When’s your first fire?

[ChadMc]

This may be the dumbest question ever but I’ve been staring at my wood shed and stove all summer and it’s that time of year to start getting ready haha. We’ve had some cool nights and the wife and kids always say “let’s start a fire”! Obviously it’s too early, but what’s your sign for starting it up??? My parents heated with wood for as long as I can remember and my dad would always say have enough wood ready to burn wood so on a chilly October day you can have a fire and not worry about your supply in the spring. I have plenty of seasoned wood and I do love the stove. I do not love a 100Deg house though ha!

 

[BIGChrisNH]

I’ve started in late September before. It’s been getting down in the low 40s at night here honestly I could be having a fire at night and in the morning now. But I’ll wait until October. Plus I still need to sweep.

 

[Sawset]

what’s your sign for starting it up

If the furnace needs to run more than 10min to bump the temps to a comfort level.
Also, if the living room stat is below 70, it's cloudy, night, no incoming solar, it's time. At that point the house is cool enough to set up some cool convection currents to keep from overheating the place. This next week nights will be in the 40s - probably enough to cool things off enough - but plenty of sunshine as well, we'll see.

 

[peakbagger]

If you have dry wood and its chilly, have at it. Just start with small splits and do not fill the firebox. Obviously the smaller stove the better. A former college professor claimed that if you were serious abut burning wood you should have two stoves, a small one for shoulder season and large one for winter.

BTW its been 34 degrees in the AM a couple of times in the last week. I have minisplit and long before I run the boiler the minisplit is going to be covering shoulder season.

 

[kennyp2339]

I'll do my first entry fire the first day we have a misty rain and its only 50deg outside, usually occurs sometime in the first two weeks of October, its a whole ritual for me actually, I even have a certain beer I drink while doing it, Shipyard Pumpkin Spice.

 

[kborndale]

My first fire is whenever mother nature says it's time.

 

[Mech e]

As soon as the fires are out in CA, I might start a fire.

 

[orlkc]

Just did the first break-in fire for the season since it's forecast to be down in the 30s this weekend. Several weeks early this year, usually not until October sometime.

 

[TradEddie]

Unless it's below 50F and likely to stay that way for at least 4-6 hours, there's not much point in lighting my stove.
a) It's a total PITA to start and run my stove with the poor draft at temperatures above 50F.
b} Even with a top-down starter quarter load, the stovetop temperatures required for a clean burn means my stove room will overheat before the load burns down.

Around here, that point happens some time in early October. This being 2020 however...

TE

 

[marty319]

Couple small fires so far temp in the 40s .trying to break in the new osburn.not good draft in this warmer weather.also waiting to pick up my nickle door insert from dealer.

 

[ChadMc]

I'll do my first entry fire the first day we have a misty rain and its only 50deg outside, usually occurs sometime in the first two weeks of October, its a whole ritual for me actually, I even have a certain beer I drink while doing it, Shipyard Pumpkin Spice.

Sounds like your dialed in. Even with the beer. Love it!

 

[paulnlee]

Two days ago, let it go out at night,

 

[begreen]

Last year we started burning in late October. It depends on fall temps. It has been getting later in the past decade. Now we let the heat pump carry the load until temps drop into the mid-40s unless we want a nighttime chill chaser.

 

[PaulOinMA]

Some time in October. Moved to MA in 2003. Earliest first fire was September 30 in 2012. Latest first fire was November 24 in 2017. Usual first fire has been October 16 to the end of the month.

 

[Zack R]

Usually the last week of September here, once the night time temps drop below freezing and the daytime temps don't go above 45-50F. The last fire of the year this year was June 8, however its usually in early May.

 

[fvhowler]

For heating purposes...November. For recreation purposes...anytime the mood strikes. Still have some maintenance to do on the stove to get ready for burn season.

 

[SpaceBus]

I'm about to clean my cookstove out and run it in the morning.

 

[Grizzerbear]

Somewhere in October usually spurred on by setting in a tree stand.

 

[Qvist]

Usually mid October when temperature falls below 40 degrees.

 

[WoodBurnerInWI]

Normally I would start burning in October, both just short fires that burn out overnight as well as starting 24/7 burning. However I have started burning this year this month! Just small fires that I let burn out. Weather wise my criteria is pretty much any day where temps are anywhere in the 50's and night time lows are at least 45 or cooler. Sometimes a 60 something degree day can have night temps in the low 40's (as we'll be seeing around here tomorrow through Sat) so there'll be fires this week. Cloudy, rainy days this time of year may get an automatic fire depending on the temps and what direction the wind is coming from.

 

[ChadMc]

The mornings have been chilly in the house. Still not enough for a fire but pretty damn close. Last winter the heater only kicked on maybe a dozen times. I have better wood and a lot more this year and my goal is for the heater to never turn on. BTW as I’m typing this I’m on the deck drinking a beer staring at the wood shed!!

 

[PaulOinMA]

... Still have some maintenance to do on the stove to get ready for burn season.

Me, too. Planned on cleaning it after the burn season earlier this year. That didn't happen.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I start the 1st or 2nd week in October, usually a night burn to keep the chill off. Ill do a couple starter fires and burn the dust off

 

[ajayabb]

I fired up the VC for the first time this week but I just put the fireplace cover over the front since it’s not that cold yet I still have to sweep mine too

 

[buc74]

Started a fire last Saturday night after 150 miles of atving in the rain. I did end up opening a couple windows sometime during night though. I believe the low was only like 47.