A Little Yodel From My Jotul...

[morgantruce]

Hello!
Since I've been heating with wood for the past 37 years, I figure it's about time I stopped in here for a visit! I was part of the "back-to-the-land" throng in the early '70's -- who moved from the city to some (far too) remote land. I came with a VW full of tools, books, a pair of Golden Retrievers, and the strange notion that an Ashley woodstove was the only way to go. That's what happens when your main sources of information are Mother Earth News #1 and the Whole Earth Catalog...

After being nearly driven out of the small cabin I built by the oversized Ashley, I settled in with a Waterford 101 which served me faithfully for many years--even after building my present house--a small 2-storey heavily insulated frame structure with barely 800 square feet of living area. For the past 18 years, I've been very cozy with a Jotul Alpha stove: a catalytic convection-type heater which evenly heats the entire house in style.





The house has a good bit of thermal mass--and it heats slowly and cools very slowly. The centrally located chimney is insulated stainless and was set up to be cleaned from inside the house. I anticipated that I would not be enthusiastic about getting on the roof in my later years. In the picture, you can see the strange bit of plumbing with the single-wall pipe before entering the tall chimney. I am able to open the Tee and get fiberglass cleaning rods to push a brush up and down the chimney. Some time ago, I removed the chimney cap and have noticed no negative effects--and indeed even more draft (although draft has never been any sort of problem with a 2-storey chimney...)

The stove sits on quarry tile and is located fairly near a wood post which I have shielded with some 1/4" plate aluminum held off the wood surface with some ceramic spacers... it's never been a problem.

This week I sent off for a Condor SteelCat combustor in a never ending quest to squeeze more BTUs out of each stick of oak. I'm also replacing the rather thick padding Jotul used around the combustor with some ceramic fiber blanket material available on the web from kiln supply shops.

I really like the Jotul Alpha--although I think the glass window is far too large. I may have been tempted several times over the years to try out a different stove, but then I reconsidered after noticing the general deterioration of manufacturing standards, the usual horror stories, and the clear memory of what a bear it was to get this big chunk of cast iron into its present location.

I'd chat some more, but I must get some more firewood stacking done before the noon sun makes it too much of a chore... another half-cord and the wood shed will be filled--nearly a 3-year supply. To my way of thinking, that's even nicer than money in the bank.

Gene

 

[onesojourner]

That looks like a nice set up. What year did you purchase that stove?

 

[morgantruce]

I bought it in the spring of 1990 from Lehman's in Ohio.

 

[Todd]

Welcome, thanks for sharing, nice looking stove. Those steel cats seem to be the new wave of combustors. Lower light off temps and resistance to thermal shock. How often have you needed to replace your catalyst?

 

[morgantruce]

(1) I've needed to replace my combustor about every 6 years -- just like everyone else.

(2) But I'm ashamed to say that this is the first time I actually have replaced it!

...which must be some kind of World Record for misguided laziness and false economy. I've probably been spending a lot more time out in the woodlot than I needed to. In my defense, I will say that I've cleaned the original combustor every year in hot water and vinegar, and am careful about not overfiring the stove, but this past winter (in it's 18th season!) the poor thing began falling apart--although it still remains a nice tan color. In the middle of a firing, I can still open the bypass and observe the chimney smoke change from colorless to darker smoke---so I'm fairly certain the combustor was feebly trying to do its job.

For what it's worth, this old trooper is an original Corning combustor.

I think I'll build it a nice walnut case, put it on display, and charge admission.

 

[Todd]

Wow! I've heard of some of them lasting 10 years, but 18 is unheard of, you should be proud of the old gal, she gave you 18 good years and paid for herself many times over in nice even heat output and firewood savings. Funny some cat manufactures recommend the cat wash and others say it does more harm than good. Looks like your doing everything the right way if it lasts 18 years. When you open your display I'll have to stop in and give my regards. Maybe for a little extra fee I could get a picture with it? :lol:

 

[xman23]

Gene, All
I to was reading Mother Earth news in the early 70's. Never had the VW van nor lived off the land, but I wanted to. Today the best I do is drive a Prius and heat with wood. You mentioned one of my favorite places, Lehman’s, non electric store A little pricey but they have a lot of neat stuff. If your ever in Ohio you have to visit the store. Get the catalog http://www.lehmans.com

Nice idea the bottom up stack cleaning, but how do you not get black soot all over the place.

