Do you have a loading routine? What is it?

My normal loading routine is Bourbon/rocks & beer, repeat.

I fill the stove at bed time. I fill at 630 Am +- 1/2 hr fill at around dark . I had a VCDW , Now i have a hearthstone Equinox Ive never filled it . but i think i will need to be filled it twice a day. Ive never had a stove that wont burn over night.

Depends on the weather and how much heat I need. It could be 1 good fire per day or load it up as much as 3-4 times per day. I always try to think ahead and schedule my reloads around my daily schedule.

Ja, loading is VERY routine... I put wood in, it burns, gets too warm in the house. I wait for the house to cool down some but not so much I lose the coals, and repeat. Sometimes I open a window.

If it's cold enough, I load up the stove at night. I rake the coals to the front so that the biggest quarter split lays in the back against the bottom and back firebrick and shove ash and coals back against it and load the rest of the wood on top of it. The big split burns down slowly from the top and the firebrick sucks out enough heat and the ash keeps out enough air that the split turns into mostly black charcoal that when I dig it up to the front in the air, it takes off to resurrect the fire.

During the week when my wife and I are working its up at 5, put on a couple small splits to get the temps up and a few more coals if needed, 1/2 hour before leave house load her up, char and up to temp, damper down and out for day. Whoever gets home first loads about 1/3 to 1/2 for the evening then full load before bed.

As for what you are doing, it all depends upon how big the stove is, how full you fill it and what the size of the home is. With temperatures in 30's and 40's we don't usually put that much in at a time. Usually 3 small splits, sometimes 4. Temp in the 40's we usually build a fire and let it go out. Light another when it gets chilly inside.

I load my masonary stove at 5 am and at 5 pm. Temperature is staying at 32 outside, keeping the house about 70. Each load consist of pieces 16 inches long and fit in a single 5 gallon bucket. The firebox is only about 12 inches wide and 12 inches tall. A wheel barrow full of wood heats my house for many days.