The ultimate OverNight-Burn Thread !!

[goanin]

This topic has probably been grinded to fine powder more than once. But I have to bring it up again as "Overnight burning is a skill which has to be developed over time." (said by too many).
Elders and experienced folkes feel like they're gonna repeat themselves discussing this topic, but there are always new guys who find their knowldge useful. So let's act as if this thread is the ultimate, most comprehensive guide to Overnight Burining (ONB) in wood stoves.

Does ONB lead to more creosote buildup?
Does ONB reduce efficiency?
How often would you preform ONB?
Would you prefer it if you didn't have to do it?
Do you do any damage control befor of after ONB?
Are there wood types that are not recommended for ONB?
For what reasons aren't they recommended?
How do you preform ONB?
- Do you care about the stove temp?
- Do you close all air inlets and dampers?
- How do you load the stove full safely?
and more...

 

[England14]

I'll be watching this close and looking forward to getting some useful info.

 

[palmrose2]

I'll jump right in, although I wasn't aware that Jerusalem was a place in need of much wood heat.

It's been my experience that massive pieces of hardwood and draft set normal gives best results. I purposely don't split my wood very small for this reason. If you can FILL your firebox with two or three pieces of wood you are golden. My hardwood consists of sugar maple, hop-hornbeam, and maybe some beach. I'm sure oak and things similar would work fine.

Big chunks are far easier to control than small stuff with air space all through the load. In the past I've used slab wood. Depending on how you load it, you can either have a lot of air space or very little.

 

[Ambull]

My Round Oak 18-O-3 was built back in the 20's so it is about 90 years old. It has no problem burning for about 12 hours, if it has a good bed of coals. This stove will probably not go out until March. Any warm days and I just simmer it until it gets cold again.

This stove is not nearly as efficient as modern stoves, but it keeps the chimney much cleaner. Not exactly sure why, but I would guess that the smoke temperature is higher, lowering the amount of creosote build up.

Where I live, without overnight burns, the house temperature would swing too low at night.

Here is a picture of it:

 

[max2cam]

Overnight Woodstove Burn

Before going to bed, put in a bigger chunk or two of oak or birch upon a bed of good glowing coals. Shovel some dead ashes over the top of the wood chunks to insulate and retain the glowing hearth effect. Admit only a little bit of air. Close stack damper. Pray it doesn't go out.

Get up once in the night to add more wood and repeat process. Hopefully fire isn't dead out but still coals in there.

In morning get good blazing fire going with pine, spruce, etc. to heat place up again. No backup heat source here. Just woodstove. Gets very cold. Zero, -10, -20, -30 F. Below zero last night and again tonight. Leaky log house.

Only burn DRY wood. Don't cheat and take it off the new pile sitting out in the rain and snow. Only use stacked protected DRY stuff. Clean chimney every year.

My 2 cents.

 

[Highbeam]

Does ONB lead to more creosote buildup?

Yes

Does ONB reduce efficiency?

Yes or no, depending on how you do it. Smoldering fires are less efficient. No smoke = efficient.

How often would you preform ONB?

Nightly.

Would you prefer it if you didn't have to do it?

Sure I would prefer to only need to burn while I'm awake.

Do you do any damage control befor of after ONB?

There's no damage to control.

Are there wood types that are not recommended for ONB?

No, all dry wood burns the same.

For what reasons aren't they recommended?

Silliness.

How do you preform ONB?

Load full, get it going, and draft to zero. EPA stove in my house so zero isn't really zero.

- Do you care about the stove temp?

No.

- Do you close all air inlets and dampers?

As much as possible.

- How do you load the stove full safely?

It's always safe. Load to the roof.

 

[pook]

Does ONB lead to more creosote buildup?

Yes

Does ONB reduce efficiency?

Yes or no, depending on how you do it. Smoldering fires are less efficient. No smoke = efficient.

How often would you preform ONB?

Nightly.

Would you prefer it if you didn't have to do it?

Sure I would prefer to only need to burn while I'm awake.

Do you do any damage control befor of after ONB?

There's no damage to control.

Are there wood types that are not recommended for ONB?

No, all dry wood burns the same.

For what reasons aren't they recommended?

Silliness.

How do you preform ONB?

Load full, get it going, and draft to zero. EPA stove in my house so zero isn't really zero.

- Do you care about the stove temp?

No.

- Do you close all air inlets and dampers?

As much as possible.

- How do you load the stove full safely?

It's always safe. Load to the roof.

did u retest ur old fridge in higher humidity =summer climate or ???????????

 

[Whitespider]

Oh! Oh! Oh! My Turn! My Turn!

Just before you go to bed you look at your teenage daughter (who is up half the night staring at something on her Lap Top called "Facebook" and sending text messages from her cell phone) that if you wake up to a cold stove in the morning she will be carrying a cord of wood from the shed to the house at 5:00 AM.

Hey, it works for me, my stove is always hot in the morning. :biggrinbounce2:

 

[pook]

colder outdoor temp + wind consumes wood via fire & chimni, duh

 

[Greenthorn]

I usually throw two or three 18" by 30" (elm, oak or agent orange) rounds in around 9pm, don't have to mess with it again till 7am!

People always ask me why I leave so much wood unsplit, and that there be why!

 

[ryan_marine]

Toss in a couple pieces of hedge apple and forget about it for atleast 8 to 10 hours. Just don't leave the draft door open or the stove will melt.

