Andirons are nothing special. And the double panes come at a cost. It cuts down on the heat radiating off the glass allot. They are a good company that meakes good stoves. But there are many other options out there with their own strong points.
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Very interesting...guess I've got a lot to learn. These are all split, as I have no time between now and winter to research and find anything else and split on my own.
Good point. I appreciate you saying that, and as he is just around the corner from me, I'll get over there and have him do that and show me. If it is wet on the inside I'm going to have to start calling around, and maybe farther up north. Below 20%, right?
Alpine1
Feeling the Heat
Yes you want below 20%. But it is extremely rare to find truly seasond wood for sale.
21-23% would still be ok if you stack it top covered so it gets some more drying time. If it is 30+% then that wood is going to be better for the 2019-2020 season.
Ok, thank you. I've now gleaned some great info regarding the wood. I have to figure out how much I will need for use during the winter. I live in Michigan, so I'll be using from November till April, I figure. Spoke to a guy today at the stove shop, and he uses 2 face cord a month, but I've no idea how big his house is, how drafty, etc. Hmmm...I think I'm wayyy off topic now. Sorry. If I could ask this one last question...unless I need to start a new thread... How do I determine my first season how much wood to buy? I know the first two words to the answer start with "It depends..", but what are your thoughts?
brazilbl
Burning Hunk
I have seen posts here that some have recommended "bio bricks" or North Idaho Energy Logs (which are compressed wood logs, without the additives that are in those duraflame logs. These could be used in a pinch as they have little to no moisture content, burn well and can be found locally. I've tested bio bricks and they work. I also have the other, but will test those out this winter.
Just in case your wood supplier finds out that his wood is not as dry as he thought, or you have run out of wood and need to heat the house.
Just in case your wood supplier finds out that his wood is not as dry as he thought, or you have run out of wood and need to heat the house.
I'm on my third season of owning a wood burning insert. Lopi Cape Cod. It's a tube stove similar to what you're looking at. I've never ever had my glass so black i cant see flames. I clean it once a week with damp paper towel and some of this: (broken link removed)
And then buff it out. Takes 2 minutes. Do it when stove has cooled 24 hrs or so.
You can somewhat supplement sub-par wood (wetter wood) with Bio Bricks like this:
https://www.menards.com/main/heatin...049-c-6855.htm?tid=5181663684097503365&ipos=5
https://www.lehmans.com/product/bio...MIqL_hjIep3QIVAr7ACh0PnQlKEAQYAiABEgL6HvD_BwE
(broken link removed to https://www.truevalue.com/wood-stove-fuel-16-pk?ctplacement=221322-43411605939&cid=gooshop)
(broken link removed)
I use them occasionally when I want a hot fire and extra flame show. I bought out 2 local Menards my first season (about 20-25 packages of 6 blocks)
I wouldnt be worried in the slightest that you wont be able to see flames on a Tube Stove.
Also stock up on news paper and starter wood. I bought a 50lb box of fatwood from plow and hearth and it's going to last me 6+ seasons at this rate.
I'd also advise to buy as much wood as you can afford and store now. That way your second and third seasons will burn way better than your first and you wont be worrying about the wood issue each year. Then after getting a good 3 season stockpile you just buy your regular amount each season and basically rotate the stock based on how long it's been seasoning. Make sure the wood is cut to size of your stove (shorter is typically better). Also stick with good species... Ash, Walnut, Oak, Mulberry, Locust, etc.
And then buff it out. Takes 2 minutes. Do it when stove has cooled 24 hrs or so.
You can somewhat supplement sub-par wood (wetter wood) with Bio Bricks like this:
https://www.menards.com/main/heatin...049-c-6855.htm?tid=5181663684097503365&ipos=5
https://www.lehmans.com/product/bio...MIqL_hjIep3QIVAr7ACh0PnQlKEAQYAiABEgL6HvD_BwE
(broken link removed to https://www.truevalue.com/wood-stove-fuel-16-pk?ctplacement=221322-43411605939&cid=gooshop)
(broken link removed)
I use them occasionally when I want a hot fire and extra flame show. I bought out 2 local Menards my first season (about 20-25 packages of 6 blocks)
I wouldnt be worried in the slightest that you wont be able to see flames on a Tube Stove.
Also stock up on news paper and starter wood. I bought a 50lb box of fatwood from plow and hearth and it's going to last me 6+ seasons at this rate.
I'd also advise to buy as much wood as you can afford and store now. That way your second and third seasons will burn way better than your first and you wont be worrying about the wood issue each year. Then after getting a good 3 season stockpile you just buy your regular amount each season and basically rotate the stock based on how long it's been seasoning. Make sure the wood is cut to size of your stove (shorter is typically better). Also stick with good species... Ash, Walnut, Oak, Mulberry, Locust, etc.
