What Is In Your Stove Right Now?

[ctreitzell]

getting up this morning around 0900
and suddenly the CO alarm is sound in the kitchen what the?

whole family slapped on some clothes and rushed to open every door and window

we disconnected the two connected gas bottles (cooker and gas heater) and put all 4 gas bottles outside

Last night (0130) we had shut down the air intake on the wood burning stove to choke the embers and restart in the day...the missus got the alarm to investigate if it's a battery issue or a real alarm...no a battery issue

I went outside to preheat the flue so we could reopen the air intake

what we have finally guessed the problem to be is the fire tape on the top of the wood burner door has become uncompressed/ unstuck and there is a gap at the top of the glass...the choked embers then created the CO and slowly built up low in the salon and kitchen until tripping the alarm

the Nest is on the ceiling in the salon, and thus the CO never rose that high...potentially deadly for the cats...Fifi was in the salon and shows no ill effects...actually she's in better health than she's experienced the past two weeks

again, it's learning how to use this modern "EcoDesign 2022" stove.

here's a quote from the Panadero Delice manual:
"It is normal for the seal of the glass door panel to melt with use. Even though the stove can function without this seal, it is recommended that you replace it seasonally."

We await the delivery of the replacement fire tape. I won't do another choked ember "extended" burn until the window seal is replaced.

I've never had a CO alarm go off in my life before these past 4 weeks. Twice in a month 2 times too many. Again, this EcoDesign 2022 labelling fiasco is a mess and I seriously doubt other households in UK and Europe are as aware of these issues as we are. I'm suspecting the Panadero and my potential misuse of it due to this ridiculous edict getting the powers that be the checkboxes checked do they can beat their chest about it.

 

[BillBurns]

Sounds like a really hard stove to run...........

 

[ctreitzell]

Sounds like a really hard stove to run...........

yeah...hmmm...I'm pretty much daily logging here...so

Again, in the 27 Euro states, the EcoDesign directive is in play...started around 2015 as far as I can tell so far...and wouldn't be a concern to areas outside of the EU...Even tho places like England should be manufacturing to the standard or risk a diminishing customer base

the reason for solid fuel space heaters to be included is to standardize usage practices by requiring labelling and intended use literature to have expected commonalities

nevertheless, a Fiat is not a Mercedes is not a Renault is not a Seat...

so, seems if someone like me is driving a Fiat like a Ferrari...or even a Volkswagon...issues and breakdowns are to be expected (or even more serious consequences)

further, gives the manufacturers carte blanche to pass all responsibility onto users if said manufacturers write up impossible to employ and operate as prescribed devices whose literature is standardized.

I'm treading through gaps in their disclosure in that literature and certainly not acting in full compliance with their instructions...as I've admitted here since day one

it certainly should be easier than this...but they've written their operation manual to a very difficult to maintain set of tasks

like you said: difficult to run

 

[Caw]

I tossed two 5gal pails of coal in last night along with the wood to see what happens. I have two ton of the stuff to burn this winter and it’s finally getting chilly enough to put it to work !
View attachment 321826

Is an OWB like that really any cheaper than fossil fuel heat? Just curious. I don't have experience with them that is just a ton of fuel you use.

 

[all night moe]

I didn't keep track of temps or wood that I tossed in the furnace. I knew it was gonna get cold though and loaded accordingly.
Got up lil after 3am after the 10:30 night load. Nice bed of coals and threw some splits on. Went down 7:30 this morning with a greeting of another coal bed. Coals have been burning down for I'm feeding mostly maple and ash. Anyway, this morning temps outside were in the low 20s. Furnace got a salad of good sized splits. 2 norway maple, 2 ash, 1 silver maple, 1 black cherry, a smaller piece of black locust, and a small piece of red oak. House temps climbed from low 60s to 70 in about a half hour.

I'm still treating this wood pig like a wood stove, and conserving fuel. I may run a little short this spring.

 

[thewoodlands]

We had 19.5 this morning, the basement started off at 73 with some nice coals from the overnight burn, the living area started out at 67 & 68 with the sleeper at 68.

5 splits of ash went in the Lopi earlier this morning, the last I had checked, the basement was 77.

