The Go-A-Head

[pennsywoodburnr]

Last night, around midnight, that “smell” woke me up… ya’ know, that musty-metallic smell when the gas furnace starts up after sitting unused for a spell. That told me the house temp had dropped below 63[sup]o[/sup]. I was bone tired last night and had turned in around 8:00 PM after loading the “stovace”. Normally, when I turn in that early, the wife will toss a couple more splits in before she calls it a day… but… So I go down stairs, stir-up the 6-8 inches of coals to get them heating again, and shoved what wood I could fit in the firebox.

It takes near forever to get the house back up to temp with that thing, so I knew it wouldn’t be extra warm in the house when I got up at 5:00 AM… and it wasn’t, only 64[sup]o[/sup]. When I got down stairs the blower wasn’t even running and I could lay my hand on the stack. So I stir-up the 6 or so inches of coals and rake them forward to get them heating again… elected not to add wood and try and burn down the coal bed a little. Took about 10 minutes for the blower to kick in, and I kept going down to stir the coals every 15 minutes or so… by 7:30, some 2½ hours later, I’d managed to get most of the coals burned down and the house temp up just one degree (65[sup]o[/sup]). Then separated what ash I could from the coals, cleaned them out, filled up the box, took my morning shower, then checked the fire before heading up to dress for work.

The wife meets me at the top of the steps, wrapped in a blanket… “That stove sucks! I’m tired of ####ing-around with it every day and it never has been as warm in here since you got it. I want you to either put the old one back in, or buy a new one that works right, or I’m turning up the furnace… and I really don’t care which it is as long as it’s something.” Then she turned and walked back into the bedroom.

Believe-it-or-not, I couldn’t be happier… I’ve been waiting for just the right opportunity to inform her I was gonna’ spend some money on a new wood-fired furnace. I figured she’d throw a fit because I just installed this “stovace” last spring… figured I’d probably get the silent treatment for a week or so after I bought it. But nope, she just gave me the green-light-go-a-head... and I didn’t even have to bring it up. :hmm3grin2orange:

I like how you used that reverse psychology on her! Oh wait....you mean constantly farting around with the stove and keeping her cold wasn't your master plan?

 

[Whitespider]

Ok, stihly dan, you smug bas… You win! :msp_smile:
I just made a Gentleman’s Agreement with centennial60 for his Daka 622FBT, but…
I ain’t gonna’ make it into a project (yet), I’m gonna’ install it just as designed, forced air draft and all.
(After all, I can always make changes later if it don’t suit me.)
I’m planning on picking it up this week, maybe even tomorrow (between 1-1½ hour drive from me).

 

[stihly dan]

I luv it when I'm right. If it could only happen more often. Are we going to get a long pic filled tutorial of the install? Maybe a video documentary. Hope you are happy with this one. Maybe give the old stove to one of the guys that where saying there good stoves, and that the problem was operator error.

 

[brenndatomu]

I luv it when I'm right. If it could only happen more often. Are we going to get a long pic filled tutorial of the install? Maybe a video documentary. Hope you are happy with this one. Maybe give the old stove to one of the guys that where saying there good stoves, and that the problem was operator error.

Steve NW WI offered to buy it off him a few weeks ago, but I seen Steve posted a pic of a new stove in the back of his pickup on his thread last nite, too late...

I bet someone with a lighter heat load would get along fine with the stovace.

 

[Whitespider]

Actually I have all the old parts and trim pieces for it and a new set of factory firebrick... I could put it back to factory configuration pretty darn fast.

I did make a couple of "permanent" mods...

• I cut the tabs off the upper side and back rails that keep the firebrick from falling in, but they didn't do much but get in the way anyway and never touched the brick... after a couple fires and some ash filtering in the brick ain't gonna move (and welding new tabs ain't a big deal either).
• When I tried the "grate" thing I drilled a half dozen 3/16's holes in the lower air supply tube to get air under the grate... but the get blocked off when the firebrick is reinstalled (and a round head bolt and nut would seal them permanently).

And don't forget it was "used" when it was given to me, it ain't perfect...

• The door glass is pretty much etched and milky.
• The upper side rails that the secondary baffle sit on are a little heat warped (they lift out and are replaceable from Pacific Energy).
• The plastic knob on the draft lever cracked and fell off.
• The "sticker" that had the graduated number scale on it for the draft control finally shriveled and fell off.

I'll probably put it out in the shop... can't believe it would be worth much, even if I removed the plenum and reinstalled the fancy porcelain-coated trim panels.

It might be a couple weeks or more before I make the switch... But hey, make me an offer...

 

[SpiralAcacia]

Actually I have all the old parts and trim pieces for it and a new set of factory firebrick... I could put it back to factory configuration pretty darn fast.

I did make a couple of "permanent" mods...

• I cut the tabs off the upper side and back rails that keep the firebrick from falling in, but they didn't do much but get in the way anyway and never touched the brick... after a couple fires and some ash filtering in the brick ain't gonna move (and welding new tabs ain't a big deal either).
• When I tried the "grate" thing I drilled a half dozen 3/16's holes in the lower air supply tube to get air under the grate... but the get blocked off when the firebrick is reinstalled (and a round head bolt and nut would seal them permanently).

