i think i just lined up some dry wood. I just talked to somebody and they said they have dry wood in crates. 1/2 cord per crate and it was cut and put in the crates just before last winter. I think that is about as good as i'm going to do. Even if it is dry i plan on having a dehumidifier and a fan running in the basement just to make sure.
Economical thermal storage tank
- Thread starter Carl Webber
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either this year before snow flies or next spring i'm going to get a grapple load dropped at my house and cut and split everything myself to save money. from everything i've read people get pretty good results from putting the wood in the basement and using fans and heat and a dehumidifier to dry the wood. I figure if i split the wood next spring and put it in the basement on pallets so air can move and i have fans and a 75 pint dehumidifier running i think it should dry pretty good by the fall when i might need to start using it. I haven't quite decided yet what to do during the summer. I think because i don't have any storage and i don't want to burn all summer long, i think i'm going to use oil during the summer for my hot water.
once i get ahead of things i'm hoping to have two years worth of wood at my house. One in the basement ready for winter, and the other outside getting cut and split for the following winter. Right now things are a little rushed because i couldn't get the project started until i had the right boiler at the right price and i didn't want to invest the money in wood last spring because i didn't know if i would even have a boiler by winter and then i would have just wasted $1000 on something i couldn't use.
NE WOOD BURNER
Minister of Fire
- Dec 30, 2012
- 754
well sounds like you got a plan. I would ask around early to get grapple loads. Its more about timing of jobs near then just ordering a load. Not as easy as once was with the pellet and wood processing paying high prices.
Why have fans and dehumidifier do the work that mother nature can do better and for free?
JP11
Minister of Fire
Exactly.. top cover and leave it outside. Stacked single rows. Paying for electricity to dry the wood is a losing game.
Don't use all your 'good' wood then try to use your 'marginal' stuff.
Mix in your marginal wood when you've got a good fire going, with lots of heat load. You are going to have a STEEP learning curve with this setup and no storage. Watch your chimney like a hawk. 'saving' with wood then having a chimney fire is a losing game.
JP
Don't use all your 'good' wood then try to use your 'marginal' stuff.
Mix in your marginal wood when you've got a good fire going, with lots of heat load. You are going to have a STEEP learning curve with this setup and no storage. Watch your chimney like a hawk. 'saving' with wood then having a chimney fire is a losing game.
JP
The only reason i was going to cut and split the wood and then bring it inside was that i didn't want to have to handle it several times. I was hoping to cut and split it and then stack it once. I have talked to people that said they were successful at putting it in the basement and letting it dry there. But of course you guys are probably experts on the matter and i know the people i talked to are not as experienced.
I know there is going to be a big learning curve with this boiler and no storage that is why i was hoping to try to line up some storage but it looks like that won't work out because of money. My main worries are overheating or a chimney fire. Over heating will take care of itself easy enough if the boiler is set up correctly. The chimney fire is a little more worrisome, especially if it happens when we are all sleeping or away from the house. My parents have had several fires over the years with their wood stove and all they did was close everything up tight and the chimney fire went out after a few minutes. Then the next day my dad would go up on the roof and clean out the chimney. I know a boiler runs different from a wood stove and it worries me a little. I'll just have to take it slow and not be afraid to underestimate things and have the oil kick in. I would rather run a small fire and stay safe than accidentally burn my house down.
I know there is going to be a big learning curve with this boiler and no storage that is why i was hoping to try to line up some storage but it looks like that won't work out because of money. My main worries are overheating or a chimney fire. Over heating will take care of itself easy enough if the boiler is set up correctly. The chimney fire is a little more worrisome, especially if it happens when we are all sleeping or away from the house. My parents have had several fires over the years with their wood stove and all they did was close everything up tight and the chimney fire went out after a few minutes. Then the next day my dad would go up on the roof and clean out the chimney. I know a boiler runs different from a wood stove and it worries me a little. I'll just have to take it slow and not be afraid to underestimate things and have the oil kick in. I would rather run a small fire and stay safe than accidentally burn my house down.
I have a friend who is a logger. I have already told him when he get a job that he could give me a grapple load to give me a call. I'll keep on him about it to make sure i don't miss out. Hopefully it all works out. Worst case i have to buy semiseasoned or green wood in the spring and let it dry over the summer. Hopefully that won't happen. I can get a grapple load for about $1000, buying it processed by the cord will cost me about $2000. It would be a big waste of money for me to not pay attention and lose out. But, of course either way is much cheaper than the $4000 i am paying a year for oil.
JP11
Minister of Fire
Cheapest insurance ever.. start looking in your chimney now. Learn what it looks like. Check it weekly. When it needs attention.. either get someone to clean it, or learn to do it yourself.
JP
JP
i can clean my chimney. I have the wire brush and the extensions so i can clean it out good. My one big problem is going to be getting on my roof in the middle of winter. I know my chimney is clean now. It is actually so clean that the flu tiles are their original color. There is no buildup at all. But of course i have only been running oil.
Does anyone have any solutions to taking care of my chimney during the winter? Is there a way that i can check the condition of my chimney without climbing on my roof and looking down it? I don't currently own an extension ladder, so the only solution i can see is climb on the roof and walk across it to the the chimney. But of course, my house is two stories and in the middle of winter it will have snow and ice on it and its quite dangerous. If that is what it takes then of course i'll do it, i just want to make sure i'm not missing something and there isn't an easier way that i'm missing.
Does anyone have any solutions to taking care of my chimney during the winter? Is there a way that i can check the condition of my chimney without climbing on my roof and looking down it? I don't currently own an extension ladder, so the only solution i can see is climb on the roof and walk across it to the the chimney. But of course, my house is two stories and in the middle of winter it will have snow and ice on it and its quite dangerous. If that is what it takes then of course i'll do it, i just want to make sure i'm not missing something and there isn't an easier way that i'm missing.
NE WOOD BURNER
Minister of Fire
- Dec 30, 2012
- 754
Carl: a good flashlight and clean mirror is how I've checked mine for years. I don't go on roof to brush I send it up the bottom/cleanout early and often.
maple1
Minister of Fire
Depends what the bottom is like.
I spent way too many years climbing my 2 storey roof to clean my chimney. 3-4 times a year for 17 years. The last straw came when I went up there for the first time after having new steel put on. Actually it was the second time - the first time was OK since it was a warm sunny day. Second time there was the odd scattered drop of water on it from a not quite completely melted frost that I didn't notice at first - and I went for a slide. Scared the bejeebers out of me, I laid in the valley where I came to a stop for quite a while, reflecting on things. That episode came together with other stuff to make me take the plunge to a new gassifier.
I did clean mine from the bottom once in bad weather - but it was a dirty messy experience. I have a cleanout right on the bottom which helped - I can take it off & look straight up. But it was tight to get the rods up, and of course all the ash & creosote fell out the bottom where I was trying to do my thing. I think if I had to carry on with cleaning the chimney, I would almost take the plunge to calling someone who does it for a living - or, permanetly mount a couple of ladders up there. But now, I plan to never have to be up on my roof again - heading into season 3 and it's still clean and it hasn't seen a brush since I fired the gassifier up.
BTW, I got most of my buildup in my stove pipe around the barometric damper (was 'easy' to clean there), and the first few feet of the chimney. So you might be able to get by with just cleaning the pipe & one rod length of chimney to get through the winter. But you will have to watch it very closely to get a handle on creosting patterns.
I have chimney that is dangerous to get to in any weather. High and on a steep roof.
If you can go in the bottom, like I do, I tape a black plastic leaf bag on the pipe. It keeps most of the dust and soot in the bag.
So step one is to tape an X with duct tape near the bottom of the bag. Cut a hole in that X so that just the rod for the brush will fit through.
Insert the tail end of the rod in the cut hole. Without the tape reinforcement, the bag rips. Stuff the brush in the chimney pipe a few inches. Wrap the bag around the outside of the chimney pipe. Tape bag to pipe. Brush away.
