our cold weather is on its way i am taking care of 2 boilers right now a shaver and a hardy the shaver is my house it will do ok im sure of it. the hardy is for one greenhouse i dread the cold weather have to get up every 4 hours and fill it with locus and mulberry my dad takes care of the hardy but he is in vanderbuilt getting some radiation on his eye. does any one need a good 4 o clock loading while im up:monkey:
Keeping up?
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November Wolf
ArboristSite Operative
My CB 6048 keeps on getting the 24 hr burn times. Last night at 5:30pm I put in 20 pieces and I loaded it again at 5:30 tonight. The water temp was at 183 and I had a bunch of red hot coals with 1 log left. I did'nt know the cold weather could be so much fun.
Adiredneck
ArboristSite Lurker
I am disgusted with the quantity of wood that I have been using. I have a shed next to my Aqua Therm that holds approx. 12-13 Face cords. I budgeted the shed to last through January & February. I have no problem keeping warm, and the fire will last 12 hours.
I started getting into the wood just after Thanksgiving, and I estimate I have gone through 7 face cords in three weeks.
I heat a 1500 ft house (well insulated) and have a 24 x 32 garage that has radiant. I had a total of 12 full cords this year, which I did not start burning until mid-November. This is the most wood I think I have ever had. I was determined that I would not have to take any wood from my father this spring, as I have for the last three years since I had the boiler!
I just hope things warm up a little bit so I burn less! We have so much snow that I can't get my tractor up the mountain to get any more wood this year.
I started getting into the wood just after Thanksgiving, and I estimate I have gone through 7 face cords in three weeks.
I heat a 1500 ft house (well insulated) and have a 24 x 32 garage that has radiant. I had a total of 12 full cords this year, which I did not start burning until mid-November. This is the most wood I think I have ever had. I was determined that I would not have to take any wood from my father this spring, as I have for the last three years since I had the boiler!
I just hope things warm up a little bit so I burn less! We have so much snow that I can't get my tractor up the mountain to get any more wood this year.
Butch(OH)
Addicted to ArboristSite
7 face is like 2 1/3 full cord correct? In two weeks, Like whoa! I could maybe come close to that in a month if temps averaged 10-15 below for a that period, I think,, thats a llot of wood, how cold has it been?
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My Hardy H2 didn't even break a sweat last night. Zero degrees. My car's dashboard this morning said -4. The Hardy is eating up wood but my little silver smoker has yet to be overwhelmed with cold.
Scootermsp
ArboristSite Guru
Cb5036
Keeping up no problem. I've burned about 2.5 full cords in the last month. Heating 4800 sq ft and DHW for 4 (3 women). I find my burn times are longer due to staggering my zones with set back T-stats. First of all I can't stand it warmer than 68F inside in the winter. My first floor heat kicks back to 50F at 6:20 PM (it rarely gets below 55F by morning). My second floor heat goes from 64F to 68F at 7PM. The second floor kicks back to 64 at 6:40AM and the First floor calls for heat at 6:50AM. By doing this I never have both floors calling for heat too much at the same time. The 5036 will satisfy them all calling at the same time plus the Domestic HW provided it is stoked, loaded, and ripping. I typically get out to it aroung 6:30AM and load it up with some big pine chunks that get hot real fast. If you are having trouble keeping up consider using timed T-stats to stagger your zone demand.
Keeping up no problem. I've burned about 2.5 full cords in the last month. Heating 4800 sq ft and DHW for 4 (3 women). I find my burn times are longer due to staggering my zones with set back T-stats. First of all I can't stand it warmer than 68F inside in the winter. My first floor heat kicks back to 50F at 6:20 PM (it rarely gets below 55F by morning). My second floor heat goes from 64F to 68F at 7PM. The second floor kicks back to 64 at 6:40AM and the First floor calls for heat at 6:50AM. By doing this I never have both floors calling for heat too much at the same time. The 5036 will satisfy them all calling at the same time plus the Domestic HW provided it is stoked, loaded, and ripping. I typically get out to it aroung 6:30AM and load it up with some big pine chunks that get hot real fast. If you are having trouble keeping up consider using timed T-stats to stagger your zone demand.
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ericjeeper
Addicted to ArboristSite
I woke up worried.
It is 0 outside, still quite breezy I ran out and checked on the Magic box at 5 am. Not a lot of whole pieces left but I think if I crack the door a bit I will have enough coals to get me most of the way through the day.
