So I'll fill you in a little so you get an idea of what's going on. Back in start of August we found a house and bought it. It was darn near everything we've always wanted. It has wood heat and electric heat on the furnace.

I knew that the furnace would be expensive to run so I went for wood heat by default. we've always wanted wood heat!

So we ordered a log truck load of wood and had it dumped at the house. 10 cord of paper birch. With all move ins things get hectic. But I finally managed a day where I could get a big group together to help with the wood since it was so late on the year.

Managed to muster up about 10 or so people. But it ranged from 4year old's to 50 something year old's with emphysema and a handicap from their leg.

Haha, what a combination.. I was the only one able to run a saw and a neighbor Running a splitter. The rest just stacked wood.

We managed to put Back what looked and calculated out to be 4 cord in 6 hours.

Now, it was just sitting and letting it season. Fast forward to now, when the temps are really dipping down. A lot of wood had time to season up pretty good. But the other stuff didn't. I'm sitting on half seasoned wood with winter staring me in the face.

If I run the furnace for heat, I know the Bill Will skyrocket. The previous owners highest electric Bill was in middle of winter at 650!!!

They must have liked it warm!

I've been burning quite frequently now trying to keep wood in the stove at all times for burning. My coal pile is getting so big I can barely get more wood in.

The temps are dipping into the 20s, and I'm struggling to keep this 2500 square foot house warmer than 60!

I've got fans pushing all the air around I can and using the furnace on fan to get the air into every bit of space that the fans can't.

The woodstove is a Quadrafire 4300 and I'm slightly impressed with it. It says in the manual it can heat a house this big, but I'm having a hard time believing it. I've been Running it as high as I can without over firing it and it doesn't seem to make a difference.

I'm looking at getting a different stove. I've always wanted a blaze king and their king model is exactly what I want.

The stove isn't in our budget this year so I gotta figure out what to do as we can see negative Temps for weeks during winter peak.

We're running around in layers but in reality with wood heat we just shouldn't have to do that. I want to cook myself out of the house!

Also, unless I go retrieve my own wood, loggers don't sell anything else around here for firewood except the paper birch.

I was thinking my best bet would be to buy a cord of wood and hope for the best. Anyone burning got ideas?

I sure hope next years season Will be better!

I just ran across some of my "Creosote Makers" when bringing in my firewood today.

This little piece of wood with this thick layer of pitch will create some serious smoke and creosote.

As this is kind of after the initial black... But its still smoking hard after one little piece put in the fire.

Oh' that's a good one. I've had some like that.

Is that snow I see? How much is on the ground?

2-3 inches... Nothing to write home about....

First really COLD stretch here this year.  Even when we got all the snow here prior to Thanksgiving, it was at or just below 32*F.  Twas 16*F here this morning and only got up to about 28*F during the day.  The cold came in sometime on Wednesday....................can't say for sure, because I was working in Ocala, FL Tuesday thru Thursday.  I did finally switch on my NG furnace before leaving;  even though I had it set on 55*F.  Needless to say, when I got home Friday at around noon, my house was quite cool!!!  Here's what she's at now.............................

 

 

Wow 755* that's a wood stove DW!!!

Hahaha...

Good one.

I recently brushed the flue out, didn't get much to come out despite burning less seasoned wood. I was pretty happy about that.

Been burning a wheelbarrow full every two days. I just picked up a pallet load of north idaho energy logs Wednesday and stuck a couple in the stove with some wood last night. Wow Is all I can say.

Got home with the house at 56 and a couple hours later before going to bed the thermostat was at 64.

I also found out my fresh air kit is possibly connected to some ducting. Hoping it's not to the house ducting..