PE Alderlea/Summit. Your thoughts ??

[bbc557ci]

I.d be careful going to bed with the stove air left open to any degree. The Summit I have likes to run hot. I shut the air down to all the way low and still achieve 700+ degree temps. Don't want that fine stove overfiring.

Thanks for the heads up, Hogwildz. I'm glad you mentioned that.

I don't believe my wood is seasoned all that well. It's cracking a bit on the ends, but by no means would I consider it fully seasoned. Seems I need to give it a little air to keep the stove around 450*. I don't want it to burn too low because I'm concerned about creasote build up. I figure if I keep the stove around 450 or so, I'm hoping that will somewhat keep the creasote under control.

So far all I've been able to find for wood is thesemi-seasoned flavor. I've called numerous places/people advertizing seasoned fire wood. After talking to them for a while, asking when the trees were cut, when it was split, are the ends cracking, etc. I'm finding out what they are advertizing isn't totally acurrate. The line I hear often is "it'll burn just fine" :-/

There's a guy not too far from me that has some OK wood which is where I got the stuff I'm burning now. He doesn't deliver. So I have to pick it up by the FC in my 1/2 ton short box Chevy. Works out to about 1 FC per trip and about an hour and a half to load the truck, get home, then unload and stack it. I'm working 11-12 hour days 6 days a week right now. So it's kind of a PIA, but might have to do for the rest of this season.

I had 4 cords of unseasoned delivered last week (guy said it was ok to burn.... BS). I'll stack it and use it next season. I plan to order another 6 cords in the next week or two, again for next season. Figure I'll get it now before the ground/yard softens up. Then this fall I'll order 10 more FC for the follwing season.

 

[bbc557ci]

There you go; and I bet you are in your shorts too!!

Well, it is mighty toasty in here

 

[swestall]

You are ordering a lot of wood, didn't anyone tell you that stove is not a pig???

 

[Hogwildz]

You can never have too much wood
Try to keep that stove above 500-500 when its cranking and you will be fine.
You will find its sweet spot, just need to get to know it thats all.
450 is a tad light.

 

[bbc557ci]

swestall - I'm guessing I'll use about 10 FC per season. I'm at a high elevation and no protection from the wind. The plan is to have 10 FC on hand for the season, then 10 FC stacked and seasoning for the next winter.

Hogw - Thermometer reads about 425 on the door and around 525-550 on top of the stove, with a grate pulled out and thermo on the steel. That sound ok ?

 

[Highbeam]

FC being a 4'x8' row of 16" long splits of wood is about a third of a real cord. 10 FC of 16" long splits is only 3.3333 cords measured the regular way and for a whole winter I would be getting at least 6 cords ready. I will burn most of my 10 cords of softwood this winter in a little heritage.

I hope you can get us some pictures soon.

 

[bbc557ci]

FC being a 4'x8' row of 16" long splits of wood is about a third of a real cord. 10 FC of 16" long splits is only 3.3333 cords measured the regular way and for a whole winter I would be getting at least 6 cords ready. I will burn most of my 10 cords of softwood this winter in a little heritage.

I hope you can get us some pictures soon.

About all I have to go by as far as estimating how much wood I'll use, is a friend of mine who has the same design house. In fact when I built this house 21 years ago, I got a set of plans from him. He's told me that he goes through about 12 FC per season. His stove is 28 years old, and located in his basement. My stove is in the living room and provides no heat to the basement. I'm heating less SF so that's why I'm thinking about 10 FC per season. You could be right though. I'll be sure and prepare, just in case.

pictures ..... I'm not quite done with the hearth yet. Stone work is completed under the stove area (about 4 ft. x 5 ft.). I'm also putting stone (cement fake stuff) about 7 feet to the right of the main part of the hearth, and about 2 feet off to the left. The wings have been started but not yet complete. Just ran out of time. Plus I need to locate some Ash for the face areas of the hearth. I'll post pictures when all is completed. Hopefully I'll get it done next week end ..... hopefully

 

[Hogwildz]

swestall - I'm guessing I'll use about 10 FC per season. I'm at a high elevation and no protection from the wind. The plan is to have 10 FC on hand for the season, then 10 FC stacked and seasoning for the next winter.

