mjunker said:
I don't know if this is the right place to post this, but, the question of wood stove output is something I'm looking for. I currently use a wood stove for my primary heat source and I have a problem. If i use it the house gets to hot will in use. I know make a smaller fire. But the problem with it is that around 2:00 am the house cools down to 60 or less.
The question I have is, has anyone any information about wrapping the stove with masonry to retain the heat and release over time. Is this possible or do I need to spend a ton of money buying a masonry stove? I was looking at them on line and they run upwards of $7000.00.
I was thinking about block filled with sand and covered with tile?
It is, and welcome.
Good questions--they show that you're really thinking about how to make this work rather than throwing up your hands and saying that this wood-burning is for the birds. I'm thinking some simple tweaks might be a better place to start solving your problems.
It would really help to get more detail to answer your questions. For example, if you're new to wood-burning, you may just be in the learning curve of figuring out how big a fire to have. I've found that a moderate-sized fire, sustained, keeps my home more uniformly warm over both time and space then does the roller-coaster of big-fire-burn-out-rebuild. If you're an old hand at this, it might be something else going on.
Also, details of stove, wood, stack, house, insulation, climate, all factor in. Also, what time of the day do you need the house warm? At 2 a.m., I just pull the covers up if the house is cool, but that's me; I'd rather save my wood for heating the house when it's used. Does everyone in your house get up in the morning and head off to work/school, or does someone occupy it all day long? Does the sun help heat your house during the day?
You've probably heard of the concept of Occam's Razor, the idea is that the simplest explanation for something is probably the right one. I propose a new one: Occam's Maul, to wit: the simplest solution to a problem is probably the one you should try first. Or Occam's Wallet: the idea that doesn't cost $7000 might be worth another look.
Most of us heat our homes adequately without a masonry stove or a heat-retaining wall (creative idea, that one). So before you implement something like that, I'd encourage you to eliminate all the more easily done (and undone) solutions first.
Smaller fires, yes, but burn it down to coals, set your overnight wood on a low bed of coals with the stove shut down as far as you can, and then get up at five and open up the stove and throw on another piece of wood, and slip back under the covers until the house is warmer.
If you know that the sun will have the house up to 65 by the time you get home from work, you may just want to get up in the morning, put on a sweater and have a hot cuppa, lay the evening fire, and head off to work. When you come home from work, light the fire, feed the dog, start dinner, and by then your stove will be kicking out some serious heat.
Along w/fire mangement, you may want to look at the wood you're burning. Some of it burns hot and burns out fast, other wood gives you a longer, slower fire. How long it's been seasoned matters, too.
Lots of variables, lots of if-then-buts. Set the trowel down--carefully--and tell us more.