Coldest night so far. What are ya burning??

[Branson4720]

Boy thats saying alot for the Black hills This man got nothing but the best I was suppose to be getting some to try, would of loved to be trying them in this cold snap

The Black Hills are super hot

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Smokey you must be living a cold spot. I haven't seen any temps in So. Maine anywhere near that.

Lots of cold spots in (southern) Maine just get out of the built up areas and away from the coast.

 

[mepellet]

Lots of cold spots in (southern) Maine just get out of the built up areas and away from the coast.

Few people calling you out smokey... Just take a picture with something that shows the current date like a newspaper and put all the naysayers to rest. Lol

 

[subsailor]

Few people calling you out smokey... Just take a picture with something that shows the current date like a newspaper and put all the naysayers to rest. Lol

I'm not calling him out. I've got no reason to do that.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Few people calling you out smokey... Just take a picture with something that shows the current date like a newspaper and put all the naysayers to rest. Lol

You mean like the Portland Press Herald with it's Portland temperatures from PWM and over 15 miles from me and on the coast?

Or we could use the heating degree day figures from one of the more local airstrips which for 01/24/2013 was 63 on a base 65 balance point meaning the average temperature at that location for that date was a whole 2

Those that think I'm telling a big one can find all kinds of information that backs me up.

I'd hope you folks do realize there are dozens of search able temperature data bases.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I'm not calling him out. I've got no reason to do that.

I have no problem with your comment subsailor, I used to live on a man made peninsular where the temperature varied several degrees from one end to the other and a little over 7 miles towards the mainland it normally varied 10 to 15 .

 

[St_Earl]

i'm not calling you out either. still getting used to even living here.

it also seems like a lot of places south of me in other states were way colder too.
some big blast rolling in off the lakes perhaps.
i have put a second thermometer outside (analog) to try and get a feel for the accuracy of my digital one.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

i'm not calling you out either. still getting used to even living here.

it also seems like a lot of places south of me in other states were way colder too.
some big blast rolling in off the lakes perhaps.
i have put a second thermometer outside (analog) to try and get a feel for the accuracy of my digital one.

Maine isn't a flat uniform state and after awhile you'll figure out where the boundaries are for the "normal" differences in things like snow fall, rain fall, temperatures,etc. are.

 

[SmokeEater]

ok. so torrefied wood pellets.
i have seen at least one article that seemed to be saying they could be used in regular pellet stoves.

i'd guess you would just mix in a small percentage with regular wood pellets.
since they supposedly burn 30% hotter than coal.
the feed rates would be way too high i'd have to think of a stove designed for wood pellets.

......................... .......... information though.

Torrified pellets would work in the pellet stoves with a little modification. The feed timer, whether mechanical or electronic, would have to be modified to slow the feed rate to about 80% of the rate of feed for wood pellets. The hopper then would last longer, but the stove was designed to have a maximum heat output and that should not be changed. The benefit would be that the volume of stored pellets would decrease significantly because of the higher energy content of the torrified pellets and the higher density of the new pellet. More energy would be in the hopper and so a full hopper would last approximately 40 to 45% longer. Another advantage would be that moisture and humidity would not affect the moisture content of the torrified pellet as they are not hydroscopic and are more like coal when stored. Of course all of this comes at a higher price. How much higher is not known at this time, but to sell, it must be competative.

 

[DexterDay]

I work in Cleveland (right on Lake Erie) it can be almost 10° cooler at night where I live (about 57 South/Southwest) because of the Warm water that the Lake still retains... I can feel the difference when I get out of the car

 

[mepellet]

I have no problem with your comment subsailor, I used to live on a man made peninsular where the temperature varied several degrees from one end to the other and a little over 7 miles towards the mainland it normally varied 10 to 15 .

Wasn't trying to start trouble. Just seemed like you were defending yourself and figured the best way would be to post a pic because as we all know..... PICS OR IT DIDNT HAPPEN! :D

I too sometimes see a large temp variation between reported numbers and house or car thermometer readings. It is all very local. I don't trust the reported numbers as much as my own thermometers.

