Mid night re-fueling

[tbow388]

tbow388,

What kind of wood and size are you using for your overnight burns?

I have a smallish epa stove that gets loaded with some of the highest btu chunky or even block size firewoods at around 10pm with the vent turned down just enough air to allow fire to still happen.
I'm up around 5am but not having to think about adding more wood until maybe 6am-7am.

Shoulder season is a bit of a difference since those dence hardwoods would tend to make the place way to warm.
For me lots of crappier wood gets burned this time of year and night burns reflect that in burn times or a coolish house when i get up.

Most of what I am burning is Oak. I have been starting it off with sweetgum since it starts up so good.

I have a few super knots that I am saving for when it gets colder.

 

[tbow388]

Wood Type

I should also say that I have elm, oak (red and white) , willow and sweetgum.

I figure that everything burns so I get it all.

 

[tbow388]

Complete Load

I agree with others, if you are having to re-load already your stove needs some work or you need a bigger one. When we really get into december, january and february you'll be up all night feeding it

I havent been filling it completely up before bed, Just about 3 splits. Then about 3 in the 3am hour. I did feel it up one night and it ran me out of the house. I had a bunch of coals left in the morning and a sweat soaked pillow.

At this point it's not cold enough to really load it up.

 

[flyboy553]

I have a Daka, can't recall the model at this minute, but it is supposed to heat 1400 sq ft. My house is 1300 sf. I bought it used 5 yrs ago and really like it. When I hit the shakers to get the ashes in to the pan, everything falls through, no big unburned chunks left. Has a large firebox too so I can get lots of fuel in there.

I have a Jensen in the garage that works well also, just is older than the Daka so it gets garage duty. The cat and dog seem to really like it, but I can't get them to load it very often. Dang independent pets.

Ted

 

[cmsmoke]

I have a DS Machine Stove-Energy Max 110. The firebox is around 2.75 cu. ft.. The house is 1800 sq. ft., built in 1952. The stove is rated at 2400 sq. ft.. This stove was installed February 2012. It will last all night and then some (if filled completely). I don't re-adjust it before bed. The air regulator is usually set at about half (dependant on outside temperature).
During the work week, we try to make sure the fire is out or close to it when we aren't home. I don't burn unattended very often. I figure 1 split per hour to get my burn time. My splits are short and average 12" long. It works out pretty well. There is alot of thermal mass to this stove and more often than not when I get home the stove is still somewhat warm.
There are plenty of good stoves out there, that will produce long burn times and make plenty of heat. It seems that most people that get long burn times also have a large firebox. While I agree that closing the air down will help increase burn times, the heat output will go down as well. Personally I would rather reload than wake up cold and have done so with an outdated and since removed 1940's era stove.
Stihly Dan is probably right in saying that if you are reloading at this time of year, your stove may be undersized, assuming you are burning quality wood and your house is properly insulated.

Edit: I don't type as fast as some...If you load it up and it gets too hot. You need to regulate the air down. Maybe your stove needs resealed and/or the airleaks repaired?

 

[blades]

nc 30 4 small splits in at around 9pm on a hot coal bed( silver maple) 3 am I am looking for the beach, about 80% closed, low thirties out side, 1960 2k ranch. reload about 5:30 am cruising at around 4-500 when I left. there will be coals left when I get home between 5-6 pm low 40 outside likely be around 70+ when i get back inside.
Lots of good wood Sugar maple/ Oak/ Elm this year and a fair amount of shoulder silver maple / willow and others also. all of it css 2 years.

 

[EXCALIBER]

I don't get enough sleep as it is, so I sure as hell am not getting up every couple of hours to put wood in the stove. Sounds like you guys need bigger, or maybe newer stoves. I did a lot of research before I bought a new stove. I found the best fit for me was a Blaze King wood stove, the king model. I put wood in about 1pm everyday, refill the next day same time. I burn only cottonwood so far all this year. Elm is getting harder to find here. The thermostat constantly adjusts the air intake, the tight stove with the catalytic converter makes even "junk" wood last. Bottom line: Do your research, find the best stove for you, then price the stove (not before you find the right stove for you), then skrimp and save and buy the right stove the first time. Trust me you will save money that way!!

Sorry my desktop is up in smoke and my netbook will not allow me to embed the photos

 

[Encore]

I havent been filling it completely up before bed, Just about 3 splits. Then about 3 in the 3am hour. I did feel it up one night and it ran me out of the house. I had a bunch of coals left in the morning and a sweat soaked pillow.

At this point it's not cold enough to really load it up.

That makes more sense. this time of year you kinda just get used to starting fires more frequently. the way I ran it, I'd just plan on starting a fire from scratch in the morning rather than getting up in the middle of the night. Boils down to personal preference I suppose.

I'd rather be a little bit chilly than too warm.

