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Messages - jrider

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31
Portage & Main / Re: Loading the Optimizer 250 for best burn.
« on: February 12, 2015, 09:55:18 AM »
In my 4th season with it and I have always just kinda threw it in there however it landed.  I only burn the junk/odd/ends I can't sell so I throw in chunks of every shape and size that fits in the door and the unit just continues to perform. 

32
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Wives
« on: February 05, 2015, 09:55:52 AM »
I take care of everything outside, she takes care of everything inside, minus the bills.  It's preferred by both of us.  If I go away, she will throw some logs in the boiler without complaint.  We are both teachers and last year she took the year off for maternity leave and although it was unpaid, it was the best year for everyone involved.  We both wish I made enough for her to stay home until the kids get bigger but unfortunately, that's not a reality for us.  I do plenty of sidework, fall cleanups, mulching, light landscaping projects, snow plowing, and selling firewood so while I'm busy doing that, she makes sure I come home to a house that is clean, comfortable, and well maintained on the inside oh and she makes sure the kids are well cared for as well.  This way, I can come home and basically just worry about playing with them.

33
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Chimney Hieght and more smoke
« on: February 03, 2015, 07:05:20 AM »
browncty,
Your plan of having 2-3 year old wood is good in theory.  However, it has been my experience that some wood doesn't dry well when not split - especially the size chunks you are talking about.  And oak is even slower than the rest if not split.  Maybe, the wood you are thinking is dry, isn't nearly as dry as you hope.  Your idea of splitting them just once will go a long way into drying the oak out much faster.  I wish you the best with figuring out your smoke problem. 

34
Fire Wood / Re: Burning junk wood
« on: January 30, 2015, 07:15:16 PM »
My boiler seems to do fine with lesser quality wood-for a while when we were in the 30's all I burned was poplar and mulberry. I almost didn't even bother with that wood, but I figured since I already had it I might as well try it. I was getting 12 hour burns no problem-sometimes the draft door wasn't even open when I came to fill it. As far as proportions I'm not sure, this is my first year with this boiler and I'm still figuring it out. All I know is that if it keeps my house and water warm I don't really care what the species is, I just need heat. I've got hardwoods (ash, locust, beech) but why burn those when it's warm out? Until I'm in single digits and below I'm not planning on burning 100% hardwood. Even when it's in the teens and 20's I'll at least mix a few softwoods in there.
Mulberry is good stuff.   Pretty high on the btu charts.

35
I had sold wood for years before I got my OWB so I had everything I needed - tractor with forks, splitter with 4 way, a few saws to choose from, and a dump truck.  The only thing that was lacking was where to get rid of the ugly stuff and pine so I got my OWB and burn nothing but junk I can't sell.  Looks like I'm the minority here.

36
Here's the problem with the term face cord.  There is no true meaning other than it's a stack of wood that is 4' tall by 8' long by whatever length it is cut.  The third dimension could be anything.  Around my parts (South Jersey) only the scam artists use the term face cord but only after being questioned on why their so called cord is so far from 128 cubic feet.

37
Fire Wood / Re: Knots in firewood
« on: January 10, 2015, 06:36:41 PM »
From my experience, knots are very dense and burn long and hot.

38
Portage & Main / Blower on Opt 250 making noise
« on: January 07, 2015, 04:28:59 AM »
Title pretty much sums this up.  I go out this morning to load the boiler and I hear a muffled/low screaming sound coming from the boiler.  When I open up the back panels, I can tell it's coming from the blower.  Blower is still working fine, just not sounding good.  Has anyone else encountered this?  Am I looking at a replacement in my near future and if so, is it something I should order from P&M?  Figures this would have to be on my mind during the coldest air of the season.  But this is year 4 and it has run flawlessly up to this point. 
Am also thinking, if I have to order another blower, should I order another pump while I at it just to have around?

39
Fire Wood / Re: Burning Green Wood Sparks?
« on: December 09, 2014, 10:01:05 AM »
What kind of wood is it?  That probably has a lot to do with it.

40
Fire Wood / craigslist
« on: December 02, 2014, 07:06:10 AM »
I have sold tons of wood on craigslist through the years and I don't rip people off.  I can tell though that many guys do because the most popular comment I hear is "wow I never got this much before"  This started back when I was selling 20-40 cords a year and took until February to move it all.  Now I have customers neighbors, friends, family calling me for firewood and sell over 100 cords of wood and I can't really keep up with demand.  I did run my craigslist ad for a few weeks this fall...maybe for nostalgia because I certainly didn't need the business.  You can find reputable sellers there but I understand how many scammers are out there. 

When someone starts asking me what I deliver with, I usually chuckle and say to them "you've been ripped off before haven't you?"

41
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Colder than I thought it was
« on: November 05, 2014, 10:01:32 AM »
I've had the same result but for a different reason.  Every now and then the wife loves to turn the heat up to76 or so when I've only planned on heating at 72-73.  It's never been so bad though that the 250 couldn't get one random coal that was left going again.

42
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Payback
« on: September 05, 2014, 07:53:31 PM »
3 years

43
Portage & Main / New nozzle
« on: August 30, 2014, 06:48:16 AM »
Going into my 4th year with my 250 and my nozzle is shot.  How do I go about getting and installing a new one?

44
Fire Wood / Re: Short wood
« on: August 30, 2014, 06:45:37 AM »
 1st year I had mine, I burned only 16" wood and without any problems.  The last few years I've burned all the odds and ends leftover from selling wood without any problems.  As stated above, it's wood and it will burn it just fine.

45
Fire Wood / Re: stacking firewood vs leaving in pile
« on: May 26, 2014, 05:41:24 AM »
Wood in piles will season just fine IF stored in an open field where full sun and wind do its thing.  If there is even a few hours of shade on the pile, seasoning is slowed greatly.

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