Burning while not home

[Vg3200p]

Trying to get to the point where we can completely get rid of propane. My question is do any of you guys that heat soley with wood leave your stoves burning and unatended while your at work? Or is this a terrible idea. Maybe better insulation to keep house warmer longer is better solution?

 

[bholler]

Trying to get to the point where we can completely get rid of propane. My question is do any of you guys that heat soley with wood leave your stoves burning and unatended while your at work? Or is this a terrible idea. Maybe better insulation to keep house warmer longer is better solution?

Absolutely my stove burns 24/7

 

[Vg3200p]

Absolutely my stove burns 24/7

Ok good to know. I guess I'm just nervous to leave it alone for a full burn with no way of knowing what's happening with the stove

 

[BigJ273]

I put a camera on mine. Cheap, like $30. Works w an app. I don’t particularly like to burn when not home, but if I have to I have that peace of mind

 

[bholler]

Ok good to know. I guess I'm just nervous to leave it alone for a full burn with no way of knowing what's happening with the stove

If it's a quality stove installed properly there is nothing to worry about

 

[kennyp2339]

Im a 24/7 burner, never an issue leaving it while its going. Funny side story, I occasionally help a friend who installs boilers and furnaces for a living, he started selling these oil boilers that had a pretty large site glass into the burn chamber, we did a large 5 section boiler for this lady, everything went well, 2 days later we're done and cleaned up, turn the boiler on and leave, we get back to his shop and his cell phone rings, the lady said he had to come back and that the fire dept was also going to the house because the boiler is on fire, we drive back to the job a little more briskly, caught the fire chief on scene, the engine already left, asked what happened, the lady said she saw flames, yup, she saw the reflection through the little 2" site glass port hole, even after explaining to her that everything was operating as normal she was still rather unsettled that there would be a fire burning inside her home anytime she needed heat, yes.. people...

 

[TheDootler]

I burn pretty much 24/7 but I'm a remote guy ever since covid. That said, burning in your sleep isn't much different than burning when you're not home.

When you're gone you might burn at a lower setting or something to be sure that, in the worst case, you get less heat. I wouldn't leave it cranked with a fresh set of wood and run off. An aside, I assume you're using a secondary air stove and not a Cat. If you were using a Cat you pretty much guarantee it'll be running while you're gone.

 

[MongoMongoson]

Get to know your stove and you will be OK with it. I burned 24/7 for about a decade.

We upgraded to a new stove last season, and found our draft is a bit too much. We now have a key damper installed and that helps a lot.

Now I feel fine leaving the stove once it gets to a certain point in the burn. That point is after the strongest secondary flames have settled down and I know it won't start to run away on me.

If I want to leave it during the day, I load it up 1-2 hours before I walk out the door. Maybe a cat stove and/or a thermostatically controlled stove could make it easier, but I do like the simplicity of the non-cat stove we have.

Seal up windows and drafts. That is the easiest thing to do that costs next to nothing and it will help stay warm while you are getting used to your stove.

 

[Bad LP]

All of the prior posts apply.
Proper installation. Pay attention to all clearances. I’m not a fan of leaving the next pieces of wood near the wood stove ‘to dry’ or having a pile of newspapers and kindling in arms reach.
Burn only properly seasoned wood and keep an eye on your chimney.

 

[stoveliker]

Yes. The point is to have knowledge of how your stove behaves. Then you can have confidence that nothing untoward will happen while you are gone.

@MongoMongoson hits the nail on the head for a non-cat stove: have the fire settled down in cruising mode before you leave.

Play with (babysit) your stove quite a few times in weekends so you get to know how it acts. Do that with a large.load (as you would do when you leave for a day).

 

[rwh63]

If it's a quality stove installed properly there is nothing to worry about

caveat to that is human error.

 

[Vg3200p]

Thanks guys makes me feel better about doing it

 

[bholler]

caveat to that is human error.

If it's installed properly there isn't allot of human error that can cause a major problem

 

[Prof]

Im a 24/7 burner, never an issue leaving it while its going. Funny side story, I occasionally help a friend who installs boilers and furnaces for a living, he started selling these oil boilers that had a pretty large site glass into the burn chamber, we did a large 5 section boiler for this lady, everything went well, 2 days later we're done and cleaned up, turn the boiler on and leave, we get back to his shop and his cell phone rings, the lady said he had to come back and that the fire dept was also going to the house because the boiler is on fire, we drive back to the job a little more briskly, caught the fire chief on scene, the engine already left, asked what happened, the lady said she saw flames, yup, she saw the reflection through the little 2" site glass port hole, even after explaining to her that everything was operating as normal she was still rather unsettled that there would be a fire burning inside her home anytime she needed heat, yes.. people...

