Our wood burning story

[cwitham]

After 5 years of homeownership we finally got the chimney lined it was one of the things that was wrong when we bought the house and by wrong I mean no liner at all

We decided to keep the old insert instead of buying a new one

Loaded

Burning

Are the wood racks in photo above necessary? It was in stove when we bought the house.

They came and did all the work (liner, new crown, new blower motor and switch, and counter flashing) 12/5/12including a new fan motor as ours was stuck. We got a cricket added to the roof too since it didn't have one

Any tips on maximizing our wood burning? We have a slight heat signature emitting from chimney with minimal smoke is this good? I presume smoke is wasted wood and inefficient burning correct?

It is burning in this photo



We have a 1200'ish square foot slab ranch in central Indiana and we have had nearly $500 a month electric bills in the winter ($250 summer with window air conditioners) since we moved in we dropped the $3000 to see if we an get $250/ month electric bills year round.

The clay is only about 8" tall the rest is stainless liner. I don't foresee an EPA insert in my future... I'll fin another old dinosaur if my Hutch Rebel ever goes bad but it seems unlikely from what I have read.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[chimneylinerjames]

If you have no smoke that is good, like you said smoke is showing an inefficient burn. The grate is just there for better air flow to the fire, not necessary, more personal choice.

 

[cwitham]

If you have no smoke that is good, like you said smoke is showing an inefficient burn. The grate is just there for better air flow to the fire, not necessary, more personal choice.

So I can shorten the legs then? They are about 3-4" I figure 1-2" is plenty

 

[chimneylinerjames]

Sure, many stoves don't have anything.

 

[tigeroak]

We live in east central Illinois and our gas and electric bill , in the summer or winter never reaches 150.00 a month. Summer time we use the air and that runs about 1.00 a day. To reply to one question no smoke is good. The racks in stove, try burning it without them and see if there is a difference.

 

[cwitham]

Here is some of the wood we have split this year as last resort end of the season wood.

Some of these rounds were a half Rick and up






Not just a pretty face


Numerous loads like this


Our small wood shed

Pallet floor

Dismantled pallet siding

 

[cwitham]

Finished

 

[cwitham]

Sure, many stoves don't have anything.

Do I just stack on the "floor" of the insert if I take it out?

 

[tigeroak]

Yep

 

[cwitham]

I will say that I've been pleased, we have only been burning every other day so far coolest its been in doors before a new fire to warm it up is 65.

 

[Gasifier]

Is the misses using that chain saw. You have too beautiful of a family to not be using protective equipment. Many, many people get hurt, bad. When they do not use some safety equipment. No one ever thinks it will happen to them. Chaps are in order for sure. That is a big saw. Hearing protection. A safey helmet with a shield and safety glasses. Something. You don't see to many accidents. Just hear about them. Don't want to sound like a downer. But it will do no one any good to save some money for years and years. And then someone ends up getting hurt bad. And it was not worth it. Chainsaws are dangerous.

Again. Welcome friend. Keep your family safe. Talk to ya.


Oh. Sorry. Very nice set up you have there. Nice tools. Nice family. Nice house. Cool.

 

[cwitham]

Yeah that is the Mrs. Running the saw and behind the maple. Yeah I know we need equipment, we have discussed it and I had the money but it got spent replacing the fan motor on the insert. We haven't ran the saw in a couple months and likely won't again til spring the gear will be here by then. We (well me currently and here previously) are so used to not having gear when running saws at work (Firefighters)that it doesn't cross our minds. We all do wear safety glasses (of course not her in that pic) especially after earlier this year our little man came up to watch dad split some wood and a chunk flew off the piece I was splitting and hit him in the eye, I'll add a pic in the next post if ya look you can see where it scratched his cornea, he is fine thanks god. It's his second scratched cornea to the same eye in about 3 years (chicken pecked him in it the first time, she met the pot)

 

[JP11]

Oh. Sorry. Very nice set up you have there. Nice tools. Nice family. Nice house. Cool.

Ditto!

Nice family. PLEASE protect them and yourself. Chaps are cheap. A helmet with integrated face shield and ear protection is CHEAP. Those two items will cost you less than your insurance deductible for any ER visit.

Pretty hard to buy a new arm or leg.

Great pics.. but please take the advice in the spirit it was offered.. just concerned for your family.

