My house has an open loop system like you described. I think the biggest advantage it has over a recirculating system is the installation cost but it is possible the water carries more heat than the water that needs to have the heat transferred back into it from the ground. I do know that it is even more economical on cooling rather than heating.
that neat thing is unbelievable handy and useful not only for mowing firewood
I've actually had better luck burning beech which was just off the stump than ash. There was one winter years ago when I was self employed and wasn't getting paid in a timely fashion, so went through my wood faster than I'd intended. I had just bought my lot here so was cutting beech and ash, hauling it to my pickup with my snow sled, and burning it that week.
I like beech, doesn't always split easily but it's nice dense hardwood.
Wow, wood's pricey down your way. I don't get it cut & split, but from talking with neighbors who do, it's about $100/cord cheaper here in the north country.
I'm not sure in what way you are referring to;
Different here, most firewood comes from public land. But because wood is as expensive as propane in my area, Many people go with the set and forget aspect of propane. And many fire burning appliances sit unused. The fire that started just off the back of my place cost was $15.7 million to put out. That was 1 fire of many that year. That doesn’t include the millions still being paid in aid to the displaced people that lost their houses. But pine firewood is still more than what you all pay for hardwoods. Why would someone pay $250 for a cord of pine when they can spend less on propane. My take is that fire prevention logs should cost less than once commercially logged.
You also might meet with transportation regulations to reduce the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer and other pests.Be thankful if you have public lands near you. Ours are all in the southern half of the state of Indiana. It would cost more in gas and fees to drive down there and back than the amount of natural gas it would save me.
On a side note, apparently the state recognizes a rick as something, but doesn't state it's measurement.
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The borer already covers the entire state. I think it's too late to save any Ash trees in Indiana. I've got a few that are still standing but they are dead and rotted and about to fall any day. I didn't need the wood so I left several and the wood is not good now.
Don't know if they still do it, but as of 10 years ago the forest service sold permits to take wood from national forest land. It had to be dead and on the ground. They were cheap, $25 or so. What I would do was go to where there'd been a logging operation the previous winter and take the treetops, branches, etc. Technically you were limited to 2 or 3 cords, but the ranger told me no one cares if you take more...just make sure you have the permit with you...fines were steep for taking it without a permit.
In my region the US Forest Service sells personal use permits for dead and down firewood: 4 cords for $20. Also there are special cutting permits to cut green standing to accomplish thinning objectives in many locations. Easy pickings in a recently logged area to cut cull logs and slash tops.
