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[heat550]

I'm heating 5500 square feet . I happen to get 10 cords of oak . checks out at 15% . Now I filled it at -20f I got 7.5 hours of burn time . But I have noticed bubbling in the door when stoves up to temp 170f . I know this dry oak gets hotter inside walls are tan with spots of white haze this is after a 7.5 hour burn not out of the norm  . Thats all working great  . Question come to wood use .  were having a crazy cold year . I have went throw 3 cords just in January . I keep house same all time fire 24 hours .  Im in central MN . has others been having the same usage. 

Heat550

Im new to burning dry wood . I normally have wet wood because I didn't have the $$$ year before

[ITO]

 I'm in NW WI, not very far away, cold winter accounts for more wood useage, have had ours for 10 years and never used this much fuel. A couple things that work to conserve is to clean the ash out of the grates frequently and to load it with some space left in it for better combustion (hard to do on those -25 nights). I heat 1400 sq. ft., DHW and an outdoor hot tub and I have gone through almost 5 cord of oak now, I cut my own and not all of it is that dry especially the "rougher" stuff I mix in at the beginning and end of the season. I would say with 5500 sq. ft. you are pretty much on par with my useage. Around here a semi load of oak goes for about $1200 and is about 12 cord if you figure you burn even the whole thing in one season it's still the cheapest fuel around by quite a stretch especially propane prices right now!
 I have had to change the door hoses quite a few times and the length is very precise especially the bottom hose, if it's just a little short it will restrict with the door closed and I have had that boiling in the door problem when that hose is too short.
 Hope that helps!

[LittleJohn]

Hey HEAT550, my dad is heating 7000sf, in EC Minnesota.  He has gone thru about 13 cords, but the first 6 or 7 were basswood, poplar and slab wood from sawmill (all junk). Finally switched to hard wood, and boiler doesn't seem to be burning thru the wood as fast; but I still have to go up their this spring sometime and help cut more wood for next year. 

That week it was -20 & -30, parts of the system were not able to keep up and started loosing temp (since resolved showed old man how to crank up the pump speed to get more BTUs)

[lindnova]

I have more of the bubbling noise burning drier wood also.  When you change the hoses check the 90 bends for buildup.  I did that last spring and mine were very clean.  I still get the thumping sometimes.  I will check my lower hose for length; I don't think it is kinked.  I change my door hoses when the poly fibers crack when squeezed.  3 times in 7 years.  That top hose gets pretty hot and lots of flexing opening the door.  I am going to replace with silicone hose next time.  Kind of spendy, but should last over twice as long.

As far as wood usage, I have gone thru a lot this year also.  About 9 cord so far.  I burned a lot of box elder thru Christmas time.  I got lucky and have mostly all bur oak on the face of the pile in the shed for the last month in the cold spell.  Since I got ahead all my wood is 1-3 years stacked before I use it.  Even with rounds not split moisture levels are up to 30% on the 1 yr box elder and lower 20's on the oak, elm & cherry.  Looks like I will be plowing a path to that Siberian elm pile in backyard that was planned for next year come around March 1 this year.

I heat a well insulated 1500 Sq.Ft. house (main + basement=3000 Sq.Ft.) and a 1200 Sq.Ft. attached garage.  Thankfully my propane tank sits at 35% and will run my range for quite a while before I need a fill up.

[heat550]

I have more of the bubbling noise burning drier wood also.  When you change the hoses check the 90 bends for buildup.  I did that last spring and mine were very clean.  I still get the thumping sometimes.  I will check my lower hose for length; I don't think it is kinked.  I change my door hoses when the poly fibers crack when squeezed.  3 times in 7 years.  That top hose gets pretty hot and lots of flexing opening the door.  I am going to replace with silicone hose next time.  Kind of spendy, but should last over twice as long.

As far as wood usage, I have gone thru a lot this year also.  About 9 cord so far.  I burned a lot of box elder thru Christmas time.  I got lucky and have mostly all bur oak on the face of the pile in the shed for the last month in the cold spell.  Since I got ahead all my wood is 1-3 years stacked before I use it.  Even with rounds not split moisture levels are up to 30% on the 1 yr box elder and lower 20's on the oak, elm & cherry.  Looks like I will be plowing a path to that Siberian elm pile in backyard that was planned for next year come around March 1 this year.

I heat a well insulated 1500 Sq.Ft. house (main + basement=3000 Sq.Ft.) and a 1200 Sq.Ft. attached garage.  Thankfully my propane tank sits at 35% and will run my range for quite a while before I need a fill up.

Detail what I burned started in middle of Oct. 2/3 cord of Elm dry 1.5 cord ash wet dripping  Oak 3 1/3 cord wet oak  and 5 cord dry 15% moisture oak . 10.5 cord total so far .  I am heating 2 houses with it the 1344 square foot double wide set at 75 f well insulated.  Its just must be the cold winter kicking me .  the  other house is about 2300sqft upstairs and down stairs 60-72f average insulated rest of the 5500 sq-ft total are garage and shop well insulated at 45f I know wet wood I burned was worthless compared to the 15% dry oak load I got . when I seen 3 cord dry oak in January I was like  . That's a lot of BTus . But It looks like I'm in ball park with the rest of you . everything staying warm so thats all a person wants .

Heat550

I never noticed bubbling in door  till burning this dry oak . I have the blue semi hose on mine I think its silicon there staying soft not getting hard like the regular hose. they were $40 bucks . well see if they were worth it .

[lindnova]

I forgot to say that I keep my house at 67-69 and garage at 59(lowest the wirsbo thermostat will go).

Even though these units will burn wet wood they sure do work better when the wood is dry.  I only have the door tapping & boiling when burning dry wood also.  The box elder doesn't do it much, but dry oak and elm do.

