Talk About Biting The Hair Of The Dog..... Geezzzz !!!

[Irocelectric93]

Here in STL it's been single digits overnight and early morning on and off. Tonight it'll be below zero. Been using my enviro Boston 1700 for heat. Furnace has ran one time in the last week that I know of. When I'm here house hasn't been below 72 or so. Picture is of my start up fire more than a week ago.

Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk

 

[NoobTube]

I've had to break into my red oak and maple supply as this cold snap is really making it hard to keep up. The red oak though, burns so freaking hot though. Overnight burns are tough to come by though.

 

[jatoxico]

Problem is keeping it at cruising temps (450 - 500) long enough.

Some people disagree but if I'm there to do it, instead of burning in cycles I feed in small amounts (2-3 splits) of wood and never let the stove top temp drop below about 400-450. That way my secondaries are never too cool to fire off and it puts out steady heat until I don't need it which with temps is never!

Block off plate and insulation went a long way for me too in what the stove can keep up with. In any case BTU's into the house, if the burner comes on it comes on.

 

[jatoxico]

Been using my enviro Boston 1700 for heat

I like the Boston, good looking insert.

 

[Dix]

Woke up to 0F this AM.

Cleaned to boost baffle in the PE yesterday, temp in stove room up to 68F from 64F yesterday AM, when was a balmy 7F

 

[Woody Stover]

Some people disagree but if I'm there to do it, instead of burning in cycles I feed in small amounts (2-3 splits) of wood and never let the stove top temp drop below about 400-450.

Although I have a cat stove, I use a similar procedure. After the overnight burn I have a bunch of coals and the stove top has dropped to about 300, room temp under 65 with 0* outside. That's leaving the bedroom door cracked to get some heat out there. If in the morning I just open up the air a bit the stove top will get back up to 400 or so and the sides of the stove get hotter from the radiation. But if I pull the coals up to the front and toss a flat split of Cherry on top, I can get the combustor cranking again and get the top 500+. Even when the split is coaled, the stove will hold higher temp on the remaining coal bed for quite a while and get the room up near 70 with the bedroom door closed. Once the coals are burned down, I can put in a full load midday.
I can't remember a cold snap this long since I've been here, 30+yrs, and it's gotten me closer to the point of upsizing to the Absolute. Additional sealing of air leaks here will help, but I don't know how much. Additional firepower is a sure thing..

 

[jatoxico]

I can't remember a cold snap this long since I've been here, 30+yrs, and it's gotten me closer to the point of upsizing to the Absolute. Additional sealing of air leaks here will help, but I don't know how much. Additional firepower is a sure thing..

We had a long cold winter a couple years ago but these lows are especially bitter. If this is going to be a new normal I may have to up my game too. I have another open fireplace (Heatilator) that could accept any number of stoves but I'm not too sure I wanna feed two stoves. Could change out my Jotul for something with a bigger firebox but I'd have to add non-combustible surface in front of the hearth

 

[armanidog]

We had a long cold winter a couple years ago but these lows are especially bitter. If this is going to be a new normal I may have to up my game too. I have another open fireplace (Heatilator) that could accept any number of stoves but I'm not too sure I wanna feed two stoves. Could change out my Jotul for something with a bigger firebox but I'd have to add non-combustible surface in front of the hearth

If i remember correctly, last winter was above normal temps. It hit upper 70's F the end of last January and part of February here in Georgia. The peach trees never blossomed since they did not have enough cold hours.
La Nina is supposed to keep us dry and warmer this coming spring here in the south and along the east coast. I believe up in the north central area you all are supposed to be wetter and cooler than normal this spring.
If La Nina fades away after this year, next winter will be colder and wetter.
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/seasonal.php?lead=2

 

[jatoxico]

If i remember correctly, last winter was above normal temps.

I don't remember exactly which most likely means it was nothing remarkable cold wise! The 2014/15 season was brutal though for the NE. Got cold and stayed cold. This year has a long way to go to be as bad as that was.