Yes be green we have a 150 year old double brick farm house with r50 in the ceiling and basement foamed up to the headers and the walls sprayed with UFi when it was legal. Our windows have storms on them but I think that is our next project to replace them as they are the originals. The castine heats the main living area which is sort of 600 square feet leading of to a summer kitchen which has a gas stove and seems to balance out the heat. I am quite delighted with this stove and it's ability to pump out heat with nice dry ash, been down the road on not so dry wood as many on this forum have been, wow say no more
I have the same stove (12 years old now) and take the same approach at night... load up with 3 or 4 splits right before bed, wait for the stove top to get around 500F, then close the air. About 6 hours later will have plenty of coals to get going again, stovetop temperature is usually around 200F.
. You definitely learn a thing or two during the cold snaps - 'normal' winter weather feels simple now.
Pally walnut great to be able to burn locust I have not had any of that for a while. You are right this stove is great and is not like some of the big boys on this forum but does what I need.
Wow minimizing burn times how are you using your primary air intake. are you keeping it half open and letting the wood burn hard without letting the secondaries kick in??I'm amazed & thrilled that my castine is keeping up so far this year. These temperatures are almost 15 degrees colder than anything we've had in the previous 3 years since I've had it. It's labor intensive for sure - I'm doing a middle of the night load when it's single digits or below and also takes some effort to burn down the coals periodically, but the furnace hasn't been on once. This year I started using a tower fan on low to move some air around the stove (I only bother with the fan when it's single digits or less) and that's really been helping.
In answer to your original question though, I'm actually trying to minimize burn times and go through as much wood as possible without too much coaling since that's what I need to do this old house
I'm amazed & thrilled that my castine is keeping up so far this year. These temperatures are almost 15 degrees colder than anything we've had in the previous 3 years since I've had it. It's labor intensive for sure - I'm doing a middle of the night load when it's single digits or below and also takes some effort to burn down the coals periodically, but the furnace hasn't been on once. This year I started using a tower fan on low to move some air around the stove (I only bother with the fan when it's single digits or less) and that's really been helping.
In answer to your original question though, I'm actually trying to minimize burn times and go through as much wood as possible without too much coaling since that's what I need to do this old house
wow pretty interesting that you are trying to minimise burn times. How do you do that? Open the air full or half.how do you deal with the coals and how long do you wait before reloading ?I'm amazed & thrilled that my castine is keeping up so far this year. These temperatures are almost 15 degrees colder than anything we've had in the previous 3 years since I've had it. It's labor intensive for sure - I'm doing a middle of the night load when it's single digits or below and also takes some effort to burn down the coals periodically, but the furnace hasn't been on once. This year I started using a tower fan on low to move some air around the stove (I only bother with the fan when it's single digits or less) and that's really been helping.
In answer to your original question though, I'm actually trying to minimize burn times and go through as much wood as possible without too much coaling since that's what I need to do this old house
Pmac sounds like our situation. Stove keeps us pretty good unless cold out -15 or so then the furnace kicks in. That works for me as the furnace only runs when it is really cold like now. Checked thermometer it is - 24 ouch .
! I think that's the highest it's ever been, but it's back under control now.
My experience is very similar to yours, 500 in under an hour from cold and reloads only take less than half depending on coal bed. I have tried closing down in one increment and it does not work as well as two. I also will completely close down when it is really going and it cruises nicely. Do you close down completely or still run at 75% for the rest of the cycle?
I haven't gone 100% closed for any length of time. I have seen smoke come out the chimney when I've tried full close down. Thats the main reason I stay at 75% closed when doing the overnight burn. Maybe I should give it another try.
I was surprised when I first closed 100% primary but understand that the secondary air feeds through the burn tubes and keeps the heat pumping. I need a good fire going and close down in two or three stages before closing fully. I find the secondaries go for between one to two hours and then the coaling takes over, pretty neat. How long so you usually get secondaries?
Doug we have a neighbour who burns 2 f100 in large rooms, 20 by 20 with 12 foot ceilings. They have doors they can close so are heating approx 400 sq ft. They love them but as you say they need loading frequently. They only use them when they are going to use those rooms so are not burning 24/7, look like nice stoves.
no doors here, open oversize raised ranch with an added family room. 64* rising 70* after a few hours. probably need new gaskets, but won't shut down now to change them. great little stove and cuts our oil by one half as we heat 1800sq. ft. in the basement apt. on the colder days we add a electric space heater, which is running now on the 750/kwh setting, in the family rm.
