Buy a wood stove prophylactically

The prices for firewood are rising. Currently, a cubic meter of firewood costs about 70 euros for self-pickup from us, sometimes there is still some available for 50/60 euros. To roughly calculate the demand - it always depends on the quality of the wood. According to LWF Bayern, 15,000 kWh is contained in 1,500 liters of heating oil, 3 tons of pellets, or – depending on the type of wood – 8 to 10 cubic meters of firewood (moisture content 15%). It will take a few years of heating with firewood before the purchase of stove and chimney pays off. Even with the currently exploding prices. In addition, storage space is needed, wood creates dirt, heating with wood requires more work than just turning up the thermostat. Wood emits a pleasant warmth.

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We will also tackle that, possibly this year still, at least in the short term. Especially since I assume that no matter how the developments and political wishes in Germany are formulated and turned into laws, it will generally be harder to ban something "in existing stock" than to "permit something new." Besides, it always depends on the government what is allowed and what is forbidden.

As stupid as it may sound, I also think it’s good that you can warm up a soup on such a stove in an emergency. For this reason, I am also glad that we will soon have a garden again, in case the worst really happens in Germany.

By the way, I am talking about a fireplace stove in the living room. Apparently, there are differences, as some of the esteemed previous commentators have written.

Hi,
I would also rather try to place the stove in the living room and then leave the door to the stairwell open. For actual heating, it should be one that is room air-independent, otherwise you always have to leave a window open somewhere. For a good stove with a chimney, you quickly end up spending 5k€ or more.

As a truly permanent heating support, such a wood stove is not optimal; a nice, masonry stove would be much better. But then we're directly talking about 15k€.

From the perspective of an "emergency heating," this is certainly not wrong. If Putin keeps messing around, I wouldn’t be surprised if we have to expect failures of the electricity and/or gas network here in Germany next winter. But don't have any hopes for free firewood anymore...!

Best regards,

Andreas

Well, I’m pondering the same topic. Here on the edge of the Black Forest, you can basically always get wood, although of course it doesn’t get any cheaper. Our 5-year-old house doesn’t have a fireplace. We could only put a convection heater on the underfloor heating; at first, I wouldn’t dare more than that blankly. We don’t have an unused spot for a stove at all because we have few walls. We have a gas boiler and modest solar thermal. What we could financially throw into the ring at this moment, as far as really replacing the gas is concerned, I consider too much to die with and too little to live on. Photovoltaics and a 1000L storage tank, that’s one of the things I’m thinking about. Putting a solid fuel burner next to the gas boiler to switch to, with the chimney added on top. But actually, that time is over.
The log stove with the stainless steel chimney is still the smallest expense, especially since you have to assume that it’s only a backup and that this heating form is already outdated today. Then at least 10m of wood in front of the little house, although I would nowhere less like to see it than on the sensitive house wall. Sometimes I miss the advantages of our medieval house, which offered plenty of reserves for many things.
My husband already finds thinking about this paranoid and unnecessary. Nevertheless, it preoccupies me.

I planned exactly like this 20 years ago. The wood-burning stove is currently only decoration in the living room.

And the district chimney sweep. I also assume that private wood-burning stoves will no longer be permitted in the near future, as they contribute significantly to environmental pollution.

He checks the residual moisture every few years. You show him the good wood. I assume that at least approved systems will still be allowed to operate for quite some time, since from '23 (or '24) they must have very reduced emissions levels, which older systems can only achieve with a filter. If you look at classified ads, there is always something cheap. Used disposable pallets, for example, for free or 10 euros per cubic meter, already cut into smaller pieces. Or now, after the storms, huge amounts of fresh wood for free.