Has anyone noticed what works for others is not best for them?

What I like about our forum is that for the most part we can state a differing opinion and not get slammed. I enjoy hearing different ideas. I try some. Some have even stuck with me.

 

Another thing that always fascinates me is when the new guy comes along and gets warned about hearing any hiss or sizzle when loading and that means it's high MC. Not in my experience. I do a full year between the trees in stacks (and I live on the top of a hill with a LOT of wind going through the stacks.) Then a full year in the wood shed. Then almost a year in the basement with a dehumidifier on during the summer. Anything from red maple to read oak will often still have some boiling water on the ends when first loaded and my moisture meter says under 10% on a fresh split probed with the grain vertically.

 

Yep, specially with oak. Bone dry, still sizzles.

 

I can't remember the last time I seen a sizzler...

 

Me neither. And I am being 100% honest.

 

Yeah I've even been burning some rounds and haven't seen one yet this season.

 

We could heat most of our old house 1600sq ft with the NC13 but it had to be basically wide open once we got into real winter. Coaling would always be an issue when it got really cold. The burn time on it was the biggest farce though

 

Well, it is a small stove.

 

2,2 cu ft IIRC if we went out to dinner 3 hours, our required a match no coals left

 

1.8 cu ft.

The one I had at the cottage (small) performed way too well. Man, did that place ever get hot! Backwoods Savage type inside temps!

But. like you said, not very long burn times.

 

I come to these forums in order to gain experience from others like me and share likewise. It's mostly that simple for me.

 

This really is a great place to learn how other folks do things. Some ideas have been a big help, others won't work for me, but often even the ideas that won't work will get me studying on something until I'm able to work it out to my benefit. Just like a warm fire, sometimes that little spark is all you need to get started. I really enjoy that folks can bounce ideas around on here and remain civil about it.

 

If I had sizzle on a 10% split, I’d probably throw out that MM.

 

And you'd be wrong to do so. I've tested with two different models (my furnace actually came with an off brand MM on delivery from PSG and I bought the highly regarded General MMD4E to check my math and they are identical) on 3 year old wood under the best of seasoning methods. It happens all the time. If you're not seeing it, you're not looking close enough. I don't see it when first loading. It happens after it's been in for 10 minutes or so and I'm just sitting and watching the show. I have to take my phone out and turn on the light to see it but it's there on the edges. Consistently....

 

You don't have a glass door do you Dave? That's the one fail of the Kuma design for me... You can't watch the burn. I haven't seen a log sizzle as I'm loading since I've owned mine. But I'm obsessed with the burn and turn on either my phone light or flashlight from time to time after a full load on a single digit night. There is always a split with a boil on the end at the bottom right above the coals after about 10 minutes.

 

That's the thing. If I wait and watch, I'll get it with 3 year old garbage like red maple and white birch too. There is moisture in there and it will boil in time. If folks aren't seeing it, they aren't looking close enough at the ends. It's easier for those of us with furnaces with glass doors where we load end to end. Granted... if a FNG loads splits from last week and they sizzle the second he fires them in.... yep, that's no bueno. But seeing moisture on the very edge boiling off a few minutes into a reload is perfectly normal on well seasoned wood. Most just don't stick around to see it... or can't see it because the glassless door is shut... or it's loaded in a traditional side to side stove and you can't see the ends...

 

Have a Drolet stove in the LR FP

 

I agree about this site! It is friendly, fun, and many good ideas without anyone professing to have the Truth.

 

Agree. I do not see it in the stove, only in campfire or doors open in insert.

 

Thank you.. yes a 3 hour burn time was not helpful
My current stove Woodstock Ideal Steel is 3.3 cu ft about the size of a kitchen stove and 12 hour burns are easily achieved.
We are currently in top 10 coldest December’s on record and my oil burner is quiet That’s an improvement