Just fired up yesterday. With daytime temperatures in the low to mid 50's and nights low to mid 40's. Was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on boiler temp. to keep the fire going. Last night when I fired it up I set it at 165 and this morning it was about out...just smoldering. Inside thermostat at 74 to keep little ones warm. This is my first year burning strictly wood so any advice will be appreciated. Thanks!
Temperature this time of the year.
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oneoldbanjo
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I have not yet started up my OWB as it is just too warm yet with daytime temperatures 50 - 60 and night just barely into the high 40's. i let my heat pump do the work and I have not yet started to feed the monster in my back yard.
It may be that you should just build a small fire at night and let it go out after the wood is burned up - the water and OWB may have enough heat stored to do any needed heating for a 24 hour period.
When I do heat in warmer weather - I have stored up a stash of well seasoned Cedar to use. It smells great during the long periods of smoldering, leaves little ash, and tends not to go out after long periods of smoldering. I also lower my burn temps to cycle between 140 and 150.
Whatever wood you use......make sure it is very dry and you should have good luck keeping the fire going during long periods in the smolder mode.
It may be that you should just build a small fire at night and let it go out after the wood is burned up - the water and OWB may have enough heat stored to do any needed heating for a 24 hour period.
When I do heat in warmer weather - I have stored up a stash of well seasoned Cedar to use. It smells great during the long periods of smoldering, leaves little ash, and tends not to go out after long periods of smoldering. I also lower my burn temps to cycle between 140 and 150.
Whatever wood you use......make sure it is very dry and you should have good luck keeping the fire going during long periods in the smolder mode.
I lit my OWB on 16 July this year, a couple days before I moved into this house, for my hot water. I burn maple, walnut, poplar, sourwood, and such during the warmer seasons. I usually throw in an oak log when I load the stove, just to keep some coals going when the softer wood burns out. I worried about the fire going out because of the long smoldering times, too, but I only had to relight once because I went an extra couple days before I checked on the fire. Fill the stove with wood, check it every day until you learn how long it will burn with whatever you put in there. I doubt if your fire will go out unless you're out of wood.
I was figuring on burning pine and hemlock I have in the warmer months and saving the locust and maple I have for when its colder. Hopefully you are right and it is just in a smoldering stage. Supposed to drop into upper 30's in a few of the upcoming nights. I never I thought I would say this but I can't wait till it gets cold!
Blazin
Addicted to ArboristSite
Just lit my CB5648 and the temp is set on 160°. I'm burning poplar, hemlock, and some punky assorted hardwoods. With the temps being as warm as they are, mine will go into a dormant stage and appears to be out but is'nt. One thing I did do was used some good hardwood for a coal bed and mix a few in with the softwood every other day or so.
A couple sticks a day keeps the damp away!
A couple sticks a day keeps the damp away!
atvguns
Addicted to ArboristSite
What are you guys going to do when it really gets cold I don't plan on lighting a fire for atleast another month
Blazin
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well I lowered my temp to 160 last night and everything seemed to work as planned. Fire was rippin this morning when I checked. Added 2 pine 1/2's and a beech stick for good measure. I think I just checked it yesterday in the smoldering stage when the blower had been off for a while. Trial and error I guess. Thanks for the help guys.
I run my CB 5036 at 165 right now, but like I said I just use it for hot water during the summer. I opened the valves to warm the house last night, thermostat in here set at 71, but I don't think the heat came on until this afternoon. Cloudy, breezy day here. My wife's nephew trims trees from people's yards in the area, and he dumps the brush and wood at his father's house. BIL gets the hardwood, I get whatever is left. Most of my hardwood comes from my land here. I burned the OWB last winter while I was finishing building my house. Kept the temp about 72 with mostly pine and poplar. Free wood burns great.
mybowtie
ArboristSite Operative
I have my wood master set to 155* with a differantial of 10*. When it gets a little colder, I bump it up to 165* with a diff of 15*. Really cold and ill bump it to 175*.
AIM
Addicted to ArboristSite
My homemade boiler is at 130° now. Outside temps in northern Ohio is about 55 - 60 during the day and 40 at night. Thought about bumping to 140° tonight but the wind is supposed to die off after tonight so 130 should do it for a while yet.
My house will heat just fine all winter at 140° but my garage is another story. I'll need 160° plus for my garage in the coldest times.
My boilers wood requirements are directly related to water temp. I think a bit more so than the manufactured models. I will double my wood consumption between 140 and 160.
My house will heat just fine all winter at 140° but my garage is another story. I'll need 160° plus for my garage in the coldest times.
My boilers wood requirements are directly related to water temp. I think a bit more so than the manufactured models. I will double my wood consumption between 140 and 160.
Took some more advice last night ....before bed I added a nice size maple to the already burning pine.....this morning when I checked the fire there was a nice bed of coals from the bottom half of the log with about 1/2 of it still intact. Really like the mixing idea with the softwood, punky stuff, and hardwood. Seems to even everything out. 32- 35 tonight with temps today on hitting 45. Really liking this free heat so far.
Blazin
Addicted to ArboristSite
What kind of OWB do you have?
Blazin
Addicted to ArboristSite
Nice....enjoy the heat! :msp_biggrin:
I burn most any species of tree that I can get, even almost rotten standing dead stuff, unless it crumbles when I handle it, and I don't mind putting in a few sticks of green wood if necessary. I don't know how your stove works, but on mine, if I open the door too soon after the damper shuts down, that load of fresh air will cause the fire to woof out at me. Be careful.
Dumb question: you guys all use baseboard heat with the OWB?
I've been throwing chunks of pallets on mine just to keep the water temp up for my hot water, since as of now the indoor gas boiler is stuck at 185 until I get someone out here to help me figure out the best way to run the two in the same loop (see my other post on the subject). Those pallets burn hot and seem to work pretty good in the mild temps, though they'll burn up quick when the blower turns on. I lucked out and found a trucking company with an unlimited supply, it's not too hard to find them for free if you nose around a bit.
I've been throwing chunks of pallets on mine just to keep the water temp up for my hot water, since as of now the indoor gas boiler is stuck at 185 until I get someone out here to help me figure out the best way to run the two in the same loop (see my other post on the subject). Those pallets burn hot and seem to work pretty good in the mild temps, though they'll burn up quick when the blower turns on. I lucked out and found a trucking company with an unlimited supply, it's not too hard to find them for free if you nose around a bit.
I do not use baseboard heat. My house has a forced air heat pump/gas furnace. I use a water to air heat exchanger located in the plenum just above the furnace. My upstairs uses a heat pump/electric furnace, but the stairway is open so a good bit of OWB heat goes up there to help out. This is my first winter living in this house, so I may add OWB heat to the upstairs unit this year if I see much savings over the power company. My daughter lives upstairs, and she will be off to college next winter if the Lord is willing.
