Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

Username: Password:

Author Topic: 2nd cold snap  (Read 4701 times)

yoda

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 74
    • View Profile
2nd cold snap
« on: January 24, 2009, 01:38:32 PM »

 Well this second round of exteme cold I did't fare as well.  We had 4 days strait it never got above zero with -25 at night and wind chill of -40.  At night I couldn't get my water temp over 130, my fan for my forced air propane furnace ran steady and the house would slowly lose temp.  In the mornings I would turn on my propane to raise the house up to set temp 70 (would be aprox 65 when I got up) once the propane furnace brought it up to 70 I would shut it off, then I would be ok untill the next morning.  The propane would run aprox. 1 hour a day, not terrible but I'm a little bummed. I dont know what was different than our last cold snap except my shop prabably cooled down to the point it was calling for more heat than before ( I keep my 42*36 shop at 45 degrees)
  I even tried getting up at 4 am one night to add wood, still 130 the next morning untill I turned on the propane, wich seemed to let it "catch up"  My wood is probably pretty wet, it was green in sept. when I got it and cut and split it  Sooo I'm hoping it will produce more heat when, Lord willing I get ahead for next year and have dryer wood. Also I can't wait for spring I'm planning on removing my stove siding and insulating it better, not sure how yet but I'm pretty sure I lose alot of heat at the stove itself, especially when it's windy out.
  Also anybody else with a shaver notice the fire does't seem to burn as well when it's really windy? Maybe it's just me but it seems like sometimes the wind is trying to push the smoke back down the chimney and fighting the draft fan
Logged
Northern MN

fletcher0780

  • Training Wheels
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 27
    • View Profile
Re: 2nd cold snap
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2009, 02:47:31 PM »

The only thing I notice about my Shaver when it's windy and below 20*, is heat loss from the furnace itself. No difference in the burning, but the lack of insulation below and poor insulation on the sides make it hard for me to keep a water temp above 150*, even when I load it 4 times per day. Definitely need to take care of the insulation this spring.
Logged

yoda

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 74
    • View Profile
Re: 2nd cold snap
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2009, 03:32:28 PM »

 Fletcher I've been reading posts on the arborist site including yours, your right theres alot of info there as well, at least we have some time before spring to ponder  our insulating options. I like to read others ideas and about modifications, hopefully will learn from other peoples mistakes and successes
Logged
Northern MN

willieG

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1852
  • owbinfo.com
    • View Profile
Re: 2nd cold snap
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2009, 04:02:16 PM »

buid a shed over your stove, add pipe to the stack and make it big enough to keep your wood out of the weather as well If you all are in the sticks and have or have seen a steel clad driveshed (just like what your stove is) you willhave seen how  when the hard wind blows a certain way. snow gets through the steel to the inside of the building. This IS happening to your stove as well..wetting your insulation making it (until it drys) useless as an insulating mass..secondly if your stove is the type that is insulated around your water jacket the water that gets through will run to the bottom of your stove where it lays in the insulation and causes rust to begin, bringing you much more trouble later on down the road

and if you build a little shed around it..you will be out of the elements when you have to load it in a stormy windy night

keep your stove, your wood and yourself dry, you will all last longer
Logged
home made OWB (2012)
Ontario Canada

yoda

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 74
    • View Profile
Re: 2nd cold snap
« Reply #4 on: January 28, 2009, 11:35:32 AM »

buid a shed over your stove, add pipe to the stack and make it big enough to keep your wood out of the weather as well If you all are in the sticks and have or have seen a steel clad driveshed (just like what your stove is) you willhave seen how  when the hard wind blows a certain way. snow gets through the steel to the inside of the building. This IS happening to your stove as well..wetting your insulation making it (until it drys) useless as an insulating mass..secondly if your stove is the type that is insulated around your water jacket the water that gets through will run to the bottom of your stove where it lays in the insulation and causes rust to begin, bringing you much more trouble later on down the road

and if you build a little shed around it..you will be out of the elements when you have to load it in a stormy windy night

keep your stove, your wood and yourself dry, you will all last longer
  I wish I could, It wouldn't really work where I put the stove,  does anyone else have the problem of losing water temp right after putting wood in the stove?  this morning I got up and was actually shocked to find my water temp at 160 (draft fan shuts off at aprox 165) draft fan was running, nice bed of coals, filled the stove with wood, 30 min later my water temp was down to 152. (draft fan still running)  I've noticed this before, that I ussually lose about 10 degrees before I start to gain temp again. It wasn't really a problem this morning, but some really cold mornings when I'm down at about 125 to start with, I need to turn on my propane for an hour or so or the furnace struggles all day to get back up to temp. Once I drop below 120 the house loses temp. Is this normal , to lose that much when I add wood? The wood isn't very dry.
Logged
Northern MN

gandgracing

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 166
    • View Profile
Re: 2nd cold snap
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2009, 02:08:10 AM »

I noticed that too.  I usually have my wood right by the door so I can throw it in as qiuck as possible.  How far do you leave your fan door open?  If its 35* or colder I leave the fan door all the way open and the fire is alot hotter but if its a farely warm day it will overheat and steam out.  I really need to get that device to open and close the fan door, but dont want to let the fire go out.  My stove will go a long time without the fan running.
Logged

yoda

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 74
    • View Profile
Re: 2nd cold snap
« Reply #6 on: February 01, 2009, 10:25:31 AM »

 I have my fan door open a little less than half way, The way it is when it's really cold out(below zero) the fan runs most of the time and if I open it further it just seems to go through even more wood.  I'm hoping insulating it better will fix that. Are you still happy with your stove since you isulated it better?  What kind of burn times do you get when it's below zero?
Logged
Northern MN

yoda

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 74
    • View Profile
Re: 2nd cold snap
« Reply #7 on: February 01, 2009, 12:12:25 PM »

  Grandgracing, your post has got me to thinking, the reason your stove boils with the fan flap open all the way is it's getting natural draft with the blower off.(I'm sure your already aware of this, but it gives me an idea) I'm trying to figure out a way to hook up 2 thermostats, say for example, 1 thermostat runs a flap to allow natural draft,  closes at 170 with maybe a adjustable screw so the fire always gets a small amount of air.  The 2nd thermostat would control the draft fan,  off at  150.  It seems to me you will use less wood with a natural draft (instead of blowing half the heat up the chimney)  But if the water temp continues to drop the fan will kick in.
  I'm just trying to think how to accomplish this without overcomplicating it, also it would be nice to be able to adjust airflow amount for the fan and for the natural draft, independent of each other.

  Fletchers setup could work if 1 thermostat controlled the flap he made, a second stat to control the fan.  1st stat opens flap all the time unless temp gets over 170, then shuts. 2nd stat shuts fan off at150? The only problem is this wouldn't allow you to adjust airflow independent of each other.

 Also adding chimney length may help natural draft.

 Maybe Fletcher has some thoughts on this idea?

  Did you follow that? Sometimes I ramble a little
Logged
Northern MN

John D

  • Training Wheels
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 24
    • View Profile
Re: 2nd cold snap
« Reply #8 on: February 07, 2009, 08:33:17 PM »

My shaver 250 has no trouble hitting 182 anytime,even at -15 degrees.The fan will run alittle longer to get there.it will even cycle on and off while a zone is calling at zero degrees.I insulated the bottom w r19 and the back with r 19.This spring i plan to strip it,and insulate it properly,It should do even better then.I am burning dry well seasoned locust too,when i was burning 2 yr old pine ,and oak only seasoned 6 months i was having trouble maintaining temps.
Logged