 

[tbow388]

I don't get enough sleep as it is, so I sure as hell am not getting up every couple of hours to put wood in the stove. Sounds like you guys need bigger, or maybe newer stoves. I did a lot of research before I bought a new stove. I found the best fit for me was a Blaze King wood stove, the king model. I put wood in about 1pm everyday, refill the next day same time. I burn only cottonwood so far all this year. Elm is getting harder to find here. The thermostat constantly adjusts the air intake, the tight stove with the catalytic converter makes even "junk" wood last. Bottom line: Do your research, find the best stove for you, then price the stove (not before you find the right stove for you), then skrimp and save and buy the right stove the first time. Trust me you will save money that way!!

Sorry my desktop is up in smoke and my netbook will not allow me to embed the photos

DANG!!!! that is a packed stove. I guess I will be doing that in deep winter.

I had been looking at stoves for a while. I wanted a older ashley but my wife nixed the heat box and wanted a wood stove with a window.
I was very lucky and my son actually bought my stove for me at work. It was a display and missing a few screws so he got it cheap.
I wouldn't even think about telling him I want a different one.
this is supposed to heat a 1800 foot house and I am at 1200. So far it has worked great. I just have to learn how to maintain the fire and heat.

 

[brenndatomu]

I havent been filling it completely up before bed, Just about 3 splits. Then about 3 in the 3am hour. I did feel it up one night and it ran me out of the house. I had a bunch of coals left in the morning and a sweat soaked pillow.

At this point it's not cold enough to really load it up.

Are you talkin bout the stove or your wife? :hmm3grin2orange:

You'll get the hang of it. Load 'er up good with some oak, get the stove temp up, then slowly cut the air down for the night, (do it too fast, you may get puff backs :msp_scared I'll bet it will do fine for ya!

BTW, I have a Yukon Husky furnace, I've been using 3-4 good size splits of poplar and pine (1/2 punky) in a 8 hr. period or so. That's with upper 30's over night, average insulated older brick home, 'bout 2400 sq. ft. total for 2 floors.

 

[haveawoody]

tbow388,

With mainly oak you should be getting burn times like mine.
Bet it's just a shoulder season problem.
When it gets colder loading up all the way and cutting back the air when going good and you will sleep in.

 

[haveawoody]

tbow388,

Well in defence of your wife i've got to say that seeing the fire going is very nice.
Maybe your wifes choice will pay back later when the kids are away

Took me a while to get the hang of my little epa stove after having big old betsy for many years, so i bet your learning curve will be about the same.

After the first shoulder season i knew all the little tweaks my new smaller stove liked.

 

[tbow388]

Are you talkin bout the stove or your wife? :hmm3grin2orange:.

I was actually talking about yours.:msp_w00t::msp_w00t:

Sorry, I couldn't resist!

 

[tbow388]

You know

tbow388,

Well in defence of your wife i've got to say that seeing the fire going is very nice.
Maybe your wifes choice will pay back later when the kids are away

You know what they say? A happy wife makes for a happy life!

 

[Nosmo]

How Often Do I Load and What Kind Of Stove ?

It just depends how much wood is in the stove and how cold it is outside that determines how much if any I put in the stove before going to bed. By the way I usually go to bed around 7:30 pm.

Never get up and feed more wood in the stove at night. However I may wake up before my usual time of 4:00 am if it is getting cold and build a new fire. I leave the house every day at 5:00 am and go to Mc Donalds. Five days a week a friend and I walk three miles then I come back home and add more wood.

My stove is an Englander TR-18 which I bought back around 1993. I have added some brass and also an outside air supply. I am thinking about adding another damper in the flue to reduce the air supply even more. (Any Suggestions)

Even shutting the single damper down all the way will not shut off enough air to provide a slow burn.

Nosmo

 

[ancy]

I think I will have a built in alarm clock this winter, but normally make it through the night.

View attachment 260441

 

[tbow388]

Nice Fan

I am glad I'm not the only one with a fan right by mine.

My stove has a fan on it but the other fan helps push the air around a bit.

 

[tbow388]

View attachment 260441

Nice looking Baby. Pretty cute kid you have there too.:msp_biggrin::msp_biggrin:

 

[ancy]

Nice looking Baby. Pretty cute kid you have there too.:msp_biggrin::msp_biggrin:

Not mine, the Stihl that is!

 

[bentring]

We're just doing supplemental heat in the fireplace so I know for a fact I won't be waking up to refuel it.

A couple of years ago when our heat was out and we relied solely on the fireplace and a couple of electric heaters, we still never ran a fire during the day. On the coldest mornings I would toss a couple of small logs on the coals to keep the kids from complaining though.

There's about 150 sq ft of windows in the living room that let the northern sun in and even with temps at freezing it warmed the living areas of the house. I'd always be building a fire before sundown though because it didn't last once the sun hid...