Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Pointblank on January 29, 2019, 05:15:07 PM

Title: Damn cold
Post by: Pointblank on January 29, 2019, 05:15:07 PM
Got some damn cold weather here the next few days.   -31 tonight with windchills of -55. Tomorrow has a high of -18. Wednesday night is a low of -34 with windchill of -62.  The temps really aren't that out of line with a Minnesota winter, but this time the winds are really howling. -30 with 20-30 mph winds can really pull the heat out of a building.

Sure like the hardwoods for these temps though. Stove is ripping along on a steady diet of 2 year seasoned oak
Title: Re: Damn cold
Post by: BoilerHouse on January 29, 2019, 05:36:26 PM
This time around, we are being spared the worst of it, just minus 20 but we are going to get a bunch of snow.  2 weeks ago, we had the minus 30 with wicked north winds.  Walking the dog along the road, which is oriented north/south was a bone rattling experience.  The house is somewhat protected by several acres of tress and shrubs.  Many years ago, I really should have planted a row of evergreens along the north side of the house for a good and proper wind break.  Never too late though I guess. 
Title: Re: Damn cold
Post by: E Yoder on January 30, 2019, 01:27:27 AM
I'm heading out to set up at the farm show this morning. We're burning... outside.
 A fire will feel mighty good....
Thankfully its south a ways in Raleigh. It's still going to be as cold as I can remember down there.
Title: Re: Damn cold
Post by: Roger2561 on January 30, 2019, 03:07:26 AM
Got some damn cold weather here the next few days.   -31 tonight with windchills of -55. Tomorrow has a high of -18. Wednesday night is a low of -34 with windchill of -62.  The temps really aren't that out of line with a Minnesota winter, but this time the winds are really howling. -30 with 20-30 mph winds can really pull the heat out of a building.

Sure like the hardwoods for these temps though. Stove is ripping along on a steady diet of 2 year seasoned oak

Man, to say it's cold for you folks is understatement of the day.  We're supposed to get around -10 tonight with strong winds but nothing like you folks are experiencing.  Look on the bright side, talk about the ultimate test for your CB Edge 550!  Be careful when you go outside.   Roger
Title: Re: Damn cold
Post by: Pointblank on January 30, 2019, 03:44:47 PM
Got some damn cold weather here the next few days.   -31 tonight with windchills of -55. Tomorrow has a high of -18. Wednesday night is a low of -34 with windchill of -62.  The temps really aren't that out of line with a Minnesota winter, but this time the winds are really howling. -30 with 20-30 mph winds can really pull the heat out of a building.

Sure like the hardwoods for these temps though. Stove is ripping along on a steady diet of 2 year seasoned oak

Man, to say it's cold for you folks is understatement of the day.  We're supposed to get around -10 tonight with strong winds but nothing like you folks are experiencing.  Look on the bright side, talk about the ultimate test for your CB Edge 550!  Be careful when you go outside.   Roger

Ya, the stoves been getting a work out for sure.  Filled the firebox plum full last night not knowing what to expect and was surprised  to see a few sticks remaining when i left for work. No problems getting 12 hour burns and I don't think got much above -20 today.
Title: Re: Damn cold
Post by: E Yoder on January 31, 2019, 04:57:26 AM
Just got this text from a dealer friend-
Nice thing to hear on a cold morning. :)

Just wanted to
Let you know I came home the other day and the power company was there. Came to check my meter and really thought it was broke. I went from using 1250 kw/h down to 640. The boiler is definitely doing its job plus keeping us warm and giving us lots of hot water!
Title: Re: Damn cold
Post by: mlappin on January 31, 2019, 03:39:53 PM
I stuffed my G200 full a couple nights in a row for the first time ever.

Coldest I seen on the Nest was -20 with a -48F windchill.

Cows and barn cats are all fine. Wife had me check numerous times while she stayed in a warm house….
Title: Re: Damn cold
Post by: Pointblank on January 31, 2019, 03:43:08 PM
Just got this text from a dealer friend-
Nice thing to hear on a cold morning. :)

Just wanted to
Let you know I came home the other day and the power company was there. Came to check my meter and really thought it was broke. I went from using 1250 kw/h down to 640. The boiler is definitely doing its job plus keeping us warm and giving us lots of hot water!

Good for them! That's awesome.
Definitely one of the finer points of burning wood
Title: Re: Damn cold
Post by: E Yoder on February 01, 2019, 01:57:08 AM
These are some pictures sent to us from a unit installed in a woodshed. We sold the stove years back, self install.

 A reminder for all of us loading the furnace in a hurry in cold weather- watch out for stray sparks or spilled coals. This unit had wood piled too close I guess and somehow got the shed burning.

Took 14,000 gallons of water and foam to get out.

The goods news is it still holds water so with new electronic parts he'll be up and running soon.

Again, let's all be careful!
Title: Re: Damn cold
Post by: slimjim on February 01, 2019, 05:13:59 AM
Like button!
Title: Re: Damn cold
Post by: Roger2561 on February 01, 2019, 05:40:02 AM
Like button!

Ditto what Slimjim said.  :)

Although it sounds appealing to have my OWB under cover when it's below zero with the wind blowing, that pic shows the reason I don't.  My firewood is approximately 30 feet from my OWB in a another building.  Roger   
Title: Re: Damn cold
Post by: KevinSantelik on February 01, 2019, 08:51:07 AM
Well, its be -20 here in Indiana the last 2 nights.

On Wednesday evening, my wife was nagging that the house was getting cold.  I went downstairs and grabbed the boiler line and it was cold,  I started thinking I lost the fire, but when I go outside to check the boiler is registering 248.  I go into my garage, and the wind was bad enough that it actually froze my return lines on my radiant heat lines.  Water was going in at 135 and by the time it was returning it was 28, and caused the lines to freeze.  So the supply 3/4" line next to the pump burst and lost all my water from the boiler.  I shut the valves on the radiant in the garage and hook up my hose in the basement. Good thing I installed a fill port inside the house...  Slowly start filling the boiler with hot water, and then turn the pumps back on to start circulating the water,  it takes 20 minutes to get the boiler below 180. 

Now the boiler was keeping up with the cold until Wednesday, now its not keeping up, and was 64 in the house this morning, normally 72.  I'm thinking that there may be air block in the water coil.   I'm not losing water anywhere as the water level has settled. Thoughts?
Title: Re: Damn cold
Post by: BoilerHouse on February 01, 2019, 10:38:26 AM
Bad luck in the worst of weather.  Smart move in my opinion refilling with hot water to reduce thermal shock.  Sounds like it could be an airlock.  Is the inlet to the HX hot and the outlet cool?  Do you have any lines to crack open to try and get the air out and flow re-established.  Another thing I might try since it is easy is stopping and restarting the pump 2 or 3 times to try and get flow going.

I would recommend starting a new thread in the general discussion.  It may get more views and responses especially from the pros. 
Title: Re: Damn cold
Post by: E Yoder on February 02, 2019, 05:57:44 AM
Like Boiler House said check supply and return temps and close a valve quickly to hear if you have flow. Pump may have been damaged or it may have airlocked.
Can you purge out with the fill valve?