Help me with my first shoulder season!!!

[claybe]

I have the Blaze King Princess insert and shoulder season is upon us here in Denver (even though we are supposed to get snow on Tuesday). I have not been burning a fire during the day as it has been in the 60s (30s at night). Two nights ago I lit a small fire of 5 logs. It kept the house toasty. Last night I didn't light a fire and it was cold this morning. So, I guess my question is, what do you do during these circumstances??? Full loads on low? Small fires? No fires? No blower? What is your recipe?

 

[jeff_t]

Full loads on low. Adjust thermostat, maybe crack a window if needed. It was 60 here today, house got to 72 on last night's load.

 

[Woody Stover]

Small load at night to get through to the warm temps of the next day. Our place doesn't hold heat real well...

 

[begreen]

Partial load for the night. Decide whether to refeed or not in the morning.

 

[BrotherBart]

When Supercedars shine for restarts.

Full disclosure: Got the same weather right now and I am just paying the electric company. Their kids have to eat too.

 

[oldspark]

Start a fire in the morning and get the house up to temp and then let it go until the next day and start over again, I like sleeping when the temp is in the low 60"s, this is a non cat stove.

 

[Jags]

Like BroB - if it gets too dicey for over heating, I let the propane do the heating. The couple of cycles and short duration of the furnace kicking on amounts to little use of the juice.

BUT - I will often will still build a fire, just cuz I like to play with fire.

 

[rdust]

When I can get 24 hour burns(30's at night) I load pretty much full at night and burn it on a lower t stat setting after the initial burn in. If it gets a little chilly in the morning or afternoon I'll turn the t-stat up for a few minutes and turn it down, if it gets too hot I guess I could open a window but that rarely happens. Loading at night works best for me since the biggest part of the heat comes off the stove during the burn in when it's coldest out.

 

[jeff_t]

When I can get 24 hour burns(30's at night) I load pretty much full at night and burn it on a lower t stat setting after the initial burn in. If it gets a little chilly in the morning or afternoon I'll turn the t-stat up for a few minutes and turn it down, if it gets too hot I guess I could open a window but that rarely happens. Loading at night works best for me since the biggest part of the heat comes off the stove during the burn in when it's coldest out.

That's how you burn a Blaze King in the shoulder seasons. I don't really shoot for the 40+ burns anymore, as the 24 hour schedule seems to work the best. I imagine you can do the same thing with the insert.