First overnight burn...am I paranoid?

[alfalfa]

Last night I had my first all night fire. I fell asleep at 2 a.m ...woke at 4 a.m. slept from 5 to 6:30 a.m. The house was toasty, however, I am tired! I slept on the floor in front of the stove. It was uncomfortable and very warm! I had no issues but could not leave the stove and go to bed. Am I alone? Can you relate?

 

[gmule]

That sounds perfectly cautious to me but I slept on the couch until I could trust the new install. 2 years later I still get up to take a look and check the surrounding area temps.

 

[Oldhippie]

Last night I had my first all night fire. I fell asleep at 2 a.m ...woke at 4 a.m. slept from 5 to 6:30 a.m. The house was toasty, however, I am tired! I slept on the floor in front of the stove. It was uncomfortable and very warm! I had no issues but could not leave the stove and go to bed. Am I alone? Can you relate?

You will learn to trust it. I remember when I used to worry when I left the house empty with the woodstove going. Now I don't think twice about it.

Learn your stove, have a proper install and keep a clean flue, burn clean and you'll be fine.

But yeah.. you need to build some trust.. and you southern boys.. well... It's not like you been brought up with them.

 

[Prof]

I had similar concerns when I started, but then I thought about it a bit--the oil furnace has burned for years and I never gave it a thought. I understand he operation of a wood stove much better than the furnace. I'll choose the fire I understand any day over the fire I don't.

 

[corey21]

I have slept on the couch some but not right in front of the stove.

 

[loudog]

Just started overnight burns a week or so ago as a newbie. The first couple nights were rough, I slept upstairs in my bed, but I was on edge and came down once or twice. I'm already used to it though, I trust the stove/install and my ability to adjust things to maintain the proper stovetop temp. I sleep like a (warm) baby now...and I'm sure you will too soon enough.

 

[firecracker_77]

You'll get used to it. Just keep the stove temps in a safe range and then go to bed when sure it's all sealed up tight with no combustibles nearby.

 

[PapaDave]

Best thing to do to alleviate the concern is to set up the stove during the day when you'll be around to observe.
Once you know how the stove behaves, it's much easier to sleep or leave the house while there's a fire in the stove.

 

[BrotherBart]

Everybody does it for a while. That and stumbling outside to look at the chimney. Perfectly normal.

 

[remkel]

I have to go down two flights of stairs to get to the stove in the basement from my bedroom. I have never gotten up during the night to check on the stove (but I also grew up with stove heat). One reason may be because I am used to it, the other is that I am just too lazy to walk down all those stairs. Either way, there are smoke detectors throughout the house, carbon monoxide detectors in strategic locations, and the chimney runs by the outside wall of my bedroom so I should have warning if there is a huge issue (ok, may not hear a fire in the chimney).

Maintain your clearances from combustibles, clean that chimney, and remember to close and latch the door on the stove. Everything will be fine.

 

[mfglickman]

Last night I had my first all night fire. I fell asleep at 2 a.m ...woke at 4 a.m. slept from 5 to 6:30 a.m. The house was toasty, however, I am tired! I slept on the floor in front of the stove. It was uncomfortable and very warm! I had no issues but could not leave the stove and go to bed. Am I alone? Can you relate?

Yup, same here. Kind of like having a newborn in the house, you can't quite walk away without wanting to run back and check every few minutes, even though you know you've followed all the safety rules and s/he looks just fine and dandy...

 

[fire_man]

I even worry about using my gloves to load the hot stove, picking up a spark while loading, and transferring the spark to my steel loading bin. What if a tiny ember falls off the glove and smolders in that loading bin? I try to load with one hand and pick up new wood with the other, so my stove glove never touches the bin.

So no, you are not paranoid - you just have to develop safe habits.

 

[mfglickman]

I even worry about using my gloves to load the hot stove, picking up a spark while loading, and transferring the spark to my steel loading bin. What if a tiny ember falls off the glove and smolders in that loading bin? I try to load with one hand and pick up new wood with the other, so my stove glove never touches the bin.

So no, you are not paranoid - you just have to develop safe habits.

Yeah, I wiped down the wood floor in front of the hearth last night with a wet towel after sparks popped out onto the slate hearth - I just didn't see them all resolve, and the floor has some old "scars" from embers past and it gives me the chills.

 

[Oldhippie]

Everybody does it for a while. That and stumbling outside to look at the chimney. Perfectly normal.

Hopefully the stumbling isn't due to having a snootful!

 

[WellSeasoned]

When I bought the stove, I didn't plan on having it for overnight. I just didn't know any better. The kind folk here at hearth explained its no problem. I too slept on the couch for almost a week. I would go outside to check the chimney during the day and by flashlight at night. This is my second season, and am still cautious. Always will. But I am at ease, will load the stove before work, wait until its where I want it, than leave. I am training my eleven year old slowly. I can call him in the morning and he'll fill me in on stack and stove temps. The wife also runs the stove well. Its ok to be cautious, thats a good thing! When times are busy, I will use a timer, just in case after reload.

 

[topknot]

I have pretty decent confidence in the install of this FP, having seen the entire process from start to finish so I haven't worried about it the couple of times I've gone to bed with a fire going. Now in our old farmhouse with an insert, I initially worried about it. Then we lost power for a week due to an ice storm. That fire kept us toasty warm and I learned to trust the stove. I also grew up in houses that had wood heat in Michigan, so it's not a foreign thing to me either.

Having said that, I can still understand the nerves and apprehension to leave it unattended. There is a lot at stake.

Now, I need to go search this forum for info on CO detectors.

 

[Dakotas Dad]

Slept on the floor??

Heck you need a couch or a recilner.. I still sleep down there sometimes just because I can.

 

[colin.p]

I've been burning wood for years and there is nothing (slight exaggeration) I like better, than falling asleep in the recliner by the stove when all the lights are off and everyone else has gone to bed.
Well at least until I half swallow my tongue, from my head being too far back, and half choking to death.

 

[firecracker_77]

Caution is good. If installed properly without combustibles nearby and a clean chimney...there isn't too much to fear.

 

[topknot]

I've been burning wood for years and there is nothing (slight exaggeration) I like better, than falling asleep in the recliner by the stove when all the lights are off and everyone else has gone to bed.
Well at least until I half swallow my tongue, from my head being too far back, and half choking to death.

Hahaha! Indeed.

 

[MofoG23]

Nope, you're not paranoid. I did the same thing myself, not sleeping in front of the stove, but I did check on it throughout the night....and as BB said, peeked on the chimney a few times. Give it a couple nights, watch it during the day so you can see its a safe setup....then sleep well at night.

 

[bogydave]

Last night I had my first all night fire. I fell asleep at 2 a.m ...woke at 4 a.m. slept from 5 to 6:30 a.m. The house was toasty, however, I am tired! I slept on the floor in front of the stove. It was uncomfortable and very warm! I had no issues but could not leave the stove and go to bed. Am I alone? Can you relate?

"The norm"
A prudent thing to do to make sure all is well.
Smoke/CO alarms will wake you if any problems.
Enjoy

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Everybody does it for a while. That and stumbling outside to look at the chimney. Perfectly normal.

Wrong! Not everybody.... But I admit that I am weird.

 

[ohlongarm]

Last night I had my first all night fire. I fell asleep at 2 a.m ...woke at 4 a.m. slept from 5 to 6:30 a.m. The house was toasty, however, I am tired! I slept on the floor in front of the stove. It was uncomfortable and very warm! I had no issues but could not leave the stove and go to bed. Am I alone? Can you relate?

Perfectly understandable,but for added piece of mind always have a smoke alarm in close proximity to the stove,and a carbon monoxide detector in your bedroom,sleep soundly.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I have to admit this thread has me scratching my head. I never dreamed folks had so much fear over a stove. I also never thought anyone would burn during the daytime and not at night. Seems natural to keep that thing burning and in the end it is a lot easier. So if anyone has some fear, I agree with PapaDave. Burn it on a weekend during the day but fill it and set it as if it were for an overnight burn. Watch what happens. That should calm some nerves.