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Public Forums => Home - Garden - Auto - Carpooling => Topic started by: Mountain_Witch on Oct 20, 02, 07:18:22 PM

Title: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Mountain_Witch on Oct 20, 02, 07:18:22 PM

'Tis that time of year when the temps dip and start nipping at your nose. And the air smells sweetly of ..............wait a minute. What's that odor? It's not from WWRatOut scratching and sniffing trees, that's for sure. Smells like plastic burning or could it be? Yup, another person burning something in their fireplace that they shouldn't ought to be doing. Tisk, tisk tisk......If we don't watch what we burn up here and how we burn, we could end up choked out like other communities and end up with burn restrictions. And that would stink more than the burning trash I smell from time to time. Well, I just thought we need to remind ourselves and others to please burn clean. And most importantly, burn safe this season. I'll add a few tips and I think if anyone else has any helpful tips or FAQs on wood burning please be sure to share your knowledge.  :)

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Mountain_Witch on Oct 20, 02, 07:19:50 PM

Check the top of your chimney; if the smoke is dark or smelly, your woodstove is not burning right. Dark or smelly smoke indicates that your wood is not burning hot or clean enough.

Smaller pieces of wood burn cleaner because they have more surface area exposed to the flame. Split wood to a maximum of 4-6 inches in thickness and 2-4 inches shorter than the size of your stove's firebox.

Build your fire slowly, building a good, hot fire takes 15-30 minutes. Start with kindling and crumpled paper, than add small pieces of wood. Gradually increase the size of the wood as the coals build up.

Never burn garbage, or wood that is painted or chemically treated. The burning of these will create toxic substances that effect the air you breathe and reduce your stove's heating efficiency.
Stack your wood outside. It dries best if you keep it off the ground and covered. Allow room for air to flow under the stack, and to circulate between the pieces.

Don't store wet wood in your house. The moisture leaving wood as it dries will increase the relative humidity of the air in your house in the winter. Higher humidity levels increase mould and mildew growth, both of which can cause severe allergic reactions, asthma attacks, and increase the number of colds and flus in your household.

Dry your wood for at least 6 months. Sizzling wood indicates that the wood is still wet. Wood should be properly dried before burning to reduce creosote buildup, excessive smoke and heating costs


Use a stovepipe thermometer to make sure your woodstove is operating at the right temperature.

Adding smaller loads of wood more often ensures a healthier fire. Smaller pieces of wood, added in small amounts, burn cleaner because they have more surface area exposed to the flame. This keeps your fire burning consistently clean and hot.

Properly load your wood. Keep the air in your neighbourhood clean; avoid smouldering fires.

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: headchat on Oct 21, 02, 05:00:40 AM

Thanks for this excellent info., M-W!  Some folks near me have only the woodburners for heat and on some days it is just terrible.  I thought it was the shifting of the wind but it may be what they're burning.  Your info. should be published in the paper as a public awareness article.

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: johnNjeri on Oct 21, 02, 11:04:47 AM

Thanks witchy woman!

T'was wondering if you know how often one should have their chimney cleaned. I'm concerned with creosote building up...

Do you have any opinions about the chimney cleaning logs that some hardware stores sell?

???

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Mountain_Witch on Oct 21, 02, 03:51:23 PM

Quote

Thanks witchy woman!

T'was wondering if you know how often one should have their chimney cleaned. I'm concerned with creosote building up...

Do you have any opinions about the chimney cleaning logs that some hardware stores sell?

???

I would say it all depends on how often you burn and what kind of wood you burn. I've heard that you can go two to three years, but just to be on the safe side I have mine cleaned every season as it's not that expensive. I used to pay anywhere from 60-70 bucks for a local chimney sweep. Now that we have upgraded to an insert, it's a lot easier to clean ourselves. I'm sure when we get older we just might have to call the sweeper man again. Although I miss him, his broom was better than mine.
;)

As for the logs you are inquiring about, I've never used them so I wouldn't know. Maybe someone else on the board can give us their opinions about them.
???

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Mountain_Witch on Oct 21, 02, 04:12:28 PM

OK, While I'm here I might as well get my question in before I forget to.

I've been reading on the Internet about those new DuraFlame Logs that are supposed to be cleaner burning and have a longer burn time than that of regular wood. I know the hardware store has them and was wondering if anyone has used them. Do they really have a good heat output that some people say they have?

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Wrightwood on Oct 21, 02, 04:27:03 PM

Quote

OK, While I'm here I might as well get my question in before I forget to.

