Blizzards and useless chimneys

I don't think everybody has a fireplace.
It's also a total hassle in the suburbs far away from woodlands to go chop wood in the backyard. Wood that came from who knows where, that you had to buy. Same with coal. That's just nasty to haul around.

 

yeah, we have both electricity and natural gas supplied to the house in most of the USA

we do have some that live off grid that may live like you are, but not many

 

I don't know. Maybe they just made things big back then. The ducts are to get the hot air to the different parts of the home. The house had 2 levels above the basement so maybe to distribute heat to all the floors.

 

If I was freezing to death without other options I would burn my couch in a metal bucket or trash can. I guess some people are more proactive than others.

Where I live you can ask a landowner for permission to cut dead trees out of windbreaks or riverbanks. Many don’t care as the trees would rot away anyway if not harvested. Or you can buy 5-10 small split pieces of firewood at the store for $15-$30. You can even have it delivered to your door in three days from Wal-mart!

The OP is a valid question. There’s probably a lot of reasons people don’t use their fireplace. Some have been mentioned.

—local regulations on smoke/burning
—no access to fuel
—have a gas insert or even an electric light insert for ambiance only
—tried to start a fire but failed I’m not kidding. Few Americans know how to build a fire properly.

 

Awesome, Fats! I love a good wood heap

And well done on the shed. They're usually the first to go in a stiff wind!

 

I suppose it's more about the ducted climate control. Still a novelty in many parts of the world (including much of the First World!), but seems to be common in America - even working class people seem to have it. EG it's insanely expensive here - to buy, install, and run. I have friends who bought a house in which it already existed, but they never use it because it's just so costly to operate. And they're upper middle class!

 

In the US of fireplace and the wood burning stove are two different things

 

Yeah basically a furnace is a house heater here in the US regardless of the configuration.

 

Thanks for your input .. all very interesting! Yes, firewood is not an issue for many people, but in the suburbs (as per the OP pic), it's easy enough to buy some in for emergencies. Store it in the back of the garage or shed, or in your basement. If it's kept dry, it'll still be good 20 years from now (better, actually!). Even outdoors it'll be good for a few years at least.

I had to laugh about the people unable to build a fire. It's so true! To me it's one of the most embarrassing things - especially when it's a male. I feel like all men should know how to build, start, and maintain a fire - even though it's historically womens' work

 

They are here, too. When I say fireplace I'm actually talking about sealed slow combustion fires (which can be inserted into traditional fireplaces, or built in from the outset). Open fireplaces will work in an emergency of course, but they're not as good at keeping a place warm, and they chew through wood at a crazy pace.

A wood stove is simply a slow combustion fire you can cook on. In many cases one fire does both jobs .. which is ideal.

EG: slow combustion fireplaces:



Wood stove:



Combo (and the best, but most expensive):

 

Negative. It has always been a gas burner. All the new houses being built today will have a decorative gas fireplace. One where you can turn the gas on or off. Not designed for wood. No bricks or anything where the fireplace ends into the chimney. These fireplaces weren’t designed to provide any heat. Just for someone to turn on the gas, sit back on the couch and sip some Jack Daniels with an arm around the wife or girlfriend watching the gas flames. Some even has instructions that state not meant for the use of or burning of wood or other combustables other than natuaral gas.

 

People in the US don't have those we have centralized air.

 

What you don't want, is one of these:

 

But wouldn't that only be new builds? Meaning only a very small percentage of total houses?

 

Sure, but you can put a slow combustion box in to a traditional fireplace, or install a wood stove freestanding. Much better than 'central air', and MUCH cheaper (as in free) if you have access to firewood.

 

No it's not not a million years. Not in the neighborhood you were pointing out you have to buy fuel you have to transport fuel to your house you have to light the stupid things you have to get into it a heater centralized air that's gas powered or electric you just turn it on you have to buy wood you don't have to transport it to your house is taking their via pipes or wires.

Gas and electric furnaces are superior in many ways. Depending on the application.

I live in the southern part of the United States so we may be run our furnace a week or two. It doesn't take up floor space I don't have a chimney so I don't have that chunks taking up space in my house. The furnace is in the cellar. I don't have to chop wood I have to purchase wood I don't have to transport woods or coal, I don't have to clean out Ash I don't have to tend to fire when I want heat I push a button bam... Heat. More than I ever wanted.

 

If you look closely up at the right hand corner of the photograph you will notice one of the neighbors pigs.

With their blessings I feed it scraps and I look at it with hungry eyes!

 

Growing up in Central Florida one of my dad's friends had a very nice wood stove and a large mobile home set up on a big pad of fire brick. The house I grew up and had an open fireplace.

 

In Florida how many times did you burn a fire?

 

You got to be careful with some of these big propane heaters. Figure was designed for outdoor use should not be used in semi enclosure and closed areas due to the risk of carbon dioxide.

 

The OP pic shows houses with fireplaces, backyards, and garages/sheds. There's no reason at all they couldn't buy firewood in the summer, and store it on the property.

As regards the 'hassle' of lighting a fire .. it's one of those deeply human rituals that we've been doing practically since we came down out of the trees. It actually ADDS to our day, because it forces us to pause and interface with nature. It demands a careful hand, patience, and communion with our primitive (and therefore most human) self. The more we strip these little human labours from our lives, the more we diminish ourselves.

 

In my backyard about 48 hours ago.

 

why would you? If you got a gas for electric furnace what point does wood serve?

sure it's a good skill to know and it can be fun to do from time to time I go camping and part of that is starting a campfire.

But it's ritual I don't have to do in my house. It's satisfied the two or three times a year I go camping no need.

Maybe it's because I grew up in the boy scouts but I didn't take that much practice starting a fire is easy. Hard part if you're camping is gathering the material to start the fire. And that's not a very keen skill either it's just time consuming.

 

Yeah backyard fire pits are blast I still don't want to win burning still in my house.