Happy New Year

 

[zmender]

I tossed two 5gal pails of coal in last night along with the wood to see what happens. I have two ton of the stuff to burn this winter and it’s finally getting chilly enough to put it to work !
View attachment 321826

is that anthracite coal?! how does it burn in a stove

 

[zmender]

Sounds like a really hard stove to run...........

crazy how well the family is responding to the CO alarm.

@ctreitzell telling ya man, get a new stove asap!

 

[all night moe]

crazy how well the family is responding to the CO alarm.

@ctreitzell telling ya man, get a new stove asap!

At least get a couple more detectors.....

 

[zmender]

Overslept this morning and closed the throttle too much last night, woke up to more than half stove of coals that's barely burning. A quick stir and I got the nice blue flame back.
Warmed up the stove for a few minutes and reloaded her full of locust. Today's high will be only 39, so will burn the stove with ~50% throttle most day.

 

[ctreitzell]

crazy how well the family is responding to the CO alarm.

@ctreitzell telling ya man, get a new stove asap!

It’s one year old!

Man has burning wood in the home for centuries…without these detectors

Money is tight and electricity is expensive here…a new stove install will cost thousands

We talked about selling some houses today
Investing that equity here in the French countryside where property values are terrible and falling…I have no interest in moving back to the city! I’d rather perish out here

At least we have the detectors! Many households do not

 

[zmender]

Is it under warranty and returnable? Hearing your stories about CO alarm going off is giving me a lot of cold pricklies

 

[bigealta]

I have 3 co detectors in my house. The cheapest insurance you can ever get.

kiddie digital readout plug in is $30.

 

[ctreitzell]

At least get a couple more detectors.....

We are talking about it

 

[ctreitzell]

Is it under warranty and returnable? Hearing your stories about CO alarm going off is giving me a lot of cold pricklies

Yes, under warranty…but installed with a horizontal run as the installation instructions say not to do

 

[zmender]

Man has burning wood in the home for centuries…without these detectors

Yes, the stoves were also not sealed as it is right now either, and those older houses were also much leakier. My grandparents used to install those special pivoty windows in the room where coal stove were, and those windows were cracked open all winter even when it's -30 outside to provide ventilation.

 

[bigealta]

Yes, the stoves were also not sealed as it is right now either, and those older houses were also much leakier. My grandparents used to install those special pivoty windows in the room where coal were, and those windows were cracked open all winter even when it's -30 outside to provide ventilation

Man has burning wood in the home for centuries…without these detectors

Remeber the Great tennis player Vitas Geralaitis?

From wikapedia- "On September 17, 1994, while visiting a friend's home in Southampton, New York, an improperly installed propane heater for the swimming pool caused carbon monoxide gas to seep into the guesthouse where Gerulaitis was sleeping, causing his death by carbon monoxide poisoning"

 

[zmender]

From CDC...

Every year, at least 420 people die in the U.S. from accidental CO poisoning. More than 100,000 people in the U.S. visit the emergency department each year due to accidental CO poisoning. There are steps you can take to help protect yourself and your household from CO poisoning.

(broken link removed to https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/features/copoisoning/index.html#:~:text=When%20winter%20temperatures%20plummet%20and,due%20to%20accidental%20CO%20poisoning)

 

[ctreitzell]

Yes, the stoves were also not sealed as it is right now either, and those older houses were also much leakier. My grandparents used to install those special pivoty windows in the room where coal stove were, and those windows were cracked open all winter even when it's -30 outside to provide ventilation.

man, you are totally right, I agree

and my house is extremely drafty too...big rooms 400-500sq ft rooms...it's a 100 year old barn converted to human habitable in late 80s ...early 90s

the alarm that was sounding is on the counter beside the gas stove for cookin. 20meters away from the wood burner...there are 2 gas appliances within 5 meters of that alarm...it could have been the Provence? IDK

the bottle connected to the gas cooking stove was almost empty...it could have been that...we don't know for sure

all my appliances likely (certainly) need testing...who to get to do that? I'm unaware...maybe I should start a business doing that

so we'll not choke the embers again until we update the wood burner window seal and get a few more CO alarms to have better clues on if the wood stove is the cause

no one experienced any ill effects, not even the cats

and if I don't post again, I suppose you'll know why

 

[ctreitzell]

From CDC...


