Best tip you have got from this forum.

[junksta]

Being the city boy who moved to the country, I learned 99% of what I know about burning from you good people.

Best tip that made a big difference, was leaving my ceiling fan on low, to blow down all year long. Distributes the heat much better than reversing the direction.

Worst tip was cooking potatoes on the coals, they can really stink when they burn!

 

[oconnor]

1 - Always ask here before doing something you aren't 100% sure of - Sarcasm beats a smokey house
2 - Split my wood smaller than it is when I buy it - way more heat with less smoke even when not as dry as it should be
3 - Blow the cold air back to the stove to move the heat around
4 - You house can become a better chimney than your chimney is if you have a poor system set up and/or do silly things - search the forums for "stack effect" to learn what I learned

 

[Cluttermagnet]

Real hard to narrow it down to just one thing. I have learned so much in just a half a year on the site.

* The importance of dry fuel
* Chimney basics
* The idea of processing/seasoning wood a year or two before using
* Wood processing basics

This has become one of my 'must visit daily' sites in short order.

 

[firefighterjake]

-- Pine splits and rounds are not evil . . . but they will still burn well in the cast iron bowels of Hades that I call my Oslo firebox.

-- Seasoned wood is important . . . more important than who wins the race to be President, more important than the Patriots winning the SuperBowl and even more important than having the slickest looking hearth tools.

-- Seeing lots of smoke in an EPA stove is not normal. Having excessive build up on your glass front is not normal. Fossil is not normal . . . but he does seem to fit in pretty well with us.

-- It is OK (in fact it is a really good idea) to let my fire burn down to coals before adding more wood in the Spring and Fall . . . unless I just happen to have 235 cords of extra wood stacked in the backyard and unless I happen to like the living room being approximately 136 degrees F.

-- Weasels do not work as well as ferrets when it comes to cleaning out the chimney . . . debate on poly vs. steel brushes however continues.

 

[woodjack]

Definitely not the most exciting, but certainly the most important tips I get from this forum are the reminders about safety. I'd have to be insane to not be cautious with a fire raging in my living room, but the focus on safety that is prevalent throughout this website helps create that discipline. Thank you my wood brothers (that includes you gals). Safe burning to all of you, and may the powers that be let not one of us have a bad accident.

 

[ScottF]

1) Camp fires are not efficient
2) wood is ok to burn in camp fires but rugs and televisions are not
3) YOu can burn wood standing up but you will get more tired
4) If the power goes out run in circles and scream and shout
5) Old smoke dragons will eat wood, belch out a huge amount of smoke and run inefficiently
6) Rustoleum high heat paint will stink like a burning chemical factory for weeks on end if you put it on your stove.
7) All trees will burn regardless of the species. If you cant ID a tree dont worry it will still burn.
8) there are lots of ways to clean glass and If you forget just wait. Someone will ask again in the next few questions.
9) Its difficult to get motivated to run a woodstove if you are severly hung over and the oil burner will probably kick on. so remember to shut the oil burner switch before you go out drinking.
10) Squirrels come down chimneys and bats get into inserts.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

[quote author="firefighterjake" date="1225142162.] Fossil is not normal . . . but he does seem to fit in pretty well with us.

[/quote]

Being normal is not important. being "regular", however, is paramount.

 

[fossil]

...Fossil is not normal . . .

Nor do I particularly want to be. (Geez, is it that obvious?) On topic, I think I've learned important lessons in interpersonal social skills. Rick

 

[Jags]

I learned most of the people here are NUTS. But I mean that in the nicest way possible.

 

[ScottF]

Ohhhhh Ohhhhh How about

11) if your temperature measuring device will not work just bring it back to the store and tell the clerk that it will not thermom . She will get you a new one.

12) Contrary to popular eastern US beliefs burning pine will not leave your chimney dripping with pine pitch leaving your chimney ripe for a chimney fire.

13) Jags likes to drink.

14) Making pottery is a very good excuse for building a rip roaring, flame shooting fire and for meeting cute hippy chicks.

15) not all firemen have dalmations as pets. Some even have Cats much to my disbelief.

Im sure there are many more great things I have learned I just need to brainstorm a little more.

 

[Jags]

13) Jags likes to drink.

Only after dark, or when its light out.