I just bought 5 ft of silicone(blue) hose at NAPA for $3.59 / LF.  With tax that is just over $30.

[ITO]

 I'm going to try the blue hose this year after I shut down, I put valves on each hose at the boiler end so I can swap hoses quickly without draining the boiler but the valves extended the connections enough so that the hoses pinch more when the door is open. This year when I change the hoses i think I am going to put 45's on the valves also.
 Did you see the thread on vacuuming the ashes? "Making a hot ash vacuum" I thought this could lend itself well to an ash auger, a person could rig up an old shop vac to adapt to the end of the auger pipe then when you stir the ashes over the grates the suction would pull all the ash through the piping, sounds like it could work and be less messy and quicker. I have an old vac, I may try to rig up something this summer, the only tricky part sounds like dealing with the hot ash and small coals that you will get, there should be a decent way to solve that in the snow though, I just pile my hot ashes in the snow behind the boiler til spring anyway.

[RSI]

Is there any air adjustment on the draft? Burning wood that dry may work better with less air.

[heat550]

I forgot to say that I keep my house at 67-69 and garage at 59(lowest the wirsbo thermostat will go).

Even though these units will burn wet wood they sure do work better when the wood is dry.  I only have the door tapping & boiling when burning dry wood also.  The box elder doesn't do it much, but dry oak and elm do.

I just bought 5 ft of silicone(blue) hose at NAPA for $3.59 / LF.  With tax that is just over $30.

Ya I knew local dealer was ripping in to me at $40 ..  I needed it in a panic he had to order it in took a week . They called it semi hose
But it must be the silicone hose its bright blue with red hose coating inside . and very soft rubber but super tuff .

We just had a windy day here cold 2f was the high last 24 hours I burned  48 cuft . reason I know that its a bucket full on my tractor . Thats a record for me but wind was nasty all day here . Houses be calling for heat big time .

heat550

[heat550]

Is there any air adjustment on the draft? Burning wood that dry may work better with less air.

Mine has a piece round tin to cover fan inlet wonder if I should mess with that to slow down incoming air . But that probably mess with my water temp recovery times . It came with stove looks like a tin paint can cover but has hole in it to rock it open or close and it stay where you put it . how much to cover inlet on the fan . anything slow down wood consumption but get heat I'm looking for .

Heat550

Now you got me thinking less air will the fire stay hot enough but not burn so hard that it will waste heat out chimmney .

[RSI]

If your wood is that dry I would definitely close the air down some. Just don't close it too far so the fire only smolders.

You may need to adjust it between cycles or in small increments. The thumping you mentioned is probably from burning too hot. If it didn't do it with wet wood them that should fix it.

[lindnova]

Ya I knew local dealer was ripping in to me at $40 ..  I needed it in a panic he had to order it in took a week . They called it semi hose
But it must be the silicone hose its bright blue with red hose coating inside . and very soft rubber but super tuff . [/quote]

That's exactly the stuff I got.  Super soft, almost a little greasy blue outside and red inside.  The new heavy trucks (semi's) are using it because of the durability in the higher heat engine compartments of emission controlled diesels.

I am watching my wood in my shed disappear quicker than ever before.  I have plenty close by though so no worries.  I am feeling good about all the money I am saving this year over propane.  2 years ago when we didn't have a winter I got sick of filling the wood, but this year I have been out splitting, cutting and moving (where I can between drifts) every chance I get even when it is below zero.

[heat550]

Ya I knew local dealer was ripping in to me at $40 ..  I needed it in a panic he had to order it in took a week . They called it semi hose
But it must be the silicone hose its bright blue with red hose coating inside . and very soft rubber but super tuff .

That's exactly the stuff I got.  Super soft, almost a little greasy blue outside and red inside.  The new heavy trucks (semi's) are using it because of the durability in the higher heat engine compartments of emission controlled diesels.

I am watching my wood in my shed disappear quicker than ever before.  I have plenty close by though so no worries.  I am feeling good about all the money I am saving this year over propane.  2 years ago when we didn't have a winter I got sick of filling the wood, but this year I have been out splitting, cutting and moving (where I can between drifts) every chance I get even when it is below zero.
[/quote]

Yes it does the hose feels greasy . Hope it holds up on my second year with it looks like the day I put it on bit ash on it though
Yes wood consumption is record high . My average is 10-12 cord a season I will be at 15 cord as looks this total season .  At some point you have to say well home was nice and warm anyway ya there was a couple weeks felt like a wood marathon . I have a new record 1/3 of a cord oak  in 1 day . It was Feb 6 . Still scratching my head about that one . Years like this let us know why we have a heatmor and the full setup. Heating 2 houses with one stove really its kinda amazing it only took 15 cord thats 7.5 cord a house . There I made it sound better anyway central Minnesota here . 

Heat550

[heat550]

If your wood is that dry I would definitely close the air down some. Just don't close it too far so the fire only smolders.

You may need to adjust it between cycles or in small increments. The thumping you mentioned is probably from burning too hot. If it didn't do it with wet wood them that should fix it.

I tried it all it did was slow down keeping my water to temp . I think I have to big of heat load on the stove . I think it work above 0f better I will try it then to slow down wood consumption . I put a mark on it setting for above 0f and full open at below 0f . 5500square feet is a lot to heat . Its just bubbling water I here from the door I had a good listen the other night .  I know holes are clear as I put new on last year . also I do have 3 pumps sucking water in and out of stove so there might be some funny pressures going on all 1 inch lines . ( 3 zones ) even if its moving at 30 gallons a min . means its changing the full stove water every 5 min.

heat550

I never did notice it with wet wood . But I maybe wasn't pay as close of attention either . Might be burning some wet later this year