Cold here! How's your fire?

Rocket Mass Heaters, Rocket Ovens, Cold boxes, Solar collectors, etc..
Talk about your projects

Moderator: matt walker

Cold here! How's your fire?

Postby matt walker » Fri Nov 14, 2014 1:18 am

I'm enjoying this cold snap, I've got great draft and the stove is working really well. I'm definitely getting it figured out now that I have a need to burn more. I'm into my good Madrone hard wood, and a bit of maple. I'm staying warm, although it's about as cold as it gets here. I've been waking up to around 20°F outside, 62°F inside. How are you all doing?
User avatar
matt walker
Site Admin
 
Posts: 1806
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:50 pm
Location: North Olympic Peninsula

Re: Cold here! How's your fire?

Postby mannytheseacow » Fri Nov 14, 2014 2:31 am

So far so good here. It's about 20* here and I've just about gone through the early season crap wood and getting into the good stuff. My lower level will range from 65 when I've been gone all day to 73 when I'm home and burning. Overnight temps will drop to 68, which is still pleasant. The upstairs is still 62-65.

The futon mattress on the bench is really luxurious but also a huge insulator. My next project is making something better for the bench to let all that heat out.

Only major downfall of the 8" system so far is that it really has a steady cold air draft when it's not burning ... And if I'm home, I'm burning, so the damper doesn't help much.

Glad your system is working.
"Knowledge is power. Arm yourself."
User avatar
mannytheseacow
 
Posts: 942
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2013 12:40 am

Re: Cold here! How's your fire?

Postby Nirky » Fri Nov 14, 2014 2:54 am

It got down to 8 last night, rmh kept my 2x4 R-13 in the walls R-19 ceiling 500 sq ft house 64 bedtime and 57 in the am. I do not have a bench (mass) yet.
It's amazing how 62 feels chilly in a forced air heated house, but with the rmh 62 feels toasty. Radiant heat.
I don't think I'll ever get over Macho Grande, those wounds run pretty deep.
Nirky
 
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Sep 29, 2013 7:40 am
Location: N. Idaho

Re: Cold here! How's your fire?

Postby Oddmar » Fri Nov 14, 2014 9:27 am

Well, the RMH i built for my friends is working OK. I built it right on the concrete floor (oops) and the burn tunnel doesn't get as hot as it should, so it produces alot of ash and there's smoke out the chimney. My friend won't let me tear it down and rebuild it. Outside 45*F daily average, 26*F right now at 03:24.

Since i sleep/ live in the unheated (shop) part of the building, locked out/ not even a crapper, i'm not feeling that guilty it doesn't work as well as it could. It's nice and warm in their side of the building.

Someone sideswiped me on the interstate on Oct 31st, his insurance co sent me a check for $1,347. When/ if it finally clears on the 26th, i'll be looking for a new place to live in Hot Springs. RMH to follow as soon as i'm moved in.
Darrell "Jake" Jacob, Oddmar on all the forums, KC9PZN to all you amateurs.
User avatar
Oddmar
 
Posts: 56
Joined: Sun May 27, 2012 3:08 pm
Location: Near Arkadelphia, Arkansas

Re: Cold here! How's your fire?

Postby matt walker » Fri Nov 14, 2014 5:14 pm

Great to hear reports from all of you. Oddmar, amazing what a big difference that insulation around the firebox makes, isn't it? It doesn't seem like it would be that big a deal until you build one connected to a big cold sink like that. Glad to hear you are on to greener pastures, that's too cold man.

Nirky, nice! Great to hear about your success so far. You are gonna be stoked when you get it hooked up to some storage. Manny, you are saying the draft is going out the house, right? Or is flow reversing? I can't imagine that. Might be time to get some home automation going and figure out how to close a damper with your smart phone. :D
User avatar
matt walker
Site Admin
 
Posts: 1806
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:50 pm
Location: North Olympic Peninsula

Re: Cold here! How's your fire?

Postby mannytheseacow » Sat Nov 15, 2014 1:21 am

Har Har.... for once we're on different pages, Matt. I was thinking I need to focus on staying home more, or starting to build my shack on a tropical island!

