We are well into winter here in the Great North Woods. There’s enough snow on the ground for people to roar off on their snowmobiles. A couple days ago we had three significant snowmobile crashes. Fortunately everyone is expected to recover. It’s been decades since I owned a snowmobile and I really don’t miss it.
I’ve mostly been running the woodstove during the day and letting the oil furnace take over at night. That’s working for me. Our woodstove is a cookstove and I really enjoy cooking and baking with wood. The furnace is getting on in years, but it’s still running fine. There were quite a few winters when it didn’t run at all. We either burned only wood or had shut down the house and went south for the winter. That reduced wear and tear quite a bit.
Heat pumps interest me, but they are not quite ready for prime time -at least for where I live. It gets too cold for most of them to run efficiently. There are models coming out that do better in subzero temperatures, but prices are high still. Then there’s the issue that New Hampshire has fairly expensive electric rates.
Last year we made alterations where we could close off the whole upstairs and only heat the first floor. Then our niece moved in with us and we reopened the upstairs. That’s fine as she’s contributing financially. It’s all good.
All and all we are enjoying winter. A warm fire and good coffee make all the difference.
-Sixbears
