Newbie Strategies - How often and how hot?

[JeffreyT]

Hello all! I have been lurking these threads for the past couple months as I made a decision to install a wood stove. Its our first year in this house (with an electric furnace) and I simply couldn't accept the cost of heating . We finally got it christened a stove this week, and "hot" damn! We are probably over-stoved with an IronStrike Grandview 300 in our 1800 Sq. Ft. rambler. Last night i burned 2 NIEL's and we all had to sleep with the windows open... and I thought it was still warm enough this morning to not need a re-light! So the two big questions are:
1. Wife and I work all day, kids are in school and the dogs just crawl up under blankets all day anyhow... Do you bother lighting up in the morning?
2. I assume a smaller fire should be more manageable for heat output, but is a small fire in a big box going to transfer heat well enough to be effective?

Thanks for your replies!

 

[Grizzerbear]

My stove is bigger than i really need but on really cold nights when i need serious heat i load it up. Most of the time i have 1/2 to 3/4 loads going and it performs well.....its just a shorter burn cycle. I believe your stove has a primary air control that is on some sort of a timer? I dont know if half loads would effect the performance on this stove due to the air being controlled or not. I would try a half load and see.

 

[begreen]

Hello all! I have been lurking these threads for the past couple months as I made a decision to install a wood stove. Its our first year in this house (with an electric furnace) and I simply couldn't accept the cost of heating . We finally got it christened a stove this week, and "hot" damn! We are probably over-stoved with an IronStrike Grandview 300 in our 1800 Sq. Ft. rambler. Last night i burned 2 NIEL's and we all had to sleep with the windows open... and I thought it was still warm enough this morning to not need a re-light! So the two big questions are:
1. Wife and I work all day, kids are in school and the dogs just crawl up under blankets all day anyhow... Do you bother lighting up in the morning?
2. I assume a smaller fire should be more manageable for heat output, but is a small fire in a big box going to transfer heat well enough to be effective?

Thanks for your replies!

If two NIELS overheat the house with below 40º temps, then the house is tight and very well insulated. You may indeed have too much stove for our milder weather. What was the house temp before the fire was started? What was it when the windows were opened?

 

[JeffreyT]

If two NIELS overheat the house with below 40º temps, then the house is tight and very well insulated. You may indeed have too much stove for our milder weather. What was the house temp before the fire was started? What was it when the windows were opened?

@begreen I lit the fire at about 4:30, house thermostat read about 57. Note I am running the furnace fan without heat to help circulate air. Got the two NIELs going with two disks cut from a third and a couple lengths of kindling. it took about 30 minutes to get warm enough to kick the stove-mounted fan on, then within two hours we were sitting around the mid-seventies on the thermostat (which is in a hallway adjacent to the living room where the stove is... our floor plan isn't open, but we have big entryways on three sides of the living room). We had pretty good flames coming off the logs all night even with the damper fully down, and the thermometer on top of the stove read low 300's. At 9:30 the thermostat read 76, there was definitely hot air coming out of the registers, and the logs had burnt down to glowing ash-cylinders (is there a name for coals that are being held together by nothing and poof into ash when touched?).

5 AM the thermostat read 69 still and there were even a few embers left in the firebox!

That was our first experince with the NIELs. Tonight I am going to burn some dry, but ugly, Cherry wood I just got my hands on.

 

[JeffreyT]

My stove is bigger than i really need but on really cold nights when i need serious heat i load it up. Most of the time i have 1/2 to 3/4 loads going and it performs well.....its just a shorter burn cycle. I believe your stove has a primary air control that is on some sort of a timer? I dont know if half loads would effect the performance on this stove due to the air being controlled or not. I would try a half load and see.

@Grizzerbear there is indeed a timer, and you know what the manual doesn't say what it does! Sounds like research needs researching

 

[begreen]

20º increase in 5 hrs is a decent heat increase with just a couple NIELs. That is impressive. It usually takes a lot of BTUs to warm up the interior mass of a house. The house is obviously quite well insulated. I don't think I could do that with our larger stove in our old farmhouse on just a couple NIELS when it's 40F outside. You'll be all set if temps drop below 10ºF. In the meantime close the curtains so no one sees you dancing around naked.

 

[Grizzerbear]

Their was another poster on here that had a stove with a primary air control like yours.... I believe it was a button you pushed and it regulated the incoming air mechanically i believe by time of fire?. I dont know this for sure just speculating tho i believe it must be similar without looking at your manual. Im just curious how it handles smaller loads....as you are so i guess i wasnt much help lol. Sounds like it for sure heats the house tho which is the main goal.

 

[Highbeam]

Welcome, I grew up in silverdale and live over near Enumclaw now.

My stove burns for 20 hours straight so I only load at night but it is still burning with about a half load when I walk past in the morning. I like the long and low burn with a steady house temperature instead of ever letting the house go cold. 57 would tick off the whole family plus the dog.

Experiment this weekend with smaller fires.

 

[Dmitry]

@begreen I lit the fire at about 4:30, house thermostat read about 57. Note I am running the furnace fan without heat to help circulate air. Got the two NIELs going with two disks cut from a third and a couple lengths of kindling. it took about 30 minutes to get warm enough to kick the stove-mounted fan on, then within two hours we were sitting around the mid-seventies on the thermostat (which is in a hallway adjacent to the living room where the stove is... our floor plan isn't open, but we have big entryways on three sides of the living room). We had pretty good flames coming off the logs all night even with the damper fully down, and the thermometer on top of the stove read low 300's. At 9:30 the thermostat read 76, there was definitely hot air coming out of the registers, and the logs had burnt down to glowing ash-cylinders (is there a name for coals that are being held together by nothing and poof into ash when touched?).

5 AM the thermostat read 69 still and there were even a few embers left in the firebox!

That was our first experince with the NIELs. Tonight I am going to burn some dry, but ugly, Cherry wood I just got my hands on.

I'm sorry, what is NEIL?

 

[moresnow]

I'm sorry, what is NEIL?

Wood Fuel Home - North Idaho Energy Logs - Burn Clean - Burn Friendly

Warmer, greener, cleaner and wiser wood fuel. North Idaho Energy Logs produce more heat from 100% natural recycled wood and cut emissions by more than 50%.

northidahoenergylogs.com

 

[FPX Dude]

@begreen I lit the fire at about 4:30, house thermostat read about 57. Note I am running the furnace fan without heat to help circulate air. Got the two NIELs going with two disks cut from a third and a couple lengths of kindling. it took about 30 minutes to get warm enough to kick the stove-mounted fan on, then within two hours we were sitting around the mid-seventies on the thermostat (which is in a hallway adjacent to the living room where the stove is... our floor plan isn't open, but we have big entryways on three sides of the living room). We had pretty good flames coming off the logs all night even with the damper fully down, and the thermometer on top of the stove read low 300's. At 9:30 the thermostat read 76, there was definitely hot air coming out of the registers, and the logs had burnt down to glowing ash-cylinders (is there a name for coals that are being held together by nothing and poof into ash when touched?).

5 AM the thermostat read 69 still and there were even a few embers left in the firebox!

That was our first experince with the NIELs. Tonight I am going to burn some dry, but ugly, Cherry wood I just got my hands on.

OMG, I luv me them uglies!

 

[Mech e]

O geez, dat sounds like a good heater don't cha know.