I have a problem. I seem to be obsessed with critiquing my burning techniques (real shocker for an FHC member I'm sure ). At times I think it gets to a point where it is almost detrimental (if it ain't broke dont fix it). I am always looking through threads about temps, stove operation, etc. etc to try and maximize my efficiency when it comes to heating with wood. I am slightly less obsessed with trying to learn how to better ID trees/wood when no leaves are present. I'm just curious, how many of you do the same?
Probably not quite at your level Marvin LOL, but I do the same to an extent. I can say with this being only my 2nd year of burning there are things to be learned for sure on how to maximize the efficiency of the stove. From properly seasoned wood, to air controls, when to adjust those air controls, to loading it a certain way, etc... I have definitely learned a few things with my stove from last year to this year to maximize its performance.
I thought of several different ways how people have posted of their own creations to apply to some kind of maximizing stove and heating potential. One example was something they called the Glo-Stove. A few videos of this shows a mason heater that burns a wicked hot fire in a fire box that just glows like none other. Some people were prodding for the recipes of the brick or mortar that lined the stove. The stove had what looked heat exchanger on top and possibly a fan inside? The stove would have one log be placed in every.. several hours but did not require more than one log. If you really wanted to apply something like this to an experiment, you’d have to either build the stove yourself or get one that you’re confident in being ok to “ruin”. This being said it’s not without warnings. Likely those who are posting may have some engineering or other career or passion that has been trained and experience in it. Not that you couldn’t build a pizza oven to have extreme temps but most modifications on stoves would likely void it as a warranty and push the stoves tolerances past certain points. That’s just something I thought would extend the burn times in my stove but I’m not going to follow through because the acts just aren’t feasible for some. You can go as far as making a thermal mass wall or a soapstone block on your stove but then it seems to become detrimental to your set up as the purpose of it is why. Often what is missed in the heating process is heat that isn’t lost but rather isn’t used efficiently. Having a fire, we think we’re getting efficient heat out of it but we’re losing a bit still, some are trying to find that way to harness the most heat and the best way to really do that is to slow it’s exit with thermal mass so that it’s radiating for hours after a fire has died down. I don’t necessarily stack my wood any differently from anyone else but the real key to getting a lot of that heat is the dry wood part. Fighting your stove to produce heat is as simple as making sure the wood you burn in it is dry as possible.
This is probably my biggest issue. It should be alleviated by next year and beyond. I thought I was good for this year but moved all of the wood I'm currently burning to its final destination last spring (less wind in this area). Most of it is decent but some of it still hisses slightly when put in the stove. I wont make that mistake again. All of my wood will stay in the stacking area where it gets lots of sunshine and wind until September going forward. Plus I should soon be on the 3 year (hopefully even longer) plan.
Rather than reading old threads, I almost daily read through almost all the threads especially in the Wood Pile and Everything Else but also in the stove forum and chainsaw forum. However, once the threads get lots of posts they usually stop being helpful and are just more social and at that point I don't look at many of them. There are a couple exceptions though.
Same. Only problem is that the wood constantly gets wet or is in a spot that’s not going to maximize its drying. I had a a house where the wood was just in the sun and breeze ALL THE TIME, no trees blocked it. It did make it tough as the ground was always muddy wet and the grass didn’t grow well.... but the wood was very well dried out. Exposure of it all was never an issue once I had made ways to stack it.
Nothing wrong with using the forums as a reference source. I'm sure most do the same from time to time. Nice thing is that you get opinions from everywhere across the states and even the world.