Hogw - Thermometer reads about 425 on the door and around 525-550 on top of the stove, with a grate pulled out and thermo on the steel. That sound ok ?

Well being I use an insert, can't say set in stone. I get at about 750 on insert face above door. If your on the steel at top, I'd think your ok. Are you getting secondary burn, and if so for approx how long?

 

[bbc557ci]

swestall - I'm guessing I'll use about 10 FC per season. I'm at a high elevation and no protection from the wind. The plan is to have 10 FC on hand for the season, then 10 FC stacked and seasoning for the next winter.

Hogw - Thermometer reads about 425 on the door and around 525-550 on top of the stove, with a grate pulled out and thermo on the steel. That sound ok ?

Well being I use an insert, can't say set in stone. I get at about 750 on insert face above door. If your on the steel at top, I'd think your ok. Are you getting secondary burn, and if so for approx how long?

Sorry, been busy as he!! with work and things around the house so not much time for computer stuff. By the time I'm done, I'm pooped. But, I think I'm starting to get the hang of wood burning.

I'm still not convinced that my wood is fully cured. But think I've figured out how to deal with it. In the a.m. and before headding to bed at night, I've been starting off with 2 small pieces (about 1 1/2 x 1 1/2) NS on top of a bed of coals. Then place 3 spits EW, then 3 splits on top of those running NS. Using this method the fire comes to life pretty quick. And I get a heat all night, with a good amount of hot coals left over in the morning.

One thing I've learned is, after loading the stove, I need to wait long enough to get a good burn going, before shutting down the air supply. When I do that, I get a good seconary burn. And the secondary generally continues until the wood is greatly burned/reduced. Thermo on the stove top will generally stay in the +600 degree range. Then as the wood burns down, naturally the thermo reading will drop.

Did I mention that I turned off my LP gas furnace on 1/21 :coolsmile: Since then I've turned it on twice to get a little heat in the basement to do some laundry. Other than that, no LP gas furnace running here

I'll try posting a pic of the stove. The stone work is done at the base. But I need to finish the baseboards around the hearth. And need to decide what to do with the wall behind the stove. I'll probably move the window over to the right. But that will have to wait for warmer weather.

 

[bbc557ci]

pic taken from upstairs. Sorry, the pic came out kind of fuzzy but you get the idea. As seen, it's usable but still needs some finishing touches.

 

[bbc557ci]

Secondary, dancing flames )

 

[begreen]

Well done. Looks like you are on the way to a warm future.

 

[bbc557ci]

Thanks BeGreen. Warm indeed. There are some finishing touches yet to complete but the "hard" part is done. By the way, the secondary burn of the T6 is mezmorizing. Warm and relaxing to watch 1st thing in the morning. Life is good )

 

[Hogwildz]

Why move the window? Thats alot of work.
If you leave the window where it is, and cool air radiated from the window will be heated by the stove. Just a thought.
Looks great btw. Thats a fine looking stove & install.

 

[BrotherBart]

Why move the window? Thats alot of work.
If you leave the window where it is, and cool air radiated from the window will be heated by the stove. Just a thought.
Looks great btw. Thats a fine looking stove & install.

Heck I would try cracking the window a little at the bottom and let it create a fresh air blower across the stove.

 

[swestall]

Personally, I wouldn't change anything excepting that I'd put a rocking chair in front of that stove and sit and alternate between looking out the window, at the stove and sipping a little coffee.
Beautiful job! Wonderful Stove.

 

[bbc557ci]

I agree with what all of you have said about the window. Just that I've never seen an install with a window behind the stove. Guess I figured it shouldn't be there, for whatever reason. It's southern exposure and lets lots of sun light in. Maybe I'l just leave it be.

And swestall, what you mentioned is exactly what I do 1st thing in the morning when I fire up the stove. No rocker, but you'll see the legs of a small wooden straight back chair at the left, in the 1st pic. I drag it over to the little table next to the recliner (covered with laundry ) and set my azz on it with the morning coffee.

Thanks for the compliments, and input on the window. Ya'll might just have saved me a week end of un-necessary work