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[intensedrive]

This time of year I'm ready to be done with filling the boiler, as the season changes it seems to be more of a chore.  I usually have to burn into late April mainly for heat at night.  Like most northern burners we start mid October and burn well into the end of April, 6 months of loading the hog.  In my case burning 14 full cords is no easy task and ready for vacation.  1 1/2 cord in the yard I make sure it will last.. turn down the home temperature.. and the biggest bitch.. learning how to load for the warmer temps, I'm used to craming it full.  During the re adjustment period I seem to loose fire more often.  Bring on summer

[coolidge]

 

[E Yoder]

It's funny. It seems we have a lot more summer wood burners down here in the south. I do year around. But I think we don't get so burned out loading in brutal cold.
I hear from some guys in Manitoba how great it is to have the furnace in a garage. I guess I would too if it stayed below zero for weeks.

[BoilerHouse]

Look on the bright side, ...for vacation you get to cut, split and stack 14 cords for next season.

[E Yoder]

I know it costs money but I bet switching to a downdrafter could cut your wood consumption down to 8 cords.

[mlappin]

I know it costs money but I bet switching to a downdrafter could cut your wood consumption down to 8 cords.

 

Watch your state for incentives, Michigan has a incentive program for up to $4000 I believe to change out your old smoky for a EPA approved model, American Lung Association of Michigan has something to do with the if I recall correctly.

I don’t mind keeping the G series running awhile longer than I did with old smokey, also really don’t see the point of running past when no night time heat is required. Doesn’t cost that much to heat hot water in the summer with nat gas as i like cool tending to cold showers when it’s hot and humid out. Stove and clothes dryer are going to be used anyways regardless of the seasons.

[BIG AL]

I don't know if I agree I ran my boiler until May 30 last season and I was kind of sad when I let it finally go out for the season. Maybe it's because I burn half of the wood that some of you guys do and loading a few pieces in twice a day isn't really a chore but I miss it when it's off. Loading the boiler is part of my routine in the morning , my first stop on the morning chores on the way to the chickens and ducks.Then I do it again when I let the dogs out before bed and make sure all the coops are closed up for the night. I would probably run it year round if I could , but with warmer temps it is hard to keep a fire going and it gets gummed up really fast.

[mlappin]

I don't know if I agree I ran my boiler until May 30 last season and I was kind of sad when I let it finally go out for the season. Maybe it's because I burn half of the wood that some of you guys do and loading a few pieces in twice a day isn't really a chore but I miss it when it's off. Loading the boiler is part of my routine in the morning , my first stop on the morning chores on the way to the chickens and ducks.Then I do it again when I let the dogs out before bed and make sure all the coops are closed up for the night. I would probably run it year round if I could , but with warmer temps it is hard to keep a fire going and it gets gummed up really fast.

Another thing, especially on mild steel units, that all summer running adds a vast amount of creosote and moisture to the firebox. I had a friend rot out two mild steel units in no time at all from keeping it smoldering all summer. Shouldn’t be a problem with the 409 units other than making a real mess out of the insides and the potential for more dripping around the door seals or damper plate.

I’ve been researching a few companies in order to find an American made or North American made vacuum tube solar collector, already have an insulated water storage sitting outside, shouldn’t be a big deal at all to hook a solar collector to it. Most of the ones I’ve talked to only offer roof mounts and quit talking to me when I mention I want a ground unit to hook to an OWB, I’d even built the stand for it out of galvanized tubing.

[MattyNH]

I don't know if I agree I ran my boiler until May 30 last season and I was kind of sad when I let it finally go out for the season. Maybe it's because I burn half of the wood that some of you guys do and loading a few pieces in twice a day isn't really a chore but I miss it when it's off. Loading the boiler is part of my routine in the morning , my first stop on the morning chores on the way to the chickens and ducks.Then I do it again when I let the dogs out before bed and make sure all the coops are closed up for the night. I would probably run it year round if I could , but with warmer temps it is hard to keep a fire going and it gets gummed up really fast.

I with ya on that ..Sad feeling of letting fire go out for the season..I run my boiler until May..I have friends that run thier boiler all year long..I find with my boiler (towards the shut down for the season). It idles a lot more than runs..More of a soot build up...I will have to say it is a nice break lol

[E Yoder]

What I would love to have is a thermo electric generator so I could feed power back out on the line by burning wood. I'd run wide open all summer.
I don't know if something like that exists? I see there are small ones for wood stoves. Like 40 watts.

[mlappin]

What I would love to have is a thermo electric generator so I could feed power back out on the line by burning wood. I'd run wide open all summer.
I don't know if something like that exists? I see there are small ones for wood stoves. Like 40 watts.

A european company makes one that is filled with helium, is crazy expensive for one whole kilowatt of power. It fits right in the stack and acts basically like a stirling engine, except the piston is the rotor more or less.

A company is making large stirling engines, even show em running a water pump, belt sander, a power drill etc.

Problem is they are using 200 C vegetable oil to run it, I’m not sure it would even run on 180F water let alone have any real power.

[E Yoder]

I started reading up on Stirling engines this morning. Now I want to go back and look at past threads. Seems like there was one on that. Fascinating stuff.
Hotter fluids should work better but still should work with 180℉. But cost wise I'm not sure if it would pay off ever.

[mlappin]

I started reading up on Stirling engines this morning. Now I want to go back and look at past threads. Seems like there was one on that. Fascinating stuff.
Hotter fluids should work better but still should work with 180℉. But cost wise I'm not sure if it would pay off ever.

I probably started that one, I want a stirling just powerful enough to run a 24” propeller to act like a fan then, go all steam punk on it, some gears and derailurs off a ten speed to select the speed of the fan, maybe actually use a connecting rod or two out of a V-8 on the stirling itself, etc. Was even thinking use two connecting rods as a crank instead.

[aarmga]

I don't know if I agree I ran my boiler until May 30 last season and I was kind of sad when I let it finally go out for the season. Maybe it's because I burn half of the wood that some of you guys do and loading a few pieces in twice a day isn't really a chore but I miss it when it's off. Loading the boiler is part of my routine in the morning , my first stop on the morning chores on the way to the chickens and ducks.Then I do it again when I let the dogs out before bed and make sure all the coops are closed up for the night. I would probably run it year round if I could , but with warmer temps it is hard to keep a fire going and it gets gummed up really fast.

Another thing, especially on mild steel units, that all summer running adds a vast amount of creosote and moisture to the firebox. I had a friend rot out two mild steel units in no time at all from keeping it smoldering all summer. Shouldn’t be a problem with the 409 units other than making a real mess out of the insides and the potential for more dripping around the door seals or damper plate.

I’ve been researching a few companies in order to find an American made or North American made vacuum tube solar collector, already have an insulated water storage sitting outside, shouldn’t be a big deal at all to hook a solar collector to it. Most of the ones I’ve talked to only offer roof mounts and quit talking to me when I mention I want a ground unit to hook to an OWB, I’d even built the stand for it out of galvanized tubing.

Doesn't nature's Comfort have these?