Neighbor comment on smoke

Actually, she commented on the lack of smoke.
She saw my wife in town this afternoon and asked if everything was ok, because she didn't see any smoke from the flue.
Mind you, in case you didn't know, this is a 1985 airtight stove, and it does smoke at times.
She thought maybe something had happened to the stove and hoped we were warm. My wife assured her everything was fine.
I thought it was interesting, because although the stove will smoke, mostly early in the burn, that stops once the stove gets to temp.
Someone beside me noticed. Finally.
I told my wife...."Dry wood".

 

"Dry wood" +1

My neighbor used to ask when I'd start burning, I'd say I am burning.
Took him in the basement,
showed him the glowing catalytic & he could feel the heat.
He' d already notice the no smoke out the flu.

If it's winter, he knows I'm burning, but asks & I nod.

Now , He's into "seasoning" his back yard fire pit wood for a year.

 

None of my neighbors have ever complained about smoke, a few have commented on the fact that they like the smell.

 

I really like the smell. but not when it is green wood burning. that makes me cough and my eyes burn.

 

It's interesting too, that there's a difference in smell between a clean burn and a not so clean burn.

 

And with what you are burning. Cherry is sweet perfume compared to black locust which I find a bit medicinal. And oak just smells like oak.

 

Gullibility can be so much fun.

 

I really don't smell much of anything in cherry 'smoke' when it's burning. Maybe mine is so long seasoned I've seasoned the smell right out of it ? I like the smell of burning pine though ( as long as it is not a building ).

 

Sometimes I'll be outside and get that pleasant smell of the wood fire, reminds me of someone smoking a pipe with good tobacco...

 

Some people just deserve to have their bubble burst on occasion.

 

Pul Bunion, my nickname amongst my family is, ah, Paul Bunion.

And, your avitar is making me VERY thristy!!

 

Well, at least he was concerned for your safety. My neighbors would look out their window, see your house on fire, and go back to bed !

 

A common, post on Motorcycle forums is "love the smell of wood smoke on the back country roads" ...

...of course, another common post in the spring is "ahh.. the smell of fresh manure"..

 

I wish my neighbor to the north would come around to the 'burn dry wood' side. I saw him splitting some maple the other day that came down a couple months ago, then throwing it right into his basement. Wasn't long after that the white smoke started coming out of his chimney.

My talk doesn't all fall on deaf ears as he did get his chimney cleaned in September for the first time I can think of since I've lived here. Last March I guessed the flue had to be 90% plugged based off the small wisps of smoke that were coming out. I'd love to have seen what the sweep got out of that chimney - two story farmhouse with a basement smoke dragon furnace.

It's my goal to get him to come around to the other side....

 

In the 20's here today... I saw a few idiots out today with their flatbed trailers loaded with green splits of wood they had just bought , probably going to be burning it tonight.. Can't fix stupid!

 

My buddy had me deliver them some "green" wood. That week he was out splitting it to load into fire. They said all their wood they had dried out it was split a yr or 2. They asked would keep the wood they did not use "greener" cutting and splitting it or leaving it in the log length I delivered.II said well if u want it wet leave the logs. This was all oak and a few hickory. Saw they had some split yesterday! (Shakes head, in amazement)

 

This is the conversation that they had before calling you:

She said, "Honey, something is wrong with the wood that we are burning this year".

He replied, "What do you think is wrong".

She said, "It catches on fire too easy. It lights up as I load it onto the hot coals. I'm afraid that I will burn myself. I don't need any kindling at all. It's almost like it is soaked in gasoline. And it burns so much hotter. I have to take my sweater off if I want to stay in the den next to the stove."

He said, "And now that you mention it I do think something is wrong too. I used to see a cloud of smoke coming out of our chimney as I drove up our road. Sometimes I could even see it a mile away if the wind wasn't blowing. I was always so happy to see it as I knew you were home and had re-started the fire. I hated doing it myself as it was always so hard to get the wood going."

He continues, "And this wood seems to weigh less. I'm not getting as much exercise carrying it in."

She says, "And it doesn't smell like it did before outside. Sometimes I don't realize that we have the stove burning."

She adds, "This wood burnt like normal last year, what do you think happened to it? It seems that it has gone bad".

He replies, "Maybe it got dry. Maybe we shouldn't keep wood for more than a year. I didn't know that wood got stale. I'll ask Clem for some fresh wood. He always gets wood from logging jobs. I know it will be green".

She says, " Yes, do that."

He says, "I hope this old wood doesn't contaminate the fresh wood. It would be a shame to get more only to have it go bad also. Maybe we should take the dry stuff to the dump first, I bet someone will find it and take it home thinking that they scored free firewood..."