I just want to give a big thanks to the owner and contributors on this forum for all the help they've been in helping me learn to burn wood for heat.
-Last year the wood I bought was not properly seasoned so I fought the fires and every load was a crap shoot. This year I've got properly seasoned wood and it burns like a dream.
- Last year my splits were not well seasoned and too large so I had split them smaller with an 8 pound maul every day before bringing them in. This year my splits are a nice mix of small, medium, and large for quick starts and long overnight burns. I use a Fiskars to split and can swing it all day--I love it!
- Last year my insert window got cloudy and black. This year it's pretty much clean, and a quick wipe with a wet paper towel when it's cool cleans it right up.
- Last year my living room was warm but the heat was not well distributed throughout the house. This year I'm using a box fan to help move the heat--a big improvement.
- Last year, despite my troubles, I shaved 500 gallons off of my oil usage. This year I haven't used the furnace yet. I'll use it once it gets really cold in the morning but I think I can get even more off of the oil usage than last year and be more comfortable.
So anyway, for all the new folks out there looking for guidance, this is the place to learn. Thanks again, everybody!
-Last year the wood I bought was not properly seasoned so I fought the fires and every load was a crap shoot. This year I've got properly seasoned wood and it burns like a dream.
- Last year my splits were not well seasoned and too large so I had split them smaller with an 8 pound maul every day before bringing them in. This year my splits are a nice mix of small, medium, and large for quick starts and long overnight burns. I use a Fiskars to split and can swing it all day--I love it!
- Last year my insert window got cloudy and black. This year it's pretty much clean, and a quick wipe with a wet paper towel when it's cool cleans it right up.
- Last year my living room was warm but the heat was not well distributed throughout the house. This year I'm using a box fan to help move the heat--a big improvement.
- Last year, despite my troubles, I shaved 500 gallons off of my oil usage. This year I haven't used the furnace yet. I'll use it once it gets really cold in the morning but I think I can get even more off of the oil usage than last year and be more comfortable.
So anyway, for all the new folks out there looking for guidance, this is the place to learn. Thanks again, everybody!