Dont feel bad WeldrDave , i do that most of the time myself! I'd like to blame old age, but have been doing it for many years! Welcome to FHC Howiff ! Great to have you here. Many fine folks with lots of knowledge and humor. I found the forum by accident and wish i had years earlier!
Yeah, it'll start getting nippy in last third of September. Sometimes a wee bit sooner. Sometimes a wee bit later. But usually by the first or second week of October I'm burning fairly regularly. By November, it's longer and more around the clock.
Just checked my notes. Earliest I’ve started the furnace was September 13, latest was September 29. So between 6-8 weeks for me. Those first few weeks it’s mainly to take the chill out for mornings and to heat overnight. Also for the hot water.
Your house must cool off fast. Whereas we don't get quite the temp difference between night and day here it still takes half the night for the house to cool off. As much as I prefer not using the A/C it comes in handy trying to get to sleep when you like a cooler room to sleep in.
I'm the exact same way, we have a window A/C unit in our bedroom and one A/C unit in our den for the dog's, come rack time they all pile in our room with us and I shut off the den A/C.
Almost 1/2 the house is a heat sink, concrete block walls (story is the military built several of these houses out here for retired personnel, which explains a couple remaining original windows, they are barracks looking windows). Right now it's warmer outside than in here, all the windows are open to warm it up . I did not know how nice it was to sleep in a cool bedroom until we moved here and I really appreciate it now after all these years. Bedroom is not heated so in the winter I use circulating fans and a heated mattress pad but still comfortable
I usually end up having 5-7 fires in October. These are lit around 11PM and stop heating the house by first light. Before we need to run the stove 24/7, I like to use other heat sources in the house to take the chill off. I'll meal prep late a night and the oven will do just enough to make it comfortable I'm not trying to rush fall, it is my favorite time of year, especially when the walleye and striped bass cooperate.
I try to never turn on the furnace before October 1st, and never shovel after March 1st. Rarely works out.
I like this time of year, at least days like today. Heard the first cicada here. Birds are starting to flock up. Things are starting to mature and dry down. The summer drought here has taken hold, so there is a sense of change in the air. We just harvested rye this week. Pungent rye and the smell of ragweed, something that takes me back decades as a kid playing in the straw piles. Took a walk this weekend - saw an old oak with yellowing leaves, the first signs of oak wilt. damm. Nice tree. Overlooks a laneway where generations have traveled. It will have to come down before it starts dropping branches. September - November is when I'll be able to get at it, when it finally cools off yet before snow socks us in. Will be lighting the stove, probably end of September. Start running it full time sometime in October. Eyeing up the stacks outside - will get some in and under cover pretty soon.
Summer has just finally arrived here, I was still building early morning fires last month. Hopefully won't be lighting up until early to mid October. On the upside, the yellow jackets seem to be absent (so far).
There is no doubt that we are heading into late summer/early fall. You can see it in the sun angle. It is mostly dark now till around 5:30 AM. It is in the upper 50s here and 39f in International Falls MN at this hour. There are more than a few fires already burning to take off the morning chill.
Yep. Inauguration usually happens on late September nights and slowly picks up until full season hits in November. At least up here.
Made my first fire last night, house was 63*. A few weeks ago was the first of the yellow leaves and now a fire.
AAAARG! 50°s at night now, 70°s forecast for highs . (A little above the norm) Have seen frost around 20th of Aug, That typically starts shoulder season . .... 3-5 weeks????
I have been to Alaska twice. Both times were in late September. When I landed all the leaves were green. In exactly one week later, all the leaves were yellow. Fall doesn't mess around up there. It seem like you get a week or two and then kiss your azz goodbye.
I like to try to get to November 1 before the first fire, but I think we've been doing single daytime or single overnight fires starting about October 15 in recent years. So, I'd like to get three more months before lighting the stove. :looks back and forth: um, need more wood!
It SEEMS like you guys back East (yes, I am generalizing here) are able to squeeze more summer out of us than in the PNW -- but when it drops it really drops. Our cool down is prolonged and isn't as steep as yours. I'll be burning in October but it won't be heavy burns. A fire a night type of thing or maybe even in the morning. But in November, that all changes.
