** EDIT** EXTREME COLD!! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? NOW THATS ITS GONE HOW DID YOU DO?? WHAT WOULD YO

[gyrfalcon]

I love it! The guy from NJ says "No big deal, we get it every winter." No, actually, you don't get what's coming your way every winter. Wait for it. You'll see.

My tiny Tribute copes pretty well down to single digits, but if we get what's predicted, double-digit below zero and possibly as low as -20, the boiler will have to help. The little stove doesn't come close to an overnight burn and I have no heat of any kind on 2nd floor, so I'm going to bring my sleeping bag down and will sleep by the stove if it's just too cold upstairs.

I have the luxury of an enclosed attached woodshed, so I won't have to go out for wood, but I have brought a good supply into my storeroom and onto my enclosed porch so I shouldn't even have to go into the woodshed for a few days. I wish I had oak, but I've got a good stash of very dry rock maple and a small amount of black birch I've been saving for real cold and expect to use up a lot of it these next few days.

The hourly temp prediction for Wednesday is horrifying-- starting at high 20s in the AM and rapidly dropping to 0 by afternoon, then down from there overnight.

Minus -15 is the lowest I've ever had here, and that was just for one night. Folks around here still talk about the winter some years ago with -35 for more than a week. I'd be happy to skip that experience.

 

[woodconvert]

This is our 3rd day in a row of 70F+.

Thinking of the cheapest way to kick your teeth out >:-( (j/k)

-16F just north of me. I guess it broke some all time lows. Thank goodness there was no wind associated with the cold. Threw in some big overnighters, kept a descent throttle, maintained 600F stove top overnight..dunno what the temp inside the house was but I imagine it dropped 4 degrees when I went out to start my truck

 

[iceman]

well people i am dissappointed.... as always its a no go for us..... the storm that was coming weakened went south lost intensity so it will not pull down as much cold air as advertised.. early in the week, and last week we were gonna be at best 0-5 degrees during the day -10- -30 at night now we are gonna be avg 15 as a high the next 4 days.... what a bummer!! we have been here many times before so all that preparing for THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW was for nothing.... i swear it was much colder when i was a kid!!
ever since they changed the wind chill factor it just doesn't seem cold anymore...
@@@@it i wanted to push my summit looks like we will have to wait

 

[jebatty]

Early Tues morning we bottomed out at -36F, inside was 69F with our 18 year old free-standing stove in the living room, our only heat. The forecast was for -26F. Today the high is forecast for -10F. Tonight forecast is -30F, and Thurs night -27F. All real temps, not windchill.

If you haven't done this, and you will hit -20F or lower, in a small pot bring about 1/2 qt of water to a rapid boil, take it outside, swing the kettle and fling the water far and wide. It will "poof" or explode into a cloud of ice crystal or fine snow. Makes quite a show.

 

[Pagey]

Early Tues morning we bottomed out at -36F, inside was 69F with our 18 year old free-standing stove in the living room, our only heat. The forecast was for -26F. Today the high is forecast for -10F. Tonight forecast is -30F, and Thurs night -27F. All real temps, not windchill.

If you haven't done this, and you will hit -20F or lower, in a small pot bring about 1/2 qt of water to a rapid boil, take it outside, swing the kettle and fling the water far and wide. It will "poof" or explode into a cloud of ice crystal or fine snow. Makes quite a show.

LOL. I would like to see this, but only if the temps would return to something more friendly an hour later!

 

[Girl]

well people i am dissappointed.... as always its a no go for us..... the storm that was coming weakened went south lost intensity so it will not pull down as much cold air as advertised.. early in the week, and last week we were gonna be at best 0-5 degrees during the day -10- -30 at night now we are gonna be avg 15 as a high the next 4 days.... what a bummer!! we have been here many times before so all that preparing for THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW was for nothing.... i swear it was much colder when i was a kid!!
ever since they changed the wind chill factor it just doesn't seem cold anymore...
@@@@it i wanted to push my summit looks like we will have to wait

I don't know, it's cold here & getting colder! Still talking -. Right now they say its 16 feels like 1, the wind from the lake makes it colder. I know it's way colder other places!

Anyway, I set the electric heat to 60-65 downstairs, upstairs 55, which i don't think has kicked on, heat rises and keeps the upstairs warm enough. Heater coils plugged in for the pipes. Every room in the house is zoned but I only set 2.
Fire AM, fire PM and we are good.
I also keep the fan at the top of the stairs on all the time, which I think helps.

