What did you learn from "this season" of burning? Newbie Awards

[daveswoodhauler]

I know that this has been done before, but I'm looking to see what folks have learned from "this year" of burnin.....not something you picked up years past, so even a old dog can learn new tricks. Dumbest moments are welcome too...figured the old timers would get a chuckle out of our rookie mistakes.

I'll start:

1.) Learned that if its cold enough in the house, and I am not home, my wife will put on some wood to keep it toasty until I get home. (Just gotta go over the damper controls a bit to prevent the charred wood and BBQ smell in the house.

2.) Learned that splitting frozen wood is much easier on the arms/back than not frozen wood.

3. ) Learned that when a 4 year old and 6 year old play with plastic swords near the stove., it dont take much to melt the ends and disfigure daddys pride and joy

 

[Northern NH Mike]

This was my first year burning, so basically I learned how to burn.

Seriously, I learned how to coordinate the stove blower with a fan in a doorway to use the stove to heat the whole house. In that regard I learned that running the stove fan on low to medium speeds heated the place up better than running it on high.

Its been a good first year (not over yet, it was -2* yesterday morning) and I learned some good techniques from reading the posts.

 

[Slow1]

Oh where to start! There is "learned" and "LEARNED!" of course... being my first year burning (ever) I suppose everything I know I just learned.. but some key points are worth mentioning... Perhaps obvious points, but until experienced and 'burned into the memory' it really isn't "LEARNED!" is it?

1) A stove is NOT a campfire; I knew how to do campfires quite well... realized that little of that really seemed to carry forward to lighting and maintaining optimal stove operations.
2) Until you really have good seasoned wood you don't know what it means to have good seasoned wood no matter how much you read about it and folks tell you about it.
3) The VC NC Encore stove can be learned - and it puts out a LOT of heat when you do it right; Key point: You get more heat by turning the air down than running it full open even though it doesn't seem to make sense at first.
4) Stoves have to get HOT in order to run efficiently - get used to it and don't panic.
5) Wood burning is addictive; Although logical analysis of costs (wood vs oil) got me started, once I started burning I won't stop until I'm out of wood even though logically I can see it is costing more to heat the house right now given wood and oil costs have flipped.
6) A good part of burning is the excuse to get out of the house for a few minutes or hours... even if that is my wife's least favorite part at least I'm not out drinking.

There are lots more points but I'd best get back to my day job so I can afford to buy more wood or that truck that I need to get so I can scrounge this summer

 

[Northern NH Mike]

1) A stove is NOT a campfire; I knew how to do campfires quite well... realized that little of that really seemed to carry forward to lighting and maintaining optimal stove operations.
2) Until you really have good seasoned wood you don't know what it means to have good seasoned wood no matter how much you read about it and folks tell you about it.
3) The VC NC Encore stove can be learned - and it puts out a LOT of heat when you do it right; Key point: You get more heat by turning the air down than running it full open even though it doesn't seem to make sense at first.
4) Stoves have to get HOT in order to run efficiently - get used to it and don't panic.
5) Wood burning is addictive; Although logical analysis of costs (wood vs oil) got me started, once I started burning I won't stop until I'm out of wood even though logically I can see it is costing more to heat the house right now given wood and oil costs have flipped.
6) A good part of burning is the excuse to get out of the house for a few minutes or hours... even if that is my wife's least favorite part at least I'm not out drinking.

Slow

Well said on all six points, but especially on running the Encore.

 

[weatherguy]

I learned if you put wet gloves too close to the stove to dry, your gonna need to buy new gloves

 

[gwf96001]

What did I learn?

1. How to install a chimney liner...also learned they're sharp!
2. Hardwood floors don't react well to the dry conditions and heat of a wood stove. My floor in my living room will need to be resurfaced.
3. Feeding the stove in the middle of the night really isn't that bad.
4. Most importantly I learned that 4 cords is not enough wood to heat my house for an entire season.

 

[MovingOffGrid]

first year burning an EPA stove.

I learned to enjoy staying up and watching the dancing after burn, when I should have been sleeping.

I learned that you have to be amazingly cautious and agile when opening the door, especially once a fire is established in many of EPA stoves. Open vent full first, wait ... like a gazelle in mating season - crack door minutely, wait more .... open door a bit more, wait again ... when feeling brave and wearing huge leather gloves up to your shoulders, quickly toss in some wood -and quickly shut the .....curses .... a small wiff of fumes escaped into the home again Now I see why they say to let the fire cool before adding more wood but who in their right mind wants to do that at -10 celcius - not me!

Why does this occur even on good drafting stoves in mid burn? Because unlike my old smoke dragon which never smoked into the room ever, these stoves are constantly pushing the fire's fumes to the front of the firebox, over the window to keep it clean, and to the front overhead exhaust up and around the baffle.

I learned that I would have much preferred to buy a stove with a BYPASS, in order to make mid burn loading much easier!

I also learned that once you purchase an EPA stove without a bypass, you cannot return them for another model ;-) ;-) but you can install a Vent fan.