Tom

 

[morgantruce]

To tell the truth, most of the people who flocked out this way to get "back to the land" have long since departed and went back to the city: too much roughing it. Although I live in a very remote area (miles from the nearest neighbors, steep dirt roads that require a 4x4 on a nice summer day, off the grid,---far off enough that my dog cannot find a girlfriend) I've never considered myself roughing it. On the contrary, I'm always trying to smooth it! I try to use every technology that makes sense: solar electricity, electronics, computers, and have (at times) produced much food, fruit, dairy, meat, and grain--all on a small scale. As much as possible I try to develop redundant systems-- so that if one thing gives out, another is ready to take its place. This is not the kind of place one can call in a repairman to fix an emergency.

When I clean the stovepipe, I first take a large paper grocery bag and set it on the stove right below the Tee. I have to make a slit down the side a bit to allow for the brush and rods to do their work. The bag catches about 90% of what comes out of the pipe---a small vacuum gets the rest. I've never had the problem of extremely fine dust and soot--mostly I deal with particles that fall and stay put. The whole job takes me about 20 minutes unless I'm doing the combustor as well. I made the job simple so that I would do it often. Sure beats the anxiety of tall ladders and all of that. I can clean my chimney when the roof is wet or covered with snow: something I would never do if it meant getting up there. Smoothing it...

 

[begreen]

Hey Morgan, welcome and thanks for the trip in the wayback machine. Good thoughts on smoothing it. Looks like you have a nice setup.

 

[onesojourner]

You have me intrigued, So what do you do for a job?

 

[morgantruce]

For many years, I traveled around the country installing showcases and store fixtures in department stores (glorified carpenter). It was an ideal job in that it avoided daily commuting, which would be difficult from here. It also allowed for large blocks of time "off duty" at home which allowed me to develop the theory that life should be more than just toil. But before all of this happened, I was a three-piece suit accountant in New Jersey---so I do know something about toiling away at a job.

My wife and I home schooled our daughters out here in the woods---once taking a year long "vacation" from it all by living on our sailboat and cruising down the Ohio River, around the Florida Keys and up to the Chesapeake. Years later, that experience provided good "hooks" for the girls getting into excellent colleges.

We've slowed down just a little. Our "fleet" of sailboats is downsized to three canoes---which is enough to satisfy my passion to float in something on occasion. We're still expanding the landscaping; adding to different gardens and projects.

Years ago we started a firewood coppice---and have about 450 Hybrid Poplars in several plots... some planted on a 6-foot checkerboard, others on an 8-foot spacing. I think if I were to do that again I would choose Black Locust instead. But if I were to catalog a list of all my regrets, at the top of the list would be the amount of land that I have "assigned" myself to mow. Mindlessly traveling in circles on a gasoline-consuming riding mower for so many hours each week is sheer insanity---but I cannot seem to stop it. There are dozens of large shade trees set out, big blocks of evergreen and deciduous shrubs---and even one playful attempt at a garden maze of 12' tall viburnam... but all of that just seems to multiply the agony of mowing all the more. I dream of just stopping... and retreating to mowing three loops around the house with a manual push reel mower. On the bright side, I did give up trying to keep a couple acres of hillside cleared (with various powered and manual implements of destruction) and instead turned it over to crown vetch.

 

[Hiram Maxim]

Welcome,

You Sir are certainly interesting! What a fantastic read.

I really like your clean out. It seems you put a lot of thought into your projects and have had an interesting life off the grid.

Hope to hear more about what you do on your property.

Cheers, Hiram

 

[onesojourner]

Have you considered converting your mower to electric? http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/