You tell me how you push your stove.

[pen]

With so many folks running stoves so hard, just remember, now is the time when the "weakest link" is to be found.

Everyone who should have completed their mid-season cleaning?

Now's also a good time to measure the temps on the closest clearance to combustibles there are, whether the stove is installed to factory specs or not.

Also, with the frequent reloads there is more ash removal, and with cold temps a greater likelihood that those ashes contain hot coals since folks won't be waiting for the stove to go cold! Have lots of safe storage ready!

Now, back to feeding the beast.

pen

 

[amateur cutter]

Oak, locust, & hedge. -8 last night, loaded @ 11:00 & it was 70 in the house, & 58 in the shop at 6:30. Took 45 min to get the shop up to 65, but it gave me a reason to get some office work done. A C

 

[Hogwildz]

I learned a few years back, not to push the insert. I load it up, it does it's thing. Sure you can regulate a cooler or hotter burn, but I won't push it hard. Beyond a point, the extra heat is not worth the damage that will be caused in the long haul.
I have learned to live with a few degrees temperature swing. But in singles outside and 65+ inside is fine by me. Once in a while, which I will do tonight and the next day or so, I will kick the "back up" furnace on to bring the temp up until the new load takes over.

 

[pen]

Once in a while, which I will do tonight and the next day or so, I will kick the "back up" furnace on to bring the temp up until the new load takes over.

Same here, that unit needs exercise anyway. Might better let the furnace do some of the work rather than get stuck w/ a busted stove down the road from running it too hard, and turn on the furnace since the stove is down, just to find it won't work!

I'd never live that down.

I've learned that the 30 is big enough for my home about 98% of the time. Once I get into that 2% weather, I don't fight it anymore. On those days/nights, I simply need more stove. Abusing this one isn't worth it. The couple of bux of electric to supplement the wood stove is simply smarter if I'm unwilling to let the house get below 68. If I was OK with 64-66, then I have plenty of stove.

pen

 

[tsquini]

... its drier than a popcorn fart in here.

The one good thing about a nice popcorn farts it is a good indicator of airflow in the house. You know what I mean, you popcorn fart down by the stove and 15 min later the wife is expressing her disapproval up stairs.

 

[BrotherBart]

Once in a while, which I will do tonight and the next day or so, I will kick the "back up" furnace on to bring the temp up until the new load takes over.

I gotta get me one of them things.

 

[Jack Fate]

real cold,& windy time to break out the best dry stuff .my current top shelf is some 200 yr old white oak 3 yrs dry .Tree still alive ,winds this summer took down some BIG Limbs so I got some more .I've mowed under this tree off & on for 50 yrs. I'm not afraid to say it scares the heck out of me now .These branches are HEAVY & impale deep into the ground

200 yrs is an estimate diameter is pushing 6'
Family no longer owns
got some in right now 5 degrees but wind died should have had in last night low of 3 with 20-30 mph wind
was said to be the same tonight but so far no wind

 

[remkel]

6 degrees here with windchill in the darn cold regions. Just loaded the stove for the overnight run but am not too happy with the loosely packed logs. Unfortunately they are dry and caught so fast I had no choice but to make the best of it. Have a feeling I will awaken to 66 in the kitchen tomorrow morning.

 

[pen]

On the coldest nights we see around here, about the time I want to complain about the house not being as warm as I'd like, my grandpa's voice comes to mind with him saying "In the winter, as a kid, I couldn't take a glass of water to bed with me unless I wanted to clean up glass in the morning"

pen

 

[wkpoor]

The stove is hanging in but the humidifiers are losing the race.​

Thats another odd ball thing about our place. We have to be one of a few people on this planet that need to dehumidify in the winter. Nearly 0 outside, woodstove heat, and its 42% huimidity inside and windows are dripping wet. I've never been able to figure it out.HVAC guy said we need a fresh air exchanger to allow the humidity to lower with the temps.

 

[Hearth Mistress]

With so many folks running stoves so hard, just remember, now is the time when the "weakest link" is to be found.

Everyone who should have completed their mid-season cleaning?

Now's also a good time to measure the temps on the closest clearance to combustibles there are, whether the stove is installed to factory specs or not.

