Rules for Living With A Wood Stove

[soupy1957]

After carefully considering all the input in here, with regard to the "list" of Do's and Don'ts that I had originally created for hanging on the refridgerator at home.........I have modified it, hopefully reflecting the guidance of many in here:

1. Remind yourself every day, while you are lugging wood, or cleaning ash: “I love to burn wood; I love to burn wood!”
If it becomes a “chore,” you’ve lost the essence of what it’s all about.
2. Get the fire going like you always have, and keep it going.
No fire, no heat!
3. Keep the wood dry out in the yard.
You can’t burn soaked wood!
4. If you try again to cook potatoes in a pan on top of the stove, leave them there longer this time!
If you can’t afford to wait any longer, use the microwave!
5. The stove and flue thermometers are just there to give you an idea of how things are going.
If the outside of either the stove or flue are cherry red, I’d back down on the heat if I were you!
6. Open windows and doors to cool things down.
The cat likes the snow anyway.
7. Wave politely at the oil man as he passes our house without stopping.
It’ll confuse the HECK outa him!!
8. It’s all about keeping the fire balanced.
I know it’s been a long time, but try….....
9. It’s tempting to toss trash in the fire but don’t!
I wanted that last magazine issue of "Outhouse Building" anyway!
10. Be very friendly to the folks in the Hearth.com Forum
They are a useful and helpful bunch!

-Soupy1957

 

[firefighterjake]

After carefully considering all the input in here, with regard to the "list" of Do's and Don'ts that I had originally created for hanging on the refridgerator at home.........I have modified it, hopefully reflecting the guidance of many in here: You really like making lists and dotting those t's and crossing those i's don't you?

1. Remind yourself every day, while you are lugging wood, or cleaning ash: “I love to burn wood; I love to burn wood!”
If it becomes a “chore,” you’ve lost the essence of what it’s all about. There are two kinds of wood burners in this world . . . folks who look at wood burning as a chore, something they do to save money and it's a dreaded task . . . and then there are people who don't think of burning wood as a chore -- in fact some of us look at cutting, splitting and stacking wood as therapy -- heck, for me it's fun to play with my wood and it doesn't matter if I'm cutting it, splitting it or stacking it . . . the only drawback is sometimes all I want to do is work on my wood when I should be doing other more boring and necessary chores.

2. Get the fire going like you always have, and keep it going.
No fire, no heat! Well . . . do so if it works for you and the fire burns cleanly and efficiently.

3. Keep the wood dry out in the yard.
You can’t burn soaked wood! . . . But more importantly you can't burn unseasoned wood . . . well you can . . . but it is a lot harder, more frustrating to get lit and you're burning less efficiently and producing more creosote. Wet wood I don't worry about . . . it will dry in a few hours . . . unseasoned wood is more of a worry . . . it will season . . . in a few months.

4. If you try again to cook potatoes in a pan on top of the stove, leave them there longer this time!
If you can’t afford to wait any longer, use the microwave! Or just skip the whole process and order out!

5. The stove and flue thermometers are just there to give you an idea of how things are going.
If the outside of either the stove or flue are cherry red, I’d back down on the heat if I were you! Well, in my case the thermometers do more than just tell me how things are going . . . they tell me where I'm going . . . and what I should do to either keep things going in that direction or that I should do something to change the direction in which we're heading . . . generally this means by adjusting the air. As for cherry red . . . I would say forget about backing down on the heat . . .at this point you've messed up bad . . . and need to go back to the Burning Wood in Your Woodstove 101 Class . . . a cherry red woodstove is a bad thing.

6. Open windows and doors to cool things down.
The cat likes the snow anyway. . . . Or simply learn to use your woodstove and regulate the loads so that you're not overheating the house . . . it's pretty rare that I have to open the house up to cool down . . . it happens once in a while . . . but generally temps are perfect . . . not too hot, not too cool.

7. Wave politely at the oil man as he passes our house without stopping.
It’ll confuse the HECK outa him!! . . . plus he's just a working stiff like the rest of us who needs a paycheck.

8. It’s all about keeping the fire balanced.
I know it’s been a long time, but try…..... Hmm . . . very Zen like . . . a balanced fire . . . still not sure what a balanced fire is . . . having an image in my head of the fire burning on a set of scales.

9. It’s tempting to toss trash in the fire but don’t!
I wanted that last magazine issue of "Outhouse Building" anyway! I thought it was Yankee magazine . . . now it's Outhouse Buildings . . . and for the record . . . it may be considered evil by some . . . but I do burn trash . . . well newspaper in my stove . . . but it's a small amount and only for the start ups. Now actual styrofoam, plastic and glossy newsprint . . . nah, they go in the trash or are recycled.

