It ends today!

[Whitespider]

Ours isn't near that fancy Marc,
It's a little red/orange single hull job with the name "Sunfish" on it.
Dad picked it up years and years ago... I was probably in my late teens at the time.
Still, it's a "ton-o-fun" on a breezy, hot summer day. The lake has an annual sailboat race over the July 4th holiday, and we even won it a few times way back in the day (after spending a few hours waxing the hull, cleaning up the keel board, and giving it a general "tuning" it up)... but now there's a lot fancy stuff and experienced sailors on the lake so we're no longer competitive (but that don't stop somebody from entering, just for the fun).

 

[Marc]

I've saild sunfishes before. Fun little boats. I bought a Force 5 not long after, which is a little bigger and has all the sail controls, which really got me into it.

The Hobie we found for free, with a hole in the starboard hull and a crack along the hull deck joint in the port hull and no sails. We repaired the holes, refaired both hulls, repainted the hulls, found used sails. Also replaced the trampoline and most of the sheets and rigging. We've got a lot of time in it, but it was worth it. Probably the only dark blue hulled Hobie 16 you'll ever see.

 

[brenndatomu]

Just never know what direction these threads are gonna veer off in!?

Good to hear there is at least some improvement. Just out of curiosity, how thick was your firebrick? 1 or 2"?

So, I'm willing to bet there is a SpydeyFire 2.0 being drawn up as I type. Metal cutting/welding to commence in the late spring!?

 

[Hedgerow]

Just never know what direction these threads are gonna veer off in!?

Good to hear there is at least some improvement. Just out of curiosity, how thick was your firebrick? 1 or 2"?

So, I'm willing to bet there is a SpydeyFire 2.0 being drawn up as I type. Metal cutting/welding to commence in the late spring!?

I'm with AIM... He needs to build an OWB, and keep the stove too... Power outages suck with OWB's, but they're freaking impressive when the pump is running...

 

[Whitespider]

Here's my problem with an OWB (well, other than it's outside)...
I (we) really like the "feel" of wood heat, and an OWB doesn't give you that "feel"... it "feels" no different than any other boiler, or hot water heat exchanger.
I also like simplicity... water lines, anti-freeze, chemicals, circulating pumps, and whatnot just don't qualify as "simple" in my thinking.
Although I see the advantages of an OWB, I'd probably go with a full-fledged add-on furnace first... even building from scratch.

 

[Hedgerow]

Here's my problem with an OWB (well, other than it's outside)...
I (we) really like the "feel" of wood heat, and an OWB doesn't give you that "feel"... it "feels" no different than any other boiler, or hot water heat exchanger.
I also like simplicity... water lines, anti-freeze, chemicals, circulating pumps, and whatnot just don't qualify as "simple" in my thinking.
Although I see the advantages of an OWB, I'd probably go with a full-fledged add-on furnace first... even building from scratch.

That would work too... You got a basement?

 

[Whitespider]

Sure I have a basement... that's where "stovace" is located now.

 

[Hedgerow]

Sure I have a basement... that's where "stovace" is located now.

Then maybe the full on furnace might be just the ticket...
Imagine it...
Huge firebox, real grate, warm floors, and an ASH PAN!!!

 

[H-Ranch]

Here's my problem with an OWB (well, other than it's outside)...
I (we) really like the "feel" of wood heat, and an OWB doesn't give you that "feel"... it "feels" no different than any other boiler, or hot water heat exchanger.

I'm with you on the "feel" of a fire not being there with the OWB (that's what the fireplace is for.) But I'm curious how heating the air in the plenum around the "stovace" and piping it through the house ductwork makes it "feel" any different than if it was heated with a propane furnace? If you're sitting in the basement in front of the "stovace" then it's there; when you're upstairs it makes no difference.

OWB's can be fairly simple, but do require electricity. For those times I would like to have a wood stove in the house.

 

[stihly dan]

Spidey, the furnace would be perfect for you, except for the price I think. Try a Different Epa stove, I'm telling you, some absolutely suck. While others are easy peasy, vanilla cheesy.

 

[brenndatomu]

I'm with you on the "feel" of a fire not being there with the OWB (that's what the fireplace is for.) But I'm curious how heating the air in the plenum around the "stovace" and piping it through the house ductwork makes it "feel" any different than if it was heated with a propane furnace? If you're sitting in the basement in front of the "stovace" then it's there; when you're upstairs it makes no difference.

