Looking to get a bigger wood stove. New to wood burning

[HotCoals]

If you really want to get a stove and get burning you could look around for old pallets also.
Between those and eco bricks and some not so great wood you will get by and have good heat.
Get a epa stove and do it right with the chimney the first time.
Cheers!

 

[raybonz]

I bought my CDW 25 years ago and the 1st year I heated 24/7 only with pallets.. Then they cleared 8 acres beside my property and dragged a massive pile of hardwoods onto the corner of my property so I cut and split that up and heated my house for another 3-4 years. It was a ton of work! Now I just buy wood c/s/d and add a little here and there because most people around here burn wood so free stuff is not nearby. however you can always get pine around here as nobody burns it. Most of it is white pine and I do add some on occasion and it's fine to burn pine as long as it is DRY like any other wood. Brandon if you can find some dry untreated pallets adding them to your stove will help with damp splits. I left the nails in the wood and cleaned them out when I shoveled the ashes and they won't hurt anything.. Importantly do NOT load your stove full of pallet wood as it will probably over fire..

Ray

 

[Woody Stover]

Most unsplit wood, if split and stacked now in single rows, should dry pretty well by next winter, except Oak. If you have a moisture meter, you can check out a few dealers' wood and possibly find some dry stuff. Below 20% will be useable, if not ideal. If they have White Ash or soft Maple that's been split for half a year or more, chances for useable wood improve. If you or friends have access to any trees, dead standing trees with the bark falling off can have some limbs that are pretty dry...trunks probably need to be split and stacked, though. As was said, the bio bricks are a workable option.
We're all pulling for you to get the stove, get some decent wood, and fire up!

 

[Sprinter]

+1 on the True North. I looked closely at these when shopping. I ended up with a PE Super 27, but the size, price and quality of the TN is just right for your situation IMO.

Edit: The Englander NC13 could be a good choice as well. Be aware that they require a hearth pad with an insulation value of R2 which will affect the overall cost and complexity of the installation some.

Good wood is your primary consideration now. Unless you're lucky, it's nearly impossible to buy wood that is truly seasoned enough. You need a moisture meter for sure (around $20) otherwise, you are just guessing and this is too important to guess. If necessary, a lot of people supplement less-than-perfect wood with biobricks/energy logs, pallet wood, etc to help the overall moisture content of a load.

 

[Longpond paperboy]

Ok guys. I am a owner of a True North stove. The old one is cooling any break in tips?

 

[raybonz]

Congrats Brandon just in time for the cold! RTFM for break-in hints and I will allow others to chime in on break in but I think you should make 3 small fires let it go out with each a little larger then burn on.. You will get some paint smell so you may want to crack a window and use a fan to blow the fumes out..Be sure to post pics and review your stove here to help others..

Good Luck!

 

[begreen]

Congrats! Can you take it outdoors, stick a 4' length of 6" vent pipe on it and fire it up outdoors? If so, that will save you some stink indoors. Otherwise open the windows for the first couple burns.

 

[Sprinter]

If I had had the option of curing the paint outside, I would have. I occasionally still get paint smell in the house on a hot burn, although probably from the double wall stove pipe that never got hot enough before (it's only been burning for a couple of months).

 

[Longpond paperboy]

Will the smell go away before Christmas ? If I do my first lite today?

 

[raybonz]

Good idea BG but I have the feeling since he removed the old one he will want to fire that stove in the house.. It's pretty cold here right now so maybe you have best idea to keep the paint fumes outside..

Ray

 

[raybonz]

Will the smell go away before Christmas ? If I do my first lite today?

Yes I think the smell will go away pretty fast..

Ray

 

[Longpond paperboy]

The dog is ready.

 

[begreen]

Steel stoves don't need much of a break-in. Do a small fire to dry out the firebrick. Let the stove cool for a couple hours and then do a medium sized blaze with enough wood to get the stove top to about 500-550F. Repeat once more tomorrow morning and take it up to 600F. It should be pretty good by tomorrow night.

 

[Longpond paperboy]

And we are off. Where should I put my temp gauge it is magnet

 

[raybonz]

And we are off. Where should I put my temp gauge it is magnet

On my stove I place the thermometer on the top near the stack.. You will need a probe type into your flue pipe to monitor the flue temps due to dbl. wall pipe..Yay what took you so long? I tried to call but no answer! You're gonna see a big difference in wood consumption with the new stove! BTW your camera sucks!

Ray

 

[Sprinter]

This has to be some kind of record from first query to first fire!

Regarding thermometers, there are all kinds of threads here. You may consider getting an IR "gun" type. The magnetic types are usually accurate enough for the purpose, but they have a lag time. I like to use an IR, especially when it's warming up, and you can use it all over the stove and for other things as well.

 

[Longpond paperboy]

It is the built in camera. Makes it easier to post. I can't find my phone. Lol.

 

[jeff_t]

This has to be some kind of record from first query to first fire!

Less than 48 hours

Nice. Maybe Ray can bring you a couple armfuls of good stuff.

 

[raybonz]

Less than 48 hours

Nice. Maybe Ray can bring you a couple armfuls of good stuff.

He is stopping here tomorrow AM and I will give him enough to see what this is about

Ray

 

[Longpond paperboy]

Stove was struggling with my damp wood. On the edge of burn zone. I got frustrated and drove to Walmart and bought 4 bundles. I put 2 pieces in and HOLY chit the secondary burn is awesome. The whole house filled with smoke because we got the stove hot. Lol. It is around 300 degrees.

 

[raybonz]

Stove was struggling with my damp wood. On the edge of burn zone. I got frustrated and drove to Walmart and bought 4 bundles. I put 2 pieces in and HOLY chit the secondary burn is awesome. The whole house filled with smoke because we got the stove hot. Lol. It is around 300 degrees.

LOL yes the paint will smoke for a little bit but probably have it baked on now The secondary burn is awesome to see and why you will like a nice window..

Ray

 

[etiger2007]

Good deal paperboy, that should do ya well.

 

[raybonz]

Stove was struggling with my damp wood. On the edge of burn zone. I got frustrated and drove to Walmart and bought 4 bundles. I put 2 pieces in and HOLY chit the secondary burn is awesome. The whole house filled with smoke because we got the stove hot. Lol. It is around 300 degrees.

300 is not a high temp on a stove in fact your stove top will exceed 650 degrees with normal temps between 500 and 650 and peaks to 700... Yes they get that hot lol.. I have a thermometer and also an IR heatgun to keep the bimetal temp gauges honest..

Ray

 

[jeff_t]

Stove was struggling with my damp wood. On the edge of burn zone. I got frustrated and drove to Walmart and bought 4 bundles. I put 2 pieces in and HOLY chit the secondary burn is awesome. The whole house filled with smoke because we got the stove hot. Lol. It is around 300 degrees.

And you didn't want a window.

 

[Woody Stover]

what took you so long?

He don't mess around, does he?

He is stopping here tomorrow AM and I will give him enough to see what this is about
Ray

You da man, Ray!

The whole house filled with smoke because we got the stove hot. Lol.

Put a box fan in a window close to the stove,sucking out, then open a window across the room.
Congrats on the new family member!