NotCigs refugee thread

[DingerCPA]

Good afternoon!

We're looking at a "heat wave" this week - should make upper 50's and then the bottom will fall out again.

Had a lurvely bonfire Friday night. Was concerned that it was going to be too cold, but we had the fire stoked and a fun group sitting around chatting for the evening.

I have a fireplace, but even though it's been serviced and cleaned, every time I stoke a fire, I get a horrid backdraft and all the smoke pours into the living room. Been having "discussions" with the SO. I'd love to put in a true gas fireplace, but a little out of budget at the moment. I did find a "substitute" - I think it uses sterno cans to emulate the flames. My big concern is that the thermostat is just outside the living room. If that gets "faked out", the rest of the house will freeze. We do have a boiler and hot-water baseboard heat. That does work pretty well, but I do miss the ambiance of flames...... I'll keep looking into alternatives....

I guess I should go clean tanks..... I've been putting it off all day (having more fun making chili and prepping for my team's quarterly luncheon tomorrow )

 

[908Tracy]

Dinger, I'm jealous as I'd LOVE to have a fireplace!!! The only thing giving off that warm glow in my house is my new Himalayan salt lamp! (Not much heat though! )

My daughters and I each got one for our bedrooms and we're digging them!

 

[oly_r]

We have a gas fireplace and though it is really nice to be able to just flip a switch (2 really with the fan) and have the heat blowing. Miss the smell of the wood fires but not the buying/stacking/carrying the wood or the cleaning of the ash. I think if we ever move to a new home we would have to think it through.

 

[DingerCPA]

I grew up with a fireplace. When I moved back to Indiana, my house had a fireplace (and really pathetic geothermal heating ) This house has a fireplace, but I just can't use it without smoking myself out!

I'll have to go hunting for the Himalayan salt lamp - sounds intriguing...

 

[DingerCPA]

We have a gas fireplace and though it is really nice to be able to just flip a switch (2 really with the fan) and have the heat blowing. Miss the smell of the wood fires but not the buying/stacking/carrying the wood or the cleaning of the ash. I think if we ever move to a new home we would have to think it through.

Yeah, that's the other thing. I'd moved the woodpile that used to be right outside the back door to the "back 40" where the firepit is.... I'm not inclined to drag a ton of wood up to the house again I do have the blowers (one of them still works, not sure about the 2nd one) Not bad for a 60 year old house

 

[markfm]

Part of the whole log cabin motif is that we have a wood stove in the great room. The place started with electric baseboard, then a prior owner got a propane heater put in.

The lpg is fine for bulk heating, but there's nothing like firing up the stove on really dreary winter days. The dogs are mesmerized by it (we are too ). We use it for atmosphere, fire exposed, chimney pipe fully open for best burn.

We're down to 1/2 cord right now - I was too busy this fall to put in an order and stack it in the basement where we store it. That'll be enough for a fire every weekend, though not multiple per week.


Ecig is a shrug. After smy stepped up, I did explain to ecig one last time what they were supposed to do and a light must have gone on. They actually generated exactly the email, with copies of my invoices. Since they knew smy was talking action it wasn't needed, but I'll take their finally understanding as progress [emoji5]

 

[Bovinia]

Dee, your greatest accomplishment is living through, and becoming the man you are today. As echoed by many already...fek 'em if they can't see that

Dinger, our heat is a boiler with hot water baseboards too.

 

[oly_r]

One of the other things about a fireplace is i'm a (bit of) pyro. I love building a good big fire .

 

[DingerCPA]

One of the other things about a fireplace is i'm a (bit of) pyro. I love building a good big fire .

You'd have loved my fire pit the past couple of weekends Fire good; Fire hot

 

[Wharf Rat]

those who will never let me live down my past but such is life...

Some people bring themselves up by bringing up others... Other people bring themselves up by bringing down others.. 'Nough said about that ~

For a long now I have been very open with the wreckage of my past. This is who I was, this is what I did and this is who I am now. When It's out in the open Air, there's very little sink left. The only ones who care about it are the 2nd group above ^^^

Dinger our fireplace has the same problem. I crack the back door, if it's far from your fireplace, try a widow across the room. I use a lot of newspaper to get heat rising as fast as I can and most of the time I get very little or no smoke into the room.... Hope that helps

 

[DingerCPA]

Some people bring themselves up by bringing up others... Other people bring themselves up by bringing down others.. 'Nough said about that ~

For a long now I have been very open with the wreckage of my past. This is who I was, this is what I did and this is who I am now. When It's out in the open Air, there's very little sink left. The only ones who care about it are the 2nd group above ^^^

Dinger our fireplace has the same problem. I crack the back door, if it's far from your fireplace, try a widow across the room. I use a lot of newspaper to get heat rising as fast as I can and most of the time I get very little or no smoke into the room.... Hope that helps

Amen about how others "make" themselves......

I just got new windows last fall - replaced all the old aluminum-framed ones. I have a door and windows I can try to crack. I'll give it a whirl - but one concern is that when one looks up the chimney, even with the flue open, can't see out I just need a GOOD chimney sweep to take one more good look....

 

[FranC]

Evening,folks We do love our wood heat. Oil furnace kicks in when needed.

 

[DingerCPA]

Evening,folks We do love our wood heat. Oil furnace kicks in when needed.

Hi Miss Fran! Hope you're keeping well....

 

[FranC]

Hiya,Dinger Looks like we were warmer than most of the southeast today.

 

[DingerCPA]

@FranC, just gotta say - I LOVE your wolves.... Elegant beasts.... You have all the wood you need for the winter?

 

[FranC]

I believe I do..................

 

[DingerCPA]

I believe I do..................

Daaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnngggggggg What is that, about 8 cords?

 

[Bovinia]

I just need a GOOD chimney sweep to take one more good look....

Please do, Dinger! I've had a chimney fire, and I was VERY lucky that the wind was blowing the flames away from the roof! I had it out before the Fire Dept arrived, but had to have the chimney rebuilt. It fractured the flu tiles inside.

On the good side, I had the chimney built a couple of feet taller and that resolved my smoke draw problems. This was many years ago, when I lived in Tx.

Wharf, you already know that I admire your honesty and recovery. You have been there for me during a few weak times

 

[DingerCPA]

Please do, Dinger! I've had a chimney fire, and I was VERY lucky that the wind was blowing the flames away from the roof! I had it out before the Fire Dept arrived, but had to have the chimney rebuilt. It fractured the flu tiles inside.

On the good side, I had the chimney built a couple of feet taller and that resolved my smoke draw problems. This was many years ago, when I lived in Tx.

Wharf, you already know that I admire your honesty and recovery. You have been there for me during a few weak times

Ohhhhhh, I'm not burning a real fire until that chimney gets checked out. Truthfully, I'd be o.k. if it doesn't get used (we have all kinds of candles in there - decoration - now.)

 

[El Dee]

I've seen gas logs that were really hard to tell from the real deal...

My fireplace is in a dark corner of the living room...I went and got the new led mechanics light I ordered a few months back to light sheet up in the fireplace...The fireplace flue made a great spot to attach my magnetized light...I got everything cleaned and restacked so the flames weren't hitting the logs...Yeah you gotta fire them up for the finalizing of log placement...I smelled something funny and saw smoke....Yeah....Didn't melt it but my dang new light was still in there....Battle tested

The luncheon went well...Mom enjoyed herself....I just tried to survive

By the time the sun sets on my life I will have been just about everywhere and done everything...Those people who choose to tear others down....Well....I just don't value their opinions....The bad thing is there are lots of those people out there....bad for them anyways.....Trust this....I've been through the fire.....I won't fade in the sun............