Hot reload

When it's this cold


I don't burn down the coals.
I rake them flat, get the wood ready & load fast.
No problem getting flamed up & closing the bypass after a few minutes.
Burn on high for 5 to 10, set the stat, turn on the fan, heats cranking again.
Not my favorite reload, but effective to keep major heat output going thru the night.

Bed of coals


I rake them semi flat, fast :


Not much time to strategically place the splits, get them in quick.
Add the wood & close the door, flames are licking at my gloves :


up to temp quick, bypass closed.
Burn for 5 to 10 & set for the night.
Leave the area over-heated with a warm face

Safety tip: long sleeves & welding gloves , every part of the stove is hot, if you just brush against it , you get burn mark. I rehearse what order to grab & load the splits, then go.

I'm still feeling warm from the loading.
(But not going outside to cool off, -12 stings LOL )

 

Not many stoves you could do that with, without some metal glowing.

I learned the hard way to have shoes on, as well . Stuff doesn't usually fall out with that deep belly, but it happens.

It still amazes me. One of these days I'll remember a before and after pic of the wood rack on my hearth.

 

Dave can you describe your R values: attic, walls, floor? Windows? How tight is your house? Using an OAK or have any symptoms of needing one?

 

No re- load. On med-high I get 12 hours+.
Stove still running hot this am

 

6" wall
6years ago I added to the attic insulation, have 30"
2"styro-blue board around the foundation wall on the outside
Got a 5 star energy rating from energy audit that almost paid for all the energy upgrades,
Including the stove

 

Imagine loaded to the gills with locust or hickory
Burn forever cranking lots of BTUs

 

I get my welding gloves from HF. I can pick up red coals for 5 seconds or more easy and hold hand in loading a while before it gets to hot.

 

So your house is on a concrete slab? Any insulation under the slab?

 

Would you news insulation of on a slab? R

 

5' deep footer, concrete block foundation, 4 ' is avg. frost depth
Top 2' of the concrete block have styrofoam on the outside.

 

Did you do anything to cover up the blue styrofoam? Got any pics of it?

 

Dug down 2' along the footer,
Put 2' x 8' sheets of blue board in & buried it.
Just cover with soil/gravel

 

Dude, you really should proof read. I know it is tough typing on a phone, but dang

 

Sad thing is I glanced at it and it looked good?? I have no idea what I was saying?? Oh, what good is it insulating a slab?

 

The ground is cold in the winter. No as cold as the air, but cold.

 

Usually, I can decipher your posts, but you had me stumped on that one.

 

Thanks Dave. How much exposed foundation do you have between grade (top of your foam insulation) and where your insulated wall starts? That is of course assuming that there's some kind of thermal bridge in there somewhere.