Also, those inserts are similar in size. Lopi will likely heat more since it's not as flush. Also big difference is I believe the Regency is a 2 speed blower (Low/High) the Lopi is on a wheel and is infinitely adjustable. I like that as i base it on noise level for the situation. Super low fan for low heat, guests over, etc. Low, Medium, High based on if we are home, in the room, watching a movie, etc...
You wont get much heat without a fan, however the Lopi does protrude enough that you likely would get more useable heat with a power outage...
Mine is flush and there isn't much heat without the blower. Only heat i would get is radiating out of the glass...
With fan on high it's like a electric fan space heater on full blast. It's so hot you cant keep your hand in front of the air blowing out for very long.
You wont get much heat without a fan, however the Lopi does protrude enough that you likely would get more useable heat with a power outage...
Mine is flush and there isn't much heat without the blower. Only heat i would get is radiating out of the glass...
With fan on high it's like a electric fan space heater on full blast. It's so hot you cant keep your hand in front of the air blowing out for very long.
Thanks, Pertzbro. Once I find my main source for wood this season the primary issue is storage on a smaller lot. I am working the creative side now, trying to keep it low profile. I don't have lots of room right outside my house due to a large deck that came with the house.
Benefit for sure, but I have to find a workaround that won't torque the neighbors off. Buying 3 seasons would be a preference, but I'll have to start with this season and work on finding options next spring for the extra. Thank you for all the info.
Well, I went to see the guy about his wood today. I had asked him if he tested a fresh cut to the inside, and he said no, but was entirely willing to do so, and let me come over and see him test it - didn't push back. So he showed me the end, and sure enough it was 16%. Had him cut inside and it was 20%. Normally, fine. But I felt he didn't push the pins in properly. So I asked him to push the pins in firmly - 26%. I know that there is a little drying time left before the season begins, but not a lot. Is this going to cause me issues when we start burning in late October/November?
It's good that he listened to you and was open to proper testing. That moisture level is about what I would expect. If you have a method of accelerating drying then it might be possible to burn in November, but time is running out. Some acceleration methods are creating a temporary solar drying oven, stacking the wood in an enclosed space and blowing air through the piles, putting the wood in a large warm barn or in a warm space in the home?
Not really. I have limited options at this point. I may have to find another place to buy part of the wood to get the season started.
That may be the best you get. Though not sure of your area but a lot of wood sellers are catching on to the seasoned wood thing and are splitting hundreds of cords in the winter and spring for the following year so their wood depending on species is close to burn able. Maybe in your area you might find some, if not you call always mix bio bricks, or as I prefer north east Idaho logs (NEILS) with the soso wood.
I found a contact a little over an hour from here who says he has very seasoned wood although he can only deliver 6 face cord at a time. It is $100 for delivery, which is really not bad, considering. But his price is $100 per face cord, vs $65-75 around here. He said his wood has set for 2 seasons, and he is pretty experienced, this is part of his main business. Just expensive. I could get six from him, then four from the other guy, whose would probably season in the meantime - I hope.
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I'm wondering what sort of wood the dealer was running through their unit, and how they were running it
I have not had an obscured viewing glass at all, and I ran wood with a higher moisture content and I didn't know what I was doing my first year. I burned too low for the secondary system a good bit, and cleaned out the chimney three times that year. But no consistently blacked glass. Most newer tube stoves that I have looked at have an air wash system. In my experience with my two, so long as no wood falls forward and obstructs that airflow, it works pretty well. I've only ever gotten a haze across the glass after about a week, which comes right off with a wet wash cloth.
I have not had an obscured viewing glass at all, and I ran wood with a higher moisture content and I didn't know what I was doing my first year. I burned too low for the secondary system a good bit, and cleaned out the chimney three times that year. But no consistently blacked glass. Most newer tube stoves that I have looked at have an air wash system. In my experience with my two, so long as no wood falls forward and obstructs that airflow, it works pretty well. I've only ever gotten a haze across the glass after about a week, which comes right off with a wet wash cloth.
No idea. I am now pretty surprised he has those issues, considering all the responses I received to my questions about it on here after he told me that.
I'm not sure what "short faces" means. But I thought a rick was the same as a face cord - 4' high x 8' long x the length of the wood.
In these parts I have heard the term "short face" used when a person orders a face cord and receives splits that are significantly shorter than what they were expecting. Sold 18 inch wood and receive 13 inch wood. A short face, occasionally called a short or small rick. I prefer to deal with cord quantities since you have a given volume that is verifiable. All this face, short face and little ricks just befuddles this old wood man.
Aha! I get it. A full cord, is a full cord. There is no getting around it. Yeah, I've been told by people their face cord is based on how long they cut the wood.
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