Teach Me About "Shoulder Season"

[SpeakEasy]

OK, first of all - thanks, everyone for educating me here on this site. I started heating with wood at the beginning of December, and I've learned a ton of good info here.

Now it's time for my next lesson.

I have read the term "shoulder season" here, and I am figuring that it means the fall and spring when it's too cold to do without heat but too warm to have the stove going full-bore. Fine. So now, how should I handle my stove during this upcoming "shoulder season?"

* Do I build smaller fires?

* Do I build normal fires and let them burn out after a few hours?

* Do I use a different size of splits? (If so, is it better to use bigger or smaller?)

* Do I use a different species of wood? (assuming I can get it)

* Something else I haven't thought of?

Thanks in advance.

Keep up the good teaching; it is much appreciated!

-Speak

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Speak, after reading about several different type of stoves it sounds as if it could be a problem with some because some say their stove won't operate very well with less than a full load. That would be frustrating for sure. Not so for ours as we can let a fire smolder for long periods without fear of creosote problems. I simply build small fires and then, depending on outdoor temperatures, we may let them die out or may add more when a good coal bed is there. Actually we will still have a nice coal bed even after 12 hours or more even though we build small fires.

Spring and Fall are also times for us to burn a lot of junk wood. By that I mean short pieces, odd shaped pieces and even some wood chips that my wife rakes up around where I split the wood. Short pieces work probably the best. Also, normally a fire needs 3 pieces of wood or more to get a good fire. Try to burn less and it just don't work very good. Well, I learned that we can burn 2 pieces in our stove so we do that a lot....just like today. I put in 2 small splits early this morning and they are still going with the house around 80 degrees. btw, if you don't believe the 3 piece theory, try building a fire outdoors with just 2 pieces of wood. It is frustrating. Add one and all is well.

 

[BrotherBart]

I do just like I am doing now. For the last few days we have had sun and daytime temps in the mid forties and night time temps in the low twenties so I put four or five splits on the coals in the morning to warm the house back up to mid seventies and let it die out by around one o'clock. Around sundown I start a small fire to get some heat and prepare the coal bed for the night fire loading at nine o'clock.

It keeps from over heating the house during the day and saves wood at the cost of half of a fire starter in the evening.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

We don't have to warm the house back up to the 70's here as it is already there. We just don't like the big temperature swings that most folks have with their wood heat so we keep it a more even temperature. However, there are times when it gets a little warm in here but that just makes the females remove more clothing which is not a bad thing.

 

[BrotherBart]

We don't have to warm the house back up to the 70's here as it is already there. We just don't like the big temperature swings that most folks have with their wood heat so we keep it a more even temperature. However, there are times when it gets a little warm in here but that just makes the females remove more clothing which is not a bad thing.

We suffer through the big swing from 70 to 74 and back.

 

[jeff_t]

Not sure how your fireplace works, but I like to build a small, hot, clean fire that burns out quickly. I have a lot of kindling on hand and I make my own firestarters, so I make a small fire out of just kindling. It warms the furnace up enough to kick the blower on for quite a while. I still have to open the front door a lot tho.....

 

[BrotherBart]

With our temp differentials between upstairs and downstairs caused by sun on the roof and shade on the downstairs part I blow off being a purist and and just let a space heater on a thermostat come on downstairs if it cools off much faster than the upstairs. I see no reason to pursue the all wood heat mantra over twenty or thirty cents a day in electricity on days over 35 or 40 outside. It's heat, it ain't a religion.

 

[ansehnlich1]

I use most all my kindling in the fall and spring. I build a fire and let it burn out if necessary. It's a bit of a pain but I love throwin' the shaft to the oil guys

I also burn up any pine, cedar, willow, boxelder, sycamore and whatever other lightweight stuff is layin' around.

Just burn smaller fires too, ain't no need to pack the thing with oak like it's 12 degrees outside....

I just put 2 splits on some coals and the another cattywampus on top of 'em and let the air wide open....that runs the stove up clean operating temps.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

With our temp differentials between upstairs and downstairs caused by sun on the roof and shade on the downstairs part I blow off being a purist and and just let a space heater on a thermostat come on downstairs if it cools off much faster than the upstairs. I see no reason to pursue the all wood heat mantra over twenty or thirty cents a day in electricity on days over 35 or 40 outside. It's heat, it ain't a religion.

Bear with us BB. If you will be good then someday we'll invite you to our church.

 

[Swedishchef]

With our temp differentials between upstairs and downstairs caused by sun on the roof and shade on the downstairs part I blow off being a purist and and just let a space heater on a thermostat come on downstairs if it cools off much faster than the upstairs. I see no reason to pursue the all wood heat mantra over twenty or thirty cents a day in electricity on days over 35 or 40 outside. It's heat, it ain't a religion.