I've been reading on the Internet about those new DuraFlame Logs that are supposed to be cleaner burning and have a longer burn time than that of regular wood. I know the hardware store has them and was wondering if anyone has used them. Do they really have a good heat output that some people say they have?

Mountain_Witch.. thank you for all your nice postings.

(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/forumimg/stove.gif)

http://www.ncsg.org/members/sweeping/duraflame-august-2001.htm

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: RobertW on Oct 21, 02, 05:12:51 PM

As for the difference between fire logs and real wood, there is a BIG difference.  We burn Wood when in Wrightwood, as we use the fireplace to help warm the cabin.  When at our full time home in Burbank, we use fire logs.

Fire logs are convenient.  You light them and forget about them for 3 hours.  We use them for atmosphere only.  You can not use them for heat as they do not put out nearly the heat that burning wood does.  They also give off a "waxy" smell and do not smell anything like a wood burnig fire.

Again, great for convenience and atmosphere, but that is about it.

As for helping to keep the chimney clean, there are chemical packets that can be thrown on the fire and it will help lift the soot out of the chimney, to be deposited on the ground outside.  I believe the hardware store still sells these packets.

They really do work, as I can stand outside and visibly see soot deposits landing on my shoulder.

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Mountain_Witch on Oct 21, 02, 07:19:20 PM

::) Aw shucks guys, don't thank me. Thank everyone that makes this place click. I couldn't ramble on without 'em. This site is a wonderful addition to our community. 'Tis been a real pleasure reading and sharing opinions, interest and ideas with all the friendly folks on here.

Thanks for the info Wrightwood and RobertW. I'm glad I didn't just start burning those logs in my insert, as I guess it's not good for it. Since this is our full time home and we rely on wood heat all winter long, I guess I'll stick to the real stuff then.

In the meantime it's back to......
.............Throw a nother lawg on da fire.......
......Cook me up sum bacun n sum beans..........
;D

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Mountain_Witch on Oct 21, 02, 08:28:16 PM

Just passing along another good site for more info on wood heating. The Canadians have the market on the websites when it comes to wood heating info.

woodheat home
http://www.woodheat.org/

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: naturalist on Oct 26, 02, 06:28:32 PM

Last winter (or was it the winter before?) Jensen's had these great boxes of recycled wood/fire logs.  They burned nice and hot for about 3 hours and really clean, too.  I would like to see those come back.  I agree that the DuraFlame type logs are worthless for actual heat, but these were great!  And no waxy smell, either.  I can't remember the brand, but it wasn't the Bengal Tiger one--those are even smaller and wimpier than regular DuraFlames.  These were in large cardboard boxes that you put directly into your fireplace and lit the cardboard and had and instant fire!  Very convenient.  

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: naturalist on Oct 26, 02, 06:32:03 PM

Quote

Don't store wet wood in your house. The moisture leaving wood as it dries will increase the relative humidity of the air in your house in the winter. Higher humidity levels increase mould and mildew growth, both of which can cause severe allergic reactions, asthma attacks, and increase the number of colds and flus in your household.

Are you kidding?  Humidity in Wrightwood could only be a good thing!!  Has ANYone here EVER had any mold or mildew problems?  I've never lived anywhere as dry.  I like to hang my laundry inside in the winter just to help humidify for a few minutes before it instantly dries...

Good info in your message, though!!  THanks!

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Mountain_Witch on Oct 31, 02, 03:39:41 AM

Well, considering most the information you find on the web about wood and heating comes from Canada, that would probably explain the part about the humidity. But I know one thing for sure, if anyone knows about heating a home in cold weather those Canadians would surely know.  ;)

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: naturalist on Oct 31, 02, 06:36:08 AM

You betcha!  And when I had a wood stove up in Humboldt county, mold was an issue there for sure!  But here, nah.  I like to hang my clothes outside sometimes in the winter--they freeze and get stiff instantly, and you can tell when they are dry when they get soft again!  For some reason I find that extremely amusing.  Simple minds... :P

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Mountain_Witch on Oct 31, 02, 09:48:05 AM

I used to do the same thing when I lived in Iowa as a kid. It always used to amaze me. The thing that always cracked me up was if it was really windy the night you hung them out, you would wake up in the morning with socks frozen in one direction and shirts in another and my brother always worrying about his clothes breaking in two.  ::)

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: eastcanyongirl on Nov 01, 02, 08:55:05 AM

Does anyone have a recommendation on where to buy firewood in bulk up here? This is our first full winter up here and I'd like to buy a half cord or a cord for immediate use (er, not all at one time). In other words, I don't want to have to wait six months for it to dry out! I've asked several neighbors who have brought in wood and all of them have told me they would not recommend the source where they got their wood! :-/ Anyone have a wood source they actually like that sells at a reasonable price?

