Do you burn 24/7

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babalu87

New Member
Nov 23, 2005
1,440
middleborough, ma.
This hasnt been the coldest Winter so it may be hard to judge but I cannot burn my stove 24/7

I have to let it go out at some point in the day because the house just gets too warm
We had a day with highs in the low 20's, alot of wind and no sunshine but still had to let the stove go out and cool down due to the temperature in the house
I try to keep the bedrooms in the low 60's and that dictates I keep the living room (where the stove is located) at around 75

The house is an 1800 sq foot cape that faces due South and has two sliders and 4 other windows on the South side of the house and is less than 10 years old with 4" exterior walls and r-11 insulation on the first floor and r-13 on the second floor walls (I finished the upstairs hence the better insulation)
I know on a sunny 30 something degree day, as long as its not windy the wife lets the stove go out by mid/late morning and we dont have to start another fire until around dinner time

I am burning 90 percent Red Oak with some White Oak mixed in and will have Pine seasoned for the warmer days/nights next season

Curious to see what everyone else is getting for performance out of their stoves and how many of you burn 24/7
 
I consider the woodstove my primary heating source, even though it isn't.

So, if it needs to burn 24x7, it burns. Last week was 60 degrees during the day, so we just lit it up in the evenings.
 
babalu87 said:
We had a day with highs in the low 20's, alot of wind and no sunshine but still had to let the stove go out and cool down due to the temperature in the house
I'm sure there not too many people here that can let there stove go out when its in the high of 20's like you. I would think 50-60 would be an outside average that people let there stoves go out as we do. but there again our heat dont sit in one part of the house like yours. The day its normally about 73 in the front room ,72 kitchen , 72 back room 72 computer room and 70 up stairs. at nght it about the same except the upstairs is 68-70 . our stove is in the middle of the house and does help a lot.
 
Sandor said:
I consider the woodstove my primary heating source, even though it isn't.

So, if it needs to burn 24x7, it burns. Last week was 60 degrees during the day, so we just lit it up in the evenings.

60 during the day would be sweet :) , we did get to the low 50's last month but we just opened up windows to allow fresh air into our home and left the fire ease along with a low slow glow. 24/7 from Nov. - the end of March. most years.
 
Roospike said:
babalu87 said:
We had a day with highs in the low 20's, alot of wind and no sunshine but still had to let the stove go out and cool down due to the temperature in the house
I'm sure there not too many people here that can let there stove go out when its in the high of 20's like you. I would think 50-60 would be an outside average that people let there stoves go out as we do. but there again our heat dont sit in one part of the house like yours. The day its normally about 73 in the front room ,72 kitchen , 72 back room 72 computer room and 70 up stairs. at nght it about the same except the upstairs is 68-70 . our stove is in the middle of the house and does help a lot.

I had to stop using the top of the stairway fan so the bedrooms would remain cooler than the downstairs.
The heat, in no way, stays in one part of the house

I could keep the upstairs warmer but we all sleep better with it cooler
 
babalu87 said:
This hasnt been the coldest Winter so it may be hard to judge but I cannot burn my stove 24/7

I have to let it go out at some point in the day because the house just gets too warm
We had a day with highs in the low 20's, alot of wind and no sunshine but still had to let the stove go out and cool down due to the temperature in the house
I try to keep the bedrooms in the low 60's and that dictates I keep the living room (where the stove is located) at around 75

The house is an 1800 sq foot cape that faces due South and has two sliders and 4 other windows on the South side of the house and is less than 10 years old with 4" exterior walls and r-11 insulation on the first floor and r-13 on the second floor walls (I finished the upstairs hence the better insulation)
I know on a sunny 30 something degree day, as long as its not windy the wife lets the stove go out by mid/late morning and we dont have to start another fire until around dinner time

I am burning 90 percent Red Oak with some White Oak mixed in and will have Pine seasoned for the warmer days/nights next season

Curious to see what everyone else is getting for performance out of their stoves and how many of you burn 24/7

maybe you need to trade some of that 6 acres of red oak for some of my 56 acres of cherry!! may help your situation...
 
martel said:
maybe you need to trade some of that 6 acres of red oak for some of my 56 acres of cherry!! may help your situation...

