Wood Stove Insert Routine

[derbydude]

I am trying to decide if a wood fireplace insert is right for me. I will need it to run through the day while Im at work (wife and parents incapable of operating it) and again in the night while sleeping.
I am curious to know how much time you guys spend in the morning and night to get a long lasting fire going. I have heard Blaze Kings last 10hrs easily but it takes atleast 30-40mins fiddling to set it up everyday. I cant spend that much time each morning.
Are there certain brands that are easier to operate and get fire going?
Another thing, is it really hard to get firewood? I called couple places just to check and they were out even back in December. I was considering pellet stoves but concerned about pellet shortages. But it seems wood is no different.

 

[begreen]

Welcome. 30 minutes is not uncommon for a startup, even for non-cat stoves. If you can't spend 30 minutes in the morning perhaps burning wood is not a good idea. I get up earlier just to be sure that I can safely get a fire going and turn it down properly. Sometimes it takes only 15 minutes, sometimes longer. This is not something to be rushed. Every load of wood is different and one must be willing to adjust accordingly.

Pellets otoh are much more predictable. You buy ahead 2-3 tons so there is little worry about running out. If you like the pellet stove can be on a digital thermostat and have the house warming up before you get out of bed.

 

[BrotherBart]

Wood or pellets you need to have the fuel before Winter begins. And if you can't spend 30-40 minutes a day managing a stove then wood burning ain't for you. Wood or pellets. That's why them furnaces and thermostats were invented in the first place.

 

[derbydude]

Wood or pellets you need to have the fuel before Winter begins. And if you can't spend 30-40 minutes a day managing a stove then wood burning ain't for you. Wood or pellets. That's why them furnaces and thermostats were invented in the first place.

I can spend 30mins at night. But not in the morning. I suppose pellet stoves would work.

 

[derbydude]

Welcome. 30 minutes is not uncommon for a startup, even for non-cat stoves. If you can't spend 30 minutes in the morning perhaps burning wood is not a good idea. I get up earlier just to be sure that I can safely get a fire going and turn it down properly. Sometimes it takes only 15 minutes, sometimes longer. This is not something to be rushed. Every load of wood is different and one must be willing to adjust accordingly.

Pellets otoh are much more predictable. You buy ahead 2-3 tons so there is little worry about running out. If you like the pellet stove can be on a digital thermostat and have the house warming up before you get out of bed.

Thanks. BTW, assuming I spend the 30mins in the morning and night, do you still find yourself needing to tend to the stove every hour or so? Or can you get it started and leave it worry-free for the 6 or 8hrs it burns?

 

[begreen]

Thanks. BTW, assuming I spend the 30mins in the morning and night, do you still find yourself needing to tend to the stove every hour or so? Or can you get it started and leave it worry-free for the 6 or 8hrs it burns?

It depends on the wood. Normally we burn in about 8 hr cycles. About 1 hr before the end of the cycle I rake the coals to the front and open up the air a bit to let the coals burn down. But with some wood I don't need to do this. If the wood is not well seasoned I may need to tend the fire in 4-6 hrs. Again, it depends on the wood.

For pellet stoves we had a Quadrafire 1200i on a digital thermostat. All it needed was a refill in the morning on milder days, but another refill in the evening was required if it was very cold. It got cleaned every other weekend. Pretty easy stuff and my wife had no problem filling the hopper if I wasn't home. That said, she tends the fire when I'm not home too. She builds smaller fires, not stove fulls, but she does a good job of tending and staying on top of things.

 

[firefighterjake]

30-40 minutes to get the fire going in the morning ... come heating season I tend to change my sleeping habits and wake earlier to have enough time for the fire.

 

[bholler]

Fire wood is usually not to hard to get depending on where you are. Good fire wood is another story and you will almost never find actually dry wood for sale at any time. If you are buying your wood you need to be buying now to burn next year and even that might not be dry enough yet. I usually get my wood dry in a year but allot of mine is standing dead so it is dryer to begin with I know allot of guys here say it takes 2 or even 3 years. And yes you need at least 30 mins in the morning I usually allow 45 mins but almost never need more than 20-25.

 

[granpajohn]

...(wife and parents incapable of operating it)...

Unless you're talking about a physical disability, don't be too certain. There are countless stories of those that were incapable or unwilling, learning or adjusting their attitude.
(Not trying to pry into your private life....don't answer if not appropriate)

 

[Woody Stover]

It's not like you have to be sitting at the stove the entire time you are getting up to cruise level; You just have to take a look at the fire and your thermometers every so often, cutting the air as needed so you don't over-fire the stove. Once you have a handle on how the stove runs, how much air to give it etc, it is usually pretty easy. Once in a while it'll throw you a curve ball though. You can't take too much for granted and you have to stay on top of it.
I agree, you may be able to get the others up to speed on operating the stove....after a long training and observation phase. I haven't yet been able to talk my 92 yo MIL into jamming her stove full of big Oak splits.
There are many stoves that go 10+ hrs, provided that they are large enough to give you sufficient heat at a relatively low burn during normal outside temp ranges. You'll have to burn hotter (shorter) in cold weather unless you're OK with your furnace coming on. But inserts tend to hold less wood than a free-standing stove would because of the low profile needed to fit into the fireplace. Free-standers also get more heat into the room and many times don't require a blower.

 

[Wood Duck]

As Woody Stover says, the 30 to 40 minutes it takes to start a fire and get the stove set to cruise isn't a solid 30 to 40 minutes messing with the stove. I spend about 5 minutes raking the coals to the front of the stove and adding wood, then return after 10 minutes to check, then return again after a while, perhaps adjust the air, etc. It requires 30 to 40 minutes of elapsed time from when I reload to when I can walk away, but most of that time I can be doing other things.

Still, if you aren't a guy who will enjoy the whole wood burning process, maybe a pellet stove is more your thing. If you have to buy fuel and want something easy to operate, a pellet stove is probably easier.

 

[derbydude]

Unless you're talking about a physical disability, don't be too certain. There are countless stories of those that were incapable or unwilling, learning or adjusting their attitude.
(Not trying to pry into your private life....don't answer if not appropriate)

actually the wife will be at work now. Parents are old and have poor eyesight - having them work with fire is something theyre incapable of and I wouldnt risk it either.

 

[derbydude]

Thanks everyone. Now I get it - I can do 30mins while getting ready. But problem would be in case the stove needs attention during the day. I dont mind as much if it just quietly burns out or shuts off. The oil monster will kick in. But only worried if there would be a case where I have to intervene if it gets too hot or some other complication. I dont want a problem while me and the wife are away at work.

 

[bholler]

you will need to run it a bit on weekends and get comfortable and know where to set it before you leave it burn all day. It shouldn't take to long really.

 

[Charles1981]

Wakeup, Rake Coals, Reload (takes 2-3 minutes). Wait for wood to catch fire and stove to get up to temperature (takes about 15-20minutes) meanwhile I get the coffee going, feed the animals (dogs, cats, outside wild birds), start breakfast. Then the stove is ready to dial in (in my case close the bypass, and start turning the stove down) takes another 10-15 minutes. Overall The wood stove hasn't changed my routine at all.

I burn 24/7 though. If I had to start a fire from cold every time though in the morning that would be different (keeping supply of newpaper, kindling, getting it lit, waiting for coal bed, then loading onto coal bed, and waiting for larger splits to catch).

The wood supply is another problem... Are you planning to purchase all your wood cut and split? A full cord where I am is about 200-230$ if it is cut and split and then delivered. I order my own supply from a forester in 10-14 foot log length (basically entire tree trunks) and then cut and split it myself and gets the cost down by half to about 90-100 per cord.

If you aren't concerned about fuel costs having a big supply of cut and split wood delivered wouldn't be so bad. Otherwise you are looking at some serious hardcore work for inexpensive fuel.

 

[blueguy]

I have heard Blaze Kings last 10hrs easily but it takes atleast 30-40mins fiddling to set it up everyday.

From the time I open the door and rake the coals until the bypass is closed and t-stat is set for me is about 20 mins. With my Napoleon 1450, it was anywhere from 30 - 60 mins.

 

[begreen]

Yesterday morning before I went to work I had to reload the fire with some large locust pieces. They would only fit E/W. Even though there was a nice bed of coals locust is slow to ignite. Finally after ten minutes of smoldering I had to lift up the splits and slip some 2" pieces under them N/S in order to get air under the fire. It took about 40 minutes before a good blalze was going and I could shut the fire down. This could have gone faster if I had put the sleepers in there in the first place, but these things happen sometimes, especially before coffee.