When do you burn and when dont you?

[RAYINTOMBALL]

Alright folks this is going to be my first full winter heating with wood only. Or let's say mostly. Got a Quad Millennium 2100. Moved into new house at the end of February last year so didn't get to burn much. Only had 3 fires last year so didn't even get a taste of burning any amount of time. I know you up North will light a fire and burn all winter. Me being in North Texas my temps can go from mid 30s to mid 70s in the same day. Is there a temp where you just let the fire go out and start a new one each evening as the temp cools down. Thanks my friends and take care.

 

[audible fart]

If i average out my fires over the years, i think i generally don't start a fire unless the daytime high is 56 or less. Even then it's a small one. Yet if it's raining and the daytime temps are a couple degrees higher than 56, i can justify maintaining a small one just to knock the moisture out. At these temps, i usually have a window or two cracked when the woodstove is going. It's a nice mix of slight radiant heat& fresh air.

 

[Whitespider]

Me being in North Texas my temps can go from mid 30s to mid 70s in the same day. Is there a temp where you just let the fire go out and start a new one each evening as the temp cools down.

Mid-70s?? That's mid-summer here... no fire.
We've had lows in the 30s/low-40s and highs in the 60s for the past week better... still have a couple of windows open.

But to better answer your question...
During the early and late parts of the season we don't start a fire in the "evening" because that tends to make the house too warm for sleeping. When needed, and only when needed, a small morning fire, built from small pieces of wood so it won't burn long, to take the morning chill out is a more comfortable plan. But I'm up early every morning, usually before 5:00AM, so I usually have the "chill" burned off before everyone else rolls out. I start the fire while the coffee is cookin'... and the way I start a fire takes less than 5 minutes.

"Evening fires" are what I sit round outside.
Except for a couple of exceptions, we likely won't start loading the firebox in the evening until sometime in November.
*

 

[Oldman47]

If you insulate well you can get the heat you need by opening windows when it is 70 outside and close up when the temperature drops at night. The last few weeks we have seen 45 or less at night and 65ish during the day. I have yet to even consider any artificial heat source. The house is warm and comfortable without it just due to the bit of sunshine through a few south facing windows.

 

[Greenthorn]

Once my furnace starts end of Oct or early Nov, it doesn't stop till March or early April. I bought a box of them there fire starters about 6 years ago, there are 48 in a box and I still have around 20 of them.
I must admit I am one of those sacrileges' that pays the nature gas bill in between. Even paying the gas bill it is never over 60 dollars.

 

[RAYINTOMBALL]

Thanks for the replies gentlemen. With the climate I'm in probably will have to use the propane heat some mornings just to take the chill out. January and February will work for me ok I think. I hate paying for propane . Sitting outside right now and it's 83 degrees. Im ready to burn some wood. Have a great evening folks.

 

[zogger]

Alright folks this is going to be my first full winter heating with wood only. Or let's say mostly. Got a Quad Millennium 2100. Moved into new house at the end of February last year so didn't get to burn much. Only had 3 fires last year so didn't even get a taste of burning any amount of time. I know you up North will light a fire and burn all winter. Me being in North Texas my temps can go from mid 30s to mid 70s in the same day. Is there a temp where you just let the fire go out and start a new one each evening as the temp cools down. Thanks my friends and take care.

Huge variable here, similar situation sometimes in the winter. Basically, 40s or below, burn all day long, gets to 50s and above, let it slow down during the day, just add enough to keep some coals, kick it back up as the sun goes down. High 60s and 70s, no fire. 50s and below, most likely. This house is real leaky, it doesn't take long to get cold in here even with the windows shut.

 

[brenndatomu]

This is really really simple...if the wife has too many clothes on, you need to light a fire...if she has too few...'er, wait, that doesn't happen

 

[flotek]

Anything over 40 and I don't burn

 

[Marine5068]

At this time of year in Ontario, I burn at night around 7pm and stoke it up in the morning about 5am when I get up (on my days off).
We have temps around +2 degrees at night and up to 70 degrees daytime here right now.

 

[unclemoustache]

I light it up whenever my wife is cold. Gotta keep my babe happy!

 

[RAYINTOMBALL]

This is really really simple...if the wife has too many clothes on, you need to light a fire...if she has too few...'er, wait, that doesn't happen

That's funny brenndatomu. But oh so true on this end to. But at 60 years old doesn't matter to me as much as it used to

 

[RAYINTOMBALL]

Anything over 40 and I don't burn

Good evening flotek. Hope all's well in Pa.. I could get by with a couple of boxes of toothpicks if I only burned below 40 where Im at. Have a great weekend.

 

[RAYINTOMBALL]

At this time of year in Ontario, I burn at night around 7pm and stoke it up in the morning about 5am when I get up (on my days off).
We have temps around +2 degrees at night and up to 70 degrees daytime here right now.

Good evening Marine5068. Must be tough dealing with those temp swings this time of the year. Have a great weekend.

 

[sb47]

If it's cold at night and I have a pretty good fire going with oak, I tend to let it die down during the day.
And in most cases there is still enough coals and heat to get the next fire going the next night.
This year I am going to try an experiment by making a short wall next to the heater with landscaping pavers.
The idea is to create a thermal heat bank that will slowly radiate heat throughout the day.

 

[audible fart]

I light it up whenever my Calvin is cold. Gotta keep my babe happy!

 

[brenndatomu]

I light it up whenever my wife is cold. Gotta keep my babe happy!

Yup, if mama's cold everybody's cold, right? I 'spose that is as good a way as any to regulate the house temp, no way you'd stand a chance of coming to a unanimous consensus on the household temp with 10 (11?) members voting

 

[sledge&wedge]

Alright folks this is going to be my first full winter heating with wood only. Or let's say mostly. Got a Quad Millennium 2100. Moved into new house at the end of February last year so didn't get to burn much. Only had 3 fires last year so didn't even get a taste of burning any amount of time. I know you up North will light a fire and burn all winter. Me being in North Texas my temps can go from mid 30s to mid 70s in the same day. Is there a temp where you just let the fire go out and start a new one each evening as the temp cools down. Thanks my friends and take care.

Here in Southern Indiana we tend to have crazy temperature swings kinda like you do. Sunday morning when I woke up it was 42 degrees outside, and at lunch time it was 77. The only difference between here and Texas is that our winter low temperatures are probably a bit worse. We appear to have similar setups though. I have an LP furnace to work alongside my Buck stove. I use the LP to keep the house around 60 during the day, and light a good fire when I get home. That usually pushes the house up to 70 by bedtime and maintains 68 over night. Then I rake up the coals and toss a few small splits on to keep the wife happy while she is getting ready for work. Works for us... might work for you.

 

[woodfarmer]

At this time of year in Ontario, I burn at night around 7pm and stoke it up in the morning about 5am when I get up (on my days off).
We have temps around +2 degrees at night and up to 70 degrees daytime here right now.

Good evening Marine5068. Must be tough dealing with those temp swings this time of the year. Have a great weekend.

Your going to confuse these 'mericans, your giving your lows in Celsius and highs in Fahrenheit. What you should be saying is 70* during the day and 36*at night. Or 21* and 2* Celsius.

 

[stihly dan]

I burn when its cold outside and cold inside. Any other variation I don't. And cold is different than chilly.