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[willieG]

to heat your water would likley require (average hot water use) between 200 and 400 pounds of wood a month

example...30 dollars to heat your water...(say 8 cents a KWH) 3000 divided by 8 = 375 KWH x 3412 (btu in a KWH) = 1,278,500 btu for the months water..divided by 6000 (number of capturable btu in a pound of dry wood = 213 pounds of wood (at 100 percent efficiency and we know that aint true) so lets say  we go with  a 70 percent captured number....we would have to add about another 60 pounds of wood..so  to heat your water for 1 month would require about 270 pounds of wood or ....about 9 pounds of wood per day

as your hot wter use went up your wood use would rise as well..the above is just me playing with numbers. you actual wood use could be higher

[AirForcePOL]

You've got my head spinning Willie 

[browncty]

Electric is pretty cheap and I will not run mine in the summer. Also my water lines run through my house so it would be too hot in the summer to run and it's 54 ft from house and outdoor patio. I don't the smoke smell all summer, and my neighbors would not appreciate it either.

[f150bft]

I notice about a $20-30 increase in my electric bill for hot water in the summer.  I have a Hardy and allow the water to flow through the coil in the woodburner so that it gets preheated slightly.  It is not worth the hassle of firing for hot water throughout the summer.

 I was thinking this same thing and as an added bonus maybe let the circulator pump run this summer also. I am thinking I could get some cooling effect out of the water and use the fan that blows across the heat exchanger cool the air without using the a/c. It may not work at all but I am not out anything for trying.

[mlappin]

I notice about a $20-30 increase in my electric bill for hot water in the summer.  I have a Hardy and allow the water to flow through the coil in the woodburner so that it gets preheated slightly.  It is not worth the hassle of firing for hot water throughout the summer.

 I was thinking this same thing and as an added bonus maybe let the circulator pump run this summer also. I am thinking I could get some cooling effect out of the water and use the fan that blows across the heat exchanger cool the air without using the a/c. It may not work at all but I am not out anything for trying.

It might help slightly if at all. AC evaporators run cold, very cold actually, too low a air flow and it will freeze solid.

Primarily A/C removes water from the air, secondarily it cools the air. Even if you ran well water thru the coil constantly at 55 degrees, it will help, but not near what a dedicated AC unit that has frost on the lines will do.

[skorpyd]

I have a friend with 3 women in the house plus himself and he burns year round.   

My electric bill for DHW is itemized and last month my hot water was $15.33,   I don't know how much per month my circulating pump costs either.

So I won't be burning year round.