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For those that heat with wood
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K
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4 Dec ’15 - 9:38 am
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any issues with insurance? Got a letter in the mail the other day for our renewal, we have had the same policy for 6 years now and they want to know what we use for backup for when we are not there.

I'm going to take a picture of an electric space heater and e-mail it to them, not sure why they are pushing this now.

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Jain
Boonies, California
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4 Dec ’15 - 11:48 am
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Insurance wants a GUARANTEE pay for them. I swear everyone would be better off pocketing 'premiums' than buying into the insurance scam (IMHO). But of course insurance is being REQUIRED, first by mortgage holders who figured out that codes would weight the scale of risk more in their favor. And when one figures that money institutions are also the owners of insurance companies sounds like a complete 'circle' enclosing as many sheeple as possible. Desiring to live a 'risk free(less)' life costs LOTS, maybe too much?

My personal motto - The Home, a peace worth fighting for.

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Jain
Boonies, California
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4 Dec ’15 - 11:54 am
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We do heat with wood. Installed our stove to codes and clean flue regularly. One of the reasons we bought this parcel was because it had TREES on it and we wanted that resource. Codes would not allow us to ONLY heat with wood so we (hubby and I) installed a radiant floor system. We never use it! Just not needed plus in a couple of days on 'coasting' (no circulation due to drop in house temperature) it can drive the interior temp up past comfortable! But at least we have that option for IF we are away from home for long times during the winter. After 15 years that hasn't happened yet.

My personal motto - The Home, a peace worth fighting for.

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Gravel Road
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4 Dec ’15 - 6:24 pm
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In the last place we told the Ins Co when we added the wood stove.  They needed the sign off from the Town Codes Officer and their guy also had to sign off...all went well.

The back up heat thing, from what I have heard, is about your pipes freezing and bursting...send them a pic of a candle and hair dryer.

"The universe is wider than our views of it." -HDT
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Speedfunk
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5 Dec ’15 - 8:41 am
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We have decided to skip insurance completely.  Our house like yours kvr, is a very low risk house for freezing , some beucratic agency would not understand that my/our houses cannot freeze pipes.   Also I doubt the insurance forms the insurance company use  take into accunt that your chances of freezing are practically nothing.

  I imagine worst case scenario is a roof fire.. we would have to replace the roof and power wash the walls, insurance would not do away with this.  I don't want another agency dictating terms to us (like you need a backup heater). I don't even want a house that insurance money would build, I'd put an earthen roof on next so it would just be the excuse I need :D.  I hear from people occasicailly with the requirements they(insurance agency) have and it just seems not worth the effort.  So I can fight with them in the future to get my money back? nah..

 @jain I like your comment about a riskless life...some people actually think this is desirable.

 

We also try to run fire when were there...we don't leave it often.

Our code guy ( a really nice guy) didn't make us show a backup heater.  Wood has been used far longer then any alternative.  If it was an issue ..I'd by some wall mount electric heaters and return them after we got approved. 

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5 Dec ’15 - 10:08 am
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Gravel Road said
In the last place we told the Ins Co when we added the wood stove.  They needed the sign off from the Town Codes Officer and their guy also had to sign off...all went well.

The back up heat thing, from what I have heard, is about your pipes freezing and bursting...send them a pic of a candle and hair dryer.

I actually showed them construction pics of when we built it, tolde them the only way the pipes would freeze would be if all the windows in the house were blown out or we were in a mini ice age.

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5 Dec ’15 - 10:33 am
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Speedfunk said
We also try to run fire when were there...we don't leave it often.
 

we do the same, fire only when we are home and it is out well before we go to bed, we usually start one in the morning to get the chill out of the house and it is out by the time the sun hits the windows, solar gain takes care of the rest of the day and into the night, very rarely do we have to start a fire in the evening

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Jain
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5 Dec ’15 - 11:32 am
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KVR said

Speedfunk said
We also try to run fire when were there...we don't leave it often.
 

we do the same, fire only when we are home and it is out well before we go to bed, we usually start one in the morning to get the chill out of the house and it is out by the time the sun hits the windows, solar gain takes care of the rest of the day and into the night, very rarely do we have to start a fire in the evening

A 'chill chaser' fire in the morning is our pattern too. If one is made later in the day/evening, the house can be a bit too warm for comfortable sleeping! One thing we really appreciate and make use of is cellular blinds. Those insulate windows better than drapes/curtains can and also open up to allow maximum light entry and view appreciation. Newer developments of these include cell within the cell and reflective (inner) material which insulates even better! The reflective material is great for sleeping areas as that can create a very dark room.

My personal motto - The Home, a peace worth fighting for.

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