Anyone else keep a small fire going even though it's 55- 60* out.

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Top reason for keeping a small fire going even when it’s 50’s or 60’s out.

  • Can’t stand NOT having one in January

    Votes: 8 27.6%

  • Force of habit

    Votes: 14 48.3%

  • Keep the building / furnishings up to temp

    Votes: 7 24.1%

  • Try to ’time’ the full burn cycle needed later.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    29
Status
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WoodpileOCD

WoodpileOCD

Minister of Fire
Jan 19, 2011
722
Central NC
It's shoulder season here AGAIN. Arrgggg... >:-( :coolgrin:

I like the comfort of having a small fire going even if the house is staying at 70. With my old dragon I wouldn't do this because it just went through the wood too fast even when shut down but this stove can go for 4-6 hours or more with just 3 small splits. This picture is just that. Cleaned the ashes this morning and added 2 pieces of kindling and 3 small splits and this is 2-3 hours into the burn. Just feels unnatural this time of year to come into the room and not feel heat coming from the stove. Also I think it helps to keep the mass up to temp. Makes it easier tonight when it starts to get cold out again.

Anybody else have fires as much for creature comfort as for heat in this type of weather?

Edit: probably should have added leaky house to the poll.
 

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No temps like that here till spring. In a fluke situation if it arose, and was only for the day, I woul load up 2 huge splits that take up the entire fire box, and let them cruise at minimal temps. If its more than a day, out goes the stove.
 
I voted but should add it's only if we're home. If it's above 35/40 we let the stove go cold during the day if we aren't home. I don't understand how or why, but it doesn't seem to drop below 60 then. Let it get much colder and you can't chase the cold out unless you crank the stove up to 600-700 (top temp). We're leaky window and door wise and have little attic insulation, so my only explaination is that we get the thermal mass up enough in the floor (we're on a slab) to keep warm. But I really don't know.
 
We don't burn when it's above 50F. It's cheaper and easier to let the heat pump carry the logs.
 
Winter weather like we have is a pain. Yesterday high of 60* - let stove go cold. Today high of 60*, low of 30* tonite. So, I need to light a fire at 10pm or electric resistance strips will come on. Weird winter in lots of places.
 
54 outside here i don't light a fire till temps get down into the 30's.
 
uhh if its warmer than 50 out im opening the windows!! but then again that is over 100 degrees warmer than our current temp of -53.
 
this winter here sucks the other day 65 and then next day hell 15 hrs later 18 degrees. now again 50 and tomorrow 30 or less. ill have a fire at night usually it goes down mid 40s so i burn.
 
Just got home from work a short time ago. Temp in my truck was 56 at 3 and 46 at 5:30 so gettin ready to put some wood on for the evening. Supposed to be 20 tonight.
 
Is this a trick question? If it is only 55-60 degrees and you want your home to be 70-80 then you must add heat to the living space. Those of us that heat 100% with wood must burn a fire for this heat. I don't keep a fire going, but I do burn a fire if it gets below 70.
 
Dont need any additional heat at those temps .Its usually 20 Degrees warmer inside than outside. A little passive solar,plus heat from cooking showers,ect ect. On sunny winter days the sun porch provides almost 100% of our heat until about 3 hours after sundown no matter what the outside temp is.
 
I don't get that warm in January. If I did, no way there would be a fire going. However, when we do get a warm spell I used to keep the ash bed deep and let the coals wait for me in there with 2 small loads a day.

Then....... I bought a box of super cedars. If I don't need heat, the stove goes out and then gets started when I need it again.

pen
 
If it's that warm I can do 40 hrs on a load anywho.
 
Its 53 degrees outside(and falling) right now and the only reason I have a SMALL fire(if thats even possible) is to keep the rain from coming down the flue because during the winter we remove the flue cap. If I didn't have a fire the rain would come straight down the flue and fill the stove with water. By the way it is exactly 85 degrees in the living room with 2 splits in the stove and 2 windows and the patio door open. I WANT IT TO GET COLD!!!!!!
 
As much as I love burning my stove I do have my limits, its 64 here now with 74 degree house temp. Forcast to 54 tonite, if I fired up now it would be 80 in the house before I knew it and I just can't sleep at that temp. This winter is been very frustrating....
 
RandyG said:
As much as I love burning my stove I do have my limits, its 64 here now with 74 degree house temp. Forcast to 54 tonite, if I fired up now it would be 80 in the house before I knew it and I just can't sleep at that temp. This winter is been very frustrating....
Click to expand...
You live in Florida!
Would have bet money that no one n Florida has a wood stove!
You people have washers and hot water heaters outside even! lol
 
Cold front coming through tonight..already windy..35mph+..maybe up to 65mph latter..22F by morning...bout 45f now.
 
bsj425 said:
uhh if its warmer than 50 out im opening the windows!! but then again that is over 100 degrees warmer than our current temp of -53.
Click to expand...

That gives me a whole new perspective on our weather!
 
HotCoals said:
RandyG said:
As much as I love burning my stove I do have my limits, its 64 here now with 74 degree house temp. Forcast to 54 tonite, if I fired up now it would be 80 in the house before I knew it and I just can't sleep at that temp. This winter is been very frustrating....
Click to expand...
You live in Florida!
Would have bet money that no one n Florida has a wood stove!
You people have washers and hot water heaters outside even! lol
Click to expand...

That's my kind of bet! ... and yes my washer/dryer is outside in a detached garage but I moved the water heater inside a couple years ago when I switched to electric....what about it :coolsmirk:

59 outside/ 71 inside, house is good down to about 55 outside but need to burn below that. Very mild winter and I'm not complaining.......except for lack of ducks to hunt :coolmad:
 
i keep a fire smoldering on days like today....it was 58 degrees out....i bet my heat pump doesnt run for no more than an hour all winter long..thats why i heat with wood....
 
ChillyGator said:
HotCoals said:
RandyG said:
As much as I love burning my stove I do have my limits, its 64 here now with 74 degree house temp. Forcast to 54 tonite, if I fired up now it would be 80 in the house before I knew it and I just can't sleep at that temp. This winter is been very frustrating....
Click to expand...
You live in Florida!
Would have bet money that no one n Florida has a wood stove!
You people have washers and hot water heaters outside even! lol
Click to expand...

That's my kind of bet! ... and yes my washer/dryer is outside in a detached garage but I moved the water heater inside a couple years ago when I switched to electric....what about it :coolsmirk:

59 outside/ 71 inside, house is good down to about 55 outside but need to burn below that. Very mild winter and I'm not complaining.......except for lack of ducks to hunt :coolmad:
Click to expand...
lol.gif
 
oh i keep it going all winter long......hell or high water....maybe not a full fire, just a split or two here and there if its warm out. But I will say this, it is winter and it is supposed to be COLD OUTSIDE.....the weather can be f###ed up all it wants, I'll have that fire going based on principle alone..... :coolmad:
 
I don't usually mess with the stove once it gets into the upper 30s-low 40s at night.
 
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