Hi everyone! Yes it's that time of year again..
A few weeks ago I decided that since I didn't clean the chimney last year, I better. So, the dreaded job of removing all the upper fire bricks and secondary burn tubes from the Osburn 1800i ensued. It get's easier each year as I learn the tricks. Up on the roof, drop the rope down that's attached to the brush.. o.k. Steve (my son) pull the rope!! The task took a total of 3 minutes to pull the brush down and back up once. About 3 or 4 cups of ask fell into the stove, and not a bit of creosote to be found, despite running a good 2 full cords of pine through the stove last year. Ahhh the love of a good epa stove. Anyone have some pine they don't want??
So this past week, with temps falling into the 30's.. a fire was just the ticket. I'd almost forgotten how wonderful it is to watch a new fire catch.. as the wood burns in primary mode with a cold stove it's a bit like watching a campfire on a summer evening in the mountains. Then you notice the secondary's kicking in.. The flames begin to take on an odd rolling, dancing sort of character as all the smoke is being burned.. Then you see that coals have begun to form and the primary needs to be turned down.. So down to the min setting it goes and the flames slow dramatically but the secondary continues to rage at the top of the stove with an almost blast furnace character to them.. the stove pops and pings and you begin to notice the radiant heat from the stove is getting downright HOT. After a good 40 minutes. the stove is getting quite toasty and on goes the blower, and the cat notices the stove
Then my wife notices the stove! And in goes a few more splits of that pesky 100 year oak that dared stop a 34 ton splitter in it's tracks with a knot as big as a basket ball. Ahh, another heating season upon us. 8 cords of oak, maple and elm in the yard, two teen age boys to haul it all in, and a wife who is thrilled that the living room is once again 78 degrees when it's 34 outside.
And my oil heating buddies are bragging about how they're toughing it out with their LR at 62 and they just grab a few sleeping bags to keep warm.. heh.. for 6 months!!
I'm wearing shorts, and my wife is.. well nevermind.. Priceless!!
Happy burning everyone!!
Warren
A few weeks ago I decided that since I didn't clean the chimney last year, I better. So, the dreaded job of removing all the upper fire bricks and secondary burn tubes from the Osburn 1800i ensued. It get's easier each year as I learn the tricks. Up on the roof, drop the rope down that's attached to the brush.. o.k. Steve (my son) pull the rope!! The task took a total of 3 minutes to pull the brush down and back up once. About 3 or 4 cups of ask fell into the stove, and not a bit of creosote to be found, despite running a good 2 full cords of pine through the stove last year. Ahhh the love of a good epa stove. Anyone have some pine they don't want??
So this past week, with temps falling into the 30's.. a fire was just the ticket. I'd almost forgotten how wonderful it is to watch a new fire catch.. as the wood burns in primary mode with a cold stove it's a bit like watching a campfire on a summer evening in the mountains. Then you notice the secondary's kicking in.. The flames begin to take on an odd rolling, dancing sort of character as all the smoke is being burned.. Then you see that coals have begun to form and the primary needs to be turned down.. So down to the min setting it goes and the flames slow dramatically but the secondary continues to rage at the top of the stove with an almost blast furnace character to them.. the stove pops and pings and you begin to notice the radiant heat from the stove is getting downright HOT. After a good 40 minutes. the stove is getting quite toasty and on goes the blower, and the cat notices the stove
Then my wife notices the stove! And in goes a few more splits of that pesky 100 year oak that dared stop a 34 ton splitter in it's tracks with a knot as big as a basket ball. Ahh, another heating season upon us. 8 cords of oak, maple and elm in the yard, two teen age boys to haul it all in, and a wife who is thrilled that the living room is once again 78 degrees when it's 34 outside. And my oil heating buddies are bragging about how they're toughing it out with their LR at 62 and they just grab a few sleeping bags to keep warm.. heh.. for 6 months!!
I'm wearing shorts, and my wife is.. well nevermind.. Priceless!!
Happy burning everyone!!
Warren
