Half cord for 3 weeks?

[acordeon]

Hi, we had our furnace go out, and it's being replaced in 3 weeks. We have an older Lopi stove insert (simple, no blower, etc.) in a masonry fireplace with no exhaust pipe - the stove just vents into the bottom of the chimney. We've got to use this as our main heat source for the next 3 weeks, which is not something we've done for any length of time before.

Have found a supplier for split, seasoned alder for a decent price. Is a half cord enough for the 3 weeks? We'd like to have a little but not a lot left over at the end.

More details:

• We live in Puget Sound area of WA state, just N. of seattle
• Right now highs are upper 40s and lows are right around freezing. Winters are usually mild, not that many hard freezes
• House is about 1900 SF
• Furnace fan still works, and the return is right above the fireplace (good design!). So we have a built in way to distribute some of the heat
• House is well insulated. We haven't been running the stove at night, and temp only drops 5-6 degrees between midnight and 6am.
• Other than that, we'd run it all day most days, as I work from home.

So: half cord, or go for a full cord?

Thanks!

 

[byQ]

Alder is a lower btu firewood so you would need more of it to equal the energy you would get from a denser firewood. In your area, Doug. fir and big leaf maple are your probable other 2 choices - unless you go for the man made logs/bio-bricks.

I would probably buy a cord if the seller has it. If you go with a half cord you could supplement the 1/2 cord with bio-bricks (or similar product) if need be.

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

a cord lasts me about 23 days burning 24/7

 

[peakbagger]

Depending on your current heat distribution system hot water or hot air, you may need supplemental heating. I would suggest a few electric space heaters to get heat to the colder spots n the home. A wood stove is a space heater and its going to heat up the space around it far more than spaces of the house that are distant from the stove.

 

[Sawset]

A supplier advertising seasoned split wood, usually means that it's snotty wet wood that isn't burnable, for this season.

 

[bholler]

I would figure out some other heat source. Burning an insert installed like yours is very unsafe.

 

[Ashful]

1. Figure closer to 1 cord per stove per three weeks, if you’re doing 3 loads per day for 100% of your heat supply. You’re in a warmer climate than me, but I suspect your stove is also less efficient, when I make this estimate.

2. As mentioned, finding dry wood is going to be a nearly insurmountable challenge. What is advertised as “seasoned” is actually almost never ready to burn in a stove.

3. The rig you have described is commonly known as a “slammer install”, and they are illegal for new installations today. Just please be sure it’s safe, get a proper inspection before sleeping while that thing is running!

 

[maple1]

1. Figure closer to 1 cord per stove per three weeks, if you’re doing 3 loads per day for 100% of your heat supply. You’re in a warmer climate than me, but I suspect your stove is also less efficient, when I make this estimate.

2. As mentioned, finding dry wood is going to be a nearly insurmountable challenge. What is advertised as “seasoned” is actually almost never ready to burn in a stove.

3. The rig you have described is commonly known as a “slammer install”, and they are illegal for new installations today. Just please be sure it’s safe, get a proper inspection before sleeping while that thing is running!

All this, plus get some electric space heaters.

 

[JohnDolz]

I would figure out some other heat source. Burning an insert installed like yours is very unsafe.

Just sent you a PM, hoping to pick your brain.

 

[billb3]

Using a slammer doesn't sound like a good idea without getting it properly installed.

I might rent an electric heater for three weeks if it was cheaper than buying . Or buy, use and sell used. Especially for a 5-6 degree drop and hope the weather cooperates.

 

[Zack R]

Probably not what you wanted to hear but here's what I'd recommend:

- A slammer install with no dry wood = wasted effort and $$$.
- Spend a few hundred bucks and buy some decent space heaters to hold you over, sell them afterward if needed

When you say furnace "went out" do you mean its unrepairable? Seems like the HVAC pro's could at least get it back online until the replacement is installed.

If you said that the wood stove was properly installed and the only question was of buying dry wood I'd say go for it as long as you can track some down.

Good luck!

 

[Socratic Monologue]

I had never heard of a 'slammer install'. Looked it up.

Holy cow! Please don't light a fire in that. That isn't remotely safe.

 

[kennyp2339]

Bad idea with slammer, they are generally unsafe but more for your case since there is no direct attach liner, running the stove into the coaling stage and still having the house fan can be a recipe for disaster with co gas coming into the living area and being distributed around the house (especially when sleeping, you would never know)
Also when was the last time the chimney was inspected / cleaned out? This is not a good idea, period.

 

[bholler]

Bad idea with slammer, they are generally unsafe but more for your case since there is no direct attach liner, running the stove into the coaling stage and still having the house fan can be a recipe for disaster with co gas coming into the living area and being distributed around the house (especially when sleeping, you would never know)
Also when was the last time the chimney was inspected / cleaned out? This is not a good idea, period.

