I have all of my friends and family members Birthdays on my iPhone and iPad calendars. For some reason I've been adding my first fire dates for the last 2 years. Last year it was 9/13 and the year before it was 10/2. It's hard to believe we could have a fire in the stove in 3 weeks. On cold Fall/Spring mornings I've been known to turn up the T-stat. Anyone keep track of when they have their first fire. When I heal up I'm gonna clean the chimney.
My fist fire in my current outdoor wood boiler was January 4, 2017. Still burning. I use it for hot water year round, and when I am not heating the house and garage I dump excess heat into the swimming pool. So it burns all year long. Since January I have used about six cords of wood, maybe as much as seven.
I did more of that last year, and plan on even more this winter. I don't keep track of the actual date, but I have a general idea that we have our first fire the last week of Sept. or so. I'd like to postpone that a little longer this year, if possible, but I'm not sure I'll be able to resist having a fire when it gets a bit cool in here.
I would like to get a split AC/heat unit and use that on cold mornings. I can't figure out where to put it. My BIL sells and installs them so I can get one at cost.
Brother is an HVAC/plumbing contractor from WAAAY back, and I've thought of helping him install one of those for us too. Not a matter of where to put one, but using it to help the stove when it's real cold is when they work the worst. It would be relegated to use when it isn't super cold. Most only require a 3" hole in the wall where the inside unit hangs.Supposedly, they're very efficient, but I don't know what that means in dollars and cents terms.
My boys birthday is October 14 I try to wait till then. After that it's going 24/7 as long as we are home. My last fire was in June of this year that's a record for me
We have one small one that works well until it gets warm and humid, then it struggles. I can deal with a couple weeks of that every year instead of spending $$$ on mini-split air, unless my brother gets me a great deal.
I could look up the records to see when our first fires were but typically anywhere from mid September to late September is when we have our first fires. Just looked and last year it was 9/30 for our first fire. Most of September last year turned out hot and humid here.
The last two years we started around Sept. 15, hopefully this year we can hold off a week or two later.
Mid to late October at the earliest here. Today 91° and 96% humidity so there's not much chance of a fire - lessin' I forgets ta turn da dang beans off!
Usually mid October sometime... this year we are spending the first part of October over in Florida hope I don't miss out on fire time!!!
Hope I can survive! Although my brother in law down there just bought a house with a wood burning fireplace! Not sure when that might get used it's awful hot down there!
Probably late October I'd guess. I usually like to run the ng boiler at the beginning just to make sure it is up to snuff and doing well.
I usually record the date I start the OWB. Some years, its been in Nov! Very unusual; typically in Oct.
X2 Usually in September I guess. I started early last year burning Cottonwood. Sometimes in the fall I light up a fire in the stove, with the windows open, Watch the fire and have a few
As far as having a fire inside in the epa stoves....well then...every month it gets lit even if it is only for a short fire. (cottage only)
