Its hot in here!

[Backwoods Savage]

It's not too often I complain of being too hot in the cold months when wood heat is needed. But it is hot in this house!

About an hour ago my wife asked if she should keep the stove going and it was beginning to border on being too cool. So I asked her to put in 2 splits. I'm hot so went to the stove and found it at 600 degrees!

This brings the question on folks heating at this time of year and putting in 5-6 or more logs into the stove. Perhaps it is just our stove/wood combination but we usually only put in 2 or 3 splits at night too and the house is plenty warm in the morning. Of course all the insulation we added a year ago definitely helps on this.

I can't help but think back to our old Ashley and how it used to eat so much wood and we never got too warm. In fact, December-March was a true test because we were always cold then. Not so now!

 

[timusp40]

Dennis,
This is music to my ears. A few splits, a warm house and a happy wife. Exactly what I hope to accomplish sometime in the coming months. And of course turning off that dang gas furnace.

 

[milliburner]

This is the second year for the Leyden in this house. I can see a big difference this year with the wood I have. Last year was a learning year for me. I have burned wood since I was a kid, just never with a secondary burning stove. First off, my splits were way too small last year. I under estimated the size of block I could get in there. Plus, last years wood was stacked in july or august and turned to smoke starting in December. The wife decided in July that we were done with the Thelin pellet stove. Now, the extra year of drying this wood has made a huge difference in how the stove reacts to secondary combustion. I get more heat with less air, that translates into longer burn times. Last year I had to stuff in as much wood as would fit to last over night. Now, I can close it up around 10 pm with three good blocks in it and have nice coals at 5:30am.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Milliburner, that sounds very familiar as we see this several times every year. Usually until the new wood burners learn the difference between good dry wood and marginal wood, they suffer a bit. Once you burn good wood you'll never want to go back for sure.

That Leyden should prove to be a good stove for you.

 

[Slow1]

Well, we are far from the 2-3 splits. I just loaded 9 in the PH, but then again, I may be splitting smaller too. Outside temp is about 30 with low expected to be around 25 tonight. Now the good news here is that the main living part of the house will likely be about 70* through the night with the upstairs a couple degrees lower. I'll reload in about 12 hrs again and see what it takes. It is much warmer in the house than last year, was hot yesterday when I had the living area around 73 by accident.

In any case, it sure beats the oil heat and a happy wife is a great thing - she doesn't expect to ever feed this stove which makes her all sorts of happy.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Slow1, somehow it is not difficult to imagine her happiness. Glad that Progress is working out for you.

 

[milliburner]

I know the difference, I just didn't have a choice last year. Heck I even had started pilling bags of pellets for last year when she saw the leyden online and fell in love with it. Maybe I should have burned the pellets in the Leyden...

 

[dorkweed]

A happy house and a hot wife are good things

 

[corey21]

Most of the time i put in 3 or 4 sometimes 2 splits.

Sounds like you are staying warm.

 

[milliburner]

+1 on the happy house and hot wife

 

[lopiliberty]

But it is hot in this house

How hot is to hot? Anything above 90 is to hot for me and yes i have seen well above that several times this burning season

 

[nate379]

Holy chit! Anything over around 75 is way too hot for me. Hit 80* and I'm opening the windows, even if it's -10* outside!

How hot is to hot? Anything above 90 is to hot for me and yes i have seen well above that several times this burning season

 

[Slow1]

Holy chit! Anything over around 75 is way too hot for me. Hit 80* and I'm opening the windows, even if it's -10* outside!

Yeah - we hit over 72 here and I'm starting to sweat so I'd call it on the too warm side. Glad it is going to be cold tonight or it may be too warm to sleep for me... I shouldn't have put so much in the stove but oh well, live and learn.

 

[lopiliberty]

Well after starting a fire yesterday at 2 p.m. and burning through the day the house reached 90 so decided to let the stove go cold tonight. Believe it or not the lights from the christmas tree are keeping the living room at constant 90 and the stove has been out for several hours but as soon I turn the tree off the room will start to cool some. Hopefully with any luck it won't be colder than 75 in here in the morning. Probably back to starting a fire everynight this week because ITS GOING TO WARM UP AGAIN . Are we ever going to have winter again?

 

[corey21]

My house stays at around 80 i have hit 89 once i like it 80 in the house.

 

[nate379]

Is it true as you get older you need more heat??

I've gone to the old folks care home a few times and it's always super hot in there. Of course there are still a few with sweaters on complaining it's cold.

 

[tfdchief]

This time of year is a little tough but hot is better than cold!

 

[tfdchief]

Is it true as you get older you need more heat??

I've gone to the old folks care home a few times and it's always super hot in there. Of course there are still a few with sweaters on complaining it's cold.

YES

 

[lopiliberty]

hot is better than cold!

Exactly what I tell people that are shocked that I keep it that hot in my house

 

[Slow1]

Believe it or not the lights from the christmas tree are keeping the living room at constant 90 and the stove has been out for several hours but as soon I turn the tree off the room will start to cool some.

Nothing quite like electric heaters strung around a tree eh?

 

[jharkin]

When its in the 40s I'll only burn small loads and let the stove die almost completely between reloads. When it gets down to the 30s and night 20s we start running full loads but only load twice a day maybe. Don't always need a full load overnight.

When the daytime temps get down in 20s we continue full loads and just reload more often... In Jan I might do 3 full loads a day,say 6am, 2pm, 8pm. On the coldest days when it goes to single digits I'll add a partial load late afternoon so I can time the overnight fill for around 9pm.

 

[Ashful]

This brings the question on folks heating at this time of year and putting in 5-6 or more logs into the stove.

Since we're so busy, and so often not home, my goal has been stuffing the stove full and burning low, for super long burn times. The BK guys seem to do that well, and mine are similarly big cat stoves, but without any auto thermostat. I've found (so far) that I have had to scale my original plan back a bit, so instead of stuffing the stove to the lid with six big splits on a less than completely frigid day, I only use four.

I assume the dynamics of the space (eg. your improved insulation) play as big a role as the stove itself, in how you cycle that stove. I have no insulation in 75% of my house, but with stone walls varying 18" - 36" thick, and massive stone fireplaces weighing more than the average house in themselves, I have thermal inertia.

 

[PapaDave]

I have thermal inertia

I call mine long johns.

 

[PapaDave]

I agree, the insulation helps relieve the need for as much heat as before.
Good thing you didn't get the PH, eh Dennis?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Is it true as you get older you need more heat??

I've gone to the old folks care home a few times and it's always super hot in there. Of course there are still a few with sweaters on complaining it's cold.

Unfortunately Nate, this is true. The circulation just is not as good for older folks and this is why you see Grandma and Grandpa wearing so many clothes. In my case it is not just age but just one more thing that was compliments of having polio in my youth. Even as a little boy I had problems keeping warm. Bring on 80; at least in the house during winter.