Left the house for the first time today...

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
To get that long of a burn how hot is your stove and how warm is your house during a 24 hr burn ?
 
To get that long of a burn how hot is your stove and how warm is your house during a 24 hr burn ?

I loaded at 9ish last night, stove top hot spot right now is 330ish, most of it ranges from 290ish-330ish right now. 24 hour burns aren't gonna get it done during the cold stuff but 30's at night and 40's during the day it's enough to get it done. Stove room is mid 70's right now, rest of the lower level in the low 70's.
 
Takes some getting used to for sure but, as mentioned, there is a fire going in your furnace too. Best practice is to play with it on weekends and days you can be around to see what is going on and how it works. Once you get it dialed in you will not worry much about what's going on back home. I am more worried about leaving my gas dryer running when I am not at home than the stove. The dryer scares me. There is very little that makes better tinder than dryer lint and this thing has an open flame.

Regarding the "complete air shut down" My 30 runs great with the air completely closed. I think I just have a perfect draft to allow it to work well like this. Once the fire gets going I can slide that dealio all the way in and it cruises with complete secondaries burning. If I crack it even just a little the wood starts burning all around. Every stove will work a little differently with different flue set ups and conditions so take the time to play with yours until you are comfortable with what is going on even if you are not there.
 
Takes some getting used to for sure but, as mentioned, there is a fire going in your furnace too. Best practice is to play with it on weekends and days you can be around to see what is going on and how it works. Once you get it dialed in you will not worry much about what's going on back home. I am more worried about leaving my gas dryer running when I am not at home than the stove. The dryer scares me. There is very little that makes better tinder than dryer lint and this thing has an open flame.

Regarding the "complete air shut down" My 30 runs great with the air completely closed. I think I just have a perfect draft to allow it to work well like this. Once the fire gets going I can slide that dealio all the way in and it cruises with complete secondaries burning. If I crack it even just a little the wood starts burning all around. Every stove will work a little differently with different flue set ups and conditions so take the time to play with yours until you are comfortable with what is going on even if you are not there.

Just a FYI . . . you should be concerned . . . and generally we in the safety field tend to discourage folks from firing up their clothes dryers and leaving them unattended . . . for just the reason you listed.
 
Clothes dryers in generally or just NG fired ones?
 
Clothes dryers in generally or just NG fired ones?

From my understanding electric are less likely to have issues but can still have a fire.
 
From my understanding electric are less likely to have issues but can still have a fire.


Most common failure in an electric dryer is that the element dies (no longer gets hot).

Gas dryers have a flame burning to generate heat.

Both can burn up. Lint is the common factor for both.
 
So long as you clean out your lint trap and occasionally (yearly?) blow out your dryer exhaust, you're good to go with NG? I have NG in my house and am due for a washer/dryer refresh. NG costs less to run as I understand it, but $100 more in purchase price, just curious about the safety. Thx.
 
I loaded at 9ish last night, stove top hot spot right now is 330ish, most of it ranges from 290ish-330ish right now. 24 hour burns aren't gonna get it done during the cold stuff but 30's at night and 40's during the day it's enough to get it done. Stove room is mid 70's right now, rest of the lower level in the low 70's.
Can't beat that , thanks dust
 
From my understanding electric are less likely to have issues but can still have a fire.

I'm not sure which is more likely to have a fire honestly . . . just both can start a fire . . . in the big city where I work we have maybe one or two small fires or smoke issues a year . . . not a lot to be sure . . . but it's a regular enough for me to not leave the house while the dryer is going.

Taught a fire safety class at the local vocational school once where I spoke a bit about cleaning out the duct work . . . a year later I was back and the teacher in the class told me that I had inspired him the previous year to clean out his ductwork and what he found was a wad of lint the size of a cannonball wedged in there.

Interestingly enough . . . electric ranges are more prone to having fires vs. gas ranges.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bster13
Thanks for all your input. I have to comment about dryers gas or electric:

LINT LINT LINT!!!

I worked many years for engineers. I have done COUNTLESS photos of house fires that were caused by dryers. Going camping? Bring LINT from your dryer to start your campfires. Really.

Other dangers...dishwashers, microwaves (mostly user error-don't leave your crap unattended) exhaust bathroom fans namely cheap nu-tone fans. SOOOO many fires started by bathroom fans.

I never leave my house with any of the above running..another reason why leaving this stove is difficult BUT I am starting to trust the stove AND my judgement. :)
 
I never leave my house with any of the above running.

The way I figure it is I'd rather have it burn to the ground while my family is out of the house! No replacing a lot of family things though so I'd rather it stay standing! :)
 
Right Jake. I really question all the recent posts about folks closing their drafts all the way. I do not think it a good idea.
I really question them also and this is my first year with an EPA stove, I have spent a lot of time with my stove with different air settings, different loads and wood species.
I found it won't run right If I close my air all the way, it will still burn but It won't burn efficiently and the warmer it is outside the more air I need.
Some times I thought I had it going good then, I go out side and it's smoking like a dragon so ,I would get it where It's not smoking and take note what's going on in the stove, flame color etc.

Maybe some stoves you can close the air all the way, and I don't have the experience some here do but, to those with new stoves that are closing your air all the way down ,I suggest you go check your chimney when the air is closed all the way and see what you see.

I will add though there a lot of variables from fire to fire ,different stoves ,outside air, wind, rain, no, rain, etc.,etc.

As far as going to bed or leaving the house , I am not worried because I have played with it enough that I know what the fire going to do .
 
Last edited:
Right Jake. I really question all the recent posts about folks closing their drafts all the way. I do not think it a good idea.

I think it depends on the stove and draft. For catalytic stoves especially I don't see why it's a problem if the cat is active. On my stove with a full load I always close it completely when I leave the house. On a cold day I'd still have 1200f+ cat temps at fully closed primary...as we know the air is not truly completely shutoff with the lever at minimum by design...
 
  • Like
Reactions: HDRock
I think it depends on the stove and draft. For catalytic stoves especially I don't see why it's a problem if the cat is active. On my stove with a full load I always close it completely when I leave the house. On a cold day I'd still have 1200f+ cat temps at fully closed primary...as we know the air is not truly completely shutoff with the lever at minimum by design...
Yep, cat stoves are a horse of a different color
 
Status
Not open for further replies.