10. Be very friendly to the folks in the Hearth.com Forum
They are a useful and helpful bunch! Very true . . . one of the reasons I still stick around here . . . I'm still learning.

-Soupy1957

 

[SolarAndWood]

... in fact some of us look at cutting, splitting and stacking wood as therapy...

Best therapy going other than the stacking nonsense. Too bad you can't get reimbursed for it or at least write it off.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

After carefully considering all the input in here, with regard to the "list" of Do's and Don'ts that I had originally created for hanging on the refridgerator at home.........I have modified it, hopefully reflecting the guidance of many in here:

1. Remind yourself every day, while you are lugging wood, or cleaning ash: “I love to burn wood; I love to burn wood!”
If it becomes a “chore,” you’ve lost the essence of what it’s all about.

This is something I've never even considered! Yes, I suppose it is a chore, but taking a bath or shower is a chore too but hopefully you still do that daily. It seems to me that if someone has to remind themselves every day why they are doing this, perhaps they might be better off not doing it! Maybe they are just bored (boredom is something I rarely have).

For me the wood burning and gathering is just part of life and most of the time I enjoy all phases of it.

2. Get the fire going like you always have, and keep it going.
No fire, no heat!

3. Keep the wood dry out in the yard.
You can’t burn soaked wood!

I agree and the best way to cover the wood is with something solid rather than tarps.

4. If you try again to cook potatoes in a pan on top of the stove, leave them there longer this time!
If you can’t afford to wait any longer, use the microwave!

It takes a pretty hot fire to cook taters but it certainly can be done. During the winter months my wife uses the kitchen stove very little but our wood heating stove gets much use for cooking then.

5. The stove and flue thermometers are just there to give you an idea of how things are going.
If the outside of either the stove or flue are cherry red, I’d back down on the heat if I were you!

If that stove becomes cherry red, you've done something terribly wrong and may have to call the fire department. You also may be buying a new stove very soon.

6. Open windows and doors to cool things down.
The cat likes the snow anyway.

I find nothing wrong with opening a window once in a while during the winter months as the fresh air does the home good. However, if you find yourself doing this on a regular basis, it is time to reconsider just how you are operating that stove.

7. Wave politely at the oil man as he passes our house without stopping.
It’ll confuse the HECK outa him!!

Living on a one-lane dead end road I don't get to watch many folks passing our house. Even if they do, we can't see the road from the house anyway! We love it that way too.

8. It’s all about keeping the fire balanced.
I know it’s been a long time, but try….....

But don't do the same thing over and over and expect different results! If something is not working right, try a different way.

9. It’s tempting to toss trash in the fire but don’t!
I wanted that last magazine issue of "Outhouse Building" anyway!

Like Jake, we do use some uncolored newspaper but that is all we put in the stove other than wood.

10. Be very friendly to the folks in the Hearth.com Forum
They are a useful and helpful bunch!

Right on. There are some very knowledgeable folks on this forum. Friendly folks for the most part too. Maybe a few quacks. Maybe a few wiseacres. But all in all, a great bunch of people.

-Soupy1957

 

[firefighterjake]

... in fact some of us look at cutting, splitting and stacking wood as therapy...

Best therapy going other than the stacking nonsense. Too bad you can't get reimbursed for it or at least write it off.

Oh, the stacking is the best part . . . next to splitting . . . I find the stacking process to be calming as it is repetitive and there can be an art to finding the right piece to fit in the right place and doing the Jenga-like, Lincoln Log effect at the ends of the stack.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

And all this time I thought Jake just threw his wood in a pile and thought that was stacking. lol Gottcha Jake!

 

[firefighterjake]

Oh yeah, I've got another one for you Soupy.

11. Always be sure to split your wood with the hydraulic wood splitter in the horizontal position as this truly is the best way to split wood . . . HehHeh . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . .

 

[oldspark]

OK Backwoods who are the quacks? :lol:

 

[SolarAndWood]

Oh, the stacking is the best part . . .

lol, guess I need more therapy. The only reason I stack is the memories of chipping frozen unseasoned wood out from a glacier and trying to heat the house with it year one.

 

[firefighterjake]

And all this time I thought Jake just threw his wood in a pile and thought that was stacking. lol Gottcha Jake!

The only two times my wood is in a pile is when I've bucked it up and moved it to a pile and haven't had time to split it up . . . and when I'm moving the wood from the family homestead to my home. Other than that . . . there are woodpiles everywhere . . . fortunately my wife is OK with this . . . although she did ask that I build future holz mietes in the backyard instead of on the front lawn.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Oh yeah, I've got another one for you Soupy.

11. Always be sure to split your wood with the hydraulic wood splitter in the horizontal position as this truly is the best way to split wood . . . HehHeh . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . .

Jake, I was making a bunch of kindling yesterday with the splitter and I always use the splitter in the correct postion. VERTICAL ONLY!


