# Bunk House with Hardy H2



## LiamFitzpatrick (Aug 16, 2020)

My wife and I have moved into a very strange living arrangement that includes use of a classic Hardy H2.  I've never burned wood to heat before so I looked around for forums from which to gather information and this one caught my eye as most active and viable, so here I am.

I've downloaded the owner's manual for our particular woodburner and have begun maintenance on the Hardy that appears hasn't been completed in quite a long long.  This morning I was up to my armpits in the firebox removing old chunks of gunk, wet cold coals and wood in various stages of having been partially burned.

THIS is going to be very interesting.


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## E Yoder (Aug 16, 2020)

The Hardy is a pretty simple if somewhat inefficient unit. Keep it full of water, load what it needs for the next 12 hours and you're good to go. 
I've never burned one but they're everywhere around here.


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## brenndatomu (Aug 16, 2020)

It will probably be a major undertaking, but if you can build up 3 years worth of firewood CSS (cut split stacked) so it will actually be dry (not "seasoned"...whatever that means) that will be the best way to lessen the amount of wood that it uses (short of cheap and/or improperly installed underground lines) and reduce the smoke cloud when it is idling. You'll never get rid of all of that goop inside with that type of boiler, but truly dry wood will reduce it for sure!
Its a bit like eating an elephant...one bite at a time...just keep after it and eventually you'll get there...once you have your 3 years worth then all you have to do is replace what you actually use...and as a side benefit, if you have a year where you get hurt, or just can't make wood for whatever reason, no emergency...


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## maple1 (Aug 17, 2020)

Kind of wondering about it being wet inside. That isn't good. Could be a sign of a firebox leak - and also, wet ash/creosote can be quite corrosive.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Aug 17, 2020)

Maple, I too was wondering about the amount of moisture/water inside.  The stack is open, without spark arrestor or cap of any kind and I have already been thinking of installing that just as a safety measure.

Brenndatomu, with regard to wood, there is no shortage surround the Bunk House.  We are adjacent to the Daniel Boone National Forest with over 100 acres of private property from with to gather wood.  I have already picked up a limb or two and have spotted several down trees that I'm going to harvest.  There is a wide variety with many hardwoods included.  I think I'm gonna need a splitter.

Since I have the manual for the Hardy, I'm planning a complete pre-season inspection including inspection of the water pump impeller.  I'm confused by the instructions because the book says to remove the pump from the burner but it's unclear which bolts to remove.  Here are the instructions for the pump maintenance from the manual:

_7-2 Preseason Maintenance (continued)
WATER PUMP – Unplug the power cord going to the water pump. Close the valve above the water pump and the return water valve at the bottom of the heater. Remove the pump motor from the pump housing by removing the four bolts in the pump housing. Remove the impeller cartridge assembly from the pump housing. Check the impeller to determine that it is free by spinning the impeller in the cartridge. Check the pump housing for rust or any other build up that could impede the flow of water. Reassemble the water pump, making sure the “O” ring in the cartridge is seated right. Once the pump is reinstalled, open the water valve above the pump and the return valve._

There are four bolts that attach the pump into the water line; two above and two below.  However, there are also four bolts that would remove the pump from what appears to be the pump housing of the system and leave the water line connections untouched.  (I may try to figure out how to upload pictures here to clarify.)  The four bolts that appear to connect the pump to the mounting plate look as if removing them would expose the impeller shaft and internal assembly of the motor's business end and I think that removing those and leaving the line connections alone would be smart .  I have access to a local retailer for parts and advice called Southern Kentucky Wood Furnaces so I may check with them to see if they have o-ring seals before I start taking things apart.

Glad to have y'all here for consult and advice as well.  I love a good adventure that this one promises to be exciting.


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## maple1 (Aug 17, 2020)

LiamFitzpatrick said:


> Maple, I too was wondering about the amount of moisture/water inside.  The stack is open, without spark arrestor or cap of any kind and I have already been thinking of installing that just as a safety measure.
> 
> Brenndatomu, with regard to wood, there is no shortage surround the Bunk House.  We are adjacent to the Daniel Boone National Forest with over 100 acres of private property from with to gather wood.  I have already picked up a limb or two and have spotted several down trees that I'm going to harvest.  There is a wide variety with many hardwoods included.  I think I'm gonna need a splitter.
> 
> ...



Sounds like they mean the 4 bolts, that would leave the housing & piping intact.

Pics may help with some things, as you go along.

Do you know how old it is? I would be way leery of it starting out, some OWBs can have a very short life if they weren't used & treated right.


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## brenndatomu (Aug 17, 2020)

maple1 said:


> Do you know how old it is? I would be way leery of it starting out, some OWBs can have a very short life if they weren't used & treated right.


I think Hardys are stainless steel...had a lot of problems from cracking from what I hear...


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Aug 17, 2020)

Brenndatomu, this unit is stainless steel.  My mother-in-law paid to have this OWB installed by a local HVAC company about 15 years ago.  It was their first OWB install and several caretakers that have lived in the Bunk House have used this unit with varying degrees of success.  I don't think any of them knew what they were doing or what maintenance was recommended.  Using the videos that I've seen on YouTube for comparison, this unit is in pretty good shape, cosmetically, but I realize that cosmetics do not mean that it'll function correctly.  Therefore, I might as well run the pre-season checks and find out what the real condition is of this unit.  I will be watching for cracking issues.

Glad I've started this process early.  I just shared a good conversation with my local retailer and have a loose appointment for next week to visit for an O-ring set and some advice.  I've taken a few pictures with my phone so share with the shop owner and will be able to address some very basic questions.  I need to remember to ask if'n he has a flue cap with spark arrestor...


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Aug 17, 2020)

Here is a shot of the outside of the OWB and the inside of the service cabinet.


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## E Yoder (Aug 18, 2020)

That looks like a stainless Taco 009 pump, it shouldn't rust. You can take it off by loosening the flange bolts or the screws on the motor, but I would just circulate it and see if you're getting flow. I think the Hardy stoves have to be over about 120 and the thermostat then calls for heat to start the pump.  
If the stove is hot a little rain down the chimney won't hurt a thing. Cover it during the summer. Hardy is not an efficient model so be prepared to have a fair amount of wood on hand. I've seen flame out the top on those units. 
Not meant as criticism, just saying it's old school.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Aug 18, 2020)

E Yoder; you're right about the pump.  I have a feeling that this OWB has not had any love in a very long time so I'm planning on pulling the pump just to check everything including the impeller.  The stack has been uncovered as long as I can remember and I'm trying to find something large enough to cover the pipe now.

I am planning on getting as much wood stacked as possible before winter and I already have three trees identified for harvest.  One of them came down this last spring in my mother-in-law's back yard.  I'm pretty sure that it's oak and it looks like it about 12" near the base.  The other two I've found are similar in size.  I down know how much wood that these three trees will produce but I figure it's a good start.  I'm looking at splitters now and I have a manual but I know that's not going to be viable for entire tree volumes.


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## brenndatomu (Aug 18, 2020)

LiamFitzpatrick said:


> The stack has been uncovered as long as I can remember and I'm trying to find something large enough to cover the pipe now.


5 gallon bucket will work...


LiamFitzpatrick said:


> I'm pretty sure that it's oak and it looks like it about 12" near the base. The other two I've found are similar in size.


Sounds like a couple weeks worth in January...


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## maple1 (Aug 19, 2020)

Yes, we don't really know exactly what you will be heating with this, and the heat load.

It will need a LOT of wood. And if you don't keep it burning all winter, things can freeze & break.

Like, wild wide guess without knowing heat demand, 5-10 cords of wood. More if a high load. And it should really be processed & drying now. Or more ideally, should have been started this time last year.

Just some more FYI.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Aug 19, 2020)

maple1 said:


> Yes, we don't really know exactly what you will be heating with this, and the heat load.
> 
> It will need a LOT of wood. And if you don't keep it burning all winter, things can freeze & break.
> 
> ...