I can relate to the side story, my in-laws are convinced that the wood stove will burn the house down--because they see the fire I think. They heat with gas, get the furnace serviced every couple decades, have stuff piled around it, burn candles (with cats in the house), and like to put pizza boxes on the burners of the stove. Oh well....

 

[firefighterjake]

Not much to add that hasn't already been said.

Not solely burning with wood . . . but about 90-95% of my heating in any given year since 2008 has been with wood with oil on call for back up heat.

As folks mentioned . . . it all begins with insuring the stove and chimney were installed per manufacturer's specifications . . . or exceeded . . . followed up with good maintenance (checking and cleaning chimney, gaskets are inspected, etc.) and developing good, safe habits (i.e. proper ash disposal, reloading procedures, etc.)

Truth be told, after over 30 years in the fire service I would wager most woodstove-related fires I have responded to have been due to a) improper ash disposal (i.e. ashes placed in cardboard box, plastic pail, etc. and left on porch, in garage, etc.) and b) chimney fires (and generally these tend to be in homes where it is pretty obvious that seasoned wood is not being burned and there is no regular inspection and cleaning going on.) I can think of a very few fires related directly to the woodstove burning -- and in every case it was because the stove was not installed properly or clearances to combustibles was not adhered to.

As mentioned the secret is to get familiar with your stove and develop the good habits so reloading a stove becomes second nature. In my case I wake up a bit earlier in the burning season (around 4-5 a.m.) and will spend at least a half hour to 45 minutes getting the stove reloaded and in "cruising" mode before I would ever think about leaving the house.

 

[kborndale]

An oil or gas furnace is a metal box with a fire burning in it. A wood stove is a metal box with a fire burning in it.

 

[Sawset]

My question is do any of you guys that heat soley with wood leave your stoves burning and unatended while your at work? Or is this a terrible idea.

Been there.
FYI, the stove here burns 24/7, all winter.
But, when it was first put in, that was not the case. It took quite a while before I was confident of 1) was I doing it right, 2) were my expectations matching what was actually happening, 3) were things happening consistently, 4) and were they consistent 100% of the time, 5) and if not, why not. The last two took a while to work through. Once those were settled, 100%, it was stoke it and go, all day every day, all winter long. I can still remember the first time I actually got in the truck and went off to get something with a fire in the stove. On the way back I saw a column of smoke on the horizon in the direction of my house and panicked. Ended up the neighbor had a brush pile fire going in the next 40 behind the house. Apparently my confidence was still not quite there yet. Now, after what would it be - loading the stove 2-3 times a day, October to April, 100s of times a season, multiplied by how many years - diligence now, but no longer anxiety.

 

[brenndatomu]

If it's a quality stove installed properly there is nothing to worry about

The only thing I would add is dry wood...burning 3-4 year CSS wood in a quality stove that was installed properly, and hooked to a proper chimney (lined/insulated in my case) makes for some peace of mind when you are away (or you and your fam is asleep)

 

[Bad LP]

I can relate to the side story, my in-laws are convinced that the wood stove will burn the house down--because they see the fire I think. They heat with gas, get the furnace serviced every couple decades, have stuff piled around it, burn candles (with cats in the house), and like to put pizza boxes on the burners of the stove. Oh well....

 

[Sawset]

convinced that the wood stove will burn the house down--because they see the fire I think

There is some truth to that. If there were full view 100kbtu gas burners visible in the livingroom, it doesn't matter if it's behind glass, it still would get peoples attention. Also, oil and gas really have little to no learning curve to operate.

 

[velvetfoot]

You want to be certain the stove is in good shape before you leave for work in the morning, especially if you're in a rush.

 

[begreen]

Our stove has been burning 24/7 all month, but I do like to be sure the air is all the way down and the fire is at a predictable point before leaving the house.

 

[brenndatomu]

You want to be certain the stove is in good shape before you leave for work in the morning, especially if you're in a rush.

Yup, when I am going out the door to work in the morning and the rest of the house is still sleeping I double and triple check that the ash pan and firebox doors are latched properly...and on my wood furnace setup I always make sure the barometric damper is doing its thing and I glance at the reading on the manometer and temp gauges too, just for extra peace of mind...always glance up at the chimney on my way out the drive too.
Never never never walk away from the stove/furnace with a door not fully latched!

 

[kennyp2339]

Just to add, one of the things I like doing is cleaning my chimney, from past experiences I know I can get away with one cleaning a season, but for me, its to easy to clean my setup, literally takes me 20min from putting my boots on to taking them off, that gives me the most mental insurance, it allows me to have a visual inspection of my work, my setup and how well I'm burning. I will clean the chimney twice a season at the minimum

 

[Dix]

It takes a bit to get comfy with leaving the stove burning. 24/7 here as well, once it's the season. Usually December through March.

Dry wood, figure out your timing for the secondaries to settle down, and your good.

Once you know it, you know it. Each stove is different.