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

Username: Password:

Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

Messages - kc

Pages: [1] 2 3
1
Earth Outdoor Wood Furnaces / Re: Sticking blower door
« on: December 07, 2014, 12:08:53 PM »
I have been burning a Mountain Man 505 for the last 2 winters and have had some issue with the fire going out at night.   We have grown accustomed to having the temp drop at night using a programmable thermostat which when you do that no heat gets pulled from the stove for hours and the fire can go out.   I don't have any fast and easy answers but a few observations.   First is the quality of your wood is everything.   After struggling my first winter with wet, unseasoned wood I built a wood shed next to the stove and my goal now is to have it full by summer's end so that the wood is seasoned and dry by winter.   My wood shed holds approximately 6 cords which is close to what I would burn for a winter.  So far this season after burning for a month the fire has only gone out once and it was my fault for not loading it properly.   Next is you have to build up and keep a good bed of coals.   That can be hard to do when the weather is not so cold and the stove doesn't burn as much.   In those times I have used the paper clip trick and it does help keep the fire going when not much heat is being pulled from the stove.   Lastly, after suffering through many cold showers in the morning what I did on my thermostat was set it to heat up the house about 30 minutes from the time we get up.    Before I had it set a couple of hours prior (trying to shorten the time calling for heat) and if the fire is out it would pull most of the heat out of the stove (hence cold shower).   At 30 minutes there is still decent heat in the stove so I can shut the furnace off and use the remaining heat for the shower while the stove heats back up.   

On the blower door sticking I have had that happen a few times and what is going on is a thing layer of creosote will build up on the door and can "glue" the edges shut.   I now have the habit of checking and when I see it building up I knock it off with the poker.  Haven't had the blower door glued shut for quite a while now.

You just have to live and learn and always keep adjusting until it works well most always...

kc

2
Decreased.   The difference in my electric bill is my hot water heater is off.   This is my third winter with the stove and my electric bill drops $40 - $50 per month not running the water heater but the big savings is not having to purchase propane.   With the cold winter last year I figure I saved $3000 to $4000 on propane costs.   Running the pump and small blower on the stove does not burn much juice compared to lighting up a heating element...

kc

3
Earth Outdoor Wood Furnaces / Re: Smoke during burn cycle?
« on: December 09, 2013, 08:55:58 PM »
Interesting read.   I am starting my second season on a Mountain Man 500 after struggling some my maiden season but realizing that much of the issue was wood (and a green horn's learning curve).   I installed the stove last December and didn't have half the wood I needed and when I went scrounging for wood I had issues with the fire going out and increase wood use.   Plus I noted it smoked more and creosote build up increased.   This season I built a 20x8 wood shed next to the stove and filled it by the end of October and so far my burn this season has been great.   With good, dry, seasoned wood - most of it oak I have been getting consistently a good bed of coals and the fire doesn't go out, it burns cleaner and the whole thing is so much better than last season. 

I also learned another trick when loading the stove.  Several of the times when my fire went out I noticed a log was dead center up front blocking the air flow from the damper.   The coals are always more numerous towards the stove pipe in back so when I load it I put two pieces parallel with the air flow up front but apart and stack more on top and just throw pieces in to fill the back.   This creates an "air tunnel" up front which lets the air get to the coals and wood in the back part of the stove.

It feels good to get in a rhythm and my MM 500 is doing great.


kc

4
Fire Wood / how to cut a tree across a gulley
« on: April 09, 2013, 07:59:49 PM »
I have two huge trees down in my ravine and both uprooted and fell across the gulley.   One is a maple about 20" to 22" across but the other is an oak that is pushing 30" in diameter.   I had another smaller oak that snapped above ground and settled perpendicular to the ground but the trunk was only 2' or so up and I used my car jack to lift and block up the trunk as I cut it which worked well.   But that big oak is 3' to 4' off of the ground and I could use the jack close to the roots but that's about it.   How would you guys tackle a big trunk like this across a gulley?  I am thinking about notching the top of the trunk and dropping that way but I am not fond of being so close and below when that huge trunk comes down in two pieces and blocking up so high seems awkward too...

kc

5
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Actual Electric Savings...
« on: March 03, 2013, 08:51:03 AM »
Seeing this thread still going I have an update after the first full electric bill using my OWB.   When this thread started over a month ago I had just fired up my OWB and my December electric bill was $210.   My January electric bill was my first fully on the OWB and was $132.   Not bad but my biggest saving is burning nearly zero propane.   We did have one warmer weekend where we opted to let the fire go out and clean up the stove so I used a few gallons of gas then.   We have a hot tub and at some point I will hook it up to the OWB and I would expect my electric to get below that magic $100/mo during winter at that time.   But I am also saving I believe $300 - $400/mo during the heating season on not buying gas.   There is more effort in keeping the fire going and collecting wood but the savings are there.   Now if we could just figure out how to use the OWB to offset the AC electric in summer!