 

[Jack Straw]

OK I'll admit that I thought it would be a good idea to put some water in my ash bucket to keep the dust down....you can imagine what happens when ash and embers hits cold water....not pretty. Good thing my wife wasn't home.
And snakes love wood piles.

 

[Got Wood]

First year burner... wow, thinking about it I have learned alot including:
A cord is ALOT of wood, now that I am past 4 cords burned I really learned this...
Getting a year or more ahead really requires alot of space to store the wood AND those wood stacks are sure rewarding to look at!
Wood processing gives me a great excuse to be outdoors during the winter season when there really isnt much other reason to do so
Taking a maul or Fiskar axe to a round is a great way to release life's stress
My family loves the warmth but disappear when it comes time to do the work and that is ok
The great myth of saving money by burning wood after you consider spending over $1k on a splitter, $600 on the new saw, etc... a man has to have his toys - right?

What I forgot - what did I do with all the hours I spent over the last 6 months processing wood in the past?

 

[Highbeam]

Not a first year burner but I learned something this year that I never believed to be true.

Dry, seasoned, covered wood IS a home for bugs. You will bring them into your home on the wood. I had always thought that dry wood wouldn't be a home for bigs but I was wrong.

Also learned that when you have two year's supply of wood, you don't worry about wasting a little bit to stay extra toasty. You don't worry about getting wood cut up super early in the spring and you feel good about those cold evenings later in the year.

Good insulation has cut my wood consumption almost in half. From 7 cords last year to about 4 this year at the current pace.

 

[savageactor7]

The newer stoves don't require the kindling of the old air-tights. Both those boxes were full but I doubt you could half fill a paper grocery bag with what we used. Next year 1 box will be enough...

For most of the year we had this stove I wasn't too happy with the blower or the coal build up in the back of the stove. Finally the learning curve caught up to me.

We burn with the start up air opened just a little bit...the stove burns hotter up to 600 steady. With the blower on almost high we can get the outer perimeter of the house up to 70...now the coals in the back we rake forward are the size of big marbles instead of almost the size of your fist.

If a good sale opportunity presents itself I'll upgrade to a QF5700 but it's no longer a priority. Besides I still want to try this stove with an inline flue damper to see if I can't squeeze more heat out of it. We're finally satisfied with the QF4300.

 

[JotulOwner]

This is my second season burning wood. My first was good, but the biggest lesson I learned was that the term "seasoned wood" is subjective.

I spent a large amount of time and effort during the warmer months that followed collecting, splitting, stacking, storing, and generally obsessing over making sure the wood I needed for this season was plentiful and dry. I also learned more about how to inspect and clean the stove pipe and chimney regularly. I read the postings on this forum and asked questions (however dumb they may have been) whenever I needed to.

Most of all, I learned that the people on this site that share their knowledge and time, and help others to learn and make wood burning safer are owed a great deal of gratitude. All of you have made this a better experience for me and there are plenty of other visitors to this site that have posted similar comments.

Thank You!
Art

 

[dougand3]

1. I learned installing a Class A chimney system was not as bad as I thought. Fretting over this and that was worse than actually doing it. I'm still amazed the flashing doesn't leak.

2. I learned after the first week of daily fires that I don't have go up into attic 3-4 times a day and feel the chimney. LOL

3. I learned if you overheat black stove pipe - it will outgas the high temp paint and set off the smoke alarm.

4. I learned my CO detector works quite well after forgeting to open bypass a few times on re-load.

Dang, it's been fun. Kinda hate spring is coming.

 

[BrotherBart]

How many learned that no matter what you are going to do, always put the gloves on before you open the stove door?

 

[jdinspector]

Also not new to wood burning, but still using the same stove for 12 years. (not for long)

I learned that it's not normal to have to spend hundreds of $$ per year on replacement parts for my stove. I thought everybody replaced fire brick and other parts EVERY year. Who knew that you don't have to?!

I also learned that some stoves (not mine) use parts that are readily available at the local home center for $10. (firebrick, in particular)

I learned that wood seasons really fast when completely covered in my wood shed. This thing is like a mini-kiln. I'm burning wood now that was pretty green when I split in October. Maybe it's the metal roof on my shed.

I learned that I wish I had built my shed about twice as big a couple of years ago. It holds about 3 cords, but would be nice to have held the whole year's worth (5)

I learned that soapstone seems to be the cadillac of wood stoves. I'm saving for one for next year.

 

[Bobbin]

I am reminded (as I have been every year for the past 18 with our Woodstock Fireview):
1.) A quality, EPA stove, properly installed and maintained is a delight to own and operate.
2.) Time spent splitting and stacking wood is not nearly as odious a task as many seem to think.
3.) People who think woodstoves are dirty or difficult to use have likely never used a nice one or are organizationally challenged. Or maybe just envious.
4.) Every stove and its set up is different and you develop a real relationship and routine with your stove. You learn by doing and find the technique that works best for your home and comfort.
5.) Having a level of control over your source of heat is a very comforting thing but it requires a good deal of forethought, too.