 

[jtakeman]

Torrified pellets would work in the pellet stoves with a little modification. The feed timer, whether mechanical or electronic, would have to be modified to slow the feed rate to about 80% of the rate of feed for wood pellets. The hopper then would last longer, but the stove was designed to have a maximum heat output and that should not be changed. The benefit would be that the volume of stored pellets would decrease significantly because of the higher energy content of the torrified pellets and the higher density of the new pellet. More energy would be in the hopper and so a full hopper would last approximately 40 to 45% longer. Another advantage would be that moisture and humidity would not affect the moisture content of the torrified pellet as they are not hydroscopic and are more like coal when stored. Of course all of this comes at a higher price. How much higher is not known at this time, but to sell, it must be competative.

I believe it will be at a higher cost. The pellets are still made the same way and then your adding the time/energy to heat them. More labor and resources have to add to the bottom line.

We should start a thread on this subject. I bet it draws a crowd.

 

[SmokeEater]

I believe it will be at a higher cost. The pellets are still made the same way and then your adding the time/energy to heat them. More labor and resources have to add to the bottom line.

We should start a thread on this subject. I bet it draws a crowd.

A good amount, if not all, of the fuel source to heat the wood to torrify it comes out of the wood as VOCs in the process. They are collected and mixed with air to create the heat needed in the process.

 

[St_Earl]

i just stumbled on a little custom hopper management trick.
some of you may know this already, but for me it's the first time i've burned a second type of pellet.
i'm just filling the void in the hopper as it empties. with the mwp blend.
these will then feed in first and leave the softies that are further from the auger opening.

i actually mixed the blend in with the softies in the whole hopper.
but during the day today i will just keep 100% blend running in the front emptied "cone" until tonight and then let to softie/blend mix fill in as night falls.

i'm pretty sure i'm more excited about this discovery than a normal person would be.
but i'm not normal. i'm a pellet head. : )

 

[jtakeman]

What ya all won't do in the cold?

I can't seem to do that. Once I see the funnel I have to level them in the hopper. I get to touch em that way. Then I look for long ones and I just have ta break em in half or 3rds. I get to touch em again.

 

[MikeinRI]

There are some weekly meetings several of us should attend.

 

[PoolGuyinCT]

Hot dam just clocked hamers a
@ 295 exiting blower...

Topping off with green teams for the night.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

There are some weekly meetings several of us should attend.

I got rid of meetings a long time ago along with pagers, cell phones, and various other annoyances.

Just leave me alone and let me be warm. I don't need no stinkin' meetings.

 

[St_Earl]

I got rid of meetings a long time ago along with pagers, cell phones, and various other annoyances.

Just leave me alone and let me be warm. I don't need no stinkin' meetings.

i believe august was the last time i actually answered the phone.
i knew it was the hardware store calling letting me know the extra j-channel to finish the house had come in.

 

[Phil Do's fire.]

Burning Somersets on level 3, 5 being the hottest. The italian stallion keeps the house at 71 ccozy degrees and a bag lasts 30 hours

 

[imacman]

Well, temps above freezing now, and headed up into the 50's later this week....guess the Somersets go back into hibernation, and the stove gets a rest on On-Off.

 

[jtakeman]

Hi/lo for tonight, Should be warmer tomorrow night and I'll also go to auto off. Back to the PTL's and I need more! Lowes gift card should get me another 10 bags of the Timber Heats. I'm liken both, Time to fill up again, But I can't decide which I'm gonna get a ton of?

 

[save$]

Back to the blended MWPs, It will only be for a few day because the forecast is for more arctic this weekend. I think I'll hold over any of the softies I don't need and keep them for next year, even if it means buying more blended ones for this year. I doubt I can get them again for what I paid last year. I want to shop around and try a few other brands. I did some of that last year, alway being dissatisfied with that big ash clump forming in the burn pot. The MWPs don 't do that.

 

[subsailor]

alway being dissatisfied with that big ash clump forming in the burn pot. The MWPs don 't do that.

Which MWP's don't do it? The softies or both?

 

[save$]

Which MWP's don't do it? The softies or both?

Neither kind of MWP make clumping ash. I have had more loose ash in the burn pot with the softies so I cleaned it out on the second day. I've only burned 7 bags of softies so far. I'll need more time to make a good judgment about these, but one thing is for sure, they did bring the temp up during the worst of the cold spell. I can't help but wonder if I had a stove capable of burning more pellets and rated for higher btu output, that then I would be satisfied with the less expensive MWP blend for all my heating needs. When I got my stove, it was about all that was available, and I was not well informed. This forum has done a lot to educate me. My son bought a big Englander used and he is very happy with it.