Also, is it okay to store my firewood in my garage? It is cemented and clean, and I have space for it.

Thanks for any info you can share.  :D

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Mountain_Witch on Nov 01, 02, 09:03:50 AM

Well, I used to have one place that was good last year, but this year they really dumped some bad wood on me. Way too many branches, and lots of cuts over 3ft that I had to cut to use in my insert. It's been hard to find someone that sells decent split half rounds or stove wood for that matter.
Other than that, good question. It seems every time I think I've found one they turn out to be a disappointment.  ???

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Mountain_Witch on Nov 01, 02, 11:34:04 AM

*Wiping ash from her face and flickering her now singed eyelashes*

Well, yup. 'Tis the burning season alright.

Just fired up the insert for the first time this year and ....
Well....I forgot about the part that when you go to add more fuel to the fire, to make sure and slide the air intake knob to the fully open position..... and...

:o

Have you ever watched that movie BackDraft?

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: naturalist on Nov 01, 02, 03:36:32 PM

I recommend buying your wood for next year now... the stuff I bought last year was a little green but just right this year.  If you find a good source, let me know!

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Mountain_Witch on Nov 02, 02, 03:05:32 PM

Types of Firewood
Generally the most popular burning wood is oak. There are innumerable varieties widely available throughout the U.S. Oak is long burning (1 to 1 hours per log), smells nice and splits easily, but tends to be a bit more ashy and more high priced than other good alternatives. Unfortunately it's a rare find around this area. Depending on the region of the country, ash, beech, cherry, dogwood, elm, hickory, maple, pinion pine, pine, eucalyptus, mesquite and juniper are also popular. There's plenty of Citrus, eucalyptus and avocado to be had in the local wood dealers around here.
Having a good mix is handy, soft wood for starting and quick burns, heavy to medium for longer burn times and better heat output.

Sources of Firewood
It pays to be more concerned with the source than what or how much to get.

Know the dealer and make sure they have a license and sell only properly dried wood. In fact, in many states, firewood can only be sold by the cord or increments of a cord, no truckloads. At the very least get references before you buy. When you're all set for a romantic evening by the fire, there is nothing worse than discovering your supply of wood is wet and non-burnable.
 
What Is a Cord?
A cord is a measurement of neatly stacked and rowed wood that equals 128 cubic feet. The stack measures four-feet tall by four-feet wide by eight-feet long. You can purchase wood in increments from an eighth of a cord and up.

Be careful about buying wood off some guy's truck. Don't be fooled by terminology, There is no such thing as a face-cord. Before you order, there are other considerations: How long do you want the logs cut (how deep is your fireplace) and do you want whole or split logs? Whole logs burn slower but split logs start up easier. Many vendors will mix the cord with split and whole or you can split the logs yourself. It's not as hard as it sounds. There are many easy-to-use log-splitters on the market.

Make Your Own Firewood?
If you think you can save a buck by pruning your tree out front and burning it, think again. Tree prunings are too green and wet to burn. What about that old painted chair that's sitting out back? The paint on that old chair is liable to catch like wild fire and flame out the front of your fireplace causing serious damage and smoke.

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Mountain_Witch on Nov 02, 02, 03:05:56 PM

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be produced by burning any fuel. The initial symptoms are flu-like, including headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and dizziness. Exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide can cause death.

Each year, CO poisoning from heating systems and water heaters kills about 160 people in the U.S. Many of these tragedies could be prevented by having a professional check your heating system and water heater annually for CO leaks.

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves / Carbon Monoxide
Post by: eastcanyongirl on Nov 04, 02, 08:09:52 AM

We purchased Carbon Monoxide monitors (much like smoke alarms) for our house. They are relatively inexpensive and just plug into an outlet. Well worth the expenditure for the safety. You can purchase them at Lowes, Home Depot, Target, Wal-mart, and the like . . .

Title:
Post by: Wrightwood on Jan 22, 03, 11:39:31 AM

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: RennMan on Oct 02, 03, 07:40:01 AM

I figured since winter is approaching, we may want to see this information from last year, yet again.  Lots of good stuff here!

