Hi all - the burning season is quickly approaching. Here in York County, Maine (south coast, near NH) we are seeing some pretty warm days still (almost 80 today) but the cool nights have made some early appearances and are forecasted from here on out. We are probably a month away from needing some morning heat from our mini-split or stove to kick off the season.
I'm still very much a newbie having only owned a stove for around nine months. We took delivery of our Morso 7110 in late January 2022 so we had an abbreviated heating season, and looking forward to putting that small stove through its paces for a full winter.
With the rising price of heating oil in New England (and utilities/commodities generally everywhere) I'm sure we will see some new folks enjoying new wood stoves. I thought I'd share a few things I learned in the past year of research and ownership, perhaps it could save another stove owner some time, money or even muscle aches.
Don't Skimp On the Install
I try to be frugal as much as the next person, but I went with a highly reputable and educated local stove company that came out for measurements and such before the install. You don't want any surprises, especially with the costs of the stove and parts (going up) and the supply-chain related delays (still happening). If you are hiring out for the install (which I can't recommend enough, if you're a newbie) don't go with your coworkers-uncles-neighbor-who-burns-six-cords who says he could do it for a six-pack. Call and shop around, it will be worth the effort. Different stove shops carry different brands, so this is one industry where using the manufacturers "Find a Dealer" link is still a valuable use of time if you find a particular stove that you like.
Know The New Stoves
That neighbor, the six-cords-a-winter guy, who has the steady stream of smoke out his chimney all winter long? He/she may be using an older wood stove which was manufactured prior to newer efficiency/emissions guidelines. Lots of well-meaning advice and tips aren't relevant with newer efficient EPA stoves. Take the time to research and truly understand what new modern wood stoves require to operate efficiently: good dry wood (not advertised as seasoned, which is meaningless), proper usage of catalytic converters (if applicable), good cleaning practices, etc. These things are important for the stove, the health of your chimney/venting, and your peace of mind.
There's A Lot to Firewood
As mentioned above, a wood stove requires a commitment to providing good dry firewood. This can be as easy as calling a local firewood company, perhaps even paying for full service like stacking. But you'll find lots of new stove owners quickly diving into the world of firewood – maybe we blame it on frugality, or maybe childhood memories of going out in the cold and dark to fetch more wood, or Yankee work ethic, or probably all of the above!
It takes longer than I had thought to properly dry firewood in a standard outside backyard rack. Good hardwoods can take over a year, and oak can even take closer to two years. There are some outliers, like ash, which I hear can dry in 6 months. But at least for us folks in New England, you probably can't "split in Spring, burn in the Fall" and feel confident in having a good moisture content. You might find folks that adhere to that adage, but I bet that wood isn't nearly as close to "dry" as they'd like (and their old "smoke dragon" wood stoves are used to it and don't care).
I won't dive into the world of firewood dealers, simply because everyone has a horror story to share and there's no shortage of negative discussions. For the sake of the newbie stove owner, just take these nuggets of info:
If you're diving in to firewood processing at home and new to the game, here's some thoughts:
Final Thoughts
In the past year or so of reading this forum and researching all the topics, I've learned that everyone's experience and usage and even appreciation of wood heat varies drastically. There are folks that hardly give the whole process much thought (they wouldn't be on this site!) and there are folks like myself on the other end of the spectrum, reading about an internet stranger's stories about wood splitting while I have my morning coffee. We all have different stoves, different houses with different layouts, different wood available, different lifestyles…you'll find your "groove" once you get going and learn what methods fit best for you.
Thanks for reading my notes, I hope this was informative to any newbies out there. There's a lot to learn if you want to get the most out of your wood stove for home heating, and despite the whole "fire" thing existing since the dawn of time, there's always something new to learn!
Much appreciation to the mods of this site, and all the folks that post and read, it's really a great place to hang out and I learn something just about every day.
Happy Fall!
PS - Pine is fine. Can we finally put the pine/creosote myths to rest now? That's something else us newbies could carry with us and pass down to our kids!
I'm still very much a newbie having only owned a stove for around nine months. We took delivery of our Morso 7110 in late January 2022 so we had an abbreviated heating season, and looking forward to putting that small stove through its paces for a full winter.
With the rising price of heating oil in New England (and utilities/commodities generally everywhere) I'm sure we will see some new folks enjoying new wood stoves. I thought I'd share a few things I learned in the past year of research and ownership, perhaps it could save another stove owner some time, money or even muscle aches.