Maple1: yes, our wood requirements are unknown since we've never used wood to heat before and the previous owners were unable to learn what/how to operate this OWB.  I fully expect that we'll need nearly 10 cords of wood for a cold winter.  However, on the good side, I've only had to shovel snow once in two years.  Having said that, I've prolly just cursed myself with regard to this coming winter.  That's how my luck goes.

Also, I understand how far behind we are when considering a proper schedule for putting wood up.  We may need to buy some wood to get through this winter.  However, much of what we've selected for harvest so far has been down for months as wind-fall or storm damage.  I realize that standing wood/trees don't dry evenly or as quickly as cut/split wood, but we play the hand we've been dealt, so we'll prolly buy several cords for this winter.

Ultimately, once I've completed the pre-season checklist, we may find the OWB has been abused and is unusable.  Time will tell.  Thanks for your input.


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## axegrinder (Aug 31, 2020)

maple1 said:


> Yes, we don't really know exactly what you will be heating with this, and the heat load.
> 
> It will need a LOT of wood. And if you don't keep it burning all winter, things can freeze & break.
> 
> ...


Jumping in. I used a Hardy to heat a 3 bedroom doublewide for several years. I used a heat radiator in the pelham of the electric furnace. The thermostat was connected to the furnace blower motor. The pump ran constant. Speaking of which I ran the pump year round. It keeps the calcium and other minerals from seizing the impeller. Hardy has a low water light on the side. If it doesn't auto fill be sure to fill through vent. The single wall smoke stack will get creosote build up. I just tapped in lightly with a stick every so often, build up drops into stove. Be sure to clean ash often as it will block the air input in back. Always open bottom door first before opening loading door. Fire will come out. If the wood is still damp it will build creosote in the blower and stove when idle. The Hardy will burn damp wood because of the fire box configuration. My Cozeburn at the shop needs dry wood. As far as the amount it got cold here in WVa Double wides are not winter friendly. I would have a tri-axle load of full logs delivered by the local timber cutters. One load would usually do the job. The hardy can also heat domestic hot water. If you leave the stove in the winter not tended be sure to leave pump running and unplug the blower so that it doesn't burn up. Well heading back to the shop. Redoing the radiant heat setup there. Sold the doublewide and the Hardy 2 tri-axles a winter was more than I can stand. Good Luck stay toasty.


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## axegrinder (Aug 31, 2020)

axegrinder said:


> Jumping in. I used a Hardy to heat a 3 bedroom doublewide for several years. I used a heat radiator in the pelham of the electric furnace. The thermostat was connected to the furnace blower motor. The pump ran constant. Speaking of which I ran the pump year round. It keeps the calcium and other minerals from seizing the impeller. Hardy has a low water light on the side. If it doesn't auto fill be sure to fill through vent. The single wall smoke stack will get creosote build up. I just tapped in lightly with a stick every so often, build up drops into stove. Be sure to clean ash often as it will block the air input in back. Always open bottom door first before opening loading door. Fire will come out. If the wood is still damp it will build creosote in the blower and stove when idle. The Hardy will burn damp wood because of the fire box configuration. My Cozeburn at the shop needs dry wood. As far as the amount it got cold here in WVa Double wides are not winter friendly. I would have a tri-axle load of full logs delivered by the local timber cutters. One load would usually do the job. The hardy can also heat domestic hot water. If you leave the stove in the winter not tended be sure to leave pump running and unplug the blower so that it doesn't burn up. Well heading back to the shop. Redoing the radiant heat setup there. Sold the doublewide and the Hardy 2 tri-axles a winter was more than I can stand. Good Luck stay toasty.


By saying not tended, as in going away for a few days or so. Leaving the pump run will generally keep it from freezing up.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Sep 1, 2020)

axegrinder said:


> Jumping in. I used a Hardy to heat a 3 bedroom doublewide for several years. I used a heat radiator in the pelham of the electric furnace. The thermostat was connected to the furnace blower motor. The pump ran constant. Speaking of which I ran the pump year round. It keeps the calcium and other minerals from seizing the impeller. Hardy has a low water light on the side. If it doesn't auto fill be sure to fill through vent. The single wall smoke stack will get creosote build up. I just tapped in lightly with a stick every so often, build up drops into stove. Be sure to clean ash often as it will block the air input in back. Always open bottom door first before opening loading door. Fire will come out. If the wood is still damp it will build creosote in the blower and stove when idle. The Hardy will burn damp wood because of the fire box configuration. My Cozeburn at the shop needs dry wood. As far as the amount it got cold here in WVa Double wides are not winter friendly. I would have a tri-axle load of full logs delivered by the local timber cutters. One load would usually do the job. The hardy can also heat domestic hot water. If you leave the stove in the winter not tended be sure to leave pump running and unplug the blower so that it doesn't burn up. Well heading back to the shop. Redoing the radiant heat setup there. Sold the doublewide and the Hardy 2 tri-axles a winter was more than I can stand. Good Luck stay toasty.


Axegrinder, your answer clearly demonstrates your knowledge of this OWB and all of the points you make are based on your experience.  I really appreciate your input.

Our Hardy does not include the autofill option and someone has covered the tank condenser stack with a block of insulating foam.  The stack is not sealed, but it has been closed off and the previous resident of the Bunk House informed me that if you get the fire "too hot" the condenser stack will blow off.  I don't think this foam block is supposed to be in that stack, right?  If I've read the instructions correctly, your supposed to be able to look down the stack and see the water?  I have been able to remove the stack by hand and look into the water tank to see that the water level is correct so I know that the tank is full but I'm thinking of removing the foam plug that has been placed inside the condensing stack.

I have not powered the Hardy so I do not know if this OWB has any problems, yet.  I have begun the pre-season checks that include a major cleaning, inside and out, and am ready for checking the impeller this coming week.

I will confess that I am excited to learn new things and the lessons that I've been learning about this OWB as well as the idea of cutting wood are very new to me and I'm looking forward to gaining this skill set.  I realize that the challenge of cutting enough wood will very likely dampen my enthusiasm well before the second load of wood is CSS.

Thanks again for your input.


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## SpaceBus (Sep 1, 2020)

Give it a few winters and you might even upgrade the system.


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## axegrinder (Sep 1, 2020)

LiamFitzpatrick said:


> Axegrinder, your answer clearly demonstrates your knowledge of this OWB and all of the points you make are based on your experience.  I really appreciate your input.
> 
> Our Hardy does not include the autofill option and someone has covered the tank condenser stack with a block of insulating foam.  The stack is not sealed, but it has been closed off and the previous resident of the Bunk House informed me that if you get the fire "too hot" the condenser stack will blow off.  I don't think this foam block is supposed to be in that stack, right?  If I've read the instructions correctly, your supposed to be able to look down the stack and see the water?  I have been able to remove the stack by hand and look into the water tank to see that the water level is correct so I know that the tank is full but I'm thinking of removing the foam plug that has been placed inside the condensing stack.
> 
> ...


The foam block should be removed. The vent pipe is not sealed. You may remove the vent pipe to check water level. There is a float switch. When the stove blower motor is plugged in it will activate the switch. Pushing down on the switch to simulate low water should make the indicator light on the side come on. If you happen to run across a small 1 gal. plastic bucket it makes a nice cap for the chimney. 

The Hardy I had was misused. Previous owner burned anything and everything. Plastic, trash, you name it. Gaskets were useless. They are easy to replace if needed. I had never used a OWB before. Had indoor wood furnace or stove years ago. Word of caution: Do not run the circulator pump without water. If the pump is running you should see water movement in the tank. Be sure there are grates on the lower ledge of the firebox.

I find cutting and splitting wood in the cool of Fall to be therapeutic. I've been heating with firewood for close to 40 years. If you do decide to get a big load of logs try to have load placed near the boiler if possible. I'm sure your process will evolve as time goes. I generally cut my logs a few inches short of the max length for the stove. If the logs are dry you can usually get away without splitting up to 8 inches in diameter. Otherwise split to fit in the door. I also split quite a few pieces from 1 to 2 inches then stack in a kindling box in the garage corner. They will be very dry for starting the stove. 

