Once more, with feeling: how big a woodstove?

[begreen]

Some of us know what popple is. My SIL lived on Popple Swamp Road back in CT

One thing not mentioned in your comments is the benefit of a cat stove in this type of circumstance. You will need a stove that burns over a wide temperature range - from low long burns in the fall/spring to hot burns in the winter. The Woodstock keystone was suggested because of this and it gives you the benefits of soapstone's heat retention. If you get a regular 2 cu ft stove I would definitely get a convective stove. A radiant stove in a close space might overwhelm.

 

[Big Al]

Thank you VERY much to everyone with the fantastic information! What I am taking away:

-should definitely go with something the size of an Englander 13, or maybe even a touch larger. Thanx, that might have been a costly error to go small
-should take a good hard look at soapstone.
-if I have good wood, I can burn hot and fast or long/slow.

For my neighbor in Bangor/Unity, the cabin is in Washington, Maine. Yeah, no pianos on the 2nd floor. And yeah, I almost wrote "popple," but no one out west knows what that means...

Thanx also for the info on creosote and hot/fast versus slow fires. I've never measured moisture content, but would consider wood that has dried in a dry shed to be well-seasoned. Is that the case? And also in the context of creosote (a question for anyone), I've heard of "proper operation of the stove" as another key to avoiding creosote...what constitutes proper operation, what are some key do's and don'ts in regard to creosote and stove operation?

Thanx again to all!

Davis

I would say the major "do" in proper operation is to get the stove good and hot before turning it down for a slower burn. This enables the cat, or secondary tube system to operate as designed. Turning the air down too soon causes a smoldering fire. "good and hot" will be dictated by your stove choice and the specs of your particular set up. Some trial and error is the norm. Most here reccommend keeping tabs on your flue condition (visual inspection for creosote) monthly til you get the hang of it.

Al

 

[davisftaylor]

Thanx, Al, that's great advice. We're farmers, so we're used to noting things and keeping records and all, so I think we'll actually keep a log of what we put in, how we burn it, what the temp is when we turn it down for the night, how well she keeps going, temp in the room when we wake up, and the monthly inspection you suggest. Part of our farming ethic is to really get to know the land, how it changes and responds...we also seek to do that with our food, everything else we do...so this may seem like a bit of record-keeping overkill, but it's just one more way we can really be aware of our surroundings. Heating well and heating safely is important!

Thanx,
Davis

 

[Big Al]

I can see where record keeping would pay off as a farmer, which I must say is a noble profession. God bless you. You'll have lots of fun record keeping with the stove...infinite number of variables...wood type, size, condition,...weather condtions, high pressure, low pressure, temps, wind. Keep reading here for more info too, from folks much more experienced than me. When in doubt ask, or check the search function, there are many answers there waiting to be discovered. Keep us posted.

Al

 

[firefighterjake]

Thank you VERY much to everyone with the fantastic information! What I am taking away:

-should definitely go with something the size of an Englander 13, or maybe even a touch larger. Thanx, that might have been a costly error to go small
-should take a good hard look at soapstone.
-if I have good wood, I can burn hot and fast or long/slow. . . . Yes to all of the above . . . and especially about taking a good hard look at the soapstone stoves . . . they might be perfect for you.

For my neighbor in Bangor/Unity, the cabin is in Washington, Maine. Yeah, no pianos on the 2nd floor. And yeah, I almost wrote "popple," but no one out west knows what that means... Actually Dennis in Michigan (well I don't know if I would call that out west . . . just west of us . . . knows popple quite well . . . and it looks like we're practically neighbors . . . couple college friends lived in your area at one time . . . EB White had family living in Appleton and David Karas had a family with a Christmas tree farm . . . of course I haven't heard from either of them in years . . .

Thanx also for the info on creosote and hot/fast versus slow fires. I've never measured moisture content, but would consider wood that has dried in a dry shed to be well-seasoned. Is that the case? Well it depends . . . I don't use a moisture meter, but generally if I've bucked up, split and stacked my wood for at least a year prior to putting it into the woodshed I'm good to go . . . although because I have a large enough woodshed and it has a board and batten side (minus the batten) the wood continues to season albeit at a slower pace for another year or so. If I just bucked up and split my wood and stuck it into a woodshed I don't think I would have very good luck with a modern EPA stove. And also in the context of creosote (a question for anyone), I've heard of "proper operation of the stove" as another key to avoiding creosote...what constitutes proper operation, what are some key do's and don'ts in regard to creosote and stove operation? Proper stove operation kind of boils down to two things (once you've got seasoned wood) -- making sure you run the stove at the optimal temps (thermometers help on the stack and on the stove) and learning how to run the air control so you can achieve a good, sustained secondary burn (for secondary burn stoves.) Thanx again to all!

Davis

 

[nate379]

Isn't popple just slang for Aspen?

 

[firefighterjake]

Isn't popple just slang for Aspen?

Typically . . . at least around here folks call aspen either popple or poplar.