Methinks it might be best if we don't name the quacks! After all, they know who they are anyway. Now for the wiseacres, there are many! lol

 

[firefighterjake]

Oh yeah, I've got another one for you Soupy.

11. Always be sure to split your wood with the hydraulic wood splitter in the horizontal position as this truly is the best way to split wood . . . HehHeh . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . .

Jake, I was making a bunch of kindling yesterday with the splitter and I always use the splitter in the correct postion. VERTICAL ONLY!


Methinks it might be best if we don't name the quacks! After all, they know who they are anyway. Now for the wiseacres, there are many! lol

And the wait is over . . . knew you would respond to that one quip sooner rather than later Dennis!

 

[vvvv]

Oh yeah, I've got another one for you Soupy.

11. Always be sure to split your wood with the hydraulic wood splitter in the horizontal position as this truly is the best way to split wood . . . HehHeh . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . .

Jake, I was making a bunch of kindling yesterday with the splitter and I always use the splitter in the correct postion. VERTICAL ONLY!


Methinks it might be best if we don't name the quacks! After all, they know who they are anyway. Now for the wiseacres, there are many! lol

such a self exclusive statement implies the presence of a perfect self.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Oh yeah, I've got another one for you Soupy.

11. Always be sure to split your wood with the hydraulic wood splitter in the horizontal position as this truly is the best way to split wood . . . HehHeh . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . .

Jake, I was making a bunch of kindling yesterday with the splitter and I always use the splitter in the correct postion. VERTICAL ONLY!


Methinks it might be best if we don't name the quacks! After all, they know who they are anyway. Now for the wiseacres, there are many! lol

such a self exclusive statement implies the presence of a perfect self.

No perfection here at all, but I do know the proper way to use a hydraulic log splitter! Some day I might even convince Jake of that.

 

[vvvv]

Oh yeah, I've got another one for you Soupy.

11. Always be sure to split your wood with the hydraulic wood splitter in the horizontal position as this truly is the best way to split wood . . . HehHeh . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . .

Jake, I was making a bunch of kindling yesterday with the splitter and I always use the splitter in the correct postion. VERTICAL ONLY!


Methinks it might be best if we don't name the quacks! After all, they know who they are anyway. Now for the wiseacres, there are many! lol

such a self exclusive statement implies the presence of a perfect self.

No perfection here at all, but I do know the proper way to use a hydraulic log splitter! Some day I might even convince Jake of that.

"THE" proper way to run a logsplitter?

 

[firefighterjake]

Oh yeah, I've got another one for you Soupy.

11. Always be sure to split your wood with the hydraulic wood splitter in the horizontal position as this truly is the best way to split wood . . . HehHeh . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . .

Jake, I was making a bunch of kindling yesterday with the splitter and I always use the splitter in the correct postion. VERTICAL ONLY!


Methinks it might be best if we don't name the quacks! After all, they know who they are anyway. Now for the wiseacres, there are many! lol

such a self exclusive statement implies the presence of a perfect self.

No perfection here at all, but I do know the proper way to use a hydraulic log splitter! Some day I might even convince Jake of that.

Nah, there's no hope for me . . . I'm beyond redemption.

 

[soupy1957]

So anyway.........back on topic...........we use newsprint also when starting a fire (the uncolored stuff). I don't consider THAT "trash".

To me, "trash" is everything else you'd throw into the trash can OTHER than black-n-white newsprint.

The part about telling yourself you love burning wood is a spiritual thing for when it's around late February, and you're plum worn out from the shoveling, ice, (all that crap) and you'd like "Winter" to be done. It's never the start of the race that gets people discouraged and tired......it's usually about 20 miles into it.

When the wife tried dicing and cooking potatoes on the stove last winter, it took her way longer than she figured. I don't think she'll be trying that again this year.

Cherry Red conditions are obviously the extreme, and we'd want to avoid getting there in the first place,..........I don't expect it to happen. The statement was designed to help her feel more comfortable about the fire burning in the box in the living room. Don't want her to worry unnecessarily. It's a "perspective" thing.

Yep, first it was Hustler, then I toned it down to Yankee Magazine, and changed it again, for the frig of it.

Hopefully the wife will get the point of all this..........to build responsible fires, and keep them going, "responsibly."

-Soupy1957

 

[begreen]

Toilet paper rolls, nut shells are also good for starting fires. We don't send much to the dump, only going twice a year now, but we recycle every 2 months and compost every day.

Last winter we baked potatoes in the stove. In 30 minutes, they were done to perfection.

 

[soupy1957]

Baking potatoes in the fire, in tin foil is fine........we do that too. Works great! In fact, we do our Vidalia Onion(s) that way, as well.

What I was referring to was her attempt to put quartered potatoes in cold water, in a cast iron pot, on the top of the stove. Took FOREVER!!

