New to Burning, saying hello

[mxchamp04]

Just found this site and looked around a little. I just bought a Napoleon 1402 insert for my fireplace. I hope I made the right choice. If anyone has experience with this stove i would like to hear it. Have 2 cord of wood right now, but looking at more. How easy is it to scrounge wood? Any insight from all the knowledge about anything will help.

 

[corey21]

Welcome.

If possible you need seasoned wood but i doubt you will find any at this time of year. These EPA wood stoves need good dry SEASONED firewood to operate correctly.

 

[Pallet Pete]

Just found this site and looked around a little. I just bought a Napoleon 1402 insert for my fireplace. I hope I made the right choice. If anyone has experience with this stove i would like to hear it. Have 2 cord of wood right now, but looking at more. How easy is it to scrounge wood? Any insight from all the knowledge about anything will help.

Welcome to the forums MXchamp04

First you really need to season your wood ( cut split stacked ) for at least 1 year 2 if possible in order to have good clean burns. Being ahead on firewood will be your savior if you ever loose a job or something else happens and you need heat as well. Think of it as money in the bank ! Could you tell us more about your home how many stories where your at how many square feet. All of this helps ! Have you done the installation yet and did you purchase a chimney liner to go with your stove ? As for scrounging I have to be pretty aggressive because we dont have a lot of property so we end up taking downed trees from friends scrounging from friends with woods and picking up road crew left overs. It is not hard and most people will say please take it out of my yard. At least those I ask with downed trees.

Good luck
Pete

 

[remkel]

Hello. Here are the cliff notes:

Dry wood, get ahead a year or two, split verticle not horizontal, get a thermometer for your stove, watch the learning curve, check the flue (especially if your wood is not dry).

Oh, and welcome to the forums.

 

[mxchamp04]

The 2 cord I have now are seasoned. One of the reasons for getting the stove, also my wife grew up heating with wood. I live in a Colonial and it's relatively new, so it's very energy efficient.

 

[mxchamp04]

The wood

Welcome to the forums MXchamp04

First you really need to season your wood ( cut split stacked ) for at least 1 year 2 if possible in order to have good clean burns. Being ahead on firewood will be your savior if you ever loose a job or something else happens and you need heat as well. Think of it as money in the bank ! Could you tell us more about your home how many stories where your at how many square feet. All of this helps ! Have you done the installation yet and did you purchase a chimney liner to go with your stove ? As for scrounging I have to be pretty aggressive because we dont have a lot of property so we end up taking downed trees from friends scrounging from friends with woods and picking up road crew left overs. It is not hard and most people will say please take it out of my yard. At least those I ask with downed trees.

Good luck
Pete

The stove dealer is installing the stove. He told me a liner all the way to the top of the chimney. My house is around 1800 sf.

 

[mxchamp04]

Hello. Here are the cliff notes:

Dry wood, get ahead a year or two, split verticle not horizontal, get a thermometer for your stove, watch the learning curve, check the flue (especially if your wood is not dry).

Oh, and welcome to the forums.

Thanks. My daughter is a senior in high school. Just applied to Keene State, it's her first choice. Hoping she gets in.

 

[BrotherBart]

Welcome. It is a fine stove and you are going to like it.

Now, hang around and after it is installed the folks here can help you with getting the most out of it.

 

[etiger2007]

not going to mention seasoned wood as its been mentioned already. just to be blunt you will probably get hooked on burning wood and need a support group ,and thats where we come in as we are all sick here. scrounging will become a sixth sense you will see dollar signs w
hen you see downed trees , while splitting youll say to youself theres another day of free heat. be prepared and welcome to the forum

 

[mxchamp04]

not going to mention seasoned wood as its been mentioned already. just to be blunt you will probably get hooked on burning wood and need a support group ,and thats where we come in as we are all sick here. scrounging will become a sixth sense you will see dollar signs w
hen you see downed trees , while splittining youll say to youself theres another day of free heat. be prepared a:nd welcome to the forum

LMAO on that one. Wife too.

 

[mxchamp04]

How about burning pine? Probably have an endless supply here as we have a wood drop off dump in town, and there's plenty over there.

 

[begreen]

Pine is fine, lots of folks in the west burn it. The key like any wood is to split it and let it dry before burning.

 

[evilgriff]

Only thing with pine is with it's lower BTU content, you will need more compared to hardwoods. But if the price is right and it's dry, burn it. Welcome.