Don't Skimp On the Install
I try to be frugal as much as the next person, but I went with a highly reputable and educated local stove company that came out for measurements and such before the install. You don't want any surprises, especially with the costs of the stove and parts (going up) and the supply-chain related delays (still happening). If you are hiring out for the install (which I can't recommend enough, if you're a newbie) don't go with your coworkers-uncles-neighbor-who-burns-six-cords who says he could do it for a six-pack. Call and shop around, it will be worth the effort. Different stove shops carry different brands, so this is one industry where using the manufacturers "Find a Dealer" link is still a valuable use of time if you find a particular stove that you like.
Know The New Stoves
That neighbor, the six-cords-a-winter guy, who has the steady stream of smoke out his chimney all winter long? He/she may be using an older wood stove which was manufactured prior to newer efficiency/emissions guidelines. Lots of well-meaning advice and tips aren't relevant with newer efficient EPA stoves. Take the time to research and truly understand what new modern wood stoves require to operate efficiently: good dry wood (not advertised as seasoned, which is meaningless), proper usage of catalytic converters (if applicable), good cleaning practices, etc. These things are important for the stove, the health of your chimney/venting, and your peace of mind.
There's A Lot to Firewood
As mentioned above, a wood stove requires a commitment to providing good dry firewood. This can be as easy as calling a local firewood company, perhaps even paying for full service like stacking. But you'll find lots of new stove owners quickly diving into the world of firewood – maybe we blame it on frugality, or maybe childhood memories of going out in the cold and dark to fetch more wood, or Yankee work ethic, or probably all of the above!
It takes longer than I had thought to properly dry firewood in a standard outside backyard rack. Good hardwoods can take over a year, and oak can even take closer to two years. There are some outliers, like ash, which I hear can dry in 6 months. But at least for us folks in New England, you probably can't "split in Spring, burn in the Fall" and feel confident in having a good moisture content. You might find folks that adhere to that adage, but I bet that wood isn't nearly as close to "dry" as they'd like (and their old "smoke dragon" wood stoves are used to it and don't care).
I won't dive into the world of firewood dealers, simply because everyone has a horror story to share and there's no shortage of negative discussions. For the sake of the newbie stove owner, just take these nuggets of info:
- The price has risen dramatically in the past couple winters.
- "Seasoned" is not a real term, doesn't mean anything.
- New stoves recommend ~20% moisture content thereabouts, that's VERY HARD to find
- Most dealers are trying to move inventory faster, you'll sadly be fed lies on the phone. Wood cut last week being sold as "already seasoned", etc.
- You can (and should) buy a $30 moisture meter and ask to sample pieces in the truck before $600 of firewood gets dropped in your driveway
- Be picky (if you can) with the dealers
If you're diving in to firewood processing at home and new to the game, here's some thoughts:
- It's way messier than originally anticipated. Chainsaws make a mess and splitting will leave all kinds of small bits and splinters around. Don't try to segment a small pocket of your driveway and think you can easily contain the debris (at least, I couldn't).
- Take the time to research a chainsaw purchase and understand maintenance and safety. There's too much in this topic to expand here but no shortage of good resources online. Don't skimp on safety gear. I wear the "full uniform" every time. Learn to sharpen your chain, a $15 file kit is all you need to get started.
- I never made the connection between the delivery time of the logs and the summer weather until a few months ago. Bucking and splitting on a humid 87 degree day is brutal and not worth it (and not safe). Lesson learned, get an early Spring delivery and don't delay attacking it, you'll regret waiting.
- It's incredibly rewarding, for reasons I can't quite explain. It just is!
Final Thoughts
In the past year or so of reading this forum and researching all the topics, I've learned that everyone's experience and usage and even appreciation of wood heat varies drastically. There are folks that hardly give the whole process much thought (they wouldn't be on this site!) and there are folks like myself on the other end of the spectrum, reading about an internet stranger's stories about wood splitting while I have my morning coffee. We all have different stoves, different houses with different layouts, different wood available, different lifestyles…you'll find your "groove" once you get going and learn what methods fit best for you.
Thanks for reading my notes, I hope this was informative to any newbies out there. There's a lot to learn if you want to get the most out of your wood stove for home heating, and despite the whole "fire" thing existing since the dawn of time, there's always something new to learn!
Much appreciation to the mods of this site, and all the folks that post and read, it's really a great place to hang out and I learn something just about every day.
Happy Fall!
PS - Pine is fine. Can we finally put the pine/creosote myths to rest now? That's something else us newbies could carry with us and pass down to our kids!
