I think we got shoulder season fires figured out, finally.
House staying around 70 -72. No smoke alarms
My wife got the "adding wood to the wood stove" down pat.
After a few mornings of smoke alarms, all windows & doors open & fans running.
Basement full of so much smoke you couldn't see. She was trying to get a bright burning fire right away, adding newspaper, kindling.
Sometimes with bypass close, sometimes forgot to open the stove T-stat. sometimes both.
For 2 mornings now, SUCCESS!!
She now turns the stove to high, opens the bypass for 5 - 10 minutes before adding wood.
BK King model.
Shoulder season fires: I add 2-3 splits at night (11PM) , set stove T-stat to 1.75 , no fan.
(I was turning the stove stat to 1, but flu got too cold & quit drafting, (adding to the AM smoke problems)
Wife adds 2 split in the AM (6AM), (smokelessly now), at temp, closes the bypass, set stove T-stat to 2.25, fan on.
I add 2 splits (or one big one) around noon - 2PM, fan off.
As it gets colder, our plan is to add one more split if the house gets colder (to her 72°f, to me 66°f).
OAT has been 22°f at night & mid 30s in the day.
Burning when it was cold last winter, no problem. With a full load at night (11PM) it would last to noon + next day.
Wife just turned up the stove T-stat to 2.5 & turned the fan on. (didn't have to add wood)
I would rake coals to center & finish the burn. (add a few splits if needed. Then load for the night around 11PM)
Getting shoulder season figured out was a little tougher. House at 76° + was too warm.
I think we finally got it.
Pic at 1130 AM today
House staying around 70 -72. No smoke alarms
My wife got the "adding wood to the wood stove" down pat.
After a few mornings of smoke alarms, all windows & doors open & fans running.
Basement full of so much smoke you couldn't see. She was trying to get a bright burning fire right away, adding newspaper, kindling.
Sometimes with bypass close, sometimes forgot to open the stove T-stat. sometimes both.
For 2 mornings now, SUCCESS!!
She now turns the stove to high, opens the bypass for 5 - 10 minutes before adding wood.
BK King model.
Shoulder season fires: I add 2-3 splits at night (11PM) , set stove T-stat to 1.75 , no fan.
(I was turning the stove stat to 1, but flu got too cold & quit drafting, (adding to the AM smoke problems)
Wife adds 2 split in the AM (6AM), (smokelessly now), at temp, closes the bypass, set stove T-stat to 2.25, fan on.
I add 2 splits (or one big one) around noon - 2PM, fan off.
As it gets colder, our plan is to add one more split if the house gets colder (to her 72°f, to me 66°f).
OAT has been 22°f at night & mid 30s in the day.
Burning when it was cold last winter, no problem. With a full load at night (11PM) it would last to noon + next day.
Wife just turned up the stove T-stat to 2.5 & turned the fan on. (didn't have to add wood)
I would rake coals to center & finish the burn. (add a few splits if needed. Then load for the night around 11PM)
Getting shoulder season figured out was a little tougher. House at 76° + was too warm.
I think we finally got it.
Pic at 1130 AM today