Started as stove talk now thread about marriage, etc...
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Ashful
Minister of Fire
I was a severe asthmatic growing up, and my wife had a milder case. My kids each show some signs of it, but not as severe. So, this comes from that perspective.
A properly installed and operated wood stove does not emit any noticeable smoke or particulate into the home, but exhausting it just outside the home can result in having that exhaust drawn back into the home as make-up air through leaky windows, etc. If sensitive to this, you may find that it's best to not burn when the wind is coming from one particular direction, etc. The footprint of our house is shaped like a "U", with one stove at either end of that U. There are occasional days when the exhaust from one stove is drawn into windows on the opposite side of the house.
Installation of an outside air kit (OAK) can mostly eliminate this, if the OAK feeds air directly into the stove. Essentially, by eliminating negative pressure draw on the house created by the stove, you're not drawing any of the smoke emitted from your chimney back into the house. Of course, other appliances may cause negative draw, but usually not. Natural stack effect within the house usually dictates that all air drawn into the house comes in at ground level and exits at roof level, which is to your advantage.
Wood stoves operated without an OAK draw a lot of fresh air into the house, which must be heated, thus lowering indoor humidity. My house will run down around 20% without a humidifier, so we keep humidifiers running all winter. It's pretty easy to keep the house at a more comfortable 50% with one humidifier for each 2000-3000 sq.ft. This also helps prevent cold and flu, the susceptibility to which is somewhat dependent on dry nasal mucus membranes, due to low indoor humidity.
As noted previously, wood stoves do create dust, every time you open the door to load or clean out. But this is a very localized problem, and very easily managed. Get an ash vac, vacuum around your stove every week. Get a dust pan and brush, and brush up around the stove after every single reload. Get an air purifier, and place it in the room with the stove. We use a wick type humidifier, which doubles as a dust filter for the stoves.
A properly installed and operated wood stove does not emit any noticeable smoke or particulate into the home, but exhausting it just outside the home can result in having that exhaust drawn back into the home as make-up air through leaky windows, etc. If sensitive to this, you may find that it's best to not burn when the wind is coming from one particular direction, etc. The footprint of our house is shaped like a "U", with one stove at either end of that U. There are occasional days when the exhaust from one stove is drawn into windows on the opposite side of the house.
Installation of an outside air kit (OAK) can mostly eliminate this, if the OAK feeds air directly into the stove. Essentially, by eliminating negative pressure draw on the house created by the stove, you're not drawing any of the smoke emitted from your chimney back into the house. Of course, other appliances may cause negative draw, but usually not. Natural stack effect within the house usually dictates that all air drawn into the house comes in at ground level and exits at roof level, which is to your advantage.
Wood stoves operated without an OAK draw a lot of fresh air into the house, which must be heated, thus lowering indoor humidity. My house will run down around 20% without a humidifier, so we keep humidifiers running all winter. It's pretty easy to keep the house at a more comfortable 50% with one humidifier for each 2000-3000 sq.ft. This also helps prevent cold and flu, the susceptibility to which is somewhat dependent on dry nasal mucus membranes, due to low indoor humidity.
As noted previously, wood stoves do create dust, every time you open the door to load or clean out. But this is a very localized problem, and very easily managed. Get an ash vac, vacuum around your stove every week. Get a dust pan and brush, and brush up around the stove after every single reload. Get an air purifier, and place it in the room with the stove. We use a wick type humidifier, which doubles as a dust filter for the stoves.
My house a 1600 ft ranch so very simple design. An OAK wouldn’t really be simple for my application where the hearth is located (middle of house), never mind unsightly. My house sits right at the top of a “hill” so I think that’s why the fireplace always drafted well. Most of my windows with the exception of a couple have been replaced recently. The only other air consuming appliances in the house are in the basement (water heater and boiler).
I’ve already been on top trying to clean up any ash that splashes out of the stove and cleaning up al wood chips/dust etc from bringing it in and out. I’ll see if I can talk my wife into an air purifier for the stove room. We’ll continue to run the humidifiers as usual also.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Whether the windows are new or old, without an OAK you are drawing air from the house to eject outside. That is replaced by air drawn in from outside, no matter what the path. However, with a simple layout at the top of a hill, it's very likely anything exiting the chimney is moving away from the house, not being drawn back in through adjacent windows.
I understand the need for outside makeup air to be added for combustion, I was simply stating that windows might be the lesser likely sources of air leakage, and could be from opening/closing exterior doors, through walls, etc
Caw
Minister of Fire
In an ideal world, yes, there should be no smoke leakage but in reality stuff happens. You forget to open the air first before going to reload. Some coals wake up or you uncover a small piece of wood not fully combusted so a little smoke rolls out. A log rolls onto the glass and you go to fix it so you don't have an off gassing runaway. Just being tired or lazy or in a rush. Smoke from outside sucked in. Etc. I was just saying smoke will absolutely get into the house accidentally. With a wife ready to pounce on a mistake or kids with breathing issues it'll be good to be diligent about these things.
Doesn't happen too often to me. Good draft and I pay attention but yeah a puff makes it out sometimes. Doesn't bother anyone here and goes away quickly. they'll just know someone was doing something to the stove.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Oh, definitely. But four seconds of smoke roll-out on one or two errors made per week is a whole different conversation than continuous emission of particulate into the home. I'd argue that a few seconds of smoke roll-out during a reload is the proverbial piss in the ocean, it's nothing on the grand scale of your home's daily air exchange.
buy fire starters more smoke control than newspaper.crack door slightly, leave it like that for a minute then open door.keep dustpan next to woodstove to clean up bits of wood.put posters of naked firemen rolled up like a blind so that when you screw up just roll them down to distract her till you fix the gaff.
Got the first 2.5 cords…all cut up into rounds and stacked. Time 2 hours just about to the minute, including refueling/oiling, drinks/snacks.
Caw
Minister of Fire
Nice work! More than an hour! 😉
Btw did you ever measure? It just looks like less than 2.5 cords to me. Naked eyeball. Though there are likely rows I don't see. It looks great.
Btw what brand cant hook is that? I really need to get one of those.
Btw did you ever measure? It just looks like less than 2.5 cords to me. Naked eyeball. Though there are likely rows I don't see. It looks great.
Btw what brand cant hook is that? I really need to get one of those.
Caw
Minister of Fire
Yeah a cant hook is definitely my next purchase.
That should keep the wife happy. What's the splitting plan? How's your back? That's a lot to do in a day.
I'm heading outside to move wood as we speak.
That should keep the wife happy. What's the splitting plan? How's your back? That's a lot to do in a day.
I'm heading outside to move wood as we speak.
I'd suggest trying a lighter maul if u can. The 8lb gets heavy fast and not needed for that load you have. Also i never stack rounds, to much double work. split them on the ground where they lay, then stack them. Just the way i do it, you may need to make it look neat asap though?
You hit the nail on the head with neat asap. While it’s a little extra work, it keeps it organized
I’ll see how I feel after swinging it a while. It goes through Most stuff without much effort, really just letting it fall with a little bit of help in the right spot does the trick
Caw
Minister of Fire
Caw
Minister of Fire
My hand splitting tools are the 8 lb maul, 6 lb sledge, 36" axe, 27" axe (for my wife), hatchet, 3 lb sledge, pickaroon, and various wedges.
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