kc

6
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Anyone else out cuttin wood?
« on: February 04, 2013, 07:42:32 PM »
I was out yesterday cutting in the light snow here.   After burning for my first month the reality of real wood consumption is setting in.   I had about 2 to 2.5 ricks of split, well-seasoned oak as I started and about 2/3s of it is gone.   Love the wood heat but my sawing and splitting will be picking up for sure.   Sawed up a couple of mid-sized trees down and probably added a couple of weeks burn time to my pile...

kc

7
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Actual Electric Savings...
« on: January 15, 2013, 09:03:35 PM »
It isn't always about the savings.  I have a propane furnace and this is just our second winter in the house.   Last winter we burned a fireplace insert and really offset much of the propane use.   I think I spent about $1500 total on propane last winter but if I wouldn't have burned the insert I am sure it would have been double or more.   But the insert isn't all that.   Heats the front of the house and living room pretty well but the rest of the house is like a refridgerator.  Plus the smoke and mess in the house and very frequent tending of the fire.  The master bed / bath is on the far end of the house and on cold mornings it would be in the 50s in our room.   A little rough for that morning shower.   I just fired up my OWB and don't expect big savings in electric but should use little propane.   But the house will be well heated.   Adding a unit heater to the garage which is a bonus.   My only freek out is the jump in wood burned.   I am burning two full plus wheel barrows of wood a day which is considerablly more than the insert but I am getting much more heat from the OWB.   I am just glad I have as much free wood as I could ever need but I will be busy cutting, hauling, and stacking enough to keep up...

kc

8
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: fine tuning a new OWB
« on: January 10, 2013, 08:52:51 PM »
My unit is not a gasser -- I picked up an Earth 505 which is a heavy duty, basic boiler.  I am in KY which is on the milder side of the boiler's home range and I have a feeling that my running will be a bit different than my northern brethren.   I already learned that the 16" logs well suited for my inside stove don't work the best in my boiler.   That will change with my next cuts.

Won't happen this burn season but in the spring I am going to build a 20' x 8' or so wood shed next to the furnace and keep my wood bone dry for the winter burn.   I have several uncovered wood racks now so my plan will be to load the wood shed for the winter early in the fall (after the seasoning) and during the winter cut next year's wood and store on the uncovered racks queueing up for next fall.   The best laid plans...

9
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: fine tuning a new OWB
« on: January 10, 2013, 07:47:42 PM »
My firewood is in pretty good shape.   Well seasoned oak cut last winter / spring although with all of the rain we had here in December it is not totally dry (tarps).   I think I didn't have a good bed of coals the first night and I just kind of threw the wood in helter/skelter but since I have been stacking my split wood and it seems to do better.   I had good coals the last two days although today not as much.   It is warmer today so I don't think much heat has been pulled off of the boiler...

10
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / fine tuning a new OWB
« on: January 10, 2013, 07:24:41 PM »
Well she has been burning (mostly) since Monday and I am hopeful the worst part of the learning curve is behind.   Fire went out first night and I am still not sure how that happened as it burned for nearly 4 straight hours getting to temp so it should have had a heck of a coal base.   No hot water on morning one was not a good start.  Wired my Tstat wrong on day two as I finalized it's install and had the AC and boiler competing.   That was big fun as I had cut the condensation line on the A-coil for the HE install and haven't fixed it back yet.  Who needs AC in January?   Thanks to prior posts here I learned about the power backfeed issue on the fan wiring between 2 Tstats.  On day three as I was still trying to figure out the Tstat I told my wife to just turn the fan on manually if it got cool in the house and she fell asleep with it on and it got pretty toasty by the time she woke.  None of the pets died or plants wilted so I guess no harm no foul.   

I noted that my hot water went from 115 at the tap from my DHW heater to 140 coming in off the brazed plate HE.   But with the bypass valves I installed on the lines in front I was able to mix some cold water to temper it down and now I get 130 at the tap so I am kind of smiling realizing that I have endless hot water, I am using no electricity to heat it, and I can loosely control the temp with the bypass valves (and I figured that out without reading about it).   I think I am going to like this thing!

A few observations / questions for you guys who have been doing this a while.   First off on the fire going out.   I realized that if the fire sits idle too long that the chances of it going out increase like it did night one.   I first thought about programming little temp spikes with the programmable house Tstat to pull some heat off of the boiler here and there to stoke the fire but that seemed a little nutzo.   I started with my boiler temp at 160 with a 10 degree difference but have gone to 170 with a 3 degree diff.   I am thinking with the smaller range it will stoke the fire more often but burn for less time to get to heat which may be better on keeping coals.  Do you guys think a longer or shorter burn cycle will help keep it lit?