(By the way, the Flue Thermometer came in today. has a washer and a magnet on it. I presume that both the washer and magnet end up between the termometer face and the outside flue pipe, right? There was something on the packaging about which one you put first, and I THINK I recall it saying that you put the magnet first, and then the washer, before installing the probe into the flue pipe.............that sound right? They want a 3/16" hole in the inner wall, and a .250 (quarter inch) hole in the OUTER wall.

-Soupy1957

 

[pyper]

... in fact some of us look at cutting, splitting and stacking wood as therapy...

Best therapy going other than the stacking nonsense. Too bad you can't get reimbursed for it or at least write it off.

I love staking. It's a man-sized 3D puzzle.

And unlike most of my puzzles, there are many solutions, and they're not too difficult to figure out.

I like burning wood because it makes me warm, and nothing gives me a nice warm feeling inside than being warm! The heat pump, no matter what the thermostat says, just never really makes the house warm.

 

[BrotherBart]

Rule for living with my wood stove:

1. Pain in the butt that it is, keep the house warm with it. If it goes out this joint is gonna get cold.

2. If the joint gets cold, see rule one.

 

[firefighterjake]

So anyway.........back on topic...........we use newsprint also when starting a fire (the uncolored stuff). I don't consider THAT "trash".

To me, "trash" is everything else you'd throw into the trash can OTHER than black-n-white newsprint. I agree with you here . . . newspaper to me isn't trash since it still has a use in starting fires, cleaning the glass on the stove, putting down on the floor while painting, etc. My only problem is I tend to end up with far more newspaper than I need . . . even though I only get a weekly county newspaper.

The part about telling yourself you love burning wood is a spiritual thing for when it's around late February, and you're plum worn out from the shoveling, ice, (all that crap) and you'd like "Winter" to be done. It's never the start of the race that gets people discouraged and tired......it's usually about 20 miles into it. Oh I don't know . . . I really like Winter . . . my wife doesn't though . . . I think "surviving" Winter depends on your frame of mind . . . if you hate the cold and hibernate then doing the woodstove might get old . . . but if you stay active outdoors than it goes by pretty quickly . . . sometimes too quickly . . . me . . . I love the snow . . . then again I love snowmobiling.

When the wife tried dicing and cooking potatoes on the stove last winter, it took her way longer than she figured. I don't think she'll be trying that again this year. You know . . . I have yet to try cooking anything on or in my stove . . . I really should try it sometime.

Cherry Red conditions are obviously the extreme, and we'd want to avoid getting there in the first place,..........I don't expect it to happen. The statement was designed to help her feel more comfortable about the fire burning in the box in the living room. Don't want her to worry unnecessarily. It's a "perspective" thing. Perhaps you should tell her that this is a rarity . . . and instead focus on temps on the thermometers . . . so you don't end up with a cherry red stove. My suggestion . . . write down that temps should be X-X degrees.

Yep, first it was Hustler, then I toned it down to Yankee Magazine, and changed it again, for the frig of it. OK . . . I was really starting to worry about what you have for magazine subscriptions.
Hopefully the wife will get the point of all this..........to build responsible fires, and keep them going, "responsibly."

-Soupy1957

 

[firefighterjake]

Baking potatoes in the fire, in tin foil is fine........we do that too. Works great! In fact, we do our Vidalia Onion(s) that way, as well.

What I was referring to was her attempt to put quartered potatoes in cold water, in a cast iron pot, on the top of the stove. Took FOREVER!!

(By the way, the Flue Thermometer came in today. has a washer and a magnet on it. I presume that both the washer and magnet end up between the termometer face and the outside flue pipe, right? There was something on the packaging about which one you put first, and I THINK I recall it saying that you put the magnet first, and then the washer, before installing the probe into the flue pipe.............that sound right? They want a 3/16" hole in the inner wall, and a .250 (quarter inch) hole in the OUTER wall.

-Soupy1957

If memory serves me correctly . . . yes . . . after drilling the holes the magnet goes up against the pipe and then the washer . . . but if in doubt you can always read the directions . . . at least I thought it had directions on the back of the package.

 

[Jonsered]

Rule for living with my wood stove:

1. Pain in the butt that it is, keep the house warm with it. If it goes out this joint is gonna get cold.

2. If the joint gets cold, see rule one.

I love it!

 

[Slow1]

I like to keep the rules simple and the list short:

1. Plan ahead.

It works for just about everything here from wood supply to getting the house warmed up to whatever eh? I have a large house, even with the central heat it takes a while to make dramatic changes to the temperature so see rule #1 if you want it warmer.

Good fuel supply? time seems to be the only friend really.

Ashes, large coal bed, whatever during burning? Know the stove cycles and... well you get the idea.