If you can go in the bottom, like I do, I tape a black plastic leaf bag on the pipe. It keeps most of the dust and soot in the bag.
So step one is to tape an X with duct tape near the bottom of the bag. Cut a hole in that X so that just the rod for the brush will fit through.
Insert the tail end of the rod in the cut hole. Without the tape reinforcement, the bag rips. Stuff the brush in the chimney pipe a few inches. Wrap the bag around the outside of the chimney pipe. Tape bag to pipe. Brush away.
ok, this all sounds good, but it sounds like it is on metal chimneys. My chimney is a brick chimney and the cleanout is at the bottom in my basement about 4 inches from the floor. I don't see any way that i can get a rod up the chimney from there. I think i'm stuck climbing a ladder or climbing on my roof.
maple1
Minister of Fire
Even if i tried that, how am i going to get a 6 foot handle for a chimney brush through the thimble and up the chimney? Its flexible but i know its not that flexible.
hobbyheater
Minister of Fire
maple1
Minister of Fire
A Sooteater is a brush on a skinny flexible rod that you run up & down while attached to a drill.
I've never even seen one, but search the site for 'sooteater'. Especially in the wood stove sections.
I seem to recall guys running it around some fairly sharp bends - like say in then straight up. But not sure.
NE WOOD BURNER
Minister of Fire
- Dec 30, 2012
- 754
What I had done for years was leave the ladder up on the outside chimney. I used a small pulley and dropped a cable down the chimney put brush with eye hook on both ends in cleanout cable hooked to top of brush and rope to bottom. go out side pull cable(from ground) brush goes up. go inside pull rope brush goes down. slide out thimble pipe and brush that with another worn brush and I was done.
I leave one brush in cleanout and cable in chimney all winter. every weekend brush chimney. doesn't take long.
I had to run what I had and make do. with an exterior chimney and a fisher grandpa start up would be a Bear if chimney wasn't perfect.
There was a chimney cap on the market years ago that rotated with the wind and it had a cable that would spin inside the length/height of the chimney the cable kept the inside clean automatically.
I leave one brush in cleanout and cable in chimney all winter. every weekend brush chimney. doesn't take long.
I had to run what I had and make do. with an exterior chimney and a fisher grandpa start up would be a Bear if chimney wasn't perfect.
There was a chimney cap on the market years ago that rotated with the wind and it had a cable that would spin inside the length/height of the chimney the cable kept the inside clean automatically.
hobbyheater
Minister of Fire
Sooteater , I thought it was something like a supercharged presto log !
But will do a google search and see if I can find one!
(broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/sooteater-rotary-chimney-cleaning-system-rch205-2256.html)
I like the cable idea. I think i'm going to have to check that out. It might be a possibility. I have a chimney cap to help with draft and keep out the rain so i think i might have to modify it for that to work but it sounds like the way to go unless i get some really flexible brush extensions. what did you use as a cable? did you just go buy 50ft of 1/8th inch braided steel cable? or is there something better to use?
Did you just leave the cable in the chimney or did you leave the brush attached to it in the cleanout? I was thinking of leaving the brush attached to the cable and leaving it in the cleanout at the bottom of the chimney but i think if the first travel of the brush was going up the chimney i think it would spread ash and creosote all over the top of my house and chimney. I was thinking the best way would be to go up a ladder and attach the brush to the cable at the top and have the first stroke of the brush be down the chimney so everything falls to the cleanout. Does this sound right to you guys?
Did you just leave the cable in the chimney or did you leave the brush attached to it in the cleanout? I was thinking of leaving the brush attached to the cable and leaving it in the cleanout at the bottom of the chimney but i think if the first travel of the brush was going up the chimney i think it would spread ash and creosote all over the top of my house and chimney. I was thinking the best way would be to go up a ladder and attach the brush to the cable at the top and have the first stroke of the brush be down the chimney so everything falls to the cleanout. Does this sound right to you guys?
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