I have recently discovered to help burn the coals down I leave the door cracked about a 1/4 inch . It gets her cooking pretty good and all I have to do is shuffle the coals around ever couple of hours or so.. Otherwise it gets so full of coals that I end up having to empty some out into the field.
I just used my Raytek Mini temp to check the temps on some of my windows. inside temps. The triple with krypton windows,center of the glass are right at 69 degrees, The few remaining double pane with argon are running right at 61 degrees.(These temps are based on room temps of 74-75 degrees)
So if I was smart enough I could figure out how many BTUs I am losing through the 4 remaining double pane windows I have left to replace.Honestly you can feel the difference just by going near the double panes. I know the one right here 3 feet from my right shoulder will be replaced first. LOL it is one cold SOB. it is lo-e and argon too.
Rather amazing once it gets really cold how much you notice a lesser quality window..
It is 0 outside, still quite breezy I ran out and checked on the Magic box at 5 am. Not a lot of whole pieces left but I think if I crack the door a bit I will have enough coals to get me most of the way through the day.
I have recently discovered to help burn the coals down I leave the door cracked about a 1/4 inch . It gets her cooking pretty good and all I have to do is shuffle the coals around ever couple of hours or so.. Otherwise it gets so full of coals that I end up having to empty some out into the field.
I just used my Raytek Mini temp to check the temps on some of my windows. inside temps. The triple with krypton windows,center of the glass are right at 69 degrees, The few remaining double pane with argon are running right at 61 degrees.(These temps are based on room temps of 74-75 degrees)
So if I was smart enough I could figure out how many BTUs I am losing through the 4 remaining double pane windows I have left to replace.Honestly you can feel the difference just by going near the double panes. I know the one right here 3 feet from my right shoulder will be replaced first. LOL it is one cold SOB. it is lo-e and argon too.
Rather amazing once it gets really cold how much you notice a lesser quality window..
AIM
Addicted to ArboristSite
Mine is keeping up just fine but devouring a forest of trees. It's -6° outside this morning and I'm sure it will only have a few coals in it. I'll stuff her full and in a few hours the wife will fill her up again just to catch up the water temp. That will get it through till about 5pm where it will want some wood then another hot load (small stuff) about 8pm and then big stuff before bed.
Yep it takes that when it's this cold.
Yep it takes that when it's this cold.
John D
Addicted to ArboristSite
My SHaver 250 is keeping up,barely it seems,but its keeping up for now,but its "only 9 degrees out,not sure what will happen with the zero degree temps get here tomorrow.I sure am glad I went with the 250 over the 165 they recommneded,in fact I wish I'd bought the 290 it was only $250 more.
I don't know what oil you are running in the old tractor,but I use my 30 yr old Ford 1910 32hp tractor to load my salt spreader all winter.I do not plug it in,because the electric bill goes up from $10 a month to over $125 just to keep it warm.What I do is run 5w40 full synthetic diesel oil in it.I am using Shell Rotella syn now,but Ive used Mobil Delvac1 5w40. If your running a normal 15w40,chainging the oil to the synthetic will make a HUGE difference in the cranking rpm,and ease of starting.My old Ford will easily start at -10 below zero with no aids other than 20 seconds or glow plug,before it wouldnt start at -10,Id be lucky if it started at 10 above with 15w40.Also its much better for the engine,as it gets oil immediately,and doesn't have to suck molassis up into the oil pump and try to pump it.
ericjeeper
Addicted to ArboristSite
John D
In one of your post in another thread.
You mentioned that your blower seemed to have ran most of the day and it was not keeping up.
In my opinion, your blower is either not large enough or restricted. That blower ought to make the fire roar to life.
It will make it consume more firewood yes, but Burning wood is how we get btus.
In one of your post in another thread.
You mentioned that your blower seemed to have ran most of the day and it was not keeping up.
In my opinion, your blower is either not large enough or restricted. That blower ought to make the fire roar to life.
It will make it consume more firewood yes, but Burning wood is how we get btus.
John D
Addicted to ArboristSite
The blower is working good,last night it was struggling and temps dropped to 165 at the OWB as measured on the Ranco digital stat that sets down in the top.Inside it was pulled back to 145 as 2 zones were calling.Today its doing much better,I turned the hot water temp down to 135 from 145,and its keeping up better.Today its cycling normally.I am keeping more wood in it today also,it seems to be helping,so in this cold I will load 3x a day if needed.
