Question on WHEN you reload...Please give examples.

[TTigano]

Last year I started burning wood in an attempt to completely replace oil heat in my home and to use oil as a "backup" only. The first year didn't go so hot as I found out how important seasoned wood is as mine had close to a 50% moisture content. I since stacked (since last fall) approx 6 cord of firewood in single long rows to allow for a quicker seasoning process. Seems to have worked. The stove is burning great this year so far the couple times I have fired it up to get through the 30 degree nights we have had. Anywho, My question is this.... I know in order to get a nice long burn you need to have a hot stove, nice red hot coal bed and fill that bad larry up the best you can... (I've learned that EW loading works well in my Hampton HI300).... I work 3x11 and the wife is usually home around 9ish at night from work. I leave for work at 1:30 in the afternoon. If I load the stove up before I get home, (haven't experimented yet due to not wanting to crank the stove while its still 65 out during the day), I would have a nice hot coal bed when the wife gets home around 9. Should I have her only throw 1 or 2 splits on to keep the fire going until I get home at 11:30? That way, I can pack the stove full before bed and let it run all night long before the morning. Just trying to throw some ideas out to best use the wood efficiently. Thanks!!

 

[Huntindog1]

That sounds right have her only load enough wood so when you get home you can load for an all night burn.

What I like is only enough coals so when I rake my coals forward only the front half of my stoves bottom is covered with coals but they can be deep that front half of coals but I like the back half of the bottom of the stove completely empty of hot coals to load a big all nighter split back there on the bottom of the stove. Then I load the stove up from there and leave some space up front to put a nice pile of small split kindling to catch fast and burn hot to bring the stove temps back up quickly and get the air shut back down so I can go to bed. I dont want to be sitting there for a long time waiting for temps to rise in the stove.

If she puts too much wood on it and you get home your gonna have too many coals and have to load all your wood on too many hot coals and its gonna most likely take off on you if the coal bed is too hot and too big and for an all night burn your not going to be able to put as much wood in the stove if your left with too many coals that fill the bottom for example, all the way back and 3" deep.

You only need enough coals to get another load started so you can experiment with just how few a coals you need so as to be able to load in more wood.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Last year I started burning wood in an attempt to completely replace oil heat in my home and to use oil as a "backup" only. The first year didn't go so hot as I found out how important seasoned wood is as mine had close to a 50% moisture content. I since stacked (since last fall) approx 6 cord of firewood in single long rows to allow for a quicker seasoning process. Seems to have worked. The stove is burning great this year so far the couple times I have fired it up to get through the 30 degree nights we have had. Anywho, My question is this.... I know in order to get a nice long burn you need to have a hot stove, nice red hot coal bed and fill that bad larry up the best you can... (I've learned that EW loading works well in my Hampton HI300).... I work 3x11 and the wife is usually home around 9ish at night from work. I leave for work at 1:30 in the afternoon. If I load the stove up before I get home, (haven't experimented yet due to not wanting to crank the stove while its still 65 out during the day), I would have a nice hot coal bed when the wife gets home around 9. Should I have her only throw 1 or 2 splits on to keep the fire going until I get home at 11:30? That way, I can pack the stove full before bed and let it run all night long before the morning. Just trying to throw some ideas out to best use the wood efficiently. Thanks!!

That would be quite a trick to load that stove up before you get home! (Just picking.)

I agree to have her just put a couple splits in the stove lest there be too much in the stove when you want to fill it for the night burn. We also move our coals forward before loading. Then we put a large split or a round in the bottom rear and a fast burning split in the bottom front then finish filling with whatever. This tends to allow longer burns.

One thing I'd like to point out to you is another part of hearth.com, and that is the Wood Shed. There is much information there about the wood which people need to know. One thing for sure is drying time for different types of wood. When one says he has dried his wood for a year, that is only part of the equation. First, what kind of wood? That question is because you will quickly learn all wood is not created equal. One of the very best woods for our stoves is oak. However, if you cut, split and stack that wood for a year and then try to burn it.....good luck. In our house we will not burn oak until it has been split and stacked in the wind for 3 years. On the other hand, we could (if we wanted) cut some soft maple in the winter then split and stack it in the wind over the summer and then we could burn it that winter. It dries fast whereas oak gives up its moisture very reluctantly. Just different types of wood.

Good luck.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I'll throw my hat in the ring and say when not to reload. Don't reload when the stove is half full and at 600 degrees. It makes for a tense few hours afterwords.

Matt

 

[jeff_t]

You'll figure out what works for you. If you haven't really burned it hard, especially with good dry wood, maybe you should plan on doing that on your off days for the first couple of times. Then both you and your wife will know what to expect. I'd hate to be late for work because I was afraid to leave the stove.

I'll trade my secrets in exchange for the Bobcat.

 

[TTigano]

You'll figure out what works for you. If you haven't really burned it hard, especially with good dry wood, maybe you should plan on doing that on your off days for the first couple of times. Then both you and your wife will know what to expect. I'd hate to be late for work because I was afraid to leave the stove.

I'll trade my secrets in exchange for the Bobcat.

The bobcat is great until ssomething breaks on it....lol

 

[Backwoods Savage]

The bobcat is great until ssomething breaks on it....lol

Yup. But isn't that the same with all equipment. Sooner or later you are fixing.