I'm falling out of love with my stove.

[Sodbuster]

Motor7, what was your power bill running before, and how much did you spend to buy the LED's they are kind of spendy aren't they?

 

[Seasoned Oak]

10amps? Whoa..mine are .14 amp & 110 CFM, so both together are only drawing .28 amps. They are working fine, & I also run 2 out of 4 ceiling fans on low & in reverse on the main floor. I think the biggest issue is the 22' cathedral ceiling & great room design.....I have to push or pull a lot of heat down off the ceiling.
.

As BGreen said a regular furnace fan that distributes air through duct work is about 1000 CFM so you need some HP to move larger volumes of air. I still have a ten degree difference between the 1st floor temps and the second floor so i definitely dont want to use a smaller fan.

 

[Motor7]

Motor7, what was your power bill running before, and how much did you spend to buy the LED's they are kind of spendy aren't they?

I didn't have a power bill....I built the house myself, started in July of '11 and finished 98% by this fall. I have about $400 in LED bulbs now and the only thing not led are the track lights in the great room....18 small 50w bulbs. We use these all the time so when I can afford it I am going to swap them out & I am guessing this will knock off another 10-15$ off my bill. All the appliances are brand new and all high effecient. I went with Propane instant hot water, cooktop and ventless fireplace(Ahhhhhmmmmbbbeeeaance) so you have to factor in that cost. This is the first time In my life I have ever had gas and we were kinda free with it at first. Then I noticed how much we used, so the ventless does not run much anymore at all unless we have company.

Long range plan is that first I am going to build a solar hot water panel this summer. The propane hot water heater is great but it is sucking the bulk of the gas so by sending already heated water to it from the sun it will kick on much much less. Then it's solar panels across the Southern facing porch roof which is 44' long. Panels are now down to a dollar a watt so it is very affordable. I'll grid tie for now, but want to be off grid in a year or two.

LED bulbs have been getting better in quality and the price has been falling steadily for the past year. Bulb life is supposed to be 20 years & at an average price now of <$20 a bulb make it doable. I bought 4 at a time every time I was in HD until I had enough. The house needs to be all LED to maximize the future solar panels. Best "guestament" is that I am saving $20 a month so it will take 2-3 years to pay them off....then it's all langniappe

 

[Motor7]

As BGreen said a regular furnace fan that distributes air through duct work is about 1000 CFM so you need some HP to move larger volumes of air. I still have a ten degree difference between the 1st floor temps and the second floor so i definitely dont want to use a smaller fan.

I will most likely have to add a few more of those fans, but I am trying real hard to stay away from anything that draws high amps. I think I can do it, it's just going to take some trial and error.

Oh and ZIP...sorry for the hijack/sidetrack

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I will most likely have to add a few more of those fans, but I am trying real hard to stay away from anything that draws high amps. I think I can do it, it's just going to take some trial and error.
Oh and ZIP...sorry for the hijack/sidetrack

Theres no substitute for CFMs in moving the heat up to the floor above. Only other thing that works is a large floor register directly above the stove.

 

[MishMouse]

Ziprich, is the AB working correctly?
Have you checked to see if the AB is clogged with ash?
Have you checked the AB for damage?

This year I was having a hard time to get the AB active and running properly.
Thus I was getting less heat from my TL300.
During the annual cleaning and checking I had them check the AB and it had a worn spot on it.
So I had it replaced and it was last night and day.

 

[razerface]

Was the worn spot burnt away? How many years did you burn to get this worn spot? I am having no trouble heating 3600sq ft with my tl300 in the basement,,, I like it.

 

[MishMouse]

It was around 4 years before it was noticed, though my guess the main reason for the worn spot was that the wife got a little to excided with a piece of wood and broke the Harman Brick which directly exposed the AB to the fire. Wasn't exposed for to long, maybe 8 hours at the most but it definitely was the main cause of the worn spot. But, looking at the AB unit itself showed that it was degrading. Though 4-5 years usage running it 24-7 for 9+ months per year is not that bad.

 

[begreen]

Ok now its time to come alittle clean. I didn't tell you guys that my stove is in my block basement that is unfinished. my wife didnt want it on the main floor, biggest regret ever! But I didnt think that was it because it worked last year. Im not sure how big my house is. Its and average size rancher with a upstairs that consists of two rooms. 2000 sq ft maybe? Also the door to the upstairs was removed this year, not that it was air tight or anything. Should I call the stove shop or insulate the basement?

Last winter was quite mild. This year winter is the opposite. About a third of your heat (and wood) is going to heat the outdoors in the basement. That could be the problem right there. If so, run the main heating system together with the stove. This cold snap will pass and love will return.