Also, with the frequent reloads there is more ash removal, and with cold temps a greater likelihood that those ashes contain hot coals since folks won't be waiting for the stove to go cold! Have lots of safe storage ready!

Now, back to feeding the beast.

pen

Thanks dad

 

[pen]

Thanks dad

I prefer Papa Pen

 

[katwillny]

Ive been home all day and the stove has been loaded 3.5 times today. 3 full loads and twice loaded a few splits. Its been running all day averaging 450 degrees. The house is nice and toasty. about 80 degree difference between indoors and outdoors temps.

 

[Hearth Mistress]

I prefer Papa Pen

Got it. My dad wouldn't know the first think about it anyway. He was complaining to me he spent $600 on oil today. I had to rub it in that I'm still working on last August's half tank fill. He then reminded me that I was a girl and shouldn't own an ax or a chainsaw. I guess I'm a disappointment as "daddy's little girl"

 

[pen]

Got it. My dad wouldn't know the first think about it anyway. He was complaining to me he spent $600 on oil today. I had to rub it in that I'm still working on last August's half tank fill. He then reminded me that I was a girl and shouldn't own an ax or a chainsaw. I guess I'm a disappointment as "daddy's little girl"

You are a Rebel with a Cause

pen

 

[Hearth Mistress]

Love James Dean too!

 

[Machria]

Being new to this and having not experienced this cold with the stove yet, I loaded her up when I got home, a few extra splits than normally thinking I would need it, while its eating them a bit faster, it is BAKIN in here. The stove doesn't seem to care it's cold outside!

 

[begreen]

I am reloading more often and on a hotter coal bed. It's too cold in here if I let the top go down to 300.

Even with the xxv on full bore and the Fireview cranking, the house just barely hits 65 downstairs (58-60 up).

Time to seal up that sieve. It's dang hard to heat the outdoors.

 

[corey21]

I reloaded 3 times today. But i don't really have push to hard.

My hallway is staying a little cool but not to bad.

 

[firecracker_77]

The 30 builds up a huge coal bed and neads to be emptied every day in the cold. We have bin keeping the house 70-80 depending on what stage the fire is in

I had a bunch of ash to clean out too. I let the stove die a little today, tipped the scoop a little to let the coals fall back into the pile, and put whatever ash I could get into the bucket. There is alot of wood going in there at these temps.

 

[firecracker_77]

All locust loads and a tad more air, switch to 8 hr burns from 12 when the single digits hit (like last night & tonight) the wind makes all the difference for needing the extra output for me. Wood use has increased but I just cant give up the 78-80 deg warmth.
Im looking at bigger humidifiers though, its drier than a popcorn fart in here.

Todd2

I'm running decently warm in here. I have been staying up at around 76, but am consuming a considerable amount of wood for that goal.

 

[firecracker_77]

With so many folks running stoves so hard, just remember, now is the time when the "weakest link" is to be found.

Everyone who should have completed their mid-season cleaning?

Now's also a good time to measure the temps on the closest clearance to combustibles there are, whether the stove is installed to factory specs or not.

Also, with the frequent reloads there is more ash removal, and with cold temps a greater likelihood that those ashes contain hot coals since folks won't be waiting for the stove to go cold! Have lots of safe storage ready!

Now, back to feeding the beast.

pen

You are correct. Emptying ash into the bucket and getting coals in there too. I just put the metal lid on my ash can...not disposing of those coals outside.

 

[eclecticcottage]

I gotta get me one of them things.

I thought about it too, but I hear they're darn expensive to buy, install and feed! I'll settle for the VF as backup.

 

[mfglickman]

Time to seal up that sieve. It's dang hard to heat the outdoors.

I just spent $7,000 insulating the walls and crawls. Did the attic last year. Am now out $10k so at a loss, literally.

59 in the house this AM. Loaded at 10pm, 68 downstairs at bedtime. Good bed of coals at 6:30. Turned on the oil to kick start the place.

 

[69911e]

6F deg last night; 2650ft2 house was 68 when I reloaded at 7 this morning. I like to get the downstairs warm in the evening (75-77) with a load which will burn down and reload around 10PM. Upstairs stays about 65. Much better overnight heating than last year (about +5 deg house temp with same amount of wood) due to a few mods I recently made to the insert...