 

[Wood Duck]

I wish my township had a dump full of free pine. Take all you can get and get it split and stacked now. You have only one year until next year's burning season! If you are a dedicated burner you could burn four cords a year in your insert, I think.

 

[mxchamp04]

I wish my township had a dump full of free pine. Take all you can get and get it split and stacked now. You have only one year until next year's burning season! If you are a dedicated burner you could burn four cords a year in your insert, I think.

I'm gonna head over there very soon. I've resigned myself to the fact that I will have to likely buy wood for this year. I am going to pick up 2 cord today, guy wants 150.00 for it all. That's less than half the price around here. By the pics he sent me, it looks like a little more than 2 cord, we will see.

 

[MasterMech]

LMAO on that one. Wife too.

She may not be laughing once she sees the bills this place racks up. Fancy IR temp guns, Pro-Grade saws, hydraulic splitters, ash vacs, wood storage racks, Soot Eater, truck, trailer, ......

Don't even think about getting in cahoots with the Boiler Room crowd...... They know how to spend it!

"Hun I thought this was going to save us money?!"

Better run/hide now.

Welcome, it's already too late for you.

 

[mxchamp04]

She may not be laughing once she sees the bills this place racks up. Fancy IR temp guns, Pro-Grade saws, hydraulic splitters, ash vacs, wood storage racks, Soot Eater, ......
"Hun I thought this was going to save us money?!"

Better run/hide now.

I hear ya. I have already looked at a new saw, but I have an eager beaver that works just fine. No log splitter, that's me, I love to work out, but I'm not getting younger, so maybe in the future.

 

[MasterMech]

How about burning pine? Probably have an endless supply here as we have a wood drop off dump in town, and there's plenty over there.

Canada would be miserable place to live if you couldn't burn pine.......

 

[MasterMech]

I hear ya. I have already looked at a new saw, but I have an eager beaver that works just fine. No log splitter, that's me, I love to work out, but I'm not getting younger, so maybe in the future.

I'm 29, look at my signature.

 

[Huntindog1]

Welcome

Season Wood = 20% moisture content or less.

My preference is 18% or less.

Go to Lowes and get you a moisture meter ~$29.

Split a test piece of wood then measure the middle part for an accurate reading.

Someone said we are crazy around here, we take wood burning to a whole new level.

 

[firefighterjake]

Random thoughts . . .

Pine is fine . . . especially good for burning in the shoulder season or when you're kicking around the house as it will burn up quicker than hardwood . . . then you can save the good stuff for those overnight burns. Just make sure it is seasoned like you want to season every other wood . . . and don't tell other folks that it is fine to burn . . . otherwise they may stop getting rid of it.

Welcome to the forum . . . my wife hails from Ellington (and Meriden) . . . brother-in-law lives in Stafford Springs . . . comes up here to Maine to sled about every other weekend . . . I ride a Skidoo . . . he rides a One Ton Yamaha RX-1 . . . although I think he secretly misses his old Polaris.

 

[mxchamp04]

Random thoughts . . .

Pine is fine . . . especially good for burning in the shoulder season or when you're kicking around the house as it will burn up quicker than hardwood . . . then you can save the good stuff for those overnight burns. Just make sure it is seasoned like you want to season every other wood . . . and don't tell other folks that it is fine to burn . . . otherwise they may stop getting rid of it.

Welcome to the forum . . . my wife hails from Ellington (and Meriden) . . . brother-in-law lives in Stafford Springs . . . comes up here to Maine to sled about every other weekend . . . I ride a Skidoo . . . he rides a One Ton Yamaha RX-1 . . . although I think he secretly misses his old Polaris.

Cool. I have a good friend who lives in Grey ME. I love sledding as does my wife. I get up to Ft. Kent once a year and Vermont every weekend. We both have Yamaha Apex's. Need more riding in ME, you hosting. LOL

 

[firebroad]

while splitting youll say to youself theres another day of free heat

Stop reading my mind

 

[Hurricane]

Welcome, We love our insert, the kids hate when it goes out in the winter. Scrounging is sort of an art with lots of luck and determination thrown in there. It is hard work but the results sure feel good. If you see tree guys cutting trees ask for the wood, check craigslist, and keep your eyes open. There are many more people scrounging these days so the early scrounger gets the wood, if you see it get it or it will likely be gone.
Check over in the wood shed forum, lots of info over there.

 

[etiger2007]

Oh yeah forgot to mention its the only web site you can admire another mans wood and feel good about it. You will hear things like "nice wood" " boy thats alot of wood" " Man I wish i had wood like that" " I'll give you some wood" and its all good.