AMEN! I completely agree. Why work hard trying to figure out what to do..I simply let electricity do the trick. I have one of the lowest rates for electricity in North America. For the first 30 kWh per day we pay 5.45¢/kWh and anything thereafter we pay .46¢/kWh. My average bills this winter have been $120 or so. Considering my 60 gallon hot water tank costs me about $1.40 a day to heat, minus administrative fees and distribution fees, I only use about $1-$2 a day in electricity. I can assure that in order to heat my house in these latest mild winter temperature is costing me more than $2 in wood (especially since I paid $300 a cord for my wood this winter to get ahead of the game). However, when it's -20 C it is a completely different story.

Andrew

 

[SpeakEasy]

With our temp differentials between upstairs and downstairs caused by sun on the roof and shade on the downstairs part I blow off being a purist and and just let a space heater on a thermostat come on downstairs if it cools off much faster than the upstairs. I see no reason to pursue the all wood heat mantra over twenty or thirty cents a day in electricity on days over 35 or 40 outside. It's heat, it ain't a religion.

AMEN! I completely agree. Why work hard trying to figure out what to do..I simply let electricity do the trick. I have one of the lowest rates for electricity in North America. For the first 30 kWh per day we pay 5.45¢/kWh and anything thereafter we pay .46¢/kWh.

Well, Andrew. Enjoy your blessings. I pay about 15 cents per kWh. You read that right... almost triple what you pay for your first 30 kWh.

-Speak

 

[BrotherBart]

Well, Andrew. Enjoy your blessings. I pay about 15 cents per kWh. You read that right... almost triple what you pay for your first 30 kWh.

-Speak

Same price here. Fifteen cents. I would be in heaven with that under thirty KWH price even translated from CND to USD. We average 18 to 27 KWH a day year around and would be paying squat each month at that price.

 

[woodjack]

It's heat, it ain't a religion.

The heat god shows up in my stove box every night. We all sit around and worship him. Sometimes when I'm alone and quiet he gives me the answers.

 

[Swedishchef]

That's one big advantage to be living in Quebec. Hydroquebec are groundbreakers in clean energy and cheap prices for consumers. Here's a spec for the rates:
Fixed charge per day 40.64¢
Energy costs
- First 30 kWh per day 5.45¢/kWh
- Remaining energy consumption 7.46¢/kWh

BB: that's not much electricity whatsoever!! We use more than that daily: the hot water tanks uses about 20 KWH a day (4500 watt heaters inside). My new digital thermostats help greatly, they can control the amount of wattage passed on. AKA: it won't go 100% and then cut off. When it turns on, the thermostat will maybe run at 20%, 40%, etc. That saves tremendously, it prevents HIGHS and LOWS in temperature.

Most other places in Canada pay that high, Quebec is "different"

Andrew

 

[Dakotas Dad]

It's heat, it ain't a religion.

Brother brother brother.. how can you blaspheme so?

;-)

 

[BrotherBart]

It's heat, it ain't a religion.

Brother brother brother.. how can you blaspheme so?

;-)

Yeah I know. And I even did it right here in The Temple of What's Heating Me Now.

 

[firefighterjake]

OK, first of all - thanks, everyone for educating me here on this site. I started heating with wood at the beginning of December, and I've learned a ton of good info here.

Now it's time for my next lesson.

I have read the term "shoulder season" here, and I am figuring that it means the fall and spring when it's too cold to do without heat but too warm to have the stove going full-bore. Fine. So now, how should I handle my stove during this upcoming "shoulder season?"

* Do I build smaller fires? Yes. I don't load the stove to the gills . . . but I do have at least three splits in the firebox . . . filling up maybe half of the firebox. My goal is to get a good, clean-burning efficient burn . . . but I don't necessarily need or want a long-lasting fire.

* Do I build normal fires and let them burn out after a few hours? Again, yes. In the Spring and Fall when the temps in the day start getting comfortable, but at night things are still chilly I build a fire from scratch in the morning and let it burn out . . . and do the same in the evening. I use up more kindling this way, but things work out well.

* Do I use a different size of splits? (If so, is it better to use bigger or smaller?) I tend to use medium sized splits . . . but this time of year is when I also use more chunks and odd-ball pieces that would normally prevent me from really packing in the firebox . . . I also tend to use my "junk wood" -- softwood, poplar, etc. and beefy looking slabs.

* Do I use a different species of wood? (assuming I can get it) Oftentimes, yes . . . see answer above.

* Something else I haven't thought of? I think you've got it . . . don't load up the firebox, light the fire and let it go out (I may do one small reload in the evening if I'm still cold), use up your odd-ball pieces or junkwood and save the good stuff for later in the winter or for next burning season.Thanks in advance.

Keep up the good teaching; it is much appreciated!

-Speak