Hot water passes through radiators in the forced air system. Blows that air through the home

[@francismallard5892]

“It’s free!” Except for the cost of the land. And the cost of your labor to cut down the trees, haul them in, cut them to length, split them, the cost of any machinery and equipment to make that tree felling and log cutting to happen, the cost of your labor to clean out the furnace and reload it, the cost of your labor to check it at midday, the cost of your labor to check it at night. That’s not “free”.

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

I was minding, nothing in this world is free!

[@truckguy6.7]

I burn inside in an air tight. I have been wanting one of these but its a massive investment. The boiler, the lines, install, forced air unit/central air unit of some sort inside the home. Then the amount of wood you burn almost doubles. I'm too cheap, think I will continue bringing dirty firewood into the house.

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Understandable

[@truckguy6.7]

@@offthetrailsoutdoors Or, maybe I am just jealous!

[@fullcirclefarm]

We have the old school central boiler house stays at 74 all winter long hottest water around 😂

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

I used to have a classic 5036, I enjoy it, happen burning . 🔥

[@kululv]

you did not explain how run/control the fire! You must restrict air a lot. Also, why did you lower the water temperature and what controls this?

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

I'll go into more details here in a later video

[@Phillip-dh9pl]

Petrol, chain oil, power to regulate the burner, wear and tare. Not free.

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Very true

[@leroygreen1877]

so did you dig a line set under ground to feed the hot water to the house?

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

yes

[@landondc4739]

What do they say, burning wood heats you three times? Cut it, haul it, burn it!

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Yup

[@stoveguy2133]

My garage has cinderblock walls. I’d luv to punch a hole in them to install shop furnace. I have bedrooms above. Can’t go up

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

That would be nice of you could.

[@bernhardmichaelfux308]

I see an old fashion Woodburner that by the way works quite inefficently. This really only works when you have wood you can harvest yourself. But it still is work you have to calculate in Money. Your own Workhour costs you money too. By the way, here in Europe where i reside, such systems are forbidden due to poor efficiency. The way they burn wood is a waste of ressources. There is a special science behind excellent woodburners, and they are totally different from this old tech in the video!

[@regmcguire5582]

That’s a full air-tight boiler, running off computer draft controls. I really doubt you have anything more efficient. It is misleading to represent this as free heat for sure. We heat our cabin with a modern air tight stove, mostly using wood from our forest. Tons of work a couple of times a year….

[@bernhardmichaelfux308]

@@regmcguire5582 Typical opinion from people who use the imperial system...lol! You simply don´t know what´s on the world-market. Such a burner needs to be a gasburner, and by the way, needs to have a water based heat storage of about 10k liters or similar. That´sb required from a wood based heating system here in Europa. A burner that´s not a gasburner is not allowed to go in Service here, because they are 1. not clean burning, and 2. a waste of ressources! And I can see with my eyes that this burner doesn´t work efficient! And, be aware, one of my last projects before retirement, was planning a wood-based powerplant for steam, and hot water for heating for an entire little town in the Austrian Alps in Styria. So, you can assume that I know how to heat with wood pretty well! lol...I see and hear if a wood burner works correctly. Just by using my eyes and ears...With a KZbin video it´s harder so i just can rely on my eyes, because I don´t hear close enough what´s going on inside the burner. Creating heat and steam and energy (Also electric energy) was part of my profession. The Burner in this video is just a cheap solution that lacks a lot of science development that happened the last 40 years.- As I said: Old fashioned and not very efficient! Another thing i must mention: Those big pieces of wood are not that good either. But, because there is no heat storage system included, it doesn't matter that much. BUT: The best piece of wood for gaining heat is a size of 2 ínch by 2 inch, and a length that fits about 75% to 80% of the burning chamber. This guarantees that the best amount of surface is gasing out of the wood pieces. It is the gas that produces warmth, not the wood itself. The wood itself is only the "tank", the storage for the wood gas. not more. And to use wet wood for burning is just a crime! A crime against your own bank account, your own lifetime! You burn wood to heat your wood- and nothing else! This is a giant waste of resources! Here in europe, we have codes that are watched over by the administration 1 and two times a year. And when they see an oven like this in the video, they can possibly shut it down and order to repair the system. Because here only a defective system works like this burner! So we must fix it, and only when it works correctly again, it´s allowed to go back into service! OK, I cannot explain the whole technology about woodburning here, because this goes too far. In fact, you have to study not only just 1 book before you have the knowledge to create a central heating system. There is quite a lot of stuff to study beforehand...That said: I am capable to install a heating system, where the burner sits in the kitchen, or the bathroom... And the rooms keep being tidy, no smoke and nothing stinks. I can even create this with a nice fireplace where you can see a proper fire behind qa large glass-window... Romantic, but efficient, and clean! Not such a horrible stinking soaking black fireplace like in this video here!

[@tddnenc]

but u will run out so ?

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

No

[@METALMAN4Wii]

Where's the burgers man hell I will even settle for a hotdog?

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

That sounds good right now!

[@chrissmith513]

That's neat but sure requires lots of wood 😊😊😊

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Labor of LOVE

[@tddnenc]

thats alot of forest going up in smoke sorry

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Not really

[@corkscrewpropshop7503]

$200-$230 per month? That's not any different from our nat gas furnace, probably more and we live in a snowbelt. Not sure what you're bragging about?

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

Not bragging

[@siriosstar4789]

Well it's " free "until you run out of trees

[@stephenreese6288]

This is a nice setup and for a small percentage of our population it is fine but the reality is these boilers consume two to three times more wood than an efficient stand alone wood stove properly installed in a house. If you’re young, have endless supply of wood and do not mind tending to these wood gulping monsters then go for it. It’s good exercise and a very warm heat when properly installed, but it does cost a lot to install and maintain.

[@midwestron8576]

Neat, but not for everyone. Not for me.

[@DBLG65]

Interesting. Too bad you have to get cold in order to get warm.

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

I hear you!

[@orionoutdoorsandworkshop5617]

nothing is free for sure. even you are not including the property taxes, gas and maintenance on the saw, splitter and the furnace. for someone to say anything is free like energy, and materials is someone fooling themselves. its the way to go, for sure, and your self-sufficient but certainly not free. too many people claim to be off grid when they rely on utilities just like everybody else. i guess off grid, self-sufficient and free mean different things to different people. kinda like politics now, there is no such thing as the truth. there are tons of you tube videos where you can see power lines, propane tanks, and all kinds of machinery on a supposedly self- sufficient off grid homes.

[@joeg3009]

too much work ill pay the bill

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

I hear ya! For now , I enjoy it. It’s like a gym membership. There will come a day when I’m get there. Not yet. Thanks for watching

[@Eighty8Fitter]

It’s not that bad, better than sitting on the couch doing nothing.

[@peaceraybob]

Apparently, his labour isn't worth anything.

[@Eighty8Fitter]

Labor of love, and more money in his pocket all winter. It sounds better than paying a corporate giant my hard earned money.

[@offthetrailsoutdoors]

It’s my gym membership! Haha