What Is In Your Stove Right Now?

[NickW]

-27/-61. No way I'm getting up to comfortable temperature for the wife to work at the computer in the loft today with just the fire. Thermostat on the NG turned back up to 68. I brought in a tote worth of shorter black ash a few days ago, so loaded up with that. Should fire longer than pine and aspen but not be too bad with coals.

 

[Stelcom66]

This is the most extreme winter weather in a long time, around here at least. I don't know if the recent temperatures up north are typical.

I'll likely be working from home at the computer Monday, or at least there will be a delay for going into the office.

 

[all night moe]

This morning's breakfast is mostly maple. A bit of cherry for extra flavor, and a couple smallish splits of W oak for substance.

 

[ctreitzell]

I’m in the tropics compared to y’all, bon courage

It’s that time of the day to cold start the Panadero. It’s mostly Wht oak and hazel. My customary 1 split of chestnut and Siberian elm chunk

 

[vatmark]

Got the stove ready. Going to be mostly ice here and we will definitely lose power. I am panicking because I just saw we will have high wind gusts. I get bad downdrafts when we have high winds and usually wont run the stove. Now I don't now what to do if we lose power and have high winds. I guess I will just have to chance it and hope for the best. That or freeze to death.

 

[NickW]

-13 real feel of -38. Looks like the high for the day, but winds will start to die down about 7:00. Load of the 16" black ash e/w is in on a mountain of coals with a trough through it. Think it's the 4th load of the day. Been keeping the furnace from kicking in much so far. Forecast low is -30 by morning but real feel is about the same, so should be better than last night.

I did go outside for about half an hour (well bundled and covered) and putzed around just to say I'm dumb enough to do it. It honestly wasn't too bad because the wind was fairly calm most of the time I was out. Didn't take long for my exhaled breath to coat my eyelashes and eyebrows in ice.

 

[Dieselhead]

Got the stove ready. Going to be mostly ice here and we will definitely lose power. I am panicking because I just saw we will have high wind gusts. I get bad downdrafts when we have high winds and usually wont run the stove. Now I don't now what to do if we lose power and have high winds. I guess I will just have to chance it and hope for the best. That or freeze to death.

If you run the stove hard to get the draft ripping will it still downdraft on you?

 

[vatmark]

If you run the stove hard to get the draft ripping will it still downdraft on you?

I don't know but I will definitely give it a try. I will have to try putting in a lot more wood. I usually only start with 2 larger splits , 2 small splits and kindling. Maybe if I pack it and try and get it ripping it will help. I have never actually had it ripping as it wasn't necessary. I rarely do overnight burns but will have to once we lose power. I plan to sleep in the same room as the stove to keep an eye on it. I'll let my husband sleep as he is the one that has to work.

 

[all night moe]

Dinner plate is full of almost 2yr single stacked red oak. Nice tone to them. Half a cord in the truck and backed up tp the lair's way.
Bringing some in through the entry door by arm loads when needed. No way am I opening up the lair till mid morning. Salad plate for the dragon has one honey locust served with chunky sugar maple split. I hope to find more sugar tomorrow.

Will be grabbing another half cord
tomorrow. Have a small pile of petrified R oak, black ash, a pile of mixed, and still have half a cord of old norway maple. I may leave the old norway towards feed in March. Either way, I'm hoping tomorrows 2nd load will get me well past Feb. If we keep getting Artic smacked, it might not. She's a big eater.

Currently 5* with a real of -19.
We're definitely not there yet.

 

[all night moe]

I don't know but I will definitely give it a try. I will have to try putting in a lot more wood. I usually only start with 2 larger splits , 2 small splits and kindling. Maybe if I pack it and try and get it ripping it will help. I have never actually had it ripping as it wasn't necessary. I rarely do overnight burns but will have to once we lose power. I plan to sleep in the same room as the stove to keep an eye on it. I'll let my husband sleep as he is the one that has to work.

He's a lucky man to have you.

For your initial burn, heating up the flue, try a bunch of smaller splits and your kindling with lots of air space. Ad the bigger splits after a good burn is established. This will create some good fast heat to really get some good draft going.

