Woodstove Assistant Keeps the Heat on Safely

Winter evenings can feel like a scene from a storybook, but an improperly tended woodstove can turn cozy into catastrophe. Hackaday reports that Reddit user nas eight built a system called Oru, which inserts a temperature probe into the stovepipe and uses an ESP32 microcontroller to notify the owner when exhaust gases run too cool— a condition that allows flammable creosote to accumulate. A color‑changing LED housed in a walnut enclosure flashes green to prompt more wood or airflow, and switches hue if the fire gets too hot. The maker says early sales of the custom units have begun and the design is straightforward enough for other hobbyists to replicate, potentially letting owners keep their stoves burning efficiently without constant bedside monitoring. For context, the ESP32 is a low‑cost, Wi‑Fi‑enabled microcontroller that’s a staple in DIY electronics projects.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton