Wood Stove Operation

[Mark_FTL]

I have a wood stove to heat my new abode. I had it going full bore today, with the side door open and it wasn't heating the house. I think I need a lesson. I know that Russel has one and I was thinking I could talk him into one.

[KBCraig]

If you had the door open, then you didn't have a stove: you had a fireplace. All your heat was going right up the flue.

Wood stoves are designed to radiate heat with a low fire (not roaring). After your fire is going, fill the firebox with wood, then set the draft to "barely open". If you have a thermostatically controlled draft (like a King or Warm Morning heater), that's the point at which you leave it alone until it's time to add wood.

You can adjust it a little as needed, but don't think of it as "instant on" like a gas or electric heater.

Before bed, fill it up and shut down the draft completely. In the morning, barely crack open the draft and let the coals come to life. Once it heats up, you can then add wood. Depending on your particulars, a load of wood should last 6-10 hours. Expect to load the box up 3-4 times a day when you're using it around the clock.

Keep a very close eye on the ash pan. If you let the ashes build up around the grates, you'll melt them.

I grew up with wood heat, and one King heater kept us warm in a drafty 3,000 square foot two story Victorian.

[Tom Sawyer]

Be careful about running the stove damped too far down, alot of creosote in your chimney and waste fuel up in smoke. And don't load up your stove with a lot of wood until you've got the hang of how your setup runs.

I would get used to three or four pieces of wood and adjusting the amount of air until you have a steady clean burning fire. Watch the temperature of the chimney and get used to where you like to run it. When it starts going down feed it a little more wood. You'll get so you will know how much to open it up to get it going and how much to damp it down to slow the burn and get a steady output.

[Kat Kanning]

I'm sure Air-Flow Kanning would love to give you a lesson.   

[Pat K]

Do0n't forget the oil drip lessons.

[Shawn]

Once you get it just right you will be able to get your house cooking.  The last place I lived it had a wood stove and it was 80 degrees on most nights.  Almost uncomfortably hot.

[Mark_FTL]

Well, thanks to KBCraig's instruction, the stove is certainly heating BETTER. But I have no idea how I am going to check chimney temperature or know if I am burning "clean". I am no where near 80 in my TINY house. It is a very old stove and I suspect if I had it for 40 years I would still be refining my technique. All I know is it is going to get very cold this winter and I am already freezing in my bedroom, the same room the stove is in!

[Dreepa]

Time to buy a blanket!

[KBCraig]

I don't think any of us even mentioned the wood... wood varies greatly in BTU output. The best is well seasoned oak, split and dried for at least six months. I don't know about the wood that is available to you locally, but we never burn any conifers in this part of the country. They're simply too resinous; they don't put out much heat, and they dump a ton of tar, that will build up as creosote in your flue.

I know that in some places, they do burn pines or fir that grows at high altitude, but this is something you'll have to find out locally. When in doubt, stick with aged hardwood.

Kevin

[d_goddard]

Another option is to just buy a freakin' electric heater.
No more fiddling about with wood, and you WILL be toasty.
this is a good one, and if you follow the link you'll also be helping to support my favorite podcast

[Dreepa]

Another option is to just buy a freakin' electric heater.

aren't electric heaters the most inefficient?

[d_goddard]

Another option is to just buy a freakin' electric heater.

aren't electric heaters the most inefficient?

This is an oil heater -- yes, it uses electricity, but no, it is not the inefficient kind that are basically open toasters with bright orange filaments, those are indeed very inefficient.

[KBCraig]

The oil filled electric radiators are nice. We use one at times. They're sneaky, though... you turn the heat up just a little and nothing happens, then all of a sudden you're HOTHOTHOT!

Kevin

[Mark_FTL]

www.eheat.com

This is an amazing heater, from what they claim. And we are talking to them about a sponsorship of FTL. This is what I will be buying if I can't make the wood heater work. I bought $211 worth of some kind of firewood and you can be damn sure I am going to burn it all!

[error]

Another option is to just buy a freakin' electric heater.
No more fiddling about with wood, and you WILL be toasty.
this is a good one, and if you follow the link you'll also be helping to support my favorite podcast

There's no Free Talk Live referral in there! Try this link instead.