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Horse Apples on Oct 02, 03, 07:53:55 AM

Don't know if anyone else on the forum uses a pellet stove, but I would recommend them.  I grew up with wood stoves but converted to a pellet stove after extensive research.  We've had ours for almost 10 years and really appreciate it.   Higher inital purchase price but benefits more than make up for it.

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Freighthauler on Oct 02, 03, 07:11:09 PM

Excuse the ignorance here, but how does one know when you need to have the chimney swept?? ???

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Chesslike on Oct 03, 03, 01:15:15 AM

Most reccomend having your chimney checked every year or at least every other year. If you don't know when it was last checked it is probably a good idea to have it checked. An honest chimney sweep charges a small fee for an inspection and will tell you if it needs to be cleaned and or repaired. It is really a small price to pay for peace of mind as a bad chimney is very dangerous and we don't need any fires starting up here.

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Giorgiann on Oct 25, 05, 09:54:52 AM

Quote from WW: "This is the guy I'll call when I need a chimney cleaned:
Clean Sweep Chimney Service
Carl Colbum  868-5407


He's local (Phelan), he's been honest with me and knew his business."

Wrightwood: I called the number and it is disconnected. Information does not have a listing for this name, so Im guessing he's moved out. Do you know of another good recommendation? My chimney needs cleaning  :o

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: RennMan on Oct 25, 05, 02:37:17 PM

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Wrightwood on Oct 25, 05, 02:48:57 PM

He retired and his son was taking over the business but I don't have the number.

Don't forget the Mountain Hardware sells chimney clean brushes for the do it yourself people.
It's really not difficult unless you have a hard time accessing the top of your chimney.


http://www.diyornot.com/diy/acgb/Project.asp?ndx1=1&ndx2=7&ndx3=0&Rcd=68

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: ForestGal on Oct 25, 05, 06:54:35 PM

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Wrightwood on Oct 25, 05, 07:07:26 PM

It really depends on how much build up it has from burning the 2 years after it was cleaned and there has been a number incidents where birds have built nests in the stacks during the spring and summer. The first good fire and Wrightwood Station 101 is paying a visit.

Be safe rather that sorry and have it checked. An honest chimney sweep will tell you if it needs cleaning or not. They might charge for an inspection if not needed.

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: ForestGal on Oct 25, 05, 07:23:41 PM

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Giorgiann on Oct 25, 05, 09:07:28 PM

Very cool. Thank you. Oh, what is the name of the business?

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: ForestGal on Oct 30, 05, 05:08:39 PM

Wrightwood,
I thought it was on this topic that you recently posted a link to tips for proper stacking of wood in the fireplace, but now I can't find it.  Was that on another thread, and if so, do you remember where it is?

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Wrightwood on Oct 30, 05, 05:13:01 PM

Was this what you were looking for?

http://www.woodheat.org/firewood/stacking.htm

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: ForestGal on Oct 30, 05, 05:33:28 PM

These are some great ideas - thanks!
For some reason I thought the link I saw briefly and was going to go back to, contained ideas and tips on actual building of a fire in the fireplace.  Maybe I'm just getting senile......

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Wrightwood on Oct 30, 05, 05:49:53 PM

How about this one:
http://www.woodheat.org/tips/technique.htm

http://www.woodheat.org/tips/tips.htm

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: ForestGal on Oct 30, 05, 05:56:28 PM

Bingo!!!

Thanks!! :2thumbsup:

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Hillbillies on Oct 30, 05, 08:53:35 PM

Thanks for the link John.
 
I have a standard fire place with glass doors.  I often find that if I do not take the proper steps to start the fire properly that my fire begins to smolder and smoke up the house.  Starting a proper fire definately takes a little patience...

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: angiepoo on Oct 30, 05, 09:00:31 PM

I think my husband and I are pro fire starters now.  We keep a basket of kindling near the fireplace and a big roll of paper that he brought home from work (unprinted newspaper).  As long as you have a hot base then you can start to put the bigger pieces of wood on.  I had forgotten to open the flue a few times when first starting a fire and then the smoke starts to pour out in to the living room.  We have a an insert and we close the flue at night so that the fire will burn longer.

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: ForestGal on Oct 30, 05, 10:24:53 PM

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Wrightwood on Oct 30, 05, 11:03:01 PM

I can't take credit for coming up with that original link as Mountain Witch had posted it. All I did was go back and look at the original postings in this topic.

