Minisplit + solar panel sounds like a fantastic idea, essentially free heat... does the solar panels generate wattages enough for you to run the heater?
What Is In Your Stove Right Now?
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stoveliker
Minister of Fire
Yes. I have net metering. So the surplus I make in summer can be used to heat in winter. The only bill I have since '18 is $13.50 or so per month to be connected. And some oil for hot water.
Everyone’s set up and situation are different; for me, this is just setting up to be a much earlier shoulder season. So, I’ll still have fires but I won’t be burning 24/7 anymore, maybe a warm up fire in the morning, or a night fire etc.
Today got into the 40s. Threw a couple pine splits in this morning then let the stove go out. Stove still usually holds some heat though even letting it go out during the day. STT around 200-250 when I fired back up again. Started with 2 juniper splits and some mystery wood to light off again around 5 this evening. Lows headed for low-mid 20s, another load of pine for that.
I’ll definitely be burning into March and April. The woodstove is the primary heat source in my house. Maybe not burning for 24/7 much longer though.
This morning it was 0 outside and 75 inside.
This morning it was 0 outside and 75 inside.
fvhowler
Burning Hunk
For me in NC, I start dialing back in late February and will burn in March as needed. Usually, I start getting withdrawals and start a fire on a chilly April night because I know it could be the last fire until November. Always a mixed bag for me this time of year....I start missing burning before the season is over but then look forward to warmer weather.
BrownT10
Burning Hunk
Well I got to the point I had to burn some oak...little bit different than burning pine!
Loaded the stove up with locust. I'll do a quick fire in the AM tomorrow and let the stove cool down in afternoon to clear out ashes.
I think I'm burning overnight fire too hot (in a wasteful sense, not overfiring). I wake up with entire house around 64-66F, when the only room occupied is bedroom. I can easily let the house cool down another 2~4 degrees overnight....
Probably going down to 1.5 loads per day next week - a hot enough fire at 8am to bring house from low 60s to low 70s in the morning, catch last of the coal around 4, 5pm with a partial reload to make sure living room is at least 68 until midnight. No need for overnight burn. This will save me a lot of wood.
I think I'm burning overnight fire too hot (in a wasteful sense, not overfiring). I wake up with entire house around 64-66F, when the only room occupied is bedroom. I can easily let the house cool down another 2~4 degrees overnight....
Probably going down to 1.5 loads per day next week - a hot enough fire at 8am to bring house from low 60s to low 70s in the morning, catch last of the coal around 4, 5pm with a partial reload to make sure living room is at least 68 until midnight. No need for overnight burn. This will save me a lot of wood.
Hit around 60 today, will do that for next 2 days before another system comes through. Lows headed for 20s tonight, another (almost 100% win) pine Tetris for that.
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
Forgot to update yesterday night. I had some baby load of oak sometime during the day yesterday. At 11 or so I reloaded with 6 short (14") splits of red oak.
This morning it was 23 F outside. 67 F inside - the way we like it.
A high for today is 44 F, tonight a low of 35 F. I think I'll keep the stove warm - simmering on a minimal amount of wood. Tomorrow 44 F and 39 for a low. Still hesitating what to do...
Thursday - Saturday is stove time. But Sunday it's 54. Looks like those days will be the last for a while.
This morning it was 23 F outside. 67 F inside - the way we like it.
A high for today is 44 F, tonight a low of 35 F. I think I'll keep the stove warm - simmering on a minimal amount of wood. Tomorrow 44 F and 39 for a low. Still hesitating what to do...
Thursday - Saturday is stove time. But Sunday it's 54. Looks like those days will be the last for a while.
It's 40F outside but with overcast + melting snow it feels much colder. Started with a small partial load around 8am at 66F, finally living room crested to 70 just a few minutes ago. It doesn't feel warm ....
Home for a week. High temps mid 30's to low 40's for the foreseeable future. Coals from the overnight load get raked forward and simmer until mid afternoon if it's sunny, then a mid sized softwood load as the sun goes down, then a full size hardwood load overnight.
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
So, yesterday's small evening reload is done. Three oak splits now to keep the stove (cat) just active. Tonight 35 and I'll keep it going with a small load overnight.
Today was chilly despite of the forecast and 40F high. I didn’t clean the stove, instead kept the coals from this morning glowing all afternoon and reloaded when living room dropped to 68. Fed 9 biobricks and 1 locust split. Living room back to 71F. I’m not adding more fuel tonight and gonna let it coast overnight & burn out all coals. Chimney brick is nice and hot and I hope this will prevent living room from dropping below 62F (at which point oil kicks in) until morning.
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
Just put 4 shorties of red oak in, dialed the stove down. Will keep it simmering with a few pieces until it gets to be below 38 or so tomorrow 8 pm. Prefer to keep the stove and the basement warm for the next cooldown.
Lows headed for around 30 tonight. Got some yard work in today and ripped out a small peach tree that died so I started the evening fire with some small red elm splits, the peach and the mystery wood. Made for a nice aroma when I loaded the night pine load.
I like them. For most circumstances I'll take low MC splits over biobricks, but I only have ~25%MC oak and small qty of 15%MC locust. So biobricks help me burn the more questionable woods. They comp for high MC wood. I think some old mathmagic showed a single 2lb brick can comp about 0.3cu ft of 25%, for a cumulative average of 20% MC. When comping wet wood, you can tell that heat output is reduced, but at least there's some secondaries while the water evaporates.
1) They are a good "baseline" for fixing stove operator mistakes. I may have too much / too little coal, may have charred splits but not lighting, may have a smoldering mess... I can light off a few biobricks and burn my way out of these situations
2) They help me get heat, fast. They are small so air circulates well, once a group of them lights up I get crazy secondaries. 9 bricks tonight got my living room to 73F... probably one of the highest temps this living room had seen in some weeks
3) Coals feels like hotter / longer? With splits living room cools off quickly once flame dies, but these bricks continue to put out good heat until they completely extinguish.. living room cruised at 71F almost all night.
4) Smaller sizes.. helps with firebox tetris as needed.
They annoy me due to needing a solid coal bed to light off reliably... the instruction tepee method just leaves me with a smoldering mess. I still have to go through the entire motion of starter -> kindling, if I'm cold firing a stove.
Going to hover around 38F outside tonight. Living room coasted around 68F most of evening. Chimney mason is still warm from the fire earlier today and I decided not to burn overnight and let living room temperature drop, furnace will catch if it reaches 60F. I'll cold start stove tomorrow morning and burn continuously until Sunday.