JP

 

[cwitham]

 

[cwitham]

Is the misses using that chain saw. You have too beautiful of a family to not be using protective equipment. Many, many people get hurt, bad. When they do not use some safety equipment. No one ever thinks it will happen to them. Chaps are in order for sure. That is a big saw. Hearing protection. A safey helmet with a shield and safety glasses. Something. You don't see to many accidents. Just hear about them. Don't want to sound like a downer. But it will do no one any good to save some money for years and years. And then someone ends up getting hurt bad. And it was not worth it. Chainsaws are dangerous.

Again. Welcome friend. Keep your family safe. Talk to ya.


Oh. Sorry. Very nice set up you have there. Nice tools. Nice family. Nice house. Cool.

Ditto!

Nice family. PLEASE protect them and yourself. Chaps are cheap. A helmet with integrated face shield and ear protection is CHEAP. Those two items will cost you less than your insurance deductible for any ER visit.

Pretty hard to buy a new arm or leg.

Great pics.. but please take the advice in the spirit it was offered.. just concerned for your family.

JP

I appreciate the concern and I promise the next pics we will have protective gear and we will be using it.

 

[Blue Vomit]

(chicken pecked him in it the first time, she met the pot)

awesome

 

[cwitham]

Lol chickens dying here is nothing new, we have had them for 4 years and out of the 40-50 we have owned we have had about 20 die mostly by us but some by a fox, and some by a dog... Lol oh yeah and my wife shot one with a .22 she was convinced that chicken was the devil.

 

[Blue Vomit]

... Lol oh yeah and my wife shot one with a .22 she was convinced that chicken was the devil.

even more awesome.

 

[midwestcoast]

Nice work so far! You will be a happy guy when the winter utility bills come. The shed looks great. Very nice to keep the snow off the splits. Is the palette floor elevated? Kinda looks like it from the pics. If so how are the palettes supported?
You are tackling some big wood there with that maple. Nice wok.
One hint : When you're chunking-up a round with a saw it's easier on the saw and operator to cut in from the edge of the round with the saw parallel to the trunk (round is on its side). Instead of dust the saw makes curly noodles (aka noodling).

 

[bogydave]

Looking good.
Got the wood shed filled yet?

May look into federal & state energy credits/rebates to help you reduce you electric bill.
Sometime you need an energy audit before you do anything but most times, that $$ cost is rebated after the audit.
Talk to some local heat & air conditioning dealers, they should know about any rebates.

Some places to look for state & federal energy credits, save some $$
Indiana, by county:
(broken link removed to http://energy.gov/savings?rebate_eligibility=0&rebate_savings_for=0&rebate_provider=0&rebate_state=3835)
State & Federal:
(broken link removed to http://www.in.gov/oed/2379.htm)

 

[cwitham]

I'm hoping to fill it today. My problem is since I am new to this wood burning thing I am unsure of how muc its going to hold and want to get my older seasoned wood in front of stuff not as well seasoned.

I guess I should've stated a little back story to our heating costs. Our energy bills are so high due to the all electric baseboard heat our home has. I'll look into the tax credits and rebates.

 

[cwitham]

I have a question about wood in the woodshed. Is it ok to put a fan in the wood shed to blow air onto the wood to ensure it is dry?

 

[cwitham]

Nice work so far! You will be a happy guy when the winter utility bills come. The shed looks great. Very nice to keep the snow off the splits. Is the palette floor elevated? Kinda looks like it from the pics. If so how are the palettes supported?
You are tackling some big wood there with that maple. Nice wok.
One hint : When you're chunking-up a round with a saw it's easier on the saw and operator to cut in from the edge of the round with the saw parallel to the trunk (round is on its side). Instead of dust the saw makes curly noodles (aka noodling).

Yeah so far it is elevated, I'm not sure it will stay that way it is supported by 2x4's ran the 8' width and nailed and screwed in multiple places. My bet is it will not support it but its worth a shot. It is 12" up the frame so if it doesn't work I'll look on the bright side that I can put more wood in it.

 

[Gasifier]

Yeah so far it is elevated, I'm not sure it will stay that way it is supported by 2x4's ran the 8' width and nailed and screwed in multiple places. My bet is it will not support it but its worth a shot. It is 12" up the frame so if it doesn't work I'll look on the bright side that I can put more wood in it.

I would remove the supports and lower it down to sit on some cinder blocks. Anything you can get to support it up off the ground a few inches and keep it flat will work. Even some old bricks. The weight of the wood is likely to break your screws off. Or support it at the height it is at. Have a good one.

 

[Jags]

Looks like you are stages ahead of most burners at this point (with the exception of PPE). Looks like you are rocking it out.
Check out this site for weights of seasoned wood. It adds up faster than most realize.
(broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm)