K.I.S.S......

[Ashful]

Ok, I see what you mean, Im serious. But what is a "proper" installation?

One that follows the manufacturer's listed application(s) and installation requirements, as well as any code requirements. For example, the manufacturer of your stovepipe almost certainly only lists it for interior applications, never exterior.

 

[clux]

I load my stove the the gills and go to bed.
I load my stove to the gills and drive away.
Never give it a second thought, been doing it my whole life. If I thought something about it was unsafe I would fix it.

 

[stoveliker]

I think there is a perception issue here. We'd never have a natural gas line made of some plastic hose found at the home Depot. But because we think we know wood fire, because we think we can act when it starts to go wrong (versus an explosion of nat gas), we think the risks are not similarly large. And thus we do nat gas as the safety recommendations require, but a wood fire in a metal box in our home can be done without similar regard to safety recommendations.

This is not to diminish any financial issues in doing things right. I get that. But ... and I'd repeat myself with the above.

 

[bholler]

I dont see how packing a stove to the gills, then firing it up, then going to bed is safe? That seems dangerous to me. I have oil heat for the late nights, but mainly wood. And I honestly dont se how the top down method is any better than old Boy Scout tee-pee. I can have a fire going and almost up to temp, faster than it would take just to pile up a top down method. To those use it, thats good, but why mess with an old method that even kids can do?

I have done that every night during the heating season for about 15 years now. My father has done it every night of the heating season for 50 or so years. Our stoves are installed properly with good chimneys so we absolutely trust the safety of our systems.

As far as top down or not it's a matter of preference really. I don't do top down. The few fires I start I do with some cardboard and kindling on the bottom. Pack the stove and hit it with a torch. But I really only start at most a dozen fires a season.

 

[bholler]

Ok, I see what you mean, Im serious. But what is a "proper" installation? One that works, or one you pay big bucks for? And I know family safety, all of that. But when I load the herd up to go to the store, Im risking life and limb, from my driving I guess, but its the other driver you got worry about. Im a good driver, yet I could still be killed just like anyone else. I dont live my life in fear. I have zero debt, I make it month to moth, and Im happy. A Lot of people on here dont like that Im doing the same as they are, which is heating a house, but Im doing it free.

A proper installation is one that follows manufacturers specifications and atleast minimum safety standards known as codes.

Yes when you drive you are taking a risk. But most of us minimize that risk as much as possible by making sure our vehicle is in good working order wearing seatbelts and paying attention to other drivers.

The same goes for heating with wood. Minimize any possible risk. It's pretty simple. No one here is upset by the fact that you are heating with wood. We are concerned for your safety. And also want to make it very clear to anyone reading this that a setup like yours is absolutely unsafe.

 

[begreen]

I have done that every night during the heating season for about 15 years now. My father has done it every night of the heating season for 50 or so years. Our stoves are installed properly with good chimneys so we absolutely trust the safety of our systems.

As far as top down or not it's a matter of preference really. I don't do top down. The few fires I start I do with some cardboard and kindling on the bottom. Pack the stove and hit it with a torch. But I really only start at most a dozen fires a season.

Likewise. No anxiety with a fully loaded stove. It's properly set up and behaves well.

 

[Ashful]

x3... as in I do it 3x per day all winter. But at the same time, let's not pretend there's never been a failure of a fully loaded stove or associated hardware. This is where respecting clearances and other install parameters will save your home.

 

[begreen]

I have seen failure and it's always me spacing out the air control.

 

[Ashful]

Just did this on one stove last night! Bypass was closed, so no harm, but I did rip thru a good bit of the “overnight” load a lot earlier than intended. Happens maybe 2x to 3x per year, I’d guess, trying to manage two stoves at the same time.

Mind your clearances folks. No matter how good you think you are at managing a stove, you or it will eventually fail.