Not Yet

OK
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The weather in Northeast Ohio has been awful. Cold, wet, rainy, cloudy...with a little snow mixed in. I still have yet to fire up my Hardy H2 for the first time this season. Last night and tonight the temps are dipping into the mid-30's and I normally would have fired my Hardy up but the weatherman is predicting 60's this week and...if this is true...I would probably let my fire go out and save my wood anyway. So I wait, and wait for the perfect time to start the Burning Season.
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One thing you must consider when you buy an OWB is that if you are the type of family that goes on a lot of vacations during the winter an OWB may not be for you. If it is the middle of winter, you just can't pack up and leave the home for a few days R&R without considering the OWB and keeping the fire going. Of course if the temperature outside is really cold, and you're gone for a long time, the furnace could freeze up and start breaking pipes but this probably is a worst case scenario. If you let the fire go out in winter for a couple days the OWB may be able to hold in enough heat to avoid freezing...they are insulated pretty good but I don't see how you could do this without worrying while away. We don't go on vacation in the winter so this is not a problem for us. Both my wife and I do our fair share to make sure the Hardy is well cared for. I fill it in the mornings and evenings and my wife checks it during the day. If you have a job that keeps you away from home for the majority of the day this could also be a problem as it is helpful to have a spouse or friend to throw a couple logs on and check the thing out during the day. Your OWB needs attention and if you don't give it...your OWB will let you down.
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Smokin