It is a very useful website.
http://www.woodheat.org/

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: snwbnny on Oct 11, 08, 09:38:15 PM

We have a normal open brick fireplace. We haven't had it cleaned yet so we haven't used it. But from past experience this type of fireplace doesn't produce great heat. I'm looking at my options to get better efficiency. A friend is trying to convince me that a pellet stove is the cheaper, more convenient route to go. They love theirs and buy the pellets by the pallet and spend less than they would for wood. You can also adjust the thermostat on it and turn it off whenever you need to leave for s bit. Sounds pretty darn good to me. But I want other opinions.

We had a wood stove inside a fireplace in the past (maybe an insert, but it didn't stick out past the front of the fireplace at all and didn't have a blower). We never could get the thing to give off any heat so we were never impressed. But another friend in Baldy always had the whole 2000 sq ft house heated by their wood stove insert so obviously it can be done.

One of my concerns (and another reason I'm in no hurry to get my fireplace going yet) is that I have to leave my house fairly often throughout the day. I wouldn't want to leave a fire going while I'm gone and I can't exactly put one out right away, right? I hear some people say they leave their wood stove going when they go out - is this a safe and/or normal practice? Obviously with pellets I could just close the hopper and the fire goes out, so this appeals to me. But the electricity usage and the possible maintenance of pellet stoves worry me.

I'm really torn on my options. I know I'm in for a big cost putting something in there at all, but I'd like to spend the least I can to get something efficient. I know there are things I can do with the regular fireplace (the back plate and the heat-a-lator thing) but I figure why waste the money if I'm eventually going to put in an insert, right? Or do you guys think those types of improvements will be enough?

I welcome all opinions . . .

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: budnett on Oct 11, 08, 11:41:12 PM

I hate my heat-a-lator thing...it's very noisey!!

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: samsonite on Oct 12, 08, 07:52:40 AM

Pellet stoves are AWESOME!

We have a GIANT BLaze King woodstove, and although it heats 80% of the house, every year we think we will get  a pellet stove.

1.  They can run on a thermostat.  Just set it and forget it.  No getting up in the middle of the night  to put more wood in.

2.  They are the some of the most efficient stoves there are.  They produce very little smoke emissions and burn the pellets extremely efficiently so there's not even that much ash.  It's a green choice imo.

3.  There's not much mess.  You load it once a day or less even if you buy one with a big hopper.  No dragging firewood and it's assorted dirt into the house.  Much less allergy reactions.  No spiders or other bugs.  No bark, dirt or pine needles.

The cons are that sometimes the price of pellets will go high when transportation costs go up.  But it's comparable to the cost of natural gas, and you can buy pellets by the pallet, so they are cheaper.  Always buy quality pellets though as you get more heat out of them. And always watch the price to get the best deal.

Also, it's not a deal if you are willing to get free firewood every year.  It will be cheaper than paying for cord wood.  But if you are willing to cut, haul, and split, then obviously it's cheaper to do that than buy pellets.

The only other con that I see is power outages.  However, we have always looked at the battery backup pellet stoves.  I would for sure get a battery backup model since we do occasionally have power outages and of course your furnace and your woodstove would be useless then.

I leave my woodstove burning when I leave the house as it's all we use to heat.  But I check to make sure that there is nothing nearby that will ignite, that the fire is burning at a reasonable pace, that the door is shut, etc.  You just always have to use caution.

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: SkierBob on Oct 12, 08, 08:33:31 AM

I just removed my giant blaze king stove, framed and drywalled over my fireplace  in Palmdale.    When I recently rebuilt the house I added 2x6 studs to the existing 2x4 studs making the walls almost 10 inches thick, then I had a vabor barrier installed and insulation blown into the 10 inch think walls, I also installed r45 insulation in the attic. Between the insulation and heating my floors with electricity generated by my wind turbines I should be done with wood forever. 

I considered replacing the blaze king with a pellet stove but since I've been spending money like there's no tomorrow on my remodel I decided to avoid the expense and hide the fireplace for now.

I'm thinking if anyone is interested I should take a picture of my Blaze King and see if anyone wants to buy it for cheap.  It is the Giant blaze king so it would only fit in a large fireplace. If someone is poor and real cold I'd consider giving it away.

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: SenD-n-SpiN on Oct 12, 08, 09:03:15 AM

With a picture, dimensions and a baisc spec. I would consider buying a used insert.

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: snwbnny on Oct 12, 08, 12:05:26 PM

Quote from: SkierBob on Oct 12, 08, 08:33:31 AM

It is the Giant blaze king so it would only fit in a large fireplace.