Yeah, it's the cold air drafting back through the piping when the fire is out. Since the temps dropped and I built up the feed it's drawing like a champ. I'm surprised your place is that cold? I imagine those barrels in your bench heat up quickly but don't store much heat in mass?
"Knowledge is power. Arm yourself."
User avatar
mannytheseacow
 
Posts: 942
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2013 12:40 am

Re: Cold here! How's your fire?

Postby matt walker » Sat Nov 15, 2014 3:23 am

Ha! You know I was kidding right, I just didn't want to tell you to find a way to be home more 'cause I know you work hard at a job you love, and I think that's pretty cool. But, yeah, that homestead ain't gonna run itself!

Yeah, still cool in here, but it's about as cold as it gets outside. Might do this for a total of 2 weeks or so all winter. Typically it's ten degrees warmer outside. Did I mention my insulation? :D Nah, the stove is doing great, and the benches stay warm over night if I cover them. It's been fun playing with covered/uncovered. I've got such a long bench now, there's just a ton of surface radiating if it's uncovered. Much more powerful than it was before, and it's noticeable. The room is warm, and sitting out there on the end is a treat. Far from the barrel, but super cozy. I'm super pleased, but yeah, my insulation situation is dire.
User avatar
matt walker
Site Admin
 
Posts: 1806
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:50 pm
Location: North Olympic Peninsula

Re: Cold here! How's your fire?

Postby mannytheseacow » Sat Nov 15, 2014 1:43 pm

Haha, yeah, of course I know you are just kidding. I need to use those smilies more often. The older I get the more serious I get about moving this operation to a warmer climate. Leaving the house for long periods of time is hard and the animals don't do me much good if I'm not there to take care of them. Long-term, I don't see myself splitting 9 cords of wood for too many more years. Something has to change. Anyway, back to the topic.

Your bench, yes... hmmm, that's interesting. I posted the question over on donkey32 last year about whether I needed a bigger core or bigger tubes in my bench. The general consensus seemed to be that I needed a bigger core and bench. The bench was already so big I thought I would tackle the core first and see how it goes. Although my bench is big, it's mostly a lot of mass but not a lot of surface area. Now with this bigger core my exhaust temps are way higher, so maybe there is room for a hot seat at the end. Dang it, no, I need to just be happy with what I have. It works.

Crazy that you are seeing your coldest weather now. I'm still expecting another drop by 20* outside over the next few months. Did you at least get your attic insulated this year?
"Knowledge is power. Arm yourself."
User avatar
mannytheseacow
 
Posts: 942
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2013 12:40 am

Re: Cold here! How's your fire?

Postby matt walker » Sat Nov 15, 2014 5:34 pm

No, no insulated attic. Not yet anyway, maybe after the new year if I get enough work between now and then.

The folks giving you advice hadn't seen that battleship! I think what we are learning here is something about "release rate" or something like that. Your core has lots of power, and we have the ability to heat our benches faster than they release (obviously, that's the point). There's something else though, we are warm when the thing burns due to radiant from the barrel, but the bench only has enough output to hold the temps at around 60 or so. I keep going back to the heater I put in my bedroom, I think that ideal sizing would be a heater that almost overheats the space with the barrel if it's run for more than a few loads, and a small enough space/large enough mass that the mass can keep it at 70. I dunno, I'm extremely happy with my temps and fuel usage, and I've never been more comfortable overall. I was thinking about it last night as I lounged on that full length bench, how incredibly warm and cozy I was. But, yeah, waking up to 60, while not terrible, could be better.



Where ya moving to? Texas?
User avatar
matt walker
Site Admin
 
Posts: 1806
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:50 pm
Location: North Olympic Peninsula

Re: Cold here! How's your fire?

Postby TruGrit » Sat Nov 15, 2014 6:39 pm

.. well, it got down to 23* here in the Carolinas last nite and the li'l baby box stove held it's own .. though it couldn't last and faded in the wee hours .. the house held heat pretty good with the new attic insulation ... temp with the stove going - 72* .. this morning - 62* ... no doubt the new Soapstone stove will keep us warm right into morning .. can't wait till December! .. :mrgreen:

Image
User avatar
TruGrit
 
Posts: 153
Joined: Wed Jan 29, 2014 2:02 pm
Location: North Carolina

Next

Return to Heating and Cooling

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests

cron