 

[Dieselhead]

I got home from work today and did a quick clean out. House was 65 so I tossed 5 spruce splits in and burned fast ‘n furious. Fan on 2/4. House to 71 on that load. Outside was 31 now it’s 20 and the wind is ripping. Tonight’s load just went in on the spruces coals. 12 pieces of mixed hardwoods. Stay warm all, I’m looking forward to the snow on Sunday. The wind can go away as far as I’m concerned. Nope, not there yet. Maybe just getting started!😬

 

[Turbo89]

Got the shop warmed up when I got home after work, shops 63 and it’s about 15 outside, so we’re doing good. Just tossed on the overnight burn of ash and hickory with 1 piece of pine on top to get it ripping before everything turns to coals.

STT 340, CAT settling in around 930, are a crack past full close.

 

[all night moe]

Grabbed another load of 9 splits. Dumped em right down the ole girls throat.
Killed the power switch to the blower, and let the limit switch climb before releasing the dragon's breath. Really heats up the ducts and warms the place up. Also throws some extra heat in the crawlspace.

Were at 4* now with the real hanging at -15. Wow it warmed up a little but it doesn't feel it out there.

 

[all night moe]

Got the shop warmed up when I got home after work, shops 63 and it’s about 15 outside, so we’re doing good. Just tossed on the overnight burn of ash and hickory with 1 piece of pine on top to get it ripping before everything turns to coals.

View attachment 345509
View attachment 345510
View attachment 345511

STT 340, CAT settling in around 930, are a crack past full close.

Makes mama proud.

 

[bigealta]

Got Lucky today when i discovered the stack i'm now starting to burn is from 6/22. I thought it was a 2 or 3 year old one.
It's Heavy oak with no bark at all on any piece. They must have come from very large Dia. rounds. (I forget). They are much heavier than my usual red oak. That could be because a bunch of my oak is from dead standing and dead fallen and often has some punky spots or almost punky parts.

Anyway the wheelbarrow is loaded up with it, and is standing by just outside the fully loaded storage entryway door. It will come in as soon as there is room.... Which will be quick.

 

[Todd]

-31/75 overnight load 5 splits of Maple.

 

[NickW]

-24... 6 small to medium splits and rounds of pine and aspen rip snorting along for a burst of heat and hopefully reduce the coals.

 

[stoveliker]

19 outside, feels like 4. Howling winds from the Sound.
Upstairs 70.
A reload with a big slab of red oak on the floor and bigger red oak splits on top.
These have been loaded in my shed 4.5 years ago, and that was after a year under a tarp.

 

[Jay106n]

Well you all know… record cold and snow incoming. Oak chunks

 

[NickW]

Still -24. Cherry, white ash, ironwood, beech and hickory with a couple of small sticks of black ash filling gaps.

 

[all night moe]

The dragons cries awakened me again. I had fallen asleep around 10:30, after stoking that last load I mentioned earlier.
On a large belly of coal lay 9 chunks of red oak. I like splitting my cookies into sizeable pieces to help with drying. On top of those are 2 W oak splits, a black oak split, a red oak half round, a black oak 2'' barkless round, and one split of honey.

Spoiled dragon.....she'll be crying again in 3-4hrs. If I filled her belly completely I'd gain an hr. not worth the 30 split fill.

Add on: 0* with a real feel of -22. I am the house thermostat. I sleep in the coldest room, furthest from the dragon. When the cold wakes me, I know she's hungry. Her breath is still. I'm really looking forward to an outdoor furnace with a conversion to hydronic heat. Love cast iron rads.

 

[bigealta]

Woke up by the stove, still decent coals, 3 splits of the 3 year oak back in. Nice to be able to close the draft down almost right after loading.

 

[all night moe]

2 pine on the coals, followed with 6 R oak, 2 W oak, and the tell tale dragons delight of a slice of honey.
Grabbed the red from outside.

-5 with the real at-18. I'm going back to sleep. Stay warm.

 

[Todd]

-40/75 coldest I’ve seen in 4 or 5 years! Got up early to feed the stove some Oak. Still I’d rather have this cold than what’s going on down south! Be safe out there people!

 

[Dieselhead]

5 out and windy. BKK did good last night maintaining 70 inside wth about 30% wood remaining mostly in coal form. Beautiful blue flames dancing gently when I closed the flue damper fully while enjoying my first cup of coffee around 630. Closing it down really keeps the heat loss up the flue to a bare minimum and the stove starts to bake. I’ll be adding spruce to the stove after breakfast and that should carry me to the evening reload. I imagine the hardwood coals will be burnt down by then for another full load.