im surprised you can get that low MC in Seattle. Not sure even my 4 y/o ash is under 14ish% Too muggy here in STL.Recently installed BK Princess. I'm comparing today with the last week or so. Wood is around 12%-13% MC. Using about a 1/2 load.
During the last 7 days, the outside temps were mostly low to mid 50s. The NG furnace is off overnight; the space (1800 ft^2 with 13' cathedral ceilings) is generally mid-60s in the morning. I've been getting it to mid-70s in a couple of hours with the stove air control on low (about 3:30 to 4 o'clock) after the startup procedure, and then it stays there for 12 hours before starting to drop off. Today I had it at 4:30 and the space was still only 69. Did a small hot reload at around 3 hours, turned the stove to 6, and reached 76 after an hour. Turned the stove back down to 4:30. Lost a couple of degrees.
It isn't a problem. I can get the room temps I'm looking for. Might not be worth using the stove at all at this point, but I'm learning. I'm just curious why today was different from the past week. Could be that I pulled out splits of a different species of wood. Maybe I placed the splits differently. Maybe it's just Thursday. The most blatant difference was the impressive amount of rain in the past 24 hours. No reason to think that it's related, but plenty more to learn about using this stove.
When does everyone start their stove.
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im surprised you can get that low MC in Seattle. Not sure even my 4 y/o ash is under 14ish% Too muggy here in STL.
We dropped down to that for some pieces during our drought-dry summer but I suspect if I went out and pulled some from the shed now it will have bounced back to 16-17% since rain and much higher humidity have returned.
Just now double checked. Can't promise that my meter (a General MM9 using the pins) is right, of course. I don't have an accurate way to calibrate it. Most of the splits were between 12% and 13%, with a few higher. Highest I saw in a about dozen splits was just over 15%. Looks like it varies by species. Most of my stock is alder that has been stored as rounds in a dry location for 7 to 8 years and split within the last few weeks. That seems to be the lower MC. There are some splits of a few other species stored along with the alder; those seem to be the higher MC. All of them were brought indoors yesterday afternoon.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Equilibrium moisture content does drift throughout the year. I suspect the yearly minimum is achieved near September, in most of this country. Somewhere back in this forum, I've posted the tables, which I believe do include Seattle.
I'll start a small morning fire when the inside temp dips below 60. Always hope for November 1 but it's typically around October 15.
Usually burning full time by Thanksgiving.
It should be noted that a lot of people will use their furnace or heat pumps in the shoulder season which pushes their first fire back.
Usually burning full time by Thanksgiving.
It should be noted that a lot of people will use their furnace or heat pumps in the shoulder season which pushes their first fire back.
Overnight lows in the mid-40s here lately. Daytime highs in the low-to-mid 50s. Somewhat colder at my altitude than the city. Mostly rainy. Older house; insulation not as good as newer homes. Finding that the BK can add 20 to 25 degrees F to the space running on low (air at 4 o'clock) with 12 hour partial reloads.
I've had a few fires in the stove already, mostly last week and the week before. Seems we can need the stove one day and AC the next.
Should probably sweep the chimney this weekend, although if the weather is nice the boat might need to go for another ride up the river instead.
Should probably sweep the chimney this weekend, although if the weather is nice the boat might need to go for another ride up the river instead.
We used to camp - like decades ago. Now we joke that 'roughing it' means there's no chocolate on the pillow when we get back to the room.Ditto. I'm relatively comfortable in anything between 45F and 85F, I just change my clothes to suit. But to my wife, anything over 76F is "roasting", and anything under 74F is "freezing".Her idea of "roughing it" is slow room service.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
All things change with age. I remember in my 20's, keeping the first floor thermostat set in the mid- or upper-60's, and leaving the heat turned off altogether on our upper two floors. Now I tend to keep the place around 73F, if I can manage it so well.
I lit both stoves with half loads to start my year yesterday morning, and had the two wings of our house at 78F and 74F by evening. I actually reloaded the one in the 74F zone with another half load for overnight, and it's still holding 74F in here. Nice.
Had our first small fire last night. Mother in law was visiting, and she was cold. Temps have been high-40s to mid-50s all week. Temp is at 64 in the house right now; a bit chilly, but haven't started heating yet.
Truthfully, I'm finishing building a wood shed. Hoping to have the roof on this weekend. Will start burning once I start getting wood moved from the stacks to the shed.
Truthfully, I'm finishing building a wood shed. Hoping to have the roof on this weekend. Will start burning once I start getting wood moved from the stacks to the shed.
I live at over 8000 feet in a Colorado ski resort and each year I start the stove earlier and earlier because the gaps between the logs in my log house get wider and wider each year and more cold drafts blow in colder and earlier
Actually 30 years ago we used to get weeks in the winter months when it would be -20˚F the whole time or even -30˚ or -35˚ on occasions at night.
This rarely happens any more because of climate change but -20˚ to -25˚days might linger for a few days here and there.
Temperatures right now begin to drop here quite steadily with the shorter days and by the end of October we will start using the stove intermittently until around mid November and from then on every day until the middle of February when warmer days arrive, also intermittently until the middle of March.
Better question is when do we stop. Ran it well into june, started late Aug. not full time, just cold nights
colin.p
Burning Hunk
Yes, I love climate change
I find that the older I get, the earlier in the year I start burning, and later in the spring I keep burning as well.
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