How large is large? I'm starting to wonder what size of either type of stove I should be looking at. My fireplace looks rather roomy to me, but it won't once I'm trying to fit something in it :). None of this is going to happen any time soon since I can't afford it right away, but I want to be prepared when I do. Right now blankets and jackets are working well enough!

So lots of people seem to like pellet stoves. I'm a little worried about all the parts that could go wrong compared to a wood stove. Looking at diagrams, it looks like more things could break. The electricity going out also concerns me - this isn't an issue with a wood stove, right?

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Bob C on Oct 12, 08, 01:01:38 PM

Quote from: snwbnny on Oct 12, 08, 12:05:26 PM

So lots of people seem to like pellet stoves. I'm a little worried about all the parts that could go wrong compared to a wood stove. Looking at diagrams, it looks like more things could break. The electricity going out also concerns me - this isn't an issue with a wood stove, right?

I also have a pellet stove, and love it. Yes, very cheap to run.. a $5.50 bag of pellets lasts somewhere between 25-30 hours of constant run time, depending on the setting. I go thru maybe 15 or so bags per season.

The things are very clean too. No smoke, no soot to speak of, and the whole bag generates very little ash. I dunno, I think not even enough to fill a coffee can.

They're pretty much "set and forget". When you turn them off, they go out in about 10 mins or so.

Yes, there's moving parts. Mine's over 18 years old, and I haven't had to replace anything major yet. We do give it a good cleaning before the season starts.

Yeah, they won't work when the power is out, but I connect mine to the generator, when that happens.

We'll heat the entire house with it, except at night, when we go to bed. Then we'll turn on the furnace.

The bad news, is they're not very cheap.

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: clint on Oct 12, 08, 01:41:43 PM

"...we do occasionally have power outages and of course your furnace and your woodstove would be useless then.

What??????

That's funny we have three wood stoves and not one of them requires electricity.

We don't have a pellet stove, but from my experiences with other people's I am considering changing one of wood burning stoves over to a pellet. Stove I think everybody is on track with that.

As to leaving a wood burner burning when you leave the house, if ours is roaring and we have to leave I just shut down the air intake and it goes out in a couple of minutes.

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Giorgiann on Oct 12, 08, 01:59:53 PM

We use a pellet stove, and LOVE it!! We clean it before the season starts. It uses electricity for the thermostadt and the screw (the pellets are fed into the fire with a big screw that turns).

It is very inexpensive to run, and if you buy the pellet bags by the ton they are cheaper. Can cut off a dollar (sometimes more) per bag.

We heat our whole house, and it is 1767 sq. feet (not a big house, but I find that impressive with just one pellet stove!)

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Giorgiann on Oct 12, 08, 02:01:14 PM

And yes, we can plug it into the generator for that...

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: snwbnny on Oct 12, 08, 02:23:15 PM

Where are good places to be shopping for a stove? I've heard bad reviews on the place right off the 15 (country oak & stove).

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: mechanicalpencil on Oct 12, 08, 03:46:09 PM

Country Oak & Stove are really nice people, but a bit pricey.  I had a good experience while doing price comparisons down in San Bernardino.  Here is the link to their website

http://www.sbfireplace.com/

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Calindy on Oct 12, 08, 05:04:22 PM

We use:
A Fireplace Store & Design Center, Inc
17205 Eucalyptus Unit C9
Hesperia
760-949-8300
We have a FIREPLACE XTRORDINAIR, it has a blower and keeps us VERY warm! I love fireplaces, but knew they would be a waste as far as heating the house. Once I saw the FIREPLACE XTRORDINAIR I knew I could have the fireplace look, with the wood stove heating.
(http://DebMann.zenfolio.com/img/v3/p481888674-3.jpg)
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/Calindy/IMG_0269.jpg)

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Giorgiann on Oct 12, 08, 10:44:13 PM

We got ours at Country Oak and Stove. Yes, they are a bit pricey. but they had just the one we wanted. It is absolutely beautiful, and fits inside our fireplace. They did the install, too.

Title: Re: Fireplaces & Wood Stoves
Post by: Tumblebush on Oct 13, 08, 10:54:10 PM

When it comes to pellet stoves there's one small drawback, you are at the mercy of a manufacturer for your fuel source. As my neighbors found out one year during an ice storm when pellet supplies ran out all over, they were stuck with no heat. Another instance, they lost power one winter and their generator ceased up...again..they were stuck with no heat. Here to say they no longer own a pellet stove.
I love our wood heat. True blue and reliable.