Good luck with your new venture,


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## axegrinder (Sep 1, 2020)

SpaceBus said:


> Give it a few winters and you might even upgrade the system.


Yep


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## axegrinder (Sep 1, 2020)

axegrinder said:


> The foam block should be removed. The vent pipe is not sealed. You may remove the vent pipe to check water level. There is a float switch. When the stove blower motor is plugged in it will activate the switch. Pushing down on the switch to simulate low water should make the indicator light on the side come on. If you happen to run across a small 1 gal. plastic bucket it makes a nice cap for the chimney.
> 
> The Hardy I had was misused. Previous owner burned anything and everything. Plastic, trash, you name it. Gaskets were useless. They are easy to replace if needed. I had never used a OWB before. Had indoor wood furnace or stove years ago. Word of caution: Do not run the circulator pump without water. If the pump is running you should see water movement in the tank. Be sure there are grates on the lower ledge of the firebox.
> 
> ...


Liam, I have a correction if needed. The vent tube should have a metal cap. The tube should not be sealed with silicone. If the piece of foam is used as the cap, it should be left in place. If open then debris will get in the water tank. Which could obstruct the heat exchanger.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Sep 1, 2020)

axegrinder said:


> Liam, I have a correction if needed. The vent tube should have a metal cap. The tube should not be sealed with silicone. If the piece of foam is used as the cap, it should be left in place. If open then debris will get in the water tank. Which could obstruct the heat exchanger.


axegrinder: there is no cap on either the fire stack or the condenser stack.  I'm now hoping to find/make a cap for both.  thanx


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Sep 3, 2020)

Axegrinder, I was thinking of using some small gauge wire to create a spark arrestor that I would cap with a "tin man" style cover, screwing the assembly together using sheet metal screws and then to the stack using the same screws.  My design would use about 5" screen spark arrestor with a sheet metal cone hat.  However, I've read that it is not unusual for more than a little fire/flames to come out of the stack so I wonder if this type of spark arrestor would function correctly and stay in place.

What do you think?  You've had lots of exposure to this OWB so I figure you have good experience from which to offer an opinion...


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## axegrinder (Sep 4, 2020)

I'm not familiar with spark arrestors on OWB's. My Cozeburn has a few baffles and doesn't have a spark problem. The Hardy was in an area that was not prone to spark issues. The hardy does sends sparks out since the chimney is positioned directly over the fire box.


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## E Yoder (Sep 4, 2020)

A cap can be a nuisance because steam coming out the chimney can condense on it and splatter. 
I've heard of flame out of a Hardy as was mentioned, somewhere I read of someone who hung a short piece of auger in the lower part of the chimney to exchange the heat better and cut out sparks.


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## brenndatomu (Sep 4, 2020)

My experience with spark arrestor screens has been that anything that makes much smoke, plugs up the screen every week or two...


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Sep 4, 2020)

I appreciate all of the advice and will post pictures of what I come up with when I get a solution.  thanx


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## SpaceBus (Sep 4, 2020)

E Yoder said:


> A cap can be a nuisance because steam coming out the chimney can condense on it and splatter.
> I've heard of flame out of a Hardy as was mentioned, somewhere I read of someone who hung a short piece of auger in the lower part of the chimney to exchange the heat better and cut out sparks.


Some kind of internal baffle will definitely help and probably increase efficiency. The auger as a turbulator is pretty neat.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Sep 12, 2020)

I pulled the water pump out of the Hardy yesterday and it's in excellent shape, except for the ants that think they live in the motor windings.  They didn't like me disturbing their homes.  Too bad.  The pump tested fine and spun up real well.  I took the assembly to my local wood burning retailer and discussed the pre-season service that I'm completing.  I picked up some water conditioner and am ready to flush and fill the tank.  No one knows when the last time any preventive maintenance was completed on this unit some we're running down the list of checks according to the owner's manual.  Everything is looking very good so far.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Sep 13, 2020)

Pump re-installed and will flush and fill the tank soon.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Sep 20, 2020)

I've completed the flush and fill/treatment on the water tank and removed the cap on the condenser stack.  We're ready to charge the electrical system and fire the boiler for a test run of the Hardy.  I can't tell you when this furnace was last fired.


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## E Yoder (Sep 21, 2020)

Fire it up!


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## SpaceBus (Sep 21, 2020)

I hope it is a success!


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## Country Living in VA (Oct 2, 2020)

[U]LiamFitzpatrick,[/U] your situation of inheriting a Hardy H2 sounds very familiar to me.  A little over a year ago, my wife and I moved out in the country and inherited a Hardy H2 as well.  Like your situation, it hadn't been used in several years.   I to was excited to get the thing fired up and working.  I had no firewood and purchased a couple of truck loads to get me going.  I scoured the internet looking for as much information about this stove and how to use it.  There really isn't too much other than the user manual.  I decided to get a Hardy dealer to service my stove pre-season.  That did not turn out well as the previous Hardy distributor and service person had retired.  The retired person gave me a name of someone to service it.  We had a zoned heat pump system in the house and the outside condenser would come on every time it called for heat-even when the OWF was creating the heat.  I needed another thermostat installed to control the Hardy Stove.  The Hardy service guy looked at it, but wasn't evidently comfortable with trying to install the thermostat in a zoned system-he didn't show up when he was scheduled and didn't call me back.  I called another outdoor wood stove dealer who sold a different brand and he was kind enough to get me hooked up with a service tech to install the control system (Thanks Mr. Yoder who is a member of this forum).

So, a couple of things I would recommend is to have plenty of wood-these units are notoriously inefficient and burn through a whole lot of wood.  My situation requires me to fill it up in the morning at about 5:00 AM before I leave for work and at 5:00 PM when I get home, and it is pretty much burned down to the grates each time I fill (when it is cold).  If time allows, certainly don't pack it full if you are able to add wood throughout the day and you will burn less.  I do occasionally burn off some cardboard boxes from items we order online, but do not burn just any trash in our unit like I have read about commonly with the units.  

In a nutshell, it is important to keep an eye on the units-especially the water level.  Even though it does have a light on the side, I periodically refill the unit through the condensation port on top.  My unit does have the auto water feed, but has never worked as it should even after replacing the float switch.  My unit was plumbed with a spout from the water feed from the house, so it is pretty simple to hook a short hose and fill.  My condensation stack is nothing more than a piece of stove pipe with a cap siliconed in place.  It does not completely seal off, but I really don't lose much water through evaporation and since I check and refill it regularly,  I don't worry about it.  

Depending on how high your fire vent is above the stove, you will from time to time see flames shooting out the top.   This especially happens when the blower is running and you open the two doors on the front.  It really throughs the oxygen to the system and makes it roar.  It will also burn off the creosote which is usually good.  Don't be alarmed, it will happen and die back down fairly quickly.

I have found these stoves to be fairly simple to work on as they are pretty basic in the way they work.  The pump really shouldn't give you much problem as long as you don't run it dry for an extended period and you keep your water clean.  The SS pumps are well made and should give your many years of service.  If you have hard water, you will need to de-scale the system from time to time.  

I used the hot water system in the stove for my hot water last winter, but after a real heavy rain, was getting crud water (from well) and needed to have that tank flushed, so I kind of just put that off and went back to using the hot water heater since I didn't want to keep the fire burning all summer.  One other thing about the hot water from the stove is that depending on how it is plumbed, it is really hot and if it is plumbed to bypass your hot water heater, the water will scald you if not careful. 

One issue I had last year is that the PEX pipes that came in from the house were not properly guided and wire tied together in the back and the vent that opens on the blower would make contact with the pipe and eventually wore a hole in the piping and started spraying everywhere-again, check your unit regularly to limit the damage when things like this occur.

It is good to know exactly where the heat exchanger that the stove piping goes through in your attic or basement.  I will often feel the pipes to make sure hot water is flowing through them and if the piping is cold, you know something is not right.  

