how long does a cord of firewood last?
we just bought a house with an open real fireplace which we definitely intend to use to cut back the electric bill. i’ve looked up how much a cord of wood is, but i am wondering how long we could expect it to last? we would probably burn firewood at least most evenings – i will probably just use the individual electric heat in the rooms the kids and i are in during the day when we’re home, and hubby will put a fire on when he gets home from work. the house is about 2000 sq ft, if that might help with an idea. would we expect a cord of wood to last a season? much less? or be more than enough for the winter?
it’s correct that we have no experience with using a real fireplace! we are having a damper installed to help with the heat loss thru the chimney… and there are already fans to direct the heat towards the main living area. we will probably use it mostly to start a fire in the evening when hubby gets home to spend dinner and family time… and will just let it go out and have the electric heater thermostats set to come on in our bedrooms when they need to.
4 Responses
Mom of 2 great b
02 Apr 2010
bugear001
02 Apr 2010
Depending on how large a fire you build and how often you actually do use a fire,,,,, two-three weeks. Maybe a month if you don’t light up every night.
Brian A
02 Apr 2010
A "real open fireplace" as opposed to a wood-burning stove will probably be a net loser in heating your home because it sucks more heat up the flue than it radiates into the room. It only really makes sense in this situation if you are getting the wood for free.
dad
02 Apr 2010
If your just using it part time when your husband gets home then probably a couple months . The way it sounds you have no idea about heating with wood . The fireplace is not going to do much . The bad thing about fireplaces is most the heat goes out the chimney . There is no way to control the flame and no air circulation to distribute the heat . You need a good size wood furnace . Load it twice a day and forget about it .
It really depends on the intense heat that you want. (The use of how many logs)
A cord can last anywhere from two weeks to longer.
It just depends.