 

[CowboyAndy]

Well, 1 night in the books... thankfully my wife had the furnace crankin when I got home last night at 10 so the house was already up to 74. Loaded up as usual but didnt reduce the air as much as i usually do. Got up at 2:30am, had a great thick bed of coals (almost too much). Threw just 4 splits on top. Got up this morning, -12 outside and 68 inside. Sucess! Now only a few more to go.

well people i am dissappointed.... as always its a no go for us..... the storm that was coming weakened went south lost intensity so it will not pull down as much cold air as advertised.. early in the week, and last week we were gonna be at best 0-5 degrees during the day -10- -30 at night now we are gonna be avg 15 as a high the next 4 days.... what a bummer!! we have been here many times before so all that preparing for THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW was for nothing.... i swear it was much colder when i was a kid!!
ever since they changed the wind chill factor it just doesn't seem cold anymore...
@@@@it i wanted to push my summit looks like we will have to wait

Its funny, because I grew up in springfield, and remember it rarely ever going below zero. Maybe its because its so much colder here so i just fantasize about warmer places, but I remember there never being snow before thanksgiving and hardly ever going below 15* or so, let alone below 0.

 

[iceman]

Well, 1 night in the books... thankfully my wife had the furnace crankin when I got home last night at 10 so the house was already up to 74. Loaded up as usual but didnt reduce the air as much as i usually do. Got up at 2:30am, had a great thick bed of coals (almost too much). Threw just 4 splits on top. Got up this morning, -12 outside and 68 inside. Sucess! Now only a few more to go.

well people i am dissappointed.... as always its a no go for us..... the storm that was coming weakened went south lost intensity so it will not pull down as much cold air as advertised.. early in the week, and last week we were gonna be at best 0-5 degrees during the day -10- -30 at night now we are gonna be avg 15 as a high the next 4 days.... what a bummer!! we have been here many times before so all that preparing for THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW was for nothing.... i swear it was much colder when i was a kid!!
ever since they changed the wind chill factor it just doesn't seem cold anymore...
@@@@it i wanted to push my summit looks like we will have to wait

Its funny, because I grew up in springfield, and remember it rarely ever going below zero. Maybe its because its so much colder here so i just fantasize about warmer places, but I remember there never being snow before thanksgiving and hardly ever going below 15* or so, let alone below 0.

thats funny! we are like 50-50 for snow before thanksgiving and even at that its usually the week of though
but you are right it hardly ever goes below zero only at night sometimes

 

[CowboyAndy]

Well, 1 night in the books... thankfully my wife had the furnace crankin when I got home last night at 10 so the house was already up to 74. Loaded up as usual but didnt reduce the air as much as i usually do. Got up at 2:30am, had a great thick bed of coals (almost too much). Threw just 4 splits on top. Got up this morning, -12 outside and 68 inside. Sucess! Now only a few more to go.

well people i am dissappointed.... as always its a no go for us..... the storm that was coming weakened went south lost intensity so it will not pull down as much cold air as advertised.. early in the week, and last week we were gonna be at best 0-5 degrees during the day -10- -30 at night now we are gonna be avg 15 as a high the next 4 days.... what a bummer!! we have been here many times before so all that preparing for THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW was for nothing.... i swear it was much colder when i was a kid!!
ever since they changed the wind chill factor it just doesn't seem cold anymore...
@@@@it i wanted to push my summit looks like we will have to wait

Its funny, because I grew up in springfield, and remember it rarely ever going below zero. Maybe its because its so much colder here so i just fantasize about warmer places, but I remember there never being snow before thanksgiving and hardly ever going below 15* or so, let alone below 0.

thats funny! we are like 50-50 for snow before thanksgiving and even at that its usually the week of though
but you are right it hardly ever goes below zero only at night sometimes

Where I live now, we can count on snow before halloween and we can count on at least a solid week or 2 of not getting above zero at all sometime in jan or feb. I just don't understand why everybody doesnt live in florida...

 

[dswineford]

Wed. morn-
!. Got up at 2 am it was -8 outside and thru a log on fire
2. got up at 5 am it was -11 outside and loaded stove up. 73* inside
3. left for work at 5:45 -9

Problem is now there is no wind, but the next 2 days the wind is gonna pick up to 20-30mph with temps about what we got now.

 

[eba1225]

Will do what I always do:
Load....Burn....Load....Burn

The stove will keep the living area of the house toasty, the furnace will suppplement the rest of the house.

Also will stay inside and won't lick any metal poles that are outside.

 

[ashpanannie]

I am allowing such a thick and hot bed of ember coals and side ash insulation that my wood begins to incinerate as I am loading it, and this is at less than quarter draft. Poplar will make a decent bed of flaming chunks, and then top it off with good, long-burning white oak.

The oil furnace has not had to kick in more than a handful of brief times thus far this winter, and it is set to come on at 68 degrees. The average house temp is staying about 72 to 74 degrees with the wood burning 24/7. I am a light sleeper who checks the stove several times in the night to add wood if necessary.