Sorry to be so long here, but after one year of heating with my OWF, I learned a lot and must say I really like my unit and they way it works.  FYI, Hardy has gone out of business, but parts are still easy to get.  If you need a link to a parts dealer, PM me.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Oct 3, 2020)

County Living:
Thanks for all your advice.  We have completed our preseason checks and are ready to fire the system for the first time.  I am encouraged by your positive experiences and look forward to using our owf.

We have not had the opportunity to put up the wood we are going to need so I  may be forced to rely on the heat pump quite a bit this season.  We are on the edge of some major forested areas and there is quit a lot of timber from which we can harvest but time has been working against us, preventing us from gathering.  I am hopeful that we'll be able to make a good showing now that we have completed some projects that were of higher priority.  Currently, I have just enough seasoned wood to make my first burn test for 24 hours.

Regards,

Liam


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## SpaceBus (Oct 4, 2020)

I think you will much prefer the Hardy H2 over the heat pump! You could probably get away with harvesting dead trees under 8" diameter for the boiler, it won't be as picky as an EPA approved appliance.


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## Country Living in VA (Oct 4, 2020)

I agree with SpaceBus-the Hardy’s are not picky about wood and will burn most any wood seasoned or not.  Keep an eye on Craigslist-specifically the what’s for free tab and you will find free wood regularly, provided you have a way to haul it.   Pine will burn just fine, creosote is not a problem with the outdoor stove.   Even when I didn’t find free wood, I could generally find some cheap loads already cut up.  Like you, I have thousands of acres of national forest land around me.  There are a lot of houses around my area that burn and when a tree falls, it doesn’t stay long.

I certainly understand all the other projects thing.  Moving into a new home and making it the way you want it is an exciting time.


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## SpaceBus (Oct 4, 2020)

Country Living in VA said:


> I agree with SpaceBus-the Hardy’s are not picky about wood and will burn most any wood seasoned or not.  Keep an eye on Craigslist-specifically the what’s for free tab and you will find free wood regularly, provided you have a way to haul it.   Pine will burn just fine, creosote is not a problem with the outdoor stove.   Even when I didn’t find free wood, I could generally find some cheap loads already cut up.  Like you, I have thousands of acres of national forest land around me.  There are a lot of houses around my area that burn and when a tree falls, it doesn’t stay long.
> 
> I certainly understand all the other projects thing.  Moving into a new home and making it the way you want it is an exciting time.


We basically had the same situation, but at least we have a tiny indoor stove, so bio bricks worked for us. Our house is still a work in progress now two years later!


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## brenndatomu (Oct 4, 2020)

Country Living in VA said:


> the Hardy’s are not picky about wood and will burn most any wood seasoned or not.


Yup, they will...but you are just perpetuating the reputation that OWB's have as super smoke dragons...the reason they are banned in many towns/cities and now federally too...they still smoke some with dry wood too, but a fraction of what you get with truly dry wood (unless ran with storage where they can be left to burn wide open through the whole load)
I know that you have to do what you have to do sometimes, but great effort should be made to get your wood inventory up enough to have dry wood to burn each year (additionally difficult when burning wet wood due to the increased usage, I know)


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## E Yoder (Oct 5, 2020)

I do a lot of work in the somewhat remote areas in western VA and WV. Some houses are very isolated and they aren't concerned about reputation as smoke dragons to put it mildly. But I heartily agree, let's all use a little common sense and consider your neighbor. What I'm saying is there is understandably an enormous difference of lifestyle and perspective depending on your location and circumstances.
The Hardy will smoke a fair amount no matter what wood you use. It's pretty basic.


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## brenndatomu (Oct 5, 2020)

I'm familiar...my FIL is from a lil holler in WV where people pretty much live off the land for the most part...and dad has an old school CB owb.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Oct 5, 2020)

We do live at the end of the road on the edge of the National Forest with the only neighbor being my MIL.  Still, I'd prefer to burn seasoned wood when I have the choice.  My goal is to put up between five and ten cords and keep a rotation.  My MIL doesn't agree and thinks it perfectly fine to burn "wet" wood.  Since she isn't doing the work, she doesn't get to decide for me, but that's just me.  We've never heated with wood full time and I'm looking forward to the "free" heat.  Since I've never had to put up wood before, maybe my opinion will change after a few cords or a season of CSSing, but I love the price.

I really appreciate all the advice here and enjoy reading about others experiences.  Thank you.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Oct 6, 2020)

I've located all the water by-pass valves and we'll be lighting the system for the first time this week.  Just want to run a test burn and see how things work.  It'll be interesting to see how the boiler tank functions and if all the connections are solid.  Nice to be retired so I can babysit this system and manage each step.


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## Country Living in VA (Oct 15, 2020)

axegrinder said:


> Liam, I have a correction if needed. The vent tube should have a metal cap. The tube should not be sealed with silicone. If the piece of foam is used as the cap, it should be left in place. If open then debris will get in the water tank. Which could obstruct the heat exchanger.


I would not leave the foam in as a cap.  My cap is nothing more than a piece of stove pipe with a round top held in place with silicone, however, it does not completely close off.  There is actually a faded note on the stack saying not to seal it off.  Last season, I did not get the bottom door closed all the way one morning and the fire got extremely hot and was boiling the water.  The pressure relief valve did release as well and I had to replace it as it would leak constantly.  I will try to get a picture of mine this evening.
FYI, the only time I really have an issue with sparks or flames coming out of the flue is when I open the bottom and top door to add wood when the blower is running.  I wouldn't add wood while the blower is running-you should be able to hear it.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Oct 15, 2020)

I'll need to get a cap of some kind for both stacks, just to deflect debris and as a spark arrestor on the main chimney.  I'm gonna try to light my first fire tomorrow if time permits.  It's mowing day around here, so...


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Oct 16, 2020)

I lit the Hardy this morning.  It took me six attempts to get a fire started in that thing and I finally had to go old school and start with a tiny teepee of kindling and feed it very slowly.  I think I have it going now so I'm planning on watching it for a few hours to be certain.  I'd like to get a bed of coals upon which to work and add a log or two just to keep it going, for today.

Most of my firewood is not dried or seasoned and I don't have enough to keep it fired for an extended period so I'll let it go out sometime later today.  This is just a test run.  I've already discovered that the fittings for the water pump were not tight enough and the pump mount was leaking so I tightened those enough to stop the leak.

It's been smoking now for almost thirty minutes and the tiny fire I've lit is burning into the logs I laid under that so I think it'll keep going.  Y'all talk about learning curves with these things but it seems to me that everything about this method of heating is going to be a learning experience.


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## SpaceBus (Oct 16, 2020)

When was your place built? You probably mentioned it, but I missed it.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Oct 16, 2020)

SpaceBus said:


> When was your place built? You probably mentioned it, but I missed it.


I'm not sure since we're acting as caretakers following about four other couples.  The stove/furnace is dated from the manufacturer as of 08/09.


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## Country Living in VA (Oct 16, 2020)

LiamFitzpatrick said:


> I lit the Hardy this morning.  It took me six attempts to get a fire started in that thing and I finally had to go old school and start with a tiny teepee of kindling and feed it very slowly.  I think I have it going now so I'm planning on watching it for a few hours to be certain.  I'd like to get a bed of coals upon which to work and add a log or two just to keep it going, for today.
> 
> Most of my firewood is not dried or seasoned and I don't have enough to keep it fired for an extended period so I'll let it go out sometime later today.  This is just a test run.  I've already discovered that the fittings for the water pump were not tight enough and the pump mount was leaking so I tightened those enough to stop the leak.
> 
> It's been smoking now for almost thirty minutes and the tiny fire I've lit is burning into the logs I laid under that so I think it'll keep going.  Y'all talk about learning curves with these things but it seems to me that everything about this method of heating is going to be a learning experience.


