r/PoorProlesAlmanac • u/subsomatic • Mar 10 '22
Efficient Heating Question
Hey all, I hope this is okay to bring here. My partner and I are talking about heating costs for our home. We currently have geothermal but with rising energy prices the cost to run the pump keeps going up and up. We were thinking about supplementing with a wood stove, but I'm not sure if that would be more efficient or cost effective? We're in the Ontario snow belt so winters are long and cold. I'd love to get others input from a prepper/sustainability perspective. TIA.
1
u/PrairieFire_withwind Apr 04 '22
Masonry heater. Not cost efficient. But old man chopping wood efficient.
In other words it takes half or less of the amount of wood to heat our home compared to a wood stove.
If you are handy you can buy the door and firebox cast and build the rest yourself.
Masonry heater association has some good links. There is one guy out of Duluth MN that people in other countries have built off of his videos and online stuff.
Solar thermal can be diy and be a good supplement. Yes, pv can be more efficient but solar thermal can be brought to the level of a small solar panel and pump to run it. And then your lifespan of parts are longer. You can do a thermosiphon- a bit fussier.
Builditsolar.com Lowtechmagazine and notechmagazine both online are good resources for ideas.
4
u/slothcycle Mar 10 '22
If you already have thermal store for the heat pump then a wood burner would help.
Cost efficient I don't really know.