I only need the Cherry if I am cooking fish or fowl ;)
Mmmmmmm Cherry is a tasty cookin wood for those meats
 
babalu87 said:
martel said:
maybe you need to trade some of that 6 acres of red oak for some of my 56 acres of cherry!! may help your situation...

I only need the Cherry if I am cooking fish or fowl ;)
Mmmmmmm Cherry is a tasty cookin wood for those meats

interesting you say that. I know little about cooking with wood, but I saw on ebay someone selling 40 lb bundles of cherry for $12.95 and about $12 S&H (actually could be quite a bit more depending on location)- I could not believe it!! And it is selling... people must love the stuff.

http://cgi.ebay.com/40-lbs-cherry-s...ryZ38220QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I almost considered getting in on that racket! all I can really get my hands on is cherry. not too bad for burning, but it ain't red oak.

Maybe I need to hunt some fowl with Cheney... on second thought...
 
^
If I had 50+ acres of the stuff I would get in on it
I know I buy little bags of it and would pay about $2000 for a cord at the per bag price
 
babalu87 said:
We had a day with highs in the low 20's, alot of wind and no sunshine but still had to let the stove go out and cool down due to the temperature in the house
Morso rocks!!!
 
babalu87 said:
^
If I had 50+ acres of the stuff I would get in on it
I know I buy little bags of it and would pay about $2000 for a cord at the per bag price

Out of curiosity: how much do you pay for a little bag? How many #'s in said bag? I would be happy to sell you a cord for $2000 (plus $1,000 for S&H USPS of course)...

this little racket could help buy me a much needed chainsaw...
 
In for a penny, in for a pound. I say if you're going to burn wood, then burn some wood.

We fire the boiler up in the fall and let it go out the following spring. Central heat with wood is a whole different deal than using a woodstove. In some ways, you have a lot more flexibility. You also burn a lot more wood.
 
martel said:
Out of curiosity: how much do you pay for a little bag? How many #'s in said bag? I would be happy to sell you a cord for $2000 (plus $1,000 for S&H USPS of course)...

this little racket could help buy me a much needed chainsaw...

Around $4.00 for about a pound or so of woodchips


Eric Johnson said:
In for a penny, in for a pound. I say if you're going to burn wood, then burn some wood.

We fire the boiler up in the fall and let it go out the following spring. Central heat with wood is a whole different deal than using a woodstove. In some ways, you have a lot more flexibility. You also burn a lot more wood.

I would find it easier to just keep the fire burning rather than re lighting the stove but being uncomfortably warm is no bargain either
I look forward to Winter in Summer because sweating doing nothing stinks

I looked into an outside furnace but am glad I went this route, those things burn ALOT of wood
A new indoor furnace was just too much $$
 
babalu87

my story is like your own. i had to let it go out then start it up later. otherwise i'd be well cooked by cherry. i went thru 9 contractor bags half full of oak flooring cut offs + misc kindling and firestarters because of letting it die out.
 
fbelec said:
babalu87

my story is like your own. i had to let it go out then start it up later. otherwise i'd be well cooked by cherry. i went thru 9 contractor bags half full of oak flooring cut offs + misc kindling and firestarters because of letting it die out.

Was the Oak flooring finished?
I havent burned my cutoffs (tripping over them in the basement to boot) because I have concerns about the finish on the wood having an adverse affect on the stove, especially the baffle where the secondary burn occurs
 
babalu87 said:
fbelec said:
babalu87

my story is like your own. i had to let it go out then start it up later. otherwise i'd be well cooked by cherry. i went thru 9 contractor bags half full of oak flooring cut offs + misc kindling and firestarters because of letting it die out.

Was the Oak flooring finished?
I havent burned my cutoffs (tripping over them in the basement to boot) because I have concerns about the finish on the wood having an adverse affect on the stove, especially the baffle where the secondary burn occurs

no they were unfinished.
are yours finished?
the pieces will only be there a few minutes and your only going to use a few so if you do use them to start i don't think it would bother your stove. your baffle is metal it won't notice the difference. now if you had a cat stove even tho you wouldn't be engaging the cat i wouldn't even get that wood in site of that stove.
 
Yes mine is finished
Lumber Liquidators Bellawood/Husky wood

I guess I could throw it in while the stove is HOT, finish would vaporize pretty quick

I love having a house with all those windows on the South side :)
 
if your going to burn it anyway use it as kindling. it's the best.
 
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