Success story?

[elkimmeg]

Basically I loaded m main floor stove at a little before 7:00 this morning, Raked up a good amount of glowing coals in a pile and added some smaller splits first, then the bigger ones. Down stairs temp was still 69 degrees outside 23 degrees. When I returned home around 4:00 ,the interior temp was still 69 and enough coals to repeat the morning’s process. Temp at the time I arrived was 37 now 23 outside, inside has climbed to 73 Cat engaged and running about 550 degrees griddle top.

My family room was 64 and I decided to fire the other stove in there about 4:30
Right now 71 cat engaged running 500 degrees griddle top.

Tonight is a good test, windy and temps may make the low teens. Will the cat stoves deliver the goods?

 

[BrotherBart]

If they don't will you dump them both of them and replace them with Jotuls? Assembled in Portland, Maine. Or Englanders, made in Monroe, Virginia. Maybe get an Englander NC-30 the cleanest burning large firebox stove ever EPA tested?

Or a barrel stove made in my garage? I still have that damned kit on the shelf out there.

 

[kevinmoelk]

Whatever you do, make sure to add 3 plastic air injection tubes for greater efficiency!

-Kevin

 

[elkimmeg]

Up date still working on the original load. Time for a trip to the wood pile downstairs holding at 73 familly room now 73 both stove top griddles at 500 degrees

outside temp is 19

BB: I could be persuaded to tryout a Cat 24 or non cat Englander in the family room. I can make a top flue collar work there
Do you know of anybody at Englander that is willing to let me demo one? Hey if it worked out I would donate my Intrepid to the donor program..
Just tell them how successful my demo sold Ryobi splitters.

 

[Burn-1]

You could always grab one of the cheap Centurys at Lowe's right now, but given your home design even with all the glass area of those sliders I bet your heat loss is buffered enough that they'll do just fine.

It almost sounds like you're trying to find some rationalization to deep-six the Intrepid but can't because VC has been so good to you.

 

[elkimmeg]

Morning update 15 degree outside
downstaris main zone 72 degrees stove top 450 with still some remaining splits to be completely burned Loading it up now

Familly room Intrepid 300 stove top enough coals to gather together and i reload healthy fire now and 69.5 drgrees this morning inside.

Bedrooms up staies in the third zone mid 60's

all in all not bad Stiill can't judge till it gets below mid single digits but it looks promising

 

[elkimmeg]

Late Afternoon update I loaded up the main floor stove still had remaing log pieces to burn but fell apart when new ones were loanded on top
Downstairs temp holding 73 degrees stove top was 450

Familly room I did not fully load just on decent size split them up here 78 degrees

Todays temp never made it out of the upper 20's 27 right now but it will not go as low as last night when the clouds come in

 

[kevinmoelk]

Beautiful house Elk. I really like the gambrel roof. Do you have flat ceilings inside or can you see the gambrel? Also, did you build the house in one shot? It looks as though the home is divisible in 3 large sections.

-Kevin

 

[elkimmeg]

The main home Was built in 1977 the garage addition to the right in 1979

Familly room to the rear 1985

Finished over the top of the garage into a 3 room apt. Liv, Bed, kit. full bath with stacked Laundry

2.5 years ago

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/2357/

 

[kevinmoelk]

Wow, very inspiring story Elk. I'd love to see more pictures. Makes me feel a little embarassed for all the time I spend building compared to how quickly you built, lol. After I get back on my feet I plan to build my own home. For now my accomplishments to date (for my own projects, not professionally) only include finishing out 2 basements. In both cases I built apartments for the landlord who lived in the main house and paid my rent with my hands, then got kicked out so he could rent out the apartment for more money. But I learned alot in the process, doing all plumbing, electrical, framing, concrete, drywall, flooring, etc. Now that I have my own home I've done lots of little remodeling projects and I'm currently finishing out my own basement to rent out as an apartment.

It's great you were so ahead of the curve with energy efficiency, and in many respects still ahead vs. many of the junk homes being built today. I'm guessing you've studied Malcolm Wells and Scott and Helen Nearing.

Well, sorry to hijack your thread a little Elk, but I appreciate you sharing.

Steering back on topic a little... it's 20 degress here, stove top is 500 degrees and the home is comfortable at 71 degrees.

-Kevin

 

[elkimmeg]

well mike?