What Is In Your Stove Right Now?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
I'm not sure what the temp was this morning (maybe 36) I started a fire after the first cup of coffee. Before I started the fire I took some ashes outside to the garbage can next to the outside fireplace, we'll use the ashes on certain parts of the driveway later on.
 
Went to bed with a temp of 37, woke up to 36. Looks like the bulk of the quick moving storm is supposed to stay south of us (Enjoy it Zap !!!). Temp is supposed to start dropping today and stay in the 20,s & teens for the next week. The current temp up in Manitouwage (NW Ontario) is sitting on 0 so the cold isn't far away. Ole' Black Betty is just idling along on a diet of mixed hardwood and the house is a pleasant 72.
When I checked the temp after I came in, we were 31 point something with some snow falling. Nothing for wind yet but the front hasn't moved in yet.
 
Are your tubes red hot in the photo? I don’t think I’ve ever gotten my stove that hot, hot enough to illuminate the tubes… I think the incoming air keeps them cool, hot but cool if you know what I mean.
The tubes actually looked worse in the photo. The rear tube was glowing a bit but not for too long. I doubt it is uncommon for them to glow if a full load is in and running hot. I could be wrong
 
They said 5 cm.(2") we got maybe 2cm., barely covering the grass.
We have three inches on the ground at the moment and that is on a very wet ground, we have some wind but nothing bad.

We'll see if there's enough to plow in the morning.
 
We have three inches on the ground at the moment and that is on a very wet ground, we have some wind but nothing bad.

We'll see if there's enough to plow in the morning.
White patches, bare patches here. Snow over and the wind is settling down. 24 degrees right now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: thewoodlands
It's 23.5 tonight with snow still coming down, looking at the backyard with the light on, it looks like we have 5 plus inches.

It's 72 up here and the basement at 80, the wood stove is getting a break tonight with the old pellet stove supplying the heat.
 
Sassafras and the last of the pine branch wood for overnight. Sassafras and proper pine splits next.
 
If you lived in the NE and a snow storm was coming about 4 inches would you still heat with pine, or even mixed for that matter---just curious--old clancey
 
I would not heat with pine regardless. That is foreign to my family but each his own. If it works for many then great. Plenty of hardwood around here.
 
If you lived in the NE and a snow storm was coming about 4 inches would you still heat with pine, or even mixed for that matter---just curious--old clancey

Yes I would. What matters is the total weight of the wood you put in the stove. That determines the heat you can get out of that load. Pine has a lower density, so filling the box with pine rather than e.g. oak means there is less Btus in the stove. Hence it'll last less long until you need to reload. Or you run it so that it lasts the same time, but you get less Btus per hour of runtime. The latter is the reason why some people (with access to both pine and hardwood) use pine in the shoulder season when less heat is needed.

As long as it's properly dry, it's good wood.
 
Bringing in some shoulder season wood this week, I came across this, which was a portion of a large vine I was happy to uncover and rid from my woodlot a few years ago.

I've spent a lot of hours ridding this woodlot of vines, which were strangling out large portions, and I'm guessing the removal of this put a big dent in their proliferation

vine.jpg 2019-08-31 023edit1 - Copy.jpg
 
Last edited:
If you lived in the NE and a snow storm was coming about 4 inches would you still heat with pine, or even mixed for that matter---just curious--old clancey
Some of those who have access to hardwoods believe pine to be the devils wood; for others it may be all we have. I have burned pine, in all temps and weathers, even during single digits or negatives, I can get 10-12 hours out of pine and keep the house at around 70 or above.
 
Reloaded just now. Found a few splits of 3 year old maple (and a small 2 yr old dogwood one, and put 3 too long sassafras splits e/w underneath.

IMG_20211127_111734536.jpg
 
Temps were arounf the upper 20's last night some locust with maple to get a longer burn time. The house is pretty warm now about 76. I have been letting the bbasement stove burn down at night no overnnight reloads yet just not cold enough. The summit one the main floor is keeping the house warm enough through the night.