Scrapiron
ArboristSite Operative
Tonight
The cold front hits us this afternoon- tonight we're supposed to see 14* and tomorrow night 9*. That's real cold for us.
I've got my wood selected for the next few days- seasoned white oak and some nice red oak half rounds. I cleaned out the Taylor earlier this week to get ready.
We're also going to fire up the old cookstove the next few days. Wow, talk about bringing the heat! It heats the bedroom above the kitchen and you can feel it a few rooms over. If the firebox wasn't so darn small, we'd use it a lot more, but it takes a very watchful eye to feed it.
The cold front hits us this afternoon- tonight we're supposed to see 14* and tomorrow night 9*. That's real cold for us.
I've got my wood selected for the next few days- seasoned white oak and some nice red oak half rounds. I cleaned out the Taylor earlier this week to get ready.
We're also going to fire up the old cookstove the next few days. Wow, talk about bringing the heat! It heats the bedroom above the kitchen and you can feel it a few rooms over. If the firebox wasn't so darn small, we'd use it a lot more, but it takes a very watchful eye to feed it.
itn
ArboristSite Operative
-21 this morning. Yes i'm going thru more wood. Still better than LP.
beerman6
Addicted to ArboristSite
:agree2:
Lumberzack
ArboristSite Member
Our Jotul 600 in the basement is doing a pretty good job in this weather. The thermostat is at the top of the basement steps, so the propane furnace doesn't't kick on much.I'm glad my dealer nailed me for 3.73 per gallon on our yearly fill!!! We also put a programmable thermostat in so that helps. I even had a fire in the fire place. That always make the wife happy! I won't build a fire unless we have at least 4 hours to burn it. Oh it was 8 when I got up this am near Cincinnati!
IndyIan
ArboristSite Operative
I'm with Scooter, I can't handle anything close to 70F inside in the winter, I would be stripping down to my underwear! We quit adding wood to the stove at 62-66F, but I guess our concrete floor helps moderate temperatures so it takes a while to drop even to 60F.
I do think its a midwest thing, to have the house hot as hell in the middle of winter, my family is from southern Manitoba and almost everyone there has the thermostat at 70F+ I find it just makes stepping out into -10F all the more shocking!
Anyways, its your house, and your wood, so let it rip! I find that I'm only going through 2-3 cords a year and I really wouldn't mind cutting and splitting more but don't have the need.
Ian
hypothesis
ArboristSite Lurker
Feeding the 290 three times a day to do it's best to try and keep up in these temps. Full load in the morning, top it off in the afternoon, and then another full load at night. Burning Ash, Bass, and Beech. The house is well insulated but the three car garage is still unfinished. That's my Achilles heal. The house is at 68F and the hot water is good for a shower but I can't get the furnace temp. above 110. I'm doing allot better this cold spell compared to the last one we had in December.
Suz
ArboristSite Guru
Well, it's warming up outside (From -20° to a balmy -18°) and my old indoor Rightway boiler is keeping us warm with no problem what so ever. Average of a 10 minute burn time every hour.
But, it wasn't always this way. Before I put new windows in and put some Celetex R3.5 insulation on the outside along with new siding the wood stove would struggle to keep it at 70 when it was this cold.
BTW, all the hype from the TV weathermen and news channels keep saying this is a record cold snap! BULL:censored: !!! I can remember -100° wind chills! That was cold! I can also remember having to help a neighbor cut some wood and it was so cold that we couldn't even get gasoline to burn to start a brush pile on fire. I had to heat the gas up with some newspaper!!
But, it wasn't always this way. Before I put new windows in and put some Celetex R3.5 insulation on the outside along with new siding the wood stove would struggle to keep it at 70 when it was this cold.
BTW, all the hype from the TV weathermen and news channels keep saying this is a record cold snap! BULL:censored: !!! I can remember -100° wind chills! That was cold! I can also remember having to help a neighbor cut some wood and it was so cold that we couldn't even get gasoline to burn to start a brush pile on fire. I had to heat the gas up with some newspaper!!
Adiredneck
ArboristSite Lurker
It's been nasty at night. Last night was -8. I did do something last night that will hopefully reduce my consuption...
My garage has 4 radiant loops in the floor. No glycol. I have a mixing valve setup that I turned down a little bit so that when the garage calls for heat, I don't get such a draw on the main loop. I think it helped, as there was a little bit more wood in the OWB than usual this morning.
I see that Aqua Therm has an upgrade kit for my boiler, but there is little information about it. They are only praising "lower smoke", which is not really a problem where I live.