 

[fossil]

Oh, I also learned that seeing pics of things like Scott builds makes me think I should just give it up and put up an ad on craigslist to give away all my woodworking tools. :down: Rick

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I'll be honest- I grew up with the misconception on pine as a firewood. I learned differently here.

It's a great option for me, as we have plenty and it seasons quickly. I load up the stove with the stuff and can light it with little more than warm thoughts.

 

[Thomask9590]

I still have people calling me nuts for burning pine. I love it.

 

[KevinM]

Weigh down the edge of the tarps to keep them from blowing off, much easier to get at the wood than tied down and reduces the amount of flapping in the wind.

Kevin.

 

[drewboy]

I'll be honest- I grew up with the misconception on pine as a firewood. I learned differently here.

It's a great option for me, as we have plenty and it seasons quickly. I load up the stove with the stuff and can light it with little more than warm thoughts.

Adios, You crack me up - every time you start a post I know it's going to end with me laughing my --- off!!

The longer I stay on this forum, the more my wife thinks I've lost it... what could possibly be so entertaining about damn woodstoves???

 

[fossil]

...what could possibly be so entertaining about damn woodstoves???

Woodstoves, in & of themselves, are not particularly amusing. AP, on the other hand... %-P Rick

 

[BJ64]

[quote author="firefighterjake" date="1225142162.] Fossil is not normal . . . but he does seem to fit in pretty well with us.

Being normal is not important. being "regular", however, is paramount.[/quote]

Woodstoves, in & of themselves, are not particularly amusing. AP, on the other hand… tongue rolleye Rick

I think Rick is trying to say AP is "regular". :gulp:

 

[bbc557ci]

Best info I got here I think would be about chimney installation ..... straight up as possible, less bends the better

 

[The Dali Lima]

The best I've heard:

- Clearances go to the first combustable, not the first object
- You can burn pallets and other "milled" wood and take the nails out AFTER
- Fossil is on this forum 23 1/2 hours a day. If you post something, he will respond within 20 minutes.
- Nowadays stoves are stoves and you can get a really good one that works for your needs in every price category

- Get your wood for next year NOW.

 

[fossil]

- Fossil is on this forum 23 1/2 hours a day. If you post something, he will respond within 20 minutes.

That's no fair...you posted this at 5:37 AM Oregon time. Rick

 

[jadm]

1-There are other people out there who are as obsessed about wood burning and everything that goes with it as I am. (I am the only one in my house with the 'fascination'. When I feel the tension building - like they are all rolling their
eyes at me - I know where I can go to feel sane again....)

2-Seasoning wood off of the ground. Leaving it uncovered until the snow hits and buying it a year in advance if possible - ie If you have the room to store it.

3-This should be #1 because it is how I stumbled across this web site in the first place. Read as much as you can about all different types of inserts/stoves before purchasing one. Read and then go and find a knowledgeable salesperson
who will answer all of your questions and admit if they don't know the answers but will get you in touch with a rep. who may know the answer....Look for quality - ie. solid construction and easy access to parts that have to be cleaned -
blowers for instance.

4-Buy a larger stove rather than a smaller one if you have the room for it. One can always build smaller fires but a small stove on a really cold day just can't keep up....

5-People here are patient and will do the best they can to help you out.

6-That there is always something new to learn no matter how long one has been burning wood.

7-Don't have to look at the news for weather anymore. Get a pretty good read on it here across the U.S., up into Canada and as far away as Europe. You people are a lot more accurate than the weather people ;-P

8-I could add more because I am always learning but I know how hard it is to read longer posts so I will cut it here....I still have not learned how to do one liners but BB inspires me to keep on trying. :smirk:

 

[CowboyAndy]

ALL wood burns, and creates the SAME amount of creosote (or lack there of when properly seasoned). That was the biggest misconception I had before finding this site. My father in law had me convinced that stuff like birch would instantly set fire to my chimney.


Top down firestarting. OMG, I LOVE IT. Especially when using 110 year old lathe as kindling... almost no smoke, even with not so perfectly seasoned wod.

 

[BrotherBart]

I hate this forum for letting the word get out that pine won't rot your teeth and burn holes in your chimney. Here I was depending on getting people to dump their pine in my yard for free to keep me warm in my old(er) age. Now thanks to hearth.com everybody is gonna be wanting to keep it for firewood. Arrgh!

 

[homebrewz]

I learned that a blocked cat is not something I need to call the vet about.