New Member Introduction – Learning About Wood Stoves

[Zynthal]

Hello everyone,
I’m new to The Hearth Room and wanted to introduce myself. I’ve been spending time learning about wood stoves and fireplaces and came across this forum while researching and reading through different discussions. There’s clearly a lot of experience and practical knowledge here.


I’m looking forward to learning more about stove operation, maintenance, safety, and best practices, and hopefully contributing as I learn. Glad to be here and thanks for having me.

 

[begreen]

Welcome. Pull up a seat by the fire and take the chill off.

 

[vatmark]

Welcome. I came to these boards when we first got our wood stove. I knew nothing about operating a wood stove or anything else involved. I have learned so much from these boards and I am still learning. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Very helpful group here.

 

[John Lehet]

I had already been burning wood for 30 years when I first signed on here in 2013. I guess I might have learned what I needed to know at that point for whatever issue I was facing, but it’s only recently I’ve been paying close attention, and learning so much more than I ever knew before recent years. I was doing well enough: heating the house and no creosote in the chimney, but only through what I’ve learned here in recent months have I been able to take it to the next level.

First rule of course is to pay attention to what’s going on in your stove and chimney. No smoke coming out of the chimney, no smoke smell? You’re probably doing something right at that point. See smoke and smell it? You’ve got to go inside and adjust your stove. How you set your stove and what result you get — you can get feedback right away. How you source and store and season your wood — that’s a slow learning process with slow feedback, so there’s a lot to learn here before you make mistakes. Nuances of different stoves and how they burn, so much to learn here that you can’t learn without going out and trying every stove. And so much more.

Welcome and good luck.