Also I put a couple of analog thermometers inside on the supply and return lines so I could observe the heat usage and I have noted that there is a consistent difference of 9 or 10 degrees with the Ranco on the back of the boiler.   It could be that I am losing heat between the boiler and house but I have some pretty well insulated lines on a fresh install so I am more inclined to believe that the digital and analog thermometers just are not in sync.   Any similar experience with these?

She has been burning maybe a bit more wood that I would have guessed but then again with the mishaps and only a few days I don't think I have a good feel for the true usage.   But at this rate I will be busier cutting and splitting than I ever imagined but maybe that will help me get to that svelte, boyish figure from years past.   Yeah right!!   But it sure is nice in warm in here these days.   Last week on one of the cooler mornings and we were still burning the inside stove I got up for work and took my morning shower at 55 in the master BR.   No more!!!

 ^-^

kc

11
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / She's lit!!!
« on: January 07, 2013, 08:21:55 PM »
Finally --- the blessed day has come.   Inch by inch, weekend by weekend I have been piecing together a self install of a Earth Mountain Man 505 and today is the day.   I finished off the plumbing yesterday and thought I would fire last evening but on the leak test I had a couple of drippers to attend to and evening plans so again it took longer than expected.   But I fired her up after work and now at half time of the big blow out she is at 130 and climbing.   Feels good and it will feel even better to not have to call the propane dealer for a refill!!!   Thanks guys for all of the advice.   It really did help me greatly piece this thing together...

kc

12
Fire Wood / Re: starting oak
« on: December 31, 2012, 10:39:55 PM »
intheoaks - Baby steps it is!  I have been tinkering with my setup for just over a month now and although close won't make my goal of firing her up during the holidays.   HE installed in furnace, underground and in-house pex insulated and run, stove is hooked up but still need to hook up all of the inside plumbing which I will be working on new years's day.  Still haven't done the thermostat yet either so I guess next week end will be the christening.   You got that right on being pulled in all directions.   I'm not worried about a wood shed for now but it will be a spring project.   I have a lot to learn with burning my new stove and will have to keep that aquastat idea in mind as I get tuned into keeping a fire going.  This site has been amazing for knowledge transfer.   I am marginally handy and along with my wife's and occasional help from my son I have installed this thing all on my own.   Pretty darned good feeling!

kc

13
Fire Wood / Re: starting oak
« on: December 30, 2012, 08:10:05 AM »
AirForcePOL - I know what you mean about talking the old lady into agreement.   It took me a while to get there and we are at her terms of "it has to be cute".   I am not a "cute" guy when it comes to building so it will be an interesting adventure but I figure onces it is up - cute or not - it won't come down... :)

kc

14
Fire Wood / Re: starting oak
« on: December 29, 2012, 08:59:27 PM »
I am still installing my OWF and haven't filled it yet so no danger of it freezing.   I had to work today but am off the next 3 and I am hopeful I can finish up the install and get her started.    It is definitely timely.

Last year when starting a fire in my fireplace insert I too used cardboard and I also made some kindling strips from pine which were smaller pieces that I would put on top of the burning cardboard followed by the maple and then oak.   Much like I expect with the OWF if there were coals just adding oak worked.  I will also have to try the pine cone method.   My woods are mostly pine / oak so no shortage of those two.

Also I can relate to the wet wood.   One reason I think the oak last year was harder to start was that we moved into the house in the summer and most of the oak I cut - although on the ground - I did in the fall so it didn't have ample time to season.   Plus I simply covered with tarps which helped but didn't keep the wood totally dry.  Still using tarps this season but I cut most of the oak last spring so it should be well seasoned this year.   My next project will be a wood shed next to the OWF so I can retire the tarps.   One thing at a time.   

I am totally looking forward to firing up the OWF.   We just started using the insert and it will be nice to take the smoke and mess out of the house plus heat the whole house.

kc

15
Fire Wood / starting oak
« on: December 26, 2012, 09:30:30 PM »
I am fairly new to stove fires in general and I am still pending firing up my OWB -- hopefully in the next week or so.   We moved into our current house over a year ago and burned a fireplace insert stove last winter and I remember having a lot of trouble starting fires with straight oak.   I had about 1/2 cord of well seasoned maple so what I learned was when starting a fire I would use a couple of sticks of maple under the oak.  My issue this year is I have practically all oak in my wood piles.   The maple is gone and I do have one pile of green pine but otherwise all oak.    Maybe it won't be much of an issue burning my oak in the OWB in that maybe the fires will rarely go out like they did pretty often with the insert stove.   But do you guys have any tricks to share for starting fires with harder-to-start wood?

kc

Pages: [1] 2 3