So didn’t the blower fan kick on to get the fire burning hot?  It usually scares the crap out of me as soon as I plug it in.  It should keep running until the water reaches temperature


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Oct 17, 2020)

Country Living in VA said:


> So didn’t the blower fan kick on to get the fire burning hot?  It usually scares the crap out of me as soon as I plug it in.  It should keep running until the water reaches temperature


CountryLiving: NOPE.  We have a problem.  (I'm not surprised.)

As soon as I plugged the blower in, the blower kicked on and "excited" the fire.  However, I only built a very small fire that used three logs and didn't really get the water "hot."  My goal was to see if I could get the fire burning and to test the different components of the system.  I noticed right away that there was a water leak at the pump mount housing that had allowed water to leak out of the system.  The low water light was on and I needed to refill that tank.  It was down about a gallon but it was enough to turn the light on.  Then, when I plugged the pump in the GFI outlet tripped.  I swapped the blower for the pump to check and see if the problem was only in one of the plugs but it didn't matter because as soon as I powered the pump.

My fire burned for over six hours before I shut off the power to the furnace.  The water heated to luke warm but never got hot enough to produce heat.  I wouldn't have wanted to take a bath in water that was only that warm but the system was telling me about the issues.  I consider this a successful test even though I was unable to power the pump.  I know that if I built a large enough fire that the water would heat and the system would function.  I've already called the service department of the heat-A/C company that installed this thing to have someone that is more skilled with a multimeter come to determine the problem.  I know the pump is good because I've tested it independently from the furnace.  I'm 99% sure the problem is a failing relay that'll need to be replaced.

So far, we know the blower works, the pump works and the water heats.  In a system this simple, that's pretty good.  I plan on pulling the pump again to check the seal and possibly put some gasket sealant on the mounting surfaces to help seal the pump to the housing.  I'm feeling good about this test.


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## Country Living in VA (Oct 17, 2020)

The gfi receptacles are notorious for going bad.  I would definitely recommend replacing it.  Neither the blower nor pump pull much of an electrical load, so it sounds like a weak receptacle.  I had the same issue with mine.  
It sounds like you are well on your way to heating with wood!  I was able to get my water feed working on my unit, so no more carrying water up to my stove.  I would bet your unit has the auto water feed if it is only 10-12 years old.  If you give me the model number on the tag, I can tell you if it has that capability.
It could also be tied into your hot water system.


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## brenndatomu (Oct 17, 2020)

LiamFitzpatrick said:


> , when I plugged the pump in the GFI outlet tripped.





LiamFitzpatrick said:


> I know the pump is good because I've tested it independently from the furnace.


Did you plug into a non GFCI outlet for the independent test? Water pumps will often pop a GFCI, but will run fine (sometimes for years) on a non GFCI outlet...could be a bad GFCI, could be the pump is "bad"...which doesn't mean that I would automatically condemn it...I'm not sure that it really needs to be plugged into a GFCI outlet anyways...its not really something that you would normally be messing with to get shocked by inadvertently...GFCI's are usually used in places where you could plug in hand tools and things that you would be messing with on a regular basis while its powered up.
If this is the case, I would add a second non GFCI outlet to plug the pump into, then save the existing GFCI for plugging in hand tools/etc. as needed.


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## Country Living in VA (Oct 17, 2020)

Here is a picture of the pipe over the water tank


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## Country Living in VA (Oct 17, 2020)

brenndatomu said:


> Did you plug into a non GFCI outlet for the independent test? Water pumps will often pop a GFCI, but will run fine (sometimes for years) on a non GFCI outlet...could be a bad GFCI, could be the pump is "bad"...which doesn't mean that I would automatically condemn it...I'm not sure that it really needs to be plugged into a GFCI outlet anyways...its not really something that you would normally be messing with to get shocked by inadvertently...GFCI's are usually used in places where you could plug in hand tools and things that you would be messing with on a regular basis while its powered up.
> If this is the case, I would add a second non GFCI outlet to plug the pump into, then save the existing GFCI for plugging in hand tools/etc. as needed.


Most people I know replaced their gfi receptacle with a regular non-gfi receptacle including me.  Don’t get the 49 cent special, get a better made one.  I am not condoning doing away with the gfi, but just saying they are problematic and many people do.


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## E Yoder (Oct 17, 2020)

No heating system should be on a GFCI circuit. They trip way too easy. 
My humble opinion.


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## maple1 (Oct 17, 2020)

E Yoder said:


> No heating system should be on a GFCI circuit. They trip way too easy.
> My humble opinion.



I think I would have to agree. Have had a few gfci outlets give up the ghost over the years and just start tripping for no reason. Usually the one we use to plug block heaters into overnight. It's one thing for your car to complain more when you try to start it on a cold morning, quite another for your boiler circ to stop moving heat in the middle of the night.


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## brenndatomu (Oct 17, 2020)

E Yoder said:


> No heating system should be on a GFCI circuit. They trip way too easy.
> My humble opinion.


I agree...but didn't want to come right out and say that since I didn't know what the "official" stance is for OWB's
Like I said before, if a person wanted to keep the GFCI, it would be really easy to add a second box (or a two gang box) with a second non GFCI outlet in it for the pump.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Oct 17, 2020)

Country Living in VA said:


> Here is a picture of the pipe over the water tank


That is exactly what ours looks like so I ripped that cap off'a there an' pitched it in the trash.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Oct 20, 2020)

The capacitor on the motor is not working so the service technician has ordered a replacement and will return in a few days to complete the repair.

No I have to get my wood off the ground and stacked.  I have almost a full cord cut and the pallets have been placed for stacking.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Oct 28, 2020)

Finally, stacks that we've had on the ground for months are being moved into better storage.  We've had many reasons why these stacks haven't been moved into place but those reasons have been resolved and we're setting things right.


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## maple1 (Oct 28, 2020)

Hard to tell with the leaves in the pic, but if you can and haven't, try to get the pallets up off the ground on blocks. The higher the better. I use concrete blocks. Splits would be better than nothing, you can rotate them out for fresh ones and burn them, every time you empty your pallets.


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## SpaceBus (Oct 28, 2020)

maple1 said:


> Hard to tell with the leaves in the pic, but if you can and haven't, try to get the pallets up off the ground on blocks. The higher the better. I use concrete blocks. Splits would be better than nothing, you can rotate them out for fresh ones and burn them, every time you empty your pallets.


I like to use rounds with punk or otherwise undesirable features and then just let them rot into the ground. I have two winters on some of them.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Oct 28, 2020)

maple1 said:


> Hard to tell with the leaves in the pic, but if you can and haven't, try to get the pallets up off the ground on blocks. The higher the better. I use concrete blocks. Splits would be better than nothing, you can rotate them out for fresh ones and burn them, every time you empty your pallets.


maple1, I have leveled the pallets on both blocks and splits.  I'd expect them to degrade (rot) and I'd prolly burn them when we get to the bottom of the stacks and replace them when we resupply.  Thanx for the advice.  I love the wealth of experience that's available here and appreciate that y'all are so helpful.  Liam


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Oct 30, 2020)

Received my peavey, hookaroon, wedges and moisture meter today.  It’s time to get to work...


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 4, 2020)

Resealed the water pump this afternoon and expect the local service department to visit this coming Friday to replace the pump relay.  We should be ready to fire this OWB for full time use by the first of the week, fuel/wood dependant of course.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 5, 2020)

I've made a mess of things on our Hardy.  I attempted to reset the water pump but I've created more problems.  First, the spacing between the cabinet and the pump housing is pretty close and I think I was less than careful when I re-installed the pump and now am unable to stop the leak (dripping) on this pump.  I think that this pump is going to need to be replaced because I have broken the inner impeller sleeve where the pump fits up to the outgoing water supply line.  Also, there is a aluminum plate that is part of the impeller seal that has been bent.  The bend is slight but I think this is was causing the leak between the impeller and the pump motor at a point where there is no seal to contain the flow of water.  (I don't have any pictures at this point but that may change.)

