Just when I get the hang of things....

GAMMA RAY said:

I was just thinkin...smaller hotter fires than large ones with the air turned down very low.....am I correct about that. My husband said you can still fill the box with wood just burn it low, but I want to maintain a good flue pipe temp. I always like to get the temp on the flue up on reload then set it and cruise. So I should do that???
I love this woodburning sh&%. The girls at work said I will have to go on an antidepressant when woodburning season is done because I will suffer some trauma. That's what those firepits are for in the back yard....I'm gettin one of those mothers.

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Small hot fires with the air turned down very low..... Sounds like an oxymoron there.

Don't get too hung up on flue temperatures when you only need a little bit of heat. I am all for NOT filling the firebox when you need only a little bit of heat and also think sometimes this is where some folks get started good on the creosote buildup. Better to have a few splits in than a full box.

You will be having more fun as you learn how to run that stove with varying temperatures. The next thing you will want to start learning is the difference in the types of wood; how do they burn differently. You will find that some wood is best for this time of the year while others are best burned during the really cold parts of the winter.

Don't worry. You won't run out of things to learn. I've been at this game for a while now and still learn.

sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders when it comes to burning. and more importantly, not afraid to ask questions!!

GAMMA RAY said:

freakin weather breaks.....I am so used to jam packing the stove for the cold weather, it seems strange now. I have been only throwing in a couple splits to keep the fire going, and letting the coals burn down more. I guess from what I have read everyone else does that too. I opened a few windows today, but tomorrow nite they are calling for 15 degrees so I want to keep the stove going. Does anyone have any warm weather tips other than what I am doing???

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If you have to open windows while the stove is going, your just wasting wood. Enjoy the weather, give the stove a little break, clean out the ashes and SAVE YOUR WOOD for the days you really need it.

In the shoulder season, I just burn intermittently. When the kitchen gets up to 73 or more I just let the stove go out. It can take a day or two to drop down into the 60's if it's 40 degrees outside, then a fire would feel good I fire it up with a full load and bring it back up to 73 or so. The house is big, so it takes a full load to raise the whole house by 5 degrees.

I also am experimenting with the basement stove at these times, but I expect that the second floor will get cold with just the basement stove.