(broken link removed to https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/features/copoisoning/index.html#:~:text=When%20winter%20temperatures%20plummet%20and,due%20to%20accidental%20CO%20poisoning)

Thanks for this

the batteries are a year old

the qualified technicians are no longer available...the local electricians/ plumbers who used to carry out these tests have moved away or retired...households have to learn to do this stuff themselves

we do have a propane heater that was about 4m away from that detector. We always shut the valve on the gas bottle off

we aren't in the US

no one exhibited any symptoms of CO poisoning

 

[thewoodlands]

It's 20.5 out at the moment, the basement was 75, the living area is between 69 & 71 with the sleeper at 68. I just loaded up the wood stove with pine.

 

[Wildflush]

Just got home to some coals from this mornings fire. House stayed 70 on one load this AM. Mid 30’s today. Just reloaded for the evening. Happy New Years to all and to a healthy New Year.

 

[jblnut]

Is an OWB like that really any cheaper than fossil fuel heat? Just curious. I don't have experience with them that is just a ton of fuel you use.

It is a ton of fuel !! Depends on what you consider to be “cheaper”. We’re cutting the trees down anyway to keep field edges and fence lines clean so this way I’m making use of the wood instead of piling it up on a giant pile and either letting it rot or burning the piles in the winter to make them gone.

The stove offsets around 2,500gal of LP/year and is heating around 10,000sq/ft between the house, farm shop and well house shed. Figuring $500/yr for repairs (which I think is high) it’ll be paid for in 8yrs if LP is $2/gal. That is not figuring in the skid loader, brush grapple, tractors, trucks, trailers and all the other misc stuff needed to get the wood to the stove …..

is that anthracite coal?! how does it burn in a stove

I wish !! It is lignite coal from somewhere North of Bismarck ND. I have a buddy that hauls kidney beans to New Salem ND and brings a hopper bottom of coal back to sell to locals.

It burns really really well !! Easily twice as hot as wood and adds burn time to each loading. The Crown Royal 7400MP is rated to burn straight coal so the high temps are just fine. Here is a screenshot from my InkBird. It heated around 400gal of water up from 170-180f in 8 minutes. Usually takes 15-18 on wood. Bonkers.

 

[Caw]

It is a ton of fuel !! Depends on what you consider to be “cheaper”. We’re cutting the trees down anyway to keep field edges and fence lines clean so this way I’m making use of the wood instead of piling it up on a giant pile and either letting it rot or burning the piles in the winter to make them gone.

The stove offsets around 2,500gal of LP/year and is heating around 10,000sq/ft between the house, farm shop and well house shed. Figuring $500/yr for repairs (which I think is high) it’ll be paid for in 8yrs if LP is $2/gal. That is not figuring in the skid loader, brush grapple, tractors, trucks, trailers and all the other misc stuff needed to get the wood to the stove …..



I wish !! It is lignite coal from scratch somewhere North of Bismarck ND. I have a buddy that hauls kidney beans to New Salem ND and brings a hopper bottom of coal back to sell to locals.

It burns really really well !! Easily twice as hot as wood and adds burn time to each loading. The Crown Royal 7400MP is rated to burn straight coal so the high temps are just fine. Here is a screenshot from my InkBird. It heated around 400gal of water up from 170-180f in 8 minutes. Usually takes 15-18 on wood. Bonkers.
View attachment 321863

The burning coal can't be pleasant on the air quality. I'm not judging just curious more than anything. It so messy and tons of work. But hearing 10,000 SQ ft is no joke.

I'm currently burning some too long uglies mostly cherry and ash. Loading 2 in diagonally at a time just stringing it along until the overnight reload in 3 hours.

 

[jblnut]

The burning coal can't be pleasant on the air quality. I'm not judging just curious more than anything. It so messy and tons of work. But hearing 10,000 SQ ft is no joke.

I'm currently burning some too long uglies mostly cherry and ash. Loading 2 in diagonally at a time just stringing it along until the overnight reload in 3 hours.

It looks like a choo choo train until it gets done with the initial firing. There seems to be a fair bit of moisture in the coal so I’m sure that’s not helping. No worries on the questions lol.

Pics speak. Honestly though it looks like this the first firing after I reload it with wood that isn’t nice and bone dry. Closest neighbor is over a half mile away and burns way worse stuff than I ever have so he’ll never grumble lol