OWB's can be fairly simple, but do require electricity. For those times I would like to have a wood stove in the house.

For me at least, the constant heat (gravity) even when the blower is not running, makes it "feel" a lot nicer than the fluctuating temp of the oil heat I had previously.

 

[Whitespider]

I'm curious how heating the air in the plenum around the "stovace" and piping it through the house ductwork makes it "feel" any different than if it was heated with a propane furnace?

It's the radiant heat factor. Even though the majority of heat is transferred upstairs through the vents as hot forced air, there's a certain amount of heat "radiating" from the "stovace" into the basement (actually, quite a bit of heat). That radiant heat warms the floor above the basement just enough (your feet are always warm) to make the difference... you just don't get that "feeling" with any other sort of heat. Also, the "stovace" is always heating some, always moving a little warm air into the living space, even when demand is low (my blower auto-changes speed with "stovace" temperature and/or demand). Other heating systems only kick in when the temperature in living space areas drop to a set-point, then heat like crazy to another set point some 2,3, or 4 degrees warmer, then shutdown until temps cool off the same 2,3, or 4 degrees. Once you get used to the steady, even heat provided by burning wood in the house as primary heat all others make you cold, then hot, then cold, then hot, etc., etc., etc.

 

[bowtechmadman]

I beg to differ on the fluctuating heat theory. I heat with hot water and haven't seen my thermostst vary by more than one degree during the winter. I agree with the theory when it comes to forced air. I love my owb and have heated with stand alone stove, add on to forced air, indoor wood boiler add on to oil boiler. Other than fireplace I would stop heating with wood if I had to do it with something other than OWB. Each to their own, good luck modifying the uncomplicated Epa stove.

 

[H-Ranch]

It's the radiant heat factor.

That's often what people mean when they say the like wood heat, but it's usually associated with being in direct proximity to the fire/stove. Like reaching your hands toward a bonfire - the outside air may be cold, but your hands will feel warm. When I want that I have to use the fireplace.

On the fluctuating temperature - my propane furnace or my OWB can keep the house right at the thermostat set point. That is an advantage of an OWB over a wood stove. When I wake up in the morning it's always the same temperature and I've even gone away for 36 hours or more to come back to a house at the set point. Even if the fire is out there is enough thermal mass to maintain the house temperature. I've had people say that they like the wood heat feel in my house, but unless there is a fire in the fireplace there is no way to tell the difference between propane and wood.

Anyway, I hope you get the "stovace" running how you want it - the "feeling" of making something work for your situation and preferences is something I can appreciate!

 

[stihly dan]

There is a difference. Not seen by the t-stat, its a feel. For instance, when my furnace needs more wood, I can tell by the feel of lack of heat. T-stat can read 75, but there is just a weird feeling, go down to the furnace and there will be a small pile of coals, thats it. This feeling doe's not happen when the fan shuts off, but an hour or two later when the coals burn down not giving enough (slow heat) migrating up the duct. When I'm home, I like to use up the small, or soft wood, so I get this feeling a few times an evening.

If your heat runs off a t-stat and you don't have radiant heat, you have to have hot, cold times. The t-stat turns the unit on and off. On heat- off no heat (cold). Now if your forced H2o temp was at 115 deg and you didn't shut the pump off, that would be similar. A heat source constantly giving off some heat.

 

[Whitespider]

I beg to differ on the fluctuating heat theory.

It’s not a theory… it’s a “feel”… Just like stihly dan said, not necessarily seen by the thermostat. With the “stovace” in the open basement the floors above are constantly “radiating” a little heat. It’s that “warm all over” feel that you just can not get from “heat exchanger only” systems. For that matter, you can’t get it from a standing stove sitting in the Family Room either… because the Family Room is 88[sup]o[/sup], the kitchen is 77[sup]o[/sup], the bedrooms are 66[sup]o[/sup], and none of the floors are all that warm. In my house you feel warmer laying on the floor than you do laying on the couch ,we go barefoot all winter long… yet the thermostat rarely shows anything over 71-72[sup]o[/sup]. It ain’t theory… it’s feel.