So, I'm thinking of options to resolve these problems.  Should I simply replace the pump with another Taco pump of the exact model number?  Or, should I attempt to reseal the pump with Permatex?  Or, should I look for another brand pump to install with the idea of maybe improving the volume and efficiency of the Hardy system?

If particular concern is the price of this pump.  I've already talked with one retailer that quoted a replacement pump at "about" $350...that's a lot of money for us right now...

Any recommendations?


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## SpaceBus (Nov 5, 2020)

How much is a pump? Do you really think permatex could work for this? How long do you plan on staying in the bunkhouse?


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 5, 2020)

SpaceBus said:


> How much is a pump? Do you really think permatex could work for this? How long do you plan on staying in the bunkhouse?


SpaceBus, the local retailer that I've spoken with estimated that this pump would cost about $350.  The Permatex that I tried to use was designated for water pumps but this pump may be beyond repair.  I don't know if I can effectively seal the location within the impeller that I think is the source of the leak.  The Bunkhouse is on family property that is used by other members of the family as well.  The Bunkhouse will always be in use but the Hardy heater may be another issue entirely if the cost to restore it to service gets to high.  The Bunkhouse already has a heat pump as a primary source of heat with a LP heater as a supplemental source for additional heat.  The Hardy has been used in the past but I get the feeling from previous conversations that this heater has been problematic for some time...


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## SpaceBus (Nov 5, 2020)

I think a better long term investment would be a freestanding wood stove in the house, but a new EPA stove, or even one made in the last 15-ish years, will require dry wood. On the bright side, you will burn wayyy less wood and the flue emissions will be mostly steam and a bit of carbon. The heat pump should be able to carry the bunk house until it gets down below freezing. With the way the Hardy has been managed before you showed up makes me think you will find more problems as you go.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 5, 2020)

SpaceBus said:


> I think a better long term investment would be a freestanding wood stove in the house, but a new EPA stove, or even one made in the last 15-ish years, will require dry wood. On the bright side, you will burn wayyy less wood and the flue emissions will be mostly steam and a bit of carbon. The heat pump should be able to carry the bunk house until it gets down below freezing. With the way the Hardy has been managed before you showed up makes me think you will find more problems as you go.


Spacebus, I think you're right about the potential for more problems...


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## SpaceBus (Nov 5, 2020)

If I remember your bunkhouse has a fireplace with a propane insert of some kind. Is there a real chimney? A liner is less expensive than a class A prefab chimney. Perhaps you could find a stove that will fit on the hearth or maybe an insert if you don't mind using blowers.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 5, 2020)

SpaceBus said:


> If I remember your bunkhouse has a fireplace with a propane insert of some kind. Is there a real chimney? A liner is less expensive than a class A prefab chimney. Perhaps you could find a stove that will fit on the hearth or maybe an insert if you don't mind using blowers.


No chimney of any kind.  We have a ventless gas heater-pretend-a-fireplace.  We could add a chimney if it came to that, but first step is to resolve the issues with the Hardy-or not if it's too much to fix.


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## SpaceBus (Nov 5, 2020)

LiamFitzpatrick said:


> No chimney of any kind.  We have a ventless gas heater-pretend-a-fireplace.  We could add a chimney if it came to that, but first step is to resolve the issues with the Hardy-or not if it's too much to fix.



Think about it this way, do you want to go outside and load the stove or just walk into the living room? Do you prefer forced air or radiant heat? Your bunkhouse could easily be heated by a modern EPA free standing wood stove and have way less smoke hanging around.


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## E Yoder (Nov 5, 2020)

LiamFitzpatrick said:


> I've made a mess of things on our Hardy.  I attempted to reset the water pump but I've created more problems.  First, the spacing between the cabinet and the pump housing is pretty close and I think I was less than careful when I re-installed the pump and now am unable to stop the leak (dripping) on this pump.  I think that this pump is going to need to be replaced because I have broken the inner impeller sleeve where the pump fits up to the outgoing water supply line.  Also, there is a aluminum plate that is part of the impeller seal that has been bent.  The bend is slight but I think this is was causing the leak between the impeller and the pump motor at a point where there is no seal to contain the flow of water.  (I don't have any pictures at this point but that may change.)
> 
> So, I'm thinking of options to resolve these problems.  Should I simply replace the pump with another Taco pump of the exact model number?  Or, should I attempt to reseal the pump with Permatex?  Or, should I look for another brand pump to install with the idea of maybe improving the volume and efficiency of the Hardy system?
> 
> ...


What model pump is that one? That price seems high. I'm trying to understand what you were taking apart when it started leaking?


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 6, 2020)

E Yoder said:


> What model pump is that one? That price seems high. I'm trying to understand what you were taking apart when it started leaking?



Here are some pictures of the pump, installed, including the model number.  I'll pull the pump later today and try to get some pictures of the bent flange as well as the area that I think the leak is coming from...

I have pointed out two of the four 7/16" bolts that I remove to unmount the pump.


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## salecker (Nov 6, 2020)

LiamFitzpatrick said:


> Here are some pictures of the pump, installed, including the model number.  I'll pull the pump later today and try to get some pictures of the bent flange as well as the area that I think the leak is coming from...
> 
> I have pointed out two of the four 7/16" bolts that I remove to unmount the pump.


That is a different pump then i have seen.
Maybe thats why it's so expensive.
Look around you should find better prices than that.Used maybe? I bought 3 used Grundfose this summer for $20 each.When he delivered them i got 4 because he found another under a pile of stuffs


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## E Yoder (Nov 6, 2020)

It's a stainless 009, basically Hardy uses stainless pumps instead of using water treatment. I don't know of any other manufacturer that does that. A regular cheaper cast iron pump works fine, but will slowly rust due to lack of water treatment. 
Normally you would unbolt from the pump flanges, you'll see bolts top and bottom,  not the bolts you were pointing at.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 7, 2020)

Amazon has this pump as a direct replacement for $210 so I ordered it.  This will be a bolt on replacement and we should have the new pump within a week.


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## Country Living in VA (Nov 8, 2020)

Outside Heating Inc.
					





					store.outsideheating.com
				




The pumps used originally in these units are stainless steel, depending on the water in your area, you can probably get by with less expensive Non SS pump.  The link above has some options.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 9, 2020)

Country Living in VA said:


> Outside Heating Inc.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Country Living, thanks for the links.  I have ordered one of those that you showed.

Also, we finished stacking the firewood that we've had down for almost two months.  Today was a very good day and the dry weather allowed us to drive up to the pallets for stacking the already split wood.  Here's a picture of the finished stack...we have lots more wind-fall to collect that will be much better seasoned.  I feel very good about having this part completed...We prolly have this much more available around the farm to gather and split/stack.

Makes me feel all "warm" both inside and out to stand on the deck and see this resource ready.  Hahahaha!

One step at a time...


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 11, 2020)

New pump has arrived.  I'll be installing tomorrow.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 12, 2020)

New pump came without a power cord and I found out that's normal so I spent a few minutes swapping the cord from the old pump to the new pump.  Minor adjust to the cabinet insulation and the new pump bolted up and tested good.  I'll be watching it all afternoon for seal leaks but I don't expect to find any.  All that remains is a full system test.  Our temperatures should drop to 30° tonight so I might fire the system and test it beginning about 4:00 pm.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 12, 2020)

We are four hours into a very successful test.  We have shut the heat pump down to 60° and the Hardy is set to heat to 72° enabling the Hardy to carry the load.  I've just re-loaded the burn chamber and everything looks very good.  (I did have to use a fire starter to get the fire going.)  So far, fingers crossed, the test is going well.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 12, 2020)

Country Living in VA said:


> [U]LiamFitzpatrick,[/U] your situation of inheriting a Hardy H2 sounds very familiar to me.  A little over a year ago, my wife and I moved out in the country and inherited a Hardy H2 as well.  Like your situation, it hadn't been used in several years.   I to was excited to get the thing fired up and working.



Country Living in VA,

Did you find that the Hardy was reliable in controlling the burn.  I.E., the blower turn on/off according the the demand for heat?  Does the pump run continuously?  Just learning the multiple functions of this unit and we don't have anyone else to ask...