Things I would like to add having read much on this site (and enjoyed it greatly!):
1.) a good looking stovetop water vessel to put moisture in the air.
2.) soapstone boot warmers (multiple sets!).
3.) commercially available sets of hearth tools include too many items I never use and are often too large and too heavy. I will contact a local blacksmith and see if he can't make the something I'd prefer (a good poker and nice rake for coals).

 

[lexybird]

I learned the hard way that one mans seasoned wood is another mans fresh cut green wood .learned to always have welders gloves by your stove too

 

[BucksCounty]

First year burner and I I actually only got to burn for a few weeks.
Learned how to install class a chimney with a rear wall pass through.
Learned how to build a hearth (only to see it pulled apart...I'll explain).
Learned how to build a rock wall behind stove.
Learned how to replace hearth with bluestone to match rock wall.

Now, all have this has been done but my wife and I are out of the house. We were away for 3 days over MLK weekend, had a pipe burst and shoot like a hose for 3 days. Majority of the house was ruined. Haven't been living there since and won't be for several more weeks....just in time for warm weather when I can't enjoy this stove I have had since November, took forever to install, and have been waiting to enjoy. There is always next year, right?

I am learning from reading, it seems you never can have enough seasoned wood!

When everything is finished, I will post pics of the process of install, hearth rebuild, and rock wall.

I enjoy reading all the posts!

 

[Pagey]

Based on your climate/needs, estimate the amount of wood you'll need for the heating season....then DOUBLE it, at least.

 

[jadm]

3.) commercially available sets of hearth tools include too many items I never use and are often too large and too heavy. I will contact a local blacksmith and see if he can't make the something I'd prefer (a good poker and nice rake for coals).

I found a small poker and a small rake on the internet. Both sold separately. Can't remember where now - I got them last winter. I think I Googled 'fireplace tools' and then searched for single items on some of the sites that came up.

(I just checked Amazon and the rake I have is there. They have it for less than $20.00.)

Poker is not there and I do remember that I didn't get them from the same place. The poker is light and shaped like an 'L'. All one piece with a twisted rope like handle. I like it's shape and that it is one piece. THe ends of my other pokers always loosen up on me. This one works great because I can really hold onto a piece of wood with it.

( I am in luck...Just checked Woodland Direct and they have the poker. Just Google Woodland Direct and search fireplace tools - mini-and you will find it. Item number 1181303 and it costs $29.00)

Both items are light and sturdy.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

I learned (mainly from this forum) that there are a lot of people (mainly out East) who have to store 2 years worth of wood in advance, and a lot of people who actually buy all their wood (Gasp!) :ahhh: instead of getting it for free.

I also installed a stove and chimney according to current regulations this year, so I guess I learned about that too.

 

[jdinspector]

I learned (mainly from this forum) that there are a lot of people (mainly out East) who have to store 2 years worth of wood in advance, and a lot of people who actually buy all their wood (Gasp!) :ahhh: instead of getting it for free.

I also installed a stove and chimney according to current regulations this year, so I guess I learned about that too.

Funny! I also didn't know that it takes 2 years to season wood. As I said in my post above, I think I've invented a mini wood kiln (not by design). It seems like the metal roof on my shed acts as a heat collector rather than a reflector. I'm able to dry wood in about 4-5 months. Admittedly, it isn't perfectly dry. However, really dry wood is produced by fall. I think it comes down to getting it covered on top and leave it open on the side. I'm happy that I don't have to wait 2 years for dry wood!

 

[Birdman1]

i learned in my two short weeks:
1-bugs like to wake up if you bring in the wood to soon
2-gloves dont cover you fore arms
3-lots of dusty ash stuff flies up in the air when you shovel hot ash into the the bucket
(covering just about every thing in a 12 foot radius)
4-dont point the laser pointer thermometer at anything on the stove if the dog is watchin
(but its ok if the cat is)
5-what you think is enough wood aint
6-and the most important thing i learned so far is
the best sound in the world is the silence you hear when your thermostat should be kicking on
:coolsmile:

 

[BrowningBAR]

I learned:

1. That the old VC Vigilant takes 5 cords for the winter.
2. That I want 3 stoves in the house to cut down on 90-95% of my oil us.
3. That I am thankful that I live around a bunch of farms and woods where I have the potential opportunity for free wood if I ask around.
4. That I went from 1400 gallons of oil to 500 gallons.
5. That my dog likes to lay with half his head underneath the stove.
6. Which lead me to realize that underneath the stove isn't nearly as hot as I thought it would be.
7. That shopping for another stove is far easier than shopping for the first stove.
8. That I don't go through much kindling.
9. That I can start a fire with little to no kindling even with very few hot coals remaining.
10. That slipping on ice that forms around the wood stack is less painful when you have some rum in you.

 

[wendell]

I learned that maple split and stacked in the sun with cracked ends still doesn't mean that it is dry and the difference in heat produced from not quite seasoned wood and fully seasoned wood is immense. I will always be 2 years ahead from now on.

I am also learning that it makes a lot more sense to put on a glove and set the piece of wood in the back of the stove than trying to just toss that back piece in there (notice I didn't say learned <G>).