I was curious what kinds of thermostats folks are using with their wood furnaces and how they configure them. My furnace is a Heatmor 200CSS.
Being the geek that I am, my thermostat is a digital Trane/Schlage Z-Wave-capable thermostat that I can monitor and set via the Internet (also have an iPhone app that tells me what's up, lets me adjust it from anywhere, etc - all driven by a MiCasaVerde Vera 2 home controller). Granted, much of what these thermostats do is disabled since it's simply an on/off setting based on temperature... no second stage or cooling, etc., in my case.
I have a couple of questions that might or might not be wood furnace-unique:
- Is it better to set the thermostat to one desired temp and leave it 24/7, therefore calling the pumps as soon as it drops one degree below? Or should I run it warmer in the morning, cooler in the day, warmer again in the evening and then a good bit cooler during the sleeping hours? I want to know if it significantly impacts the amount of wood I go through for it maintain a set temp vs. losing several degrees during the night and having a big hill to climb come morning.
- Assuming the answer is that a set temperature 24/7 is more efficient - how much does that chosen temperature matter? If my house holds the heat fairly well and there is often quite a bit of time between the thermostat calling the pumps... does it require a lot more wood to keep it at 72 constantly versus, say, 68? I realize it would take effort to boost it up from 68 to 72 initially... but if I'm boosting it every time the thermostat drops one degree, does holding 72 take a lot more than holding 68?
Maybe these are inane questions, but coming from a propane steam boiler and keeping the same cast iron radiators definitely presents efficiency questions for me. I want the best balance of comfort and efficiency - which means how much wood I have to buy and how often I have to load it.
Love to hear any comments people have on their thermostat configs, how they run their system, etc., and especially anything unique to a wood furnace in this regard.
Thanks!
- Aaron