The "Firing it up" thread

[Steve NW WI]

Just curious to see when everyone here cranks up the first fire of the season. If you're already burning, or run an OWB year round, say so. Otherwise just post up when the first match goes in the firebox.

I try to make a point of not lighting before October. I made it by 10 minutes this year! House was down to 58° upstairs, and a low around freezing forecasted for tonight. 2 hours and a couple armloads of elm and poplar with a little miscellaneous junk wood and some splitter trash for kindling, and we're 65°and climbing upstairs, over 80° down in the basement.

Sorry, no fancy "stove with a nice glass window" pics, just a big ole rusty wood furnace with the door open, about 10 minutes after starting.

It'd be neat to find out when everyone goes from occasional fires for taking off the chill to 24-7 as well. I hope that's not till December here, but anytime after mid-November is a possiblity.

Happy burning!

 

[Nosmo]

Normally In October - but ?

I usually have my first fire in October but we had some cooler than normal September mornings. I had one short early morning fire and one other I let burn most of the day.

Some folks say we are going to have a milder winter and others say colder winter than we had last year. What ever happens I've got my firewood ready to use.

Nosmo

 

[Whitespider]

Thermometer says 31-degrees outside this morning... 71 inside.
Just too damn early for this crap.

 

[howard270]

I don't start burning until after November 1st, usually closer to the 15th. But after I start it is burning around the clock. Now I am happy I only have to run the A/C for a few hours during the late afternoon.

Outside it is in the low 50s now with anticipated high of 83 today. But calling for 90s again for the next 3 to 4 days. So I got plenty of time to pick out my new insert and get this house the way I want it before I lite up here.

 

[Encore]

We've been burning on and off for the last couple weeks. Not all day, usually just at night, half for ambiance and half to take the chill off.

Last couple of days it's been pretty chilly out staying around mid-upper 40's so we've been burning a small fire in the AM as well.

Like the others, it's not usually until november that we begin burning 24/7. Around here they are calling for a colder winter than last year.

 

[J1m]

Started the OWB last Sunday. It was earlier than I wanted to, but we've already had a couple of hard frosts at night and the forecast is calling for lows in the mid-30's the next few nights. So, mostly we're just heating our hot water but have the option of turning the heat up if we need it.

 

[loadthestove]

built my first of the season this morning to knock chill out,probably wont burn full time until early november,.
I have a brand new install so have been waiting patiently to try it out.new furnace,and chimney and dedicated duct work for wood furnace only.

 

[wendell]

I had my 3rd fire in the small basement stove last night and probably another one tonight but then it is warming up for the rest of the week.

 

[JeffHK454]

Started our first this morn..burning a little different this year and couldn't wait to see how my supply works out. Looks like around 37° this AM outside and 71° inside.

I lucked on about 6 cords of rough sawn (sp?) Red Oak 4"x6"x3' skid runners ...cut each one in half and stacked ... super easy cutting season!

I'm actually off on a cord quantity..I have three 5'x5'x10' racks stacked tight with damn near 95%-99% wood...I believe a cord is 4x4x8 at 75% wood.

Stuff is commercially dried , non-treated building materials that have been stored in a dry warehouse for damn near 15 years.

The stuff burns like coal ... I just screwed up and stacked it too tight .. was damp to the touch because it had zero airflow but once I got the damp cooked off it's working great.

Jeff

 

[artbaldoni]

OWB been heating DHW all summer (except when too lazy to load). 45 this morning. Still warm in the house. Load every 3 days in the summer. Soon time to get serious and open the heat valves. I update when we're full speed ahead.:msp_wink:

 

[Zale]

In one hour.

 

[Fuzly]

It froze HARD last night.

 

[John R]

Last two years I lit my OWB on Oct 1, this year I haven't lit it yet.
Supposed to get in the high 60's all next week.

 

[bowtechmadman]

Fired up the OWB last night for the first time. She will now run till probably may, here is to hoping I don't have to light another fire.

 

[russhd1997]

Lit my OWB 3 years ago and haven't let it go out yet.

 

[slowp]

I guess I'll start a fire. I've opened up the windows, because I turned on the oven cleaner, and it stinks up the house. It is a foggy morning. 53 degrees outside.

Just gotta remember to turn off the house fan, which is going right now to get the smell out. It tends to suck the smoke out of the woodstove if the stove door is opened. Then the smoke alarm goes off, and then I get cranky...

 

[laynes69]

We had a couple of tiny fires late in September. We seemed to burn less so far this year compared to other years since we insulated and sealed our attic. Last night was windy and dropped to the high 30's so we had a fire with about 1/3 load of slabwood. Its been our first overnight fire this season. This was from this morning with a small load of slabwood. Feels good to have the heat when its windy, damp and chilly. Its going to warm up next week, so no 24/7 yet.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_3bFbaAZwlo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[WVwoodsman]

I fired up my OWB for the first time this season around 8:30 this morning as it was only in the 40's. I believe that it will warm up in to the 70's next week though. It feels great not to have to turn the gas on. This will be our 5th year heating with the OWB.

 

[Denny M]

Cold and wet here in Ohio yesterday, started our first fire in our wood burner in the basement yesterday afternoon. Just burned some popular to take the chill off.

 

[spike60]

Always go with the thermometer rather than the calendar, and that was the case this morning. It was a real damp 41 outside and the house had dropped to 62. Lit it up about 8:30 AM. The sun came out in the afternoon and it turned out to be a decent day so I let it go out.

In between the early sporadic fires and round the clock burning in the dead of winter I have a period where I burn pretty much every night but don't bother re-loading in the morning.