Firing Up for Winter

First wood-stove firing, 2010

Winter has set in, which means it's time for the big old house to tap into the supplemental heater--the big heavy soapstone wood stove that helps fend off the big bills and the deep cold.  I've got my chimney clean, so we're ready for winter.

It's the Mansfield wood stove from Hearthstone, one of their hefty guns.  Here's its vital statistics:

• Heats up to: 2,500 sq. ft.
• Burn Time: Up to 10 hours
• Heat Life: Up to 14 hours
• Size: 80,000 BTUs
• EPA Rating: 2.8 grams per hour
• Efficiency: 77.4% Low Heating Value
• Maximum Log Length: 21"

Read that right.  This baby will burn up to ten hours, no joke.  Jam it full, close the damper, go to bed, and there will be heat and coals waiting in the morning.  Throw on a few more logs and go again.  We're in our third year with this lump of coal, and as far as we're concerned, it's a diamond.