Ray

 

[rmount]

Does ONB lead to more creosote buildup?
Don't know

Does ONB reduce efficiency?
Keeping my house warm overnight using only 3 to 5 pieces of wood is effecient

How often would you preform ONB?
Once a night

Would you prefer it if you didn't have to do it?
No, I prefer sleeping through the night

Do you do any damage control befor of after ONB?
No damage to control for that I know of

Are there wood types that are not recommended for ONB?
Small splits or low density wood don't work; high density woods, knotty pieces and unsplit rounds are best

For what reasons aren't they recommended?
don't know

How do you preform ONB?
- Do you care about the stove temp?
Easiest if there is a good bed of coals to start

- Do you close all air inlets and dampers?
Get it roaring well then shut inlet right down (EPA rated stove)

- How do you load the stove full safely?
Not sure what safety issue you're worried about

I usually fill the stove (Pacific Energy Aderlea) around 10:30 or so in the evening then rake the coals and add fresh wood around 6:30 next morning. Keeps us cozy & warm!

 

[PA Plumber]

Does ONB lead to more creosote buildup?
Shouldn't if the wood is well seasoned.

Does ONB reduce efficiency?
I would guess this is when the stove is most efficient.
Secondary burn is a must here.
I use small splits. Oodles of coals in the morn'n.

How often do you preform ONB?
Every evening.

Would you prefer it if you didn't have to do it?
I would rather not have the fuel oil furnace run.
In order for that to happen, we need to "load up the ole stove."

Do you do any damage control before of after ONB?
Yep, remove ashes every few days.

Are there wood types that are not recommended for ONB?
Haven't had any wood yet, that wouldn't hold coals through the night. (Approx. 7 to 10 hours.)

For what reasons aren't they recommended?
The more dense the hardwood, the larger the bed of coals in the morning. Easier for gett'n the stove cook'n again.

How do you preform ONB?
Stove temp 450 deg F plus, load it up, then shut down the draft all the way.
Non-Cat EPA stove.

- Do you care about the stove temp?
Yes. Prefer not to have it over 700 deg. F.

- Do you close all air inlets and dampers?
Yes.

- How do you load the stove full safely?
Gingerly, add as much wood as the stove will accept.

 

[Agnes]

Does ONB lead to more creosote buildup?
Not sure but would tend to think that lower burning temperatures will produce more creosote in chimmney

Does ONB reduce efficiency?
Depends on stove and if it has a Catalytic unit

How often would you preform ONB?
Every night I hate starting the fire up again when it goes out.

Would you prefer it if you didn't have to do it?
Yes, but it is easier than relighting the fire in the morning in a cold house.

Do you do any damage control before of after ONB?
Nope.

Are there wood types that are not recommended for ONB?
Yes, softer woods

For what reasons aren't they recommended?
How do you preform ONB?
- Do you care about the stove temp?
No usually around 300 or so
- Do you close all air inlets and dampers?
Close the only damper on the stove so it only allows little air flow into firebox.
- How do you load the stove full safely?
Load the pieces in before going to bed, close the door adjust the damper.

I would recommend using hard wood when possible. What I find works the best is a hot bed of coals and putting a nasty piece of crotch wood from wood that has been split. Split crotches burn all night and have been termed yule logs in our home..... because "you'll" be seeing the hot coals in the morning.

 

[avalancher]

Does ONB lead to more creosote buildup?

Yes

Does ONB reduce efficiency?

Yes or no, depending on how you do it. Smoldering fires are less efficient. No smoke = efficient.

How often would you preform ONB?

Nightly.

Would you prefer it if you didn't have to do it?

Sure I would prefer to only need to burn while I'm awake.

Do you do any damage control befor of after ONB?

There's no damage to control.

Are there wood types that are not recommended for ONB?

No, all dry wood burns the same.

What,are you friggin nuts?Not all wood burns the same.Try and shove your stove full of cedar versus a stove full of shagbark hickory.One will be gone in an hour no matter what the damper is set to, and in the case of the hickory we often get 14 hour burn times out of one solid chunk

For what reasons aren't they recommended?

Silliness.

How do you preform ONB?

Load full, get it going, and draft to zero. EPA stove in my house so zero isn't really zero.

- Do you care about the stove temp?

No.

- Do you close all air inlets and dampers?

As much as possible.

- How do you load the stove full safely?

It's always safe. Load to the roof.

.

 

[dingeryote]

I dunno about creosote, probably does because ONB is a bit cooler.

We just pick through the Oak splits to get the right ones to fit the tightest, and load the thing up over a good bed of coals, and then give it 15 Min or so to get going, then damp it down to about half.

Did that last night, and it was 60 in here when we got up with enough wood left to flare up when opening the air control. Dadgum wind will suck the heat right out of a house.

It helps to run Red Oak, Hedge, Hornbeam, or any good dense wood, but we have found that Cherry coals out and really helps even if it does burn down so quick.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[rmount]

Split crotches burn all night and have been termed yule logs in our home..... because "you'll" be seeing the hot coals in the morning.

:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

this

year is a new deal for me. i go to work at 2 am so i fire it real good before i go. fire never dies down much house is toasty but i use quite a bit more wood. thankfully have plenty

 

[bobt]

My wood furnace doesn't really choke down much even if I shut the draft down to minimum. I just keep big roundwood for the nights. I think they last much longer.

Bob

 

[MNfarmer]

ONB can cause creosote build up just the same as any other time of the day burn if the chimney is too cool. My experience with my set up is that you can dampen down a fire fairly low and as long as the chimney is warm it will not build up that bad. I clean my chimney once a year and get maybe 1/2 of a 5 gallon bucket full. There is some that falls down during the summer that I scoop out before I clean it and that adds up to less than a 1/4 bucket full.