Our coldest temps of the season are coming on us tonight and for the next few days. We'll have minus 14, but that is not nearly as cold as others posting are getting. BRRrrrr.....

 

[zzr7ky]

Hi -

I also burn better, denser wood to maximize heat output. If I let it burn down low, I'll add smaller splits to the bottom to encourage a quicker light off.

Dryer, denser wood, and more of it is about all I do different when it's very cold. A bigger stove would help. The Resolute Acclaim is just big enough. There is magic in a 3.0 cubic foot capacity.

All the best,
Mike

 

[drlbuilder]

ashpanannie,-14? Where are you located? Ihave a place in Oak Hill,hope the renters keep the pipes warm. Don

 

[timfromohio]

Brought in extra wood to the garage. Keep both stoves (PE Pacific Insert and Napolean 1150P) cooking. Thermostat set at 62F. Hopefully, if I get up in the night to feeds the stoves (which I normally don't ) it wont' kick on. Here in NEOhio we are supposed to have single digit highs Thursday and Friday and negative number lows at night, without the windchill.

 

[BrotherBart]

We are headed for our coldest temps in twelve years Around zero. Usually my problem is keeping the 30 from overheating the place with the night burn. I think that will swing the other direction for a few days. We shall see.

 

[Henz]

we are looking at -20 degrees (not to include windchill) here for the next three nights. Today I am heading to my local hardware store to pick up a ceramic space heater to run in my basement so my pipes dont freeze. that is one thing about running a woodstove 24/7, my furnace doesnt kick on much and therefore my basement gets cold.

 

[PapaDave]

I think our forecast comes out of Traverse City. Seems to be wrong more often than not.
Called for a couple degs. below 0 last couple days, but when I get up at 6:30-7:00 it's been about -15.
My old Ashley loves wood, so no real overnight burns for me. I can usually have some embers to relight in the am, but the house gets down to below 60 most mornings when it gets below about 15 outside. No real usable heat coming off the stove.
This years wood is in the front yard with 2/3 cord by the front door, and was hoping that (the 2/3 )would get me through Jan., but it's going pretty fast with all this cold. I'll just keep feeding the beast, I can keep the house above 75 if I want. Takes a little while in the am to warm up the house though. I hate getting up in the wee ours to go wee or feed the stove, but did it a couple nights ago @ 4:30 when I just couldn't sleep. Stove was still @ 350, but I think fading fast.
This is our 3rd year and finally have mostly dry stuff to burn. Saving my butt right now. Turned off the furnace at the end of '06-'07 season, but the furnace (92%) in the dog kennel in the pole barn runs nat. gas, so the bill is still too high for my liking. Can't let the doggies freeze though. :coolsmile:

 

[mranum]

I see around here some school districts already called off school due to the expected cold.

 

[Henz]

Well, as the afternoon waynes on, peoples fires are getting hotter! Luckily my wife is home today keeping the stove going..Unfortunatly my guess is I ahve jsut enough wood to get me through February..I will have to deal with March's weather..Maybe I will make it, still havent been able to exactly figure out how much wood I need in any given year..This year I ahd 4 full cord..I am down to 2 now I would say left, maybe even less. Oh well, luckily oil is cheap this year! good luck to everyone over the next couple of fridgid days/nights!

 

[kenny chaos]

With the woodstove at 500-600 degrees and full blower, the oil furnace running non-stop, and two electric space heaters, we're able to hold steady at about 63. :down:

 

[begreen]

Friday evening looks like when New England will be in the deepest freeze. Put on the long johns.

 

[Henz]

tell me your joking!

 

[begreen]

Friday evening looks like when New England will be in the deepest freeze. Put on the long johns.

 

[struggle]

Everyone in this forum needs to go get their mail wearing just shorts and a tee shirt, taking there time about it so all the nonburners get a good view of it.

I do this all the time and it is so funny the reaction from the neighbors. Well I just wanted to cool off I tell them. I went to our local Casey's to get some milk on my bike so as to avoid starting a car and driving it one mile and shutting it off and someone was like what are you doing? I told them it is like 80+ degrees in my house so I wanted some fresh air.

Right now the temp is at 0F and calling for a low of -21 tonight but I think it is going to go lower as they keep dropping the temp as the days goes on.

I have a fire going in the upstairs Kozy Heat #234 and the Mansfield in the basement. When I run both units at the same time I really stretch out the reloads on the Mansfield to just keep the basement nice and toasty and the upstairs I will run a little harder so that when we go to bed the temp up there will be around 85. This way the residual heat from the basement will waft its way up through the night.

Tomorrow high of -3F

It is not unusual for us to see _20 around here but it is clear it is going to be a lot colder than that for some of you. :ahhh: