Do You Use a Steamer?

[HearthKB]

Someone mentioned to me that wood stove heat is a very dry heat. They said I should look into using a steamer of some sort to put moisture in the air.

Do you guys and gals use steamers with your wood stoves?

If so, do you use a cast iron kettle or a steamer?

 

[Cazimere]

I keep a roasting pan (no lid) with water on top : )

 

[ourmoneypit]

Since our house is far from air-tight, it gets really dry in the winter. We had below 16% humidity at some points last winter. We have an old family cast iron kettle we will be keeping on the stove, filled with water.

 

[burntime]

Half kettle on top of the insert to keep it comfy.

 

[fossil]

In northern latitudes where the average ambient temperatures go down significantly in winter, so does the relative humidity. Absent any sort of humidification, the air inside your heated home will be even lower in relative humidity, regardless of the source of the heat. A given volume of air can absorb only so much moisture at a specified temperature. Raise the temperature, and you increase the capacity of the air to absorb moisture. The relative humidity we feel is a function of how much moisture's in the air as a percentage of how much it could hold at whatever the temperature is, so if the air starts out really cold outside at low relative humidity, when it finds its way inside and warms up its relatively humidity is even lower. Air Conditioners need condensate drains because as the air is cooled, it drops below its dew point, and water is "squeezed" out of it by the decreased agitation of and space between air molecules. That's why a frosty mug of brew needs to be on a coaster. Some folks are more sensitive to dry air than others. If dry air's a problem, then humidifcation's the solution. A pot of water atop a wood stove might help a bit, but it's not likely to make a house-wide difference, unless you really get that baby steamin' big time. A commercial humidifier might be a better solution for some folks. The annual cycles in humidity are significant in conventional wood-framed house construction as well. Over time, that's what leads to the annoying "nail pops" in drywall in older (pre-drywall screw) homes, and why some doors in your home may seem to be more prone to be "sticky" in summer but not in winter. All the wood in your home expands and contracts with the cycles in humidity. Water is a fascinating thing in so many ways. %-P Rick

 

[moondoggy]

lattice top steamer from lowes.... $15. last year.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=291652-42783-615&lpage=none

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Reenact that Flashdance scene after dinner every night in the livingroom.

 

[fossil]

Reenact that Flashdance scene after dinner every night in the livingroom.

You taught your Shih Tzus to do that? :bug: Rick

 

[Jags]

Reenact that Flashdance scene after dinner every night in the livingroom.

And there it was. The excuse I was needing to drink tonight.

Not that I really need an excuse, but it helps.

 

[InTheRockies]

I keep a blue enameled coffee pot on a trivet atop the stove. Although it doesn't put out the moisture that the whole-house humidifier on my forced air furnace, it helps. Plus the wood stove costs a lot less to run than the propane furnace.

 

[KeithO]

I went through about a gal of water per day in a good quality stainless steel kettle. I tried a cast iron unit and it would hardly evaporate anything meaningful, whereas the kettle would come to a slow rolling boil. I got the impression that the cast iron being much thicker and black was radiating more heat and thereby cooling itself, whereas the stainless was pretty thin and shiney and could only pass the heat on to the water inside. I was filling up the kettle at least 3x per day and it held about 1/3 of a gallon.

The stainless also resists the measures required to remove mineral deposits inside from our well water, whereas I am sure the cast iron would just be a rustbucket by comparison. I finally threw out the cast iron kettle in the trash.

 

[karl]

I have a cast iron steamer on my insert. It's the same one from Lowe's that is linked above. It will evaporate a gallon of water a day when burning 24/7. It makes a difference. Even so, I don't think it's enough. I plan to use a humdifer too this year.

I don't think wood heat is any dryer than natural gas. If your furnace doesn't have a humidifer on it, I bet it's just as bad as a stove.

 

[northcountry]

With a double insulated stove, a kettle or steamer is not really an option, as the top never gets hot enough to boil water, or even evaporate it quickly enough to make difference..

I have a freestanding humidifier, which will easily go through 2 gals a day during the cold months.

It does make a big difference in comfort level.

 

[crazy_dan]

big $2 8 quart yard sale pot on top of mine. in the cold parts of the winter it will go through lots of water but i will keep the stove in the mid 500 - 700 range

 

[woodconvert]

If dry air's a problem, then humidifcation's the solution. A pot of water atop a wood stove might help a bit, but it's not likely to make a house-wide difference, unless you really get that baby steamin' big time. A commercial humidifier might be a better solution for some folks. Rick

Yeah, i've got a humidifier that puts approximately 13gal/day into the air and that's marginal in my case. A pot on the stove won't make any difference.

 

[North of 60]

This is why an Outdoor Air Kits for your stove is so important. Keep that humidified air in the house.

 

[woodconvert]

This is why an Outdoor Air Kits for your stove is so important. Keep that humidified air in the house.

I've got one and my house isn't air tight. The problem I have is it's a log home with wood floors, walls and ceilings. That wood sucks up moisture quicker than I can generate it or bring it in. Hell, even running the humidifier my floor planks shrink quite a bit. And I've yet to get moisture buildup on the windows like some of my buds in drywalled houses.

 

[homebrewz]

Just an old thin stainless tea kettle on top of the stove. I fill it a couple times a day in the depth of winter.
I notice a big difference when I use it (acoustic instruments stay in tune during sessions around the stove).

 

[Jukeboxfun]

lattice top steamer from lowes.... $15. last year.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=291652-42783-615&lpage=none

I just went to Lowes and picked up one of these. It's has a few little spots inside where the enamel didn't stick. I see where they tried to touch it up at the factory. It looks nice though and even with the minor flaws it seems like a great value compared to the $60-$110 ones I have seen. Thanks for the info!

 

[ScottF]

I just remember how much I dislike the high humidity in the summer around here and then it makes me appreciate how comfortable the dry warm air feels to me . This works very well for me and doesnt take a lot of effort.

If this doesnt work then I resort to the reanactment of the flash dance scene. That always does the job but only in extreme cases