New record

[sprawlnstall]

MN pellet can I ask the general area of Mn you are from? I live about an hour from bemidji and it has been brutal but no where near -51

 

[Mnpellet]

Close to international Falls Minnesota. That is where my kids go to school and they have not had one late start or cancellation this year, they usually don’t cancel.

MN pellet can I ask the general area of Mn you are from? I live about an hour from bemidji and it has been brutal but no where near -51

 

[dBrad]

Close to international Falls Minnesota. That is where my kids go to school and they have not had one late start or cancellation this year, they usually don’t cancel.

Wow, my kids don't even get outside recess if it's below freezing. Interesting how differently things are done regionally.

 

[Mnpellet]

Lol they just announced school is canceled next two days, that is the first of this year it is because of high winds as well as cold.

 

[ChrisE]

Question. My osburn 1800 was installed into a existing fireplace with a new 6” Single wall liner. I have maybe 6” of stove top sticking out I placed a imperial burn indicator on top of it. This is the first time my wife and I have burned wood and I’m very new to it can anyone elaborate on what kind a temperature I’m searching for. Where can I get the best reading I also have a IR. Thanks guys.

 

[TradEddie]

I learned something new today. So even if I made myself look like and ass, I still gained some knowledge. Thanks

Kudos to you.

Not to drift too far form the OP, but we humans do get accustomed to our environments, and while low %RH is generally inadvisable unless other factors outweigh, it's sometimes just a matter of acclimation, which may be why the OP isn't suffering the same way that you or I would. I moved to PA from a climate where AC was completely unnecessary and I struggled with congestion all through my first summer, a little better the second year, then no problems after that. Either way, -50F, no way for me, woodstove or not.

TE

 

[ChrisE]

In the same spot the burn indicator will read 325 but when I hit it whit the IR it’s saying 280.

 

[Zack R]

Stay warm!

I agree the humidity is low but not terrible. I try to keep mine above 30% by running a humidifier 24x7 in the winter, however if it runs out of water I often see numbers as low as these.

 

[Stelcom66]

I'll admit I had to research that OAK stands for Outside Air Kit.

I also wonder how other things function when it's that cold - like well water systems assuming that's what those of you have in the extremely cold areas.

 

[Ludlow]

In the same spot the burn indicator will read 325 but when I hit it whit the IR it’s saying 280.

Thats a first. Usually the burn indicators read 100 degrees lower than an IR in the same spot. Mine is a good 100 lower.

 

[Diabel]

Stay warm guys!

Btw it is warmer in Manitoba than Minnesota!
Also, it is only -9f in Iqaluit!!

 

[Mnpellet]

Supposed to warm up nice this weekend! Always look at the positive lol

 

[ChrisE]

Thats a first. Usually the burn indicators read 100 degrees lower than an IR in the same spot. Mine is a good 100 lower.

It’s been a interesting 3 days an I’ve learned a great deal on this page but I just keep Second guessing myself. Really scared of over Firing it.

 

[Mnpellet]

Most water lines are buried below frost line if possible. Snow is also good insulation so not disturbing the snow over well and septic lines is a big help. Some people have heat tapes in water lines as well but they aren’t cheap to run.

I'll admit I had to research that OAK stands for Outside Air Kit.

I also wonder how other things function when it's that cold - like well water systems assuming that's what those of you have in the extremely cold areas.

 

[bholler]

I wonder how electric vehicles are working out for their owners in the cold?

Should be a good practical test for batteries, heating and defrosting systems and such.

There is currently a thread in the green room on that subject.

 

[Eureka]

This is why I shoot for low humidity in winter.
-32f outside and 75f inside. Currently 22% humidity. Some climates require out of the box humidity levels.
I have wood floors, lots of wood furniture, and wood doors and trim.

 

[Mnpellet]

Right there with you. This is a brand new triple pane with about same humidity.

 

[Sawset]

Most water lines are buried below frost line if possible. Snow is also good insulation so not disturbing the snow over well and septic lines is a big help. Some people have heat tapes in water lines as well but they aren’t cheap to run.

In 2012, frost went down 7ft here, and froze a lot of the village water lines in town. Anywhere there was no snow, the frost went deep - roads, sidewalks, etc.

 

[MissMac]

Amazing! Part of the amazement is the 120+ degree higher temperature inside. How do vehicles start in that kind of weather... is some kind of engine block heater necessary?

yup - standard fare up where i live. even with the trucks/cars plugged in, many people can't get their vehicles started. this cold shows the batteries that need replacing, that's for sure.

 

[MissMac]

Block heater or better yet in the garage! My truck has started at -30 without but much easier on it if it’s plugged in. Running ashford 30, heating little over 1700ft.

do you have an OAK installed on your stove?

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

Below 50%, 19% is ridiculous. To each their own. Enjoy the shocks & sore throats.

My humidity is usually about 35 . I get shocked every time i touch something, so much so that im twitchy. Sore throats ain't to much of a problem but the damn bloody noses are. The worst part is the dry skin and itching from it. I have tried running 2 humidifiers and had a pot of water on the stove and if im lucky all that might raise the humidity 5 pts. I finally gave up.

-20 this morning, got the wood furnace going along with the wood stove just to keep up. I had just the stove going yesterday -13 while i was at work all day and i was pleased to see the house was still 64 degrees when i came home after 9 hrs. -20 today and rain forecast for this weekend, go figure.

 

[MissMac]

View attachment 239640 Right there with you. This is a brand new triple pane with about same humidity.

i'm in the same deep freeze as you, and my windows look like that. when it's this cold out (currently -38*C, -49*C with wind chill) the humidity in my house drops right off to around low to mid 20% range. so there's a huge cold, dry Arctic air mass hanging out over us, so the ability of the air outside and inside the home to hold moisture is very different. so i think that even with a low indoor humidity, that warm air inside hitting the frigid windows and drafts is still condensing. also, i know in my house that when it's this cold, my drafts really show up ( i don't have an OAK), so i'm sure that some of this air exchange through the leaky bits of my house is partly to blame for the look of the windows. overall, i don't care too much about it - i'm running a humidifier on and off just to keep RH around 25-28% so it's a bit more comfortable in the house.

 

[Diabel]

I always wonder how does all the heavy machinery start in thi cold weather.

 

[Mnpellet]

do you have an OAK installed on your stove?

No I do not.

 

[MissMac]

I know you folks are used to that but do kids go to school and life goes on like normal when it's that cold?

you betcha.