No slammers have a drirect connect pipe. Slammers are inserts simply slid into the fireplace with no connection at all.

 

[kennyp2339]

No slammers have a drirect connect pipe. Slammers are inserts simply slid into the fireplace with no connection at all.

Re-read my reply -

 

[blacktail]

Others covered the instal issue.
I'm in the same area as you and heat about 1200sf primarily with an insert. My heat hasn't kicked on yet this season.
I just moved some wood around and did some measuring. My first fire was Sept 16th and I've burned a half cord of maple, plus a small amount of alder so far.

 

[bholler]

Re-read my reply -

Ok I took it as you saying no slammer is ok but theirs is worse because it has no direct connect. I guess I misunderstood sorry

 

[maple1]

Ok I took it as you saying no slammer is ok but theirs is worse because it has no direct connect. I guess I misunderstood sorry

That's what I read also.

 

[Ashful]

Now I’m lost. I was all prepared to say that while a slammer is a bad setup for long-term, I’d not hesitate to use one for three weeks if I were cold, and someone had recently cleaned and inspected it. But you’re indicating something more acutely unsafe, here?

 

[kennyp2339]

But you’re indicating something more acutely unsafe, here?

yes, stove has no pipe coming out of it, its just sitting in the fireplace, op wants to run the stove and circulate the air using hvac fan that has the air return above fireplace, recipe is the draft slows towards end of burn, co then gets sucked into hvac, op is sleeping and never wakes up.
lopi stove more then likely has 6" stove collar, chimney is masonry that was built for a fireplace, prob 8.5" x 13" in size, think volume of fire place for venting... draft for the stove has already got to less then ideal, warmer temps 30's & 40's outside, then add hvac pulling air from the same area.

 

[Paulywalnut]

Hi, we had our furnace go out, and it's being replaced in 3 weeks. We have an older Lopi stove insert (simple, no blower, etc.) in a masonry fireplace with no exhaust pipe - the stove just vents into the bottom of the chimney. We've got to use this as our main heat source for the next 3 weeks, which is not something we've done for any length of time before.

Have found a supplier for split, seasoned alder for a decent price. Is a half cord enough for the 3 weeks? We'd like to have a little but not a lot left over at the end.

More details:

• We live in Puget Sound area of WA state, just N. of seattle
• Right now highs are upper 40s and lows are right around freezing. Winters are usually mild, not that many hard freezes
• House is about 1900 SF
• Furnace fan still works, and the return is right above the fireplace (good design!). So we have a built in way to distribute some of the heat
• House is well insulated. We haven't been running the stove at night, and temp only drops 5-6 degrees between midnight and 6am.
• Other than that, we'd run it all day most days, as I work from home.

So: half cord, or go for a full cord?

Thanks!

 

[Paulywalnut]

Any way to run a few space heaters in conjunction with lopi? Alder is ok but very light. Can you see if you can get some hard maple or beech to burn with the alder? Good luck. You’re in a cold zone!

 

[Rob711]

One post about running unsafe stove, now nothing. Hope op isn’t dead.

 

[bholler]

Now I’m lost. I was all prepared to say that while a slammer is a bad setup for long-term, I’d not hesitate to use one for three weeks if I were cold, and someone had recently cleaned and inspected it. But you’re indicating something more acutely unsafe, here?

Not is unsafe for any amount of time.

 

[Woody Stover]

I was all prepared to say that while a slammer is a bad setup for long-term, I’d not hesitate to use one for three weeks if I were cold, and someone had recently cleaned and inspected it. But you’re indicating something more acutely unsafe, here?

using hvac fan that has the air return above fireplace, recipe is the draft slows towards end of burn, co then gets sucked into hvac, op is sleeping and never wakes up.

This place didn't have a furnace with a return right above the stove, but might have been almost as bad WRT CO threat, I don't know.
My wife got down here a couple months before I did and her grandma bought her an Englander 24, a radiant plate-steel cigar-burn stove. The guy put a 1/4" steel plate over the masonry fireplace opening, no sealing insulation strip around the edge, then ran the rear-vent through it, dumping into the fireplace. At least an insert would have been exhausting a bit closer to the smoke chamber above the lintel. So volatile gasses built up in the firebox of the fireplace and my wife opened the door to add wood. KABOOM! The gasses ignited, blowing the stove door wide open and knocking my wife on her butt! I'm not sure but I think that to be legit, the bare minimum, the direct connection shown below, would have to be done with insulated rigid chimney or insulated flex liner. As bholler has stated, almost no masonry chimneys have the required clearance to combustibles where an un-insulated chimney could be used.
If he is handy, the OP could possibly install a direct-connect setup, but he doesn't sound interested in using the insert once the furnace is back on line. Me, I would want to go ahead and do it for backup heat in case of future power outages.