Still Burning, Anyone Else?

[BrotherBart]

After 30 years of dealing with wood burner's hell in Spring I bought a portable a/c heat pump and installed it downstairs. Loving this electricity sipping thing.

Yeah. Drum me out of the fraternity. But I haven't had a central heating unit in the joint since 1998.

 

[firefighterjake]

Most of the snow is gone . . . what little is left around here is in the woods. I've been able to start doing some yard work.

Temps are still on the chilly side though . . . so the woodstove is still in use.

 

[maple1]

I don't have a stove, but still burning every day. I was able to skip one day, a couple weeks ago.

Been saying 'maybe after this week', for most of this month now. There was an inch of snow on the ground this morning. So, saying it once more....

 

[begreen]

I started one today. High temp only supposed to get to 51F. It looks like it's going to be a wrap for the season with an occasional ambiance fire to counter a cool wet spring.

 

[bcrtops]

I started one today. High temp only supposed to get to 51F. It looks like it's going to be a wrap for the season with an occasional ambiance fire to counter a cool wet spring.

Live in same climate zone 200 miles south -- maybe a bit cooler, as not all that temperate water from the sound. We keep a small fire going in this cool, wet spring we are having. We do let it go out overnight sometimes, & during the day on those rare days when we have a sunny day. The experimental pallet of Bear Bricks I bought work great in this shoulder season. Get a small fire going, then add a small split & 1 brick, which makes a short small hot fire -- 2 to 4 hrs. later, before the coals go out, do it again. Works great during this 50-60F daytime weather.
(We do kick on the oil sometimes in the am, to quickly kill the chill -- but don't use much oil, as only buy 100 gals. every 2-3 yrs.)

 

[begreen]

If we didn't have the HP I too would be burning compressed fuel during this weather. We have good sources for Homefires and NIELs in the area. The HP is so much more efficient and clean that I can't justify much burning except if we are in the house enjoying the fire view. Costs less than a buck a day to stay cozy warm with the HP set to 71F day and 67 overnight..

 

[jcapler]

I am afraid I had my last one the other night. Low was 39 but the next day my wife told me it was too hot on the house. I may have tossed one more log on when I got up for the morning coffee.


Woodpro WS-TS-2000

 

[Seasoned Oak]

After 30 years of dealing with wood burner's hell in Spring I bought a portable a/c heat pump and installed it downstairs. Loving this electricity sipping thing.

Yeah. Drum me out of the fraternity. But I haven't had a central heating unit in the joint since 1998.

Is that a window unit BB ,one of those that looks just like a regular window AC but also works in reverse? OR is iut a mini split ,but those are not portable. Im thinking of looking into one. I love wood burning too but strive not to make it mandatory like a job

 

[bcrtops]

If we didn't have the HP I too would be burning compressed fuel during this weather. We have good sources for Homefires and NIELs in the area. The HP is so much more efficient and clean that I can't justify much burning except if we are in the house enjoying the fire view. Costs less than a buck a day to stay cozy warm with the HP set to 71F.

The "HomeFires" are over-priced here @ $380/pallet. NIELS are $270-300 & will buy a pallet of them for next winter. 1 NIEL log with a fir log or two & stove ALWays holds a fire over-night. Bear bricks are low-compressed, but have the btu(s), just burn faster & work well in shoulder weather. (Cheaper @ ~$200/pallet on sale)

 

[BrotherBart]

Is that a window unit BB ,one of those that looks just like a regular window AC but also works in reverse? OR is iut a mini split ,but those are not portable. Im thinking of looking into one. I love wood burning too but strive not to make it mandatory like a job

It is one of these.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BXKJZSY/?tag=hearthamazon-20

 

[Seasoned Oak]

It is one of these.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BXKJZSY/?tag=hearthamazon-20

Looks to be about 2.5 times as efficient as electric resistance heat by the numbers.

 

[jetsam]

I don't have a stove, but still burning every day.

That sounds terribly exciting!

I'd like to try that, but my wife has rules about everything.

 

[maple1]

That sounds terribly exciting!

I'd like to try that, but my wife has rules about everything.

Boiler. Kind of boring actually...

 

[jatoxico]

I'd like to try that, but my wife has rules about everything.

Such killjoys, I say go with your gut.

As far as the burning goes I see maybe one possible burn day in the forecast but other than that I think it's over around here.

 

[jetsam]

Boiler. Kind of boring actually...

Oh, that IS more boring than a campfire in the living room.

My neighbor burns 24x7x365... he has an outdoor boiler that does hydronic baseboards in the winter, and potable hot water all year. His wood gets seasoned for anywhere between 15 minutes and a couple weeks, usually.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

Oh, that IS more boring than a campfire in the living room.

My neighbor burns 24x7x365... he has an outdoor boiler that does hydronic baseboards in the winter, and potable hot water all year. His wood gets seasoned for anywhere between 15 minutes and a couple weeks, usually.

I got a friend who does that, has a pile of wood the size of his house he goes thru every year. Could save an enormous amount work and wood by properly drying it but dont even split it so no drying at all. Tried to talk to him about dry wood one time but i could see it was no use.

 

[jetsam]

I got a friend who does that, has a pile of wood the size of his house he goes thru every year. Could save an enormous amount work and wood by properly drying it but dont even split it so no drying at all. Tried to talk to him about dry wood one time but i could see it was no use.

15 cords of fresh green wood a year. No secondary combustion.

 

[maple1]

That has lots of harshness potential. My sympathies.

Indoor gasser here, 5 1/2 cords/year & no chimney sweeping needed in 5 years so far.

 

[webfish]

Thought I was done but going to be 41 for high on Wednesday and low in 30s.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

15 cords of fresh green wood a year. No secondary combustion.

Its no wonder many of those OWBs are belching smoke 24/7 and cranking up the neighbors across the country who have to eat the smoke every day. I guess the only good thing you can say about it is it provides some level of mosquito control.

 

[begreen]

Thought I was done but going to be 41 for high on Wednesday and low in 30s.

How has the Explorer worked out now that you have a season of burning experience with it?

 

[webfish]

I have loved it. Easy to operate. Glass has stayed clear. Biggest issue was it was hard to do real full loads as we would heat ourselves out of the room. Even then I had real good coals in the mornings for reload. I have good dry wood and I could tell once in awhile if I pulled some from the shed that wasn't as dry.

Looks great and heats better than I thought. Geothermal has been much more quiet this winter. Still run that as I have wirsbo floors in basement. Wife loves the wood heat and family room is 78 degrees.

 

[venator260]

I thought I was done, but some rainy and cool weather moved into the area yesterday and the house was pretty chilly. According to the weather, I'll probably fix mine for the last time Tuesday morning. This is just as well. I have some compressed wood bricks that I don't want to store over the summer, and every piece I burn is wood I don't have to move back out of the basement in the spring, as I'm doing some work to the house, and it's in the way.

 

[eujamfh]

Well with temps in the 50s and raining we ran the "big buck" for the past two nights...but upcoming temps are looking to be in the 80s so we may have just finished our season. May be pennies to run the heat pump but I always look at my seasoned stacks and think "that is free" so we burn...

 

[begreen]

Unless time, gasoline and equipment are free, the wood is not free.