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 13, 2020)

We enjoyed a very successful first night on wood heat I checked the burn box this morning to find a wonderful bed of coals that had burned about 95% complete.  I laid a new load of wood onto the coals and AWAAAAY weee go.  The wood flamed up and the fire began to reestablish a renewed fire.

I call this a great test with extended burn throughout the night.  The thermostat is the gauge that measures our success at 72° all night.  We are very pleased.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 14, 2020)

We have enjoyed a second trouble free day with the Hardy keeping us toasty warm all night at 72°.  I am very pleased with the performance of this OWB.   I recognize that this unit is old and outdated by many newer more efficient furnaces.  But, this one, except for the creosote build up on the walls of the burn chamber, is working like a champ (knock on wood pile).  I'm very pleased.


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## SpaceBus (Nov 14, 2020)

I hope it serves you well!


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## E Yoder (Nov 14, 2020)

Great to see it running.  
One thing to remember, the pump only runs when there's a call for heat, so don't load it heavy on a warm day when there's no flow or it will boil.


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## Country Living in VA (Nov 14, 2020)

Sorry I’m a little late answering Liam, but have had a busy week.  Your blower will run a bit more when you first fire up your stove.  After some coals build up and your water lines and system warms up, it will have an easier time keeping the water at temp and not run as much.  When the temperatures are in the teens and twenties, it will run more.  When it is windy, it will run less as the wind seems to keep the fire stoked up.  In regards to the pump, it should only run when your fan in you air handler is running-when thermostat call for heat.

I am happy for you having a couple of days of wood heating under your belt. We have been very happy with ours and love the warm air that comes out of the vents as opposed to the heat pump air.

One other thing I learned is to not over do the cleaning of ashes.  They may pile up to the grates, but really only need cleaning out every 10-14 days when you are burning regularly..


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 15, 2020)

Country Living in VA said:


> Sorry I’m a little late answering Liam, but have had a busy week.  Your blower will run a bit more when you first fire up your stove.  After some coals build up and your water lines and system warms up, it will have an easier time keeping the water at temp and not run as much.  When the temperatures are in the teens and twenties, it will run more.  When it is windy, it will run less as the wind seems to keep the fire stoked up.  In regards to the pump, it should only run when your fan in you air handler is running-when thermostat call for heat.
> 
> I am happy for you having a couple of days of wood heating under your belt. We have been very happy with ours and love the warm air that comes out of the vents as opposed to the heat pump air.
> 
> One other thing I learned is to not over do the cleaning of ashes.  They may pile up to the grates, but really only need cleaning out every 10-14 days when you are burning regularly..


Country & E Yoder, thanks for the replies.  We have been very lucky and really feel good about this system.

We just came back to the yard and as is my nature, I came to check the furnace status.  Just as I rounded the house, I heard the auto-refill feature turn on the water and the low water low warning light went out after only 20 seconds and the water shut off.  Awesome.  The serial number of this Hardy says we DON'T have the auto-refill feature but my analysis of the plumbing told me it was there so I'm glad to have witnessed it function correctly.  Love it!


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 16, 2020)

We're experiencing our first bit of trouble with our Hardy because I have used a larger piece of wood that is not dried and consequently doesn't want to burn very well.  I've been adding smaller pieces of wood around the larger piece to fuel the burn chamber in an attempt to get the "overnighter" sized log to burn up, but it's a learning experience.  I can see that this is not a good way to use your wood.  The Hardy is still functioning and we're warm but using more wood than should have been required to burn wood that should haven't been used yet.

I call this a good lesson in resource management because I knew in my gut that I should not have placed that log on the burn pile yet.  I felt that is hadn't seasoned enough but it was too big to split by hand so I couldn't really test it with the moisture meter.  (I still haven't bought a log splitter.)  So, I'm paying the price of my ignorance.

This lesson serves to motivate me to get out today and gather some more windfall dried wood for burning because everything else we have is going to be too wet to use for at least three more months.  I'm fixin' to get the meter our and test some of the oak we've stacked but I'm feeling pretty certain that 60 days of drying ain't gonna' make it ready.  Live and learn.


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## SpaceBus (Nov 16, 2020)

This season will be harder and less efficient since you have marginal wood. Get as much split and stacked as you can now and be ready for next winter. Softwoods like pine and spruce are less dense than oak or maple, but will dry much faster. If you get the wood stacked with decent air flow you can easily get softwoods to dry in one season.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 17, 2020)

We were able to gather almost a pickup truck load of mostly seasoned deadfall wood yesterday.  Consequently, we had a better night last night.  Out inside temperatures remained constant and the Hardy still had a good bed of coals this morning.  I stoked the burn chamber this morning and tossed in a hand full of chips and off we go.  I'll be foraging for more wood this morning.


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## maple1 (Nov 17, 2020)

Kind of sounding like you might have a long winter ahead, if scraping for dry wood in only November? There might be a chance at some point you'll have to let the fire go out and drain it for the rest of heating season? Good luck going forward though, regardless.


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## brenndatomu (Nov 17, 2020)

SpaceBus said:


> Get as much split and stacked as you can now and be ready for next winter. Softwoods like pine and spruce are less dense than oak or maple, but will dry much faster. If you get the wood stacked with decent air flow you can easily get softwoods to dry in one season.


And some hardwoods will dry in a year too, maybe not under 20%, but good enough to "get ahead" with an old school boiler.
Poplar, Box Elder, most Maples, Ash, American Beech, Basswood, Black Walnut, Birch, some types of Elm, especially if dead standing...


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## sloeffle (Nov 17, 2020)

Please don't take this the wrong way, but I hope you like cutting firewood. I have two friends that have Hardy OWB's and one burns 10 cords a year and the other burn 12 cords a year.  I would not consider them efficient by any stretch of the means.


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## Country Living in VA (Nov 17, 2020)

Once you get a good bed of coals, even the somewhat wet wood will burn fine in your Hardy.  I was in the same situation as you last year and none of my wood was seasoned.  When it is truly cold, every morning the wood would be burned down even with non seasoned wood.  Remember, it is not a game of getting a hot surface like the typical wood stove, you just need to heat a water bath up to about 170 degrees.  

When it’s cold, the Hardy’s are wood eating machines no doubt.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 18, 2020)

maple1 said:


> Kind of sounding like you might have a long winter ahead, if scraping for dry wood in only November? There might be a chance at some point you'll have to let the fire go out and drain it for the rest of heating season? Good luck going forward though, regardless.


If you look back you'll find that we only just started gathering wood for the first time.  And that was after we found out that the woodburner would actually function.  So, we're doing good despite being behind in storing up wood, we have a good supply stacked and drying and access to lots of downed windfall that has accumulated over the years both here at the farm as well as the adjacent National Forest areas.

We're reacting to the situation, sorta' like playing the cards you've been dealt, and working things out as we go.  As of today, we've been heating exclusively with the Hardy woodburner and learning how to manage the system as well as the requirements of the wood loads.  This entire operation is dynamic so I feel very good about how things are going.

Thanks for the wishes of good luck.  I'm afraid we're all gonna' need them.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 22, 2020)

We've been enjoying an unseasonably warm period of weather so I decided to let the Hardy go out.  Yesterday, we had 68° and bright sunny day.  While in the woods we were rewarded with a major score of two red oaks and two poplars that had come down about six months ago.  All four trees are massive at over 75 feet tall.  They didn't have the consideration to fall parallel to the trail so the crown of the oaks is away from the trail which means that we'll have to hand carry the rounds back through the brush to the trail for hauling to the house where we'll finish splitting.

We were able to get approximately 32 feet from the base of the larger oak bucked into four foot sections and loaded into the back of the pickup truck using the forklift on the tractor.  I used my new peavy to maneuver those sections onto the tractor forks.  That peavy is a fantastic tool.  I doubt that we would have been able to accomplish what we did yesterday if we'd been reduced to smaller rounds we could move by hand.  I worked with my wife and my mother-in-law and the three of us were wiped out after six hours off lumberjacking.  Feels pretty good to watch the wood pile grow. 

