Any experience with wood stoves?

    • Gold Top Dog

    Any experience with wood stoves?

    Usually my DH starts the fire and I just keep it going. Today I ahve been so dam cold and I don't want to turn the gas on so I started a fire. The landlord was suppossed to have the chimney cleaned out but still hasn't so we will have to do it oursleves this weekend. Or I should say my DH will have to.[;)]
     
    Anyway, I started the fire and it is going really good. I have all the vents open, but I notice there is not alot of smoke coming out of the chimney outside. Also it smells smokey in here. Is that normal for when you first use it?, because I don't remmeber. Like I said, I am not the one to usually do this. I can't get ahold of  Dh and he will probobly just tell me to leave it and put the gas on but I don't want to. (Trying to save $$)
    • Gold Top Dog
    I imagine everything is just fine.  If you didn't have the damper open, there would be A LOT of smoke in the house.
     
    ETA:  If kids start dying, ask back.  [:)]
    • Gold Top Dog
    Chances are you have some pretty dry wood with which you started the fire.  So its not creating much smoke.  Hence not seeing much coming out of the chimney.  You smell it in the house because you havent used it all summer and so you notice it more.  Kind of like when you get a new perfume, you can really notice it, but after you have been wearing it for a few weeks, you feel the need to put on more and more because your nose gets used to it.  But everyone around you still smells it strongly and soon start avoiding you like the plague.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Well we are still alive so I guess I did okay. I am nice and warm now and alot happier. Thanks for the help.
    • Gold Top Dog
    ORIGINAL: angeltrudelle

    Thanks for the help.

     
    My pleasure.  You can ALWAYS count on me.  [:)]
    • Gold Top Dog
    We need a face smacking icon.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Now I'm really jealous!! WOOD STOVE!!! I really love a wood stove!!! I miss my BIG Englander!!!
     
    I agree with Billy, but I would say the flue wasn't open, the dampers are on the door and vent the air into the stove and the heat causes the air & smoke to vent out the flue and up the chimney.
    Just a little tip...throw a big handfull of table salt into the fire when you have it burning really good once a week, helps keep the creasote from forming on the chimney and helps keep it clean.
    • Gold Top Dog
    CW, I got this one.
    For you BJ
     

    • Gold Top Dog
    I wish it were cold enough here for heat!  I have gas heat and my apartment complex pays the gas bill.  So, it means a lower electric bill!  But...I still have the air conditioning on.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Jaime, does that salt tip work for conventional wood burning fireplaces too, or just wood stoves?

    Joyce
    • Gold Top Dog
    Jaime, I will make you reallly jealous--I got my cord of wood delivered today!  Nice warm house--yuuummmm.

    We use wood as a secondary heat.  When we get up in the morning, we don't build a fire, but just turn on the heater.  Since we will be gone all day, it doesn't make sense.  However, when I get home, I build a fire and then it is nice an toasty quickly.  There is nothing like wood heat!
    • Gold Top Dog
    Thanks Lori! [8D]
     
    Wood was our primary, we had electric but it was so much cheaper to use the stove. I learned how to bank of the fire at night so it would still be warm in the am to start a new fire and would also be able to come home to coals for the evening. I miss that!
     
    The salt does work on fire places too!!