And don't forget it was "used" when it was given to me, it ain't perfect...

• The door glass is pretty much etched and milky.
• The upper side rails that the secondary baffle sit on are a little heat warped (they lift out and are replaceable from Pacific Energy).
• The plastic knob on the draft lever cracked and fell off.
• The "sticker" that had the graduated number scale on it for the draft control finally shriveled and fell off.

I'll probably put it out in the shop... can't believe it would be worth much, even if I removed the plenum and reinstalled the fancy porcelain-coated trim panels.

It might be a couple weeks or more before I make the switch... But hey, make me an offer...

Hey, in CL jargon it reads "Like NIB"

Good luck with the new one!

SA

 

[zogger]

Cant believe your custom modded stove didnt work out, it sure looked good!

 

[Whitespider]

Hey, in CL jargon it reads "Like NIB"

Ain't that the truth though...

Cant believe your custom modded stove didnt work out, it sure looked good!

Yeah, I was sure it would "go"... but it just can't make enough heat for the application (whole house, cold weather).
It-is-what-it-is! I'm getting too damn old for building stuff... I'm going with the furnace... damnit!

 

[Fred Wright]

....The wife meets me at the top of the steps, wrapped in a blanket… “That stove sucks! I’m tired of ####ing-around with it every day and it never has been as warm in here since you got it. I want you to either put the old one back in, or buy a new one that works right, or I’m turning up the furnace… and I really don’t care which it is as long as it’s something.” Then she turned and walked back into the bedroom.

I'd say this makes it official.

Get out the checkbook. When Mama ain't happy, nobody's happy.

 

[stihly dan]

Wait a minute......Hold on....... Didn't you just make a post of having a permanent man card? now the wife says get rid of your project!!!!!!!! Get me a new stove!!!!!!!!!!!! And the very next day you have one lined up. Don't look down that tattoo is peeling........oke:

 

[Whitespider]

One of the tricks to holding on to your man card is letting mamma think she's callin' the shots.

 

[Whitespider]

Yesterday was my little boy's 5th birthday party... couldn't, wouldn't miss that.
Today "they're" sayin' rain, freezing rain, ice and snow mix with travel conditions becoming difficult to impossible... looks like later in the week or next weekend now before I make the trip after it.

I wanna' tell you guys a little story 'cause this just keeps getting better...
Just last week I replaced the wife's mini-van with one a couple years newer... and it didn't cost me a nickle (that's another story, for another day). Then I put her old one out on the highway with a sign... and sold it in less than 24 hours. Last night after the birthday party I told the wife I'd made the Gentleman's Agreement for the furnace and that I might drive down after it today. Of course, she wanted to know how much, and I told here the cash from her old van would cover it with $$'s to spare. Then she wanted to know how I was gonna' pay since I couldn't get to the bank until Monday. And, I explained that I'd talked with centennial60 and he'd accept a check if I went after it tomorrow (today)... (she knows I like to deal in cash, I haven't written a check in years, heck I don't even know where the checkbook is).

Now get this, she reaches in her purse, fiddles around in there a bit, and pulls out the exact amount for the furnace... IN $100 DOLLAR BILLS!
What!?! How much you got in there girl?
She answers with, "None of your damn business!"

 

[colson04]

Glad I found this thread, definitely interested in how this turns out. We currently do not heat with wood and after getting a $200 propane bill for the past month, I've already started pricing out add-on wood furnaces.

 

[Hddnis]

I don't think I've ever met a woman that didn't have a little stash of her own money. Helps them feel better, so no harm in it.



Mr. HE

 

[Fred Wright]

Well, after seeing photos of Spidey's miles of firewood stacks I can't blame her. All that wood out there and the house is cold. Something ain't right about this.

 

[Steve NW WI]

Glad to hear you're gonna be happy again soon, Spidey. Me, I'm a happy camper so far going the opposite direction. The big Drolet is making warm and ambiance behind me right now, and the neighbors are gonna think I quit burning wood, there's no smoke coming out of the chimney now. I'm not passing full judgement yet, waiting for Ma Nature to go all Arctic on us again the end of the week.

No rain up here, just a couple inches of the white stuff. It's appreciated much more that way.

 

[Arbonaut]

One of the tricks to holding on to your man card is letting mamma think she's callin' the shots.

*DING*

(History Deleted.)

 

[Rsquared]

Glad I found this thread, definitely interested in how this turns out. We currently do not heat with wood and after getting a $200 propane bill for the past month, I've already started pricing out add-on wood furnaces.

You won't regret it. Anything to keep your money out of the gas man's hands and in your pockets is an easy decision.. Keep us posted on what you end up purchasing...

 

[havenodog]

Whitespyder
Honestly, I thought about getting rid of my Englander. It does use more wood than the new stoves and furnaces out there. Its not epa and not nearly as efficient as those. I get about 3 to 4 gallons of ash out of it every week, and burn between 5 and 7 cord a year. But doggone I throw wood into it and it heats my house. I don't have knobs and levers to mess with. They are set and forget. No flu dampers, no temp gauges all I do is throw wood into it and forget it. and 8 to 10 hour burn times have never been a problem. If you want somethin simple that works its a good unit. Not the best, but an iron horse by any standard. Good hunting