We were able to gather almost of pallet of dried dead fall for immediate burning when we decide to fire the Hardy again.  There is still a large volume of timber to CSS that we'll have to continue to work on but I'm gratified to know where it is and that we can do the job.


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## brenndatomu (Nov 22, 2020)

LiamFitzpatrick said:


> I worked with my wife and my mother-in-law and the three of us were wiped out after six hours off lumberjacking. Feels pretty good to watch the wood pile grow.





LiamFitzpatrick said:


> There is still a large volume of timber to CSS that we'll have to continue to work on but I'm gratified to know where it is and that we can do the job.


Just think, some people *pay* to go to large germy rooms filled with lots of expensive equipment and stare at themselves in a mirror while they "work out"...I'll take a "woods workout" over that ANY DAY!


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 22, 2020)

CSS all but one four foot section of the oak.  I just didn't have it in me to finish up that last one.  I was able to get all the splits under a tin cover before the forecasted rain arrives.


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## Country Living in VA (Nov 23, 2020)

LiamFitzpatrick said:


> We've been enjoying an unseasonably warm period of weather so I decided to let the Hardy go out.  Yesterday, we had 68° and bright sunny day.  While in the woods we were rewarded with a major score of two red oaks and two poplars that had come down about six months ago.  All four trees are massive at over 75 feet tall.  They didn't have the consideration to fall parallel to the trail so the crown of the oaks is away from the trail which means that we'll have to hand carry the rounds back through the brush to the trail for hauling to the house where we'll finish splitting.
> 
> We were able to get approximately 32 feet from the base of the larger oak bucked into four foot sections and loaded into the back of the pickup truck using the forklift on the tractor.  I used my new peavy to maneuver those sections onto the tractor forks.  That peavy is a fantastic tool.  I doubt that we would have been able to accomplish what we did yesterday if we'd been reduced to smaller rounds we could move by hand.  I worked with my wife and my mother-in-law and the three of us were wiped out after six hours off lumberjacking.  Feels pretty good to watch the wood pile grow.
> 
> We were able to gather almost of pallet of dried dead fall for immediate burning when we decide to fire the Hardy again.  There is still a large volume of timber to CSS that we'll have to continue to work on but I'm gratified to know where it is and that we can do the job.


I assume when you let the fire go out that you killed power to the system (pump & controls)?


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Nov 24, 2020)

Country Living in VA said:


> I assume when you let the fire go out that you killed power to the system (pump & controls)?


Yup'm


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Dec 16, 2020)

My new WEN electric wood splitter will arrive tomorrow and I'll get back to work building our wood stockpile.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Dec 26, 2020)

Almost had a flame out last night.  I got up about 3:00 am and added a couple of logs to the burn chamber but they stood on end and didn't "catch" and burn.  When I woke at 7:00 am the water tank vent stack was cool with icicles hanging from the outside rim of the stack and the furnace was blowing cool air inside the house.  The coals were still smoking in the burn chamber but the outside air temperature had dropped to 13° and there wasn't enough wood burning to maintain the resulting heat to remain viable.  The contents of the water tank was cool to the touch.

I stirred the embers, added two handfuls of  wood chips and some of the only wood we have available, oak splits that are still testing at about 21% moisture content, to the logs I'd put in earlier this morning. The fire is now burning pretty vigorously and the the water in the tank is heating.  The temperature inside the house has dropped five degrees overnight and the air is noticeably chilly.  Our water heater is still on electricity as part of our backup system so showers were still nice and hot but I imagine it'll be a few hours before the inside air temperature of the house rebounds.

Another valuable learning experience.  Merry Christmas to all!


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## E Yoder (Dec 26, 2020)

Was 6F here this morning, cold for VA. My phone lit up with calls, you appreciate good heat when it's gets cold for sure!


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Jan 31, 2021)

I've been having to remove ashes from the Hardy almost daily.  Is this normal?


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## SpaceBus (Jan 31, 2021)

If your wood is not well seasoned, yes. Most stoves burn best with a good layer, 1-2", of ash on the bottom of the firebox.


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## brenndatomu (Jan 31, 2021)

Heck, my brother waits so long to clean ash out of his CB that he shovels it into 55 gallon drums!


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## maple1 (Jan 31, 2021)

That sounds like a lot. HAVE to? Can you elaborate? An OWB full of ashes represents a LOT of wood.


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## salecker (Feb 1, 2021)

CB owners are notorious for bad habits...
The sub par unit affects the brain after a while and owners quite caring and just concentrate on feeding the smoke dragon


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## Country Living in VA (Feb 1, 2021)

I usually clean out my Hardy every 14-20 days.  It doesn’t hurt it to build up as long as the blower can get to the wood


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Feb 17, 2021)

I shut down the Hardy three days ago.  I was simply too tired of fighting to keep the unseasoned wood burning.  I was forced to check the burn chamber almost every hour and the fire went out four times in the last day.  It was almost impossible to get the wet wood to restart.  Now, we're in the middle of historic winter storm weather with the third storm expected tonight with 3-5" of snow that may include freezing rain.  The power has been off for over 48 hours and the furnace would not be working now anyway, but we sure miss the nice warm heat.

 Bracing for the next round of rough weather...generator is carrying the load right now with the LP gas logs heating the house to 61°.  We're ok, but not especially warm.

Hope y'all are taking care of your loved ones...


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## cumminstinkerer (Feb 17, 2021)

@LiamFitzpatrick I know the pain, I fought wet wood for a few years, we were 18 below yesterday morning, it was a bit rough, but we are more used to it than y'all, good luck and try to keep warm.


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## SpaceBus (Feb 17, 2021)

LiamFitzpatrick said:


> I shut down the Hardy three days ago.  I was simply too tired of fighting to keep the unseasoned wood burning.  I was forced to check the burn chamber almost every hour and the fire went out four times in the last day.  It was almost impossible to get the wet wood to restart.  Now, we're in the middle of historic winter storm weather with the third storm expected tonight with 3-5" of snow that may include freezing rain.  The power has been off for over 48 hours and the furnace would not be working now anyway, but we sure miss the nice warm heat.
> 
> Bracing for the next round of rough weather...generator is carrying the load right now with the LP gas logs heating the house to 61°.  We're ok, but not especially warm.
> 
> Hope y'all are taking care of your loved ones...


Glad to hear you are safe. I feel like we got lucky to just get 2" of ice/freezing rain. Should be plenty of trees to process into firewood after this storm.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Apr 22, 2021)

We are no longer living on the property where the Hardy furnace is installed.  New caretakers have taken residence and they choose not to use the outside wood burner.  They will avoid the work required to CSS wood for seasoning and simply rely on the heat pump as well as the propane fired backup generator.  To each their own,...


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## SpaceBus (Apr 22, 2021)

LiamFitzpatrick said:


> We are no longer living on the property where the Hardy furnace is installed.  New caretakers have taken residence and they choose not to use the outside wood burner.  They will avoid the work required to CSS wood for seasoning and simply rely on the heat pump as well as the propane fired backup generator.  To each their own,...



Good luck to you on the next residence!


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## clancey (Apr 22, 2021)

I came across this on the net...What is a flame out"?  Is it just no flame?..or worse...lol...What moisture should wood be--would is 21 moisture okay? clancey.


			Official Hardy Heater Website, From The Maker, Hardy Mfg. Co., Inc.


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## LiamFitzpatrick (Apr 24, 2021)

clancey said:


> I came across this on the net...What is a flame out"?  Is it just no flame?..or worse...lol...What moisture should wood be--would is 21 moisture okay? clancey.
> 
> 
> Official Hardy Heater Website, From The Maker, Hardy Mfg. Co., Inc.


Clancy, you should read this thread about wet wood.  It's the best explanation about burning wet wood I've ever seen.


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## salecker (Apr 25, 2021)

That should be a sticky that all new members can see easily


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