Save $$$ - Heat with Wood

ultrarunner · Dec 3, 2017

Good tips on keeping the glass clean...

I was surprised how easy it wipes off with some old newspaper... just about all of it if I give it a quick wipe before lighting.

No fire last night and lots of sad faces... I was out on the road helping with two flats.

My brother was turning into the farm in his 2016 F250 and I heard two "Missile" shots... it took out both 20" tires on the passenger side sidewall from a rusty twisted piece of flame cut scrap metal... thought he was going to cry. I was relieved it was "Only" the tires.

No luck on a Saturday night finding tires... so the truck is down until tires are replaced... got the dump trailer unhitched and out of the way... it was loaded with Christmas Tree branches... sold 249 Christmas Trees yesterday.

No time for a warm hearth.

hosspuller · Dec 4, 2017

My fireplace insert builds up a haze on the glass after a few nights of fires. I found a wet paper towel ( use water from the RO system to avoid minerals) releases the haze, and clean newspaper polishes the glass crystal clear.

The stove and glass is cold when I do this ...

Woodeye · Dec 4, 2017

goeduck said:
I just use the ash from the bottom of the stove. I wet a few paper towels, dab them in the ash and use that.

What he said, but use windshield washer fluid in a spray bottle.

FTG-05 · Dec 5, 2017

The best, IMO, to keep wood stove glass clean and clear: Use Well Seasoned Firewood.

I had my Englander 30-NCH installed late Nov. 2014. Despite putting wood by since Oct. 2013 (when I bought the place) plus having red Oak CSS since May 2011 (late April tornado storms north AL), I had plenty of frosted and glazed glass when I started using my 30-NCH.

It got better in the 2015-2016 firewood season due to having much better seasoned wood. And it got better even then during the 2016-2017 season when I had 2-3 years of well seasoned wood to burn.

Now, we just started the 2017-2018 season and I have very well seasoned wood to burn. Glass is crystal clear.

My .02.

goeduck · Dec 6, 2017

FTG-05 said:
The best, IMO, to keep wood stove glass clean and clear: Use Well Seasoned Firewood.

I had my Englander 30-NCH installed late Nov. 2014. Despite putting wood by since Oct. 2013 (when I bought the place) plus having red Oak CSS since May 2011 (late April tornado storms north AL), I had plenty of frosted and glazed glass when I started using my 30-NCH.

It got better in the 2015-2016 firewood season due to having much better seasoned wood. And it got better even then during the 2016-2017 season when I had 2-3 years of well seasoned wood to burn.

Now, we just started the 2017-2018 season and I have very well seasoned wood to burn. Glass is crystal clear.

My .02.

Very interesting, I never thought to try that observation. All mine is well seasoned but I do have an issue with our moist climate and wood having some moisture content.

ratpie · Dec 6, 2017

i have about 5 cord cut & split out back and move it closer to the house when the wood rack needs filling. the rack holds about a cord. i have noticed an odd occurrence after moving wood yesterday.

on the day you move the wood, you move about a cord...
the next day, when you are sore as ****, you figure out that you moved 2. lol

4570Man · Dec 6, 2017

I delivered and staked 4 cord in one night. That was pretty rough.

TnAndy · Dec 6, 2017

4570Man said:
I delivered and staked 4 cord in one night. That was pretty rough.

Man. I'd say ! Given a cord of wood weighs in the 3-4,000lb range, you moved 6-8 tons of wood.

Here is a pile I did one year before building my sheds.....it was around 6 cords.

FTG-05 · Dec 10, 2017

goeduck said:
Very interesting, I never thought to try that observation. All mine is well seasoned but I do have an issue with our moist climate and wood having some moisture content.

I learned to dry wood in the Puget Sound area (specifically the North Des Moines Hill area) in the early '80's when I got my first wood stove.

The only way I could get it to work was to put the wood in huge wooden crates that I got from Boeing Surplus (RIP) for $.05/lb less the 20% Boeing employee discount.

If you can dry wood in the rain forest of the PNW, everywhere else is slam dunk, easey-peasey, dead dumb simple.