Coldest Night in NorthEast tonight since last March - What brand wood pellets will you use?

[fidiro]

Toasty where I am, not so outside. There was no new low for this season this morning. Temperature was 15 something outside and there was plenty of frost and the water in the little coop froze overnight. When it warms up a bit I'm going to cut up some pumpkin as a peace offering to the gals in the little coop.

Do you have the coop far away from any electicity? I'm asking as I'm still trying to find a way to keep the one I put together at my parents', from freezing. I don't have electric near it and so far it's been ok but last night was the first freeze. This is my first winter with this coop and am trying to find a way. I hope my featherless necks LOL(turkens/naked necks), don't freeze dry. I already have to deal with the new hatchings from last night into today, from freezing over, had two hens in the last month go brody on me and one had 9 three weeks ago and still waiting to count last nights hatchlings from the second hen.

Both of our coops have electricity, the little coop doesn't have an electric water heater, the big one does. So the little coop gets its waterer swapped out several times a day in cold weather. The big coop has a heater for its large metal waterer (the temperature has to get really low for a long time for that one to freeze). The birds don't seem to notice the temperatures. Mamma will tend to the peeps just make sure she has water and food close.

If I get tired of the chore I can always put the chickens into the big coop. But they like having the extra room.

I have to figure something out as my parents house is 8 miles away and don't want to burden them with swapping water several times a day. I've been kicking around an idea of building kinda of a green house around the coop to completely enclose it in and see if waterer would defrost during the day. I currently still have the 55 gallon drum feeding a hose run of I believe 10 nipple waterers but will have to drain that this week and put in at least a 5 gallon waterer like yours.

Maybe someone can come up with a solar powered pellet stove small enough for the coop!! Anyone have one yet???????

I didn't even check to see if there is a forum here to talk about things like this, is there one? I'll go looking now anyway to see so that this thread doesn't get hijacked any longer.

 

[kmapsrule]

Last night i was testing Energex Americans(first non NEWP bag I have burned) lots of heat, house was good at 74F with the overnight low outside of 18F but wow did I have a lot of ash compared to the NEWP. I haven't had an issue with the NEWP heat wise overall house has been warm with it,
the NEWP ash tends to be very clumpy/crusty which is easier to clean out of this stove as it doesn't have an ash drawer,
the Energex ash was light, loose and EVERYWHERE inside the stove. [edit] hmm, i had a bucket of energex and a bucket of stove chow side by side ready to test each, now im wondering if i accidentally put the stove chow through instead of the energex.....ugh need to pay more attention.

 

[jdempsey]

Burning somersets. Set stat to 71 at bedtime. Stove at 5-9. Woke this morn at 6am with outside temp gauge showing 19.

House held to 71. Bumping it up to 74. The misses likes it cozy.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Toasty where I am, not so outside. There was no new low for this season this morning. Temperature was 15 something outside and there was plenty of frost and the water in the little coop froze overnight. When it warms up a bit I'm going to cut up some pumpkin as a peace offering to the gals in the little coop.

Do you have the coop far away from any electicity? I'm asking as I'm still trying to find a way to keep the one I put together at my parents', from freezing. I don't have electric near it and so far it's been ok but last night was the first freeze. This is my first winter with this coop and am trying to find a way. I hope my featherless necks LOL(turkens/naked necks), don't freeze dry. I already have to deal with the new hatchings from last night into today, from freezing over, had two hens in the last month go brody on me and one had 9 three weeks ago and still waiting to count last nights hatchlings from the second hen.

Both of our coops have electricity, the little coop doesn't have an electric water heater, the big one does. So the little coop gets its waterer swapped out several times a day in cold weather. The big coop has a heater for its large metal waterer (the temperature has to get really low for a long time for that one to freeze). The birds don't seem to notice the temperatures. Mamma will tend to the peeps just make sure she has water and food close.

If I get tired of the chore I can always put the chickens into the big coop. But they like having the extra room.

I have to figure something out as my parents house is 8 miles away and don't want to burden them with swapping water several times a day. I've been kicking around an idea of building kinda of a green house around the coop to completely enclose it in and see if waterer would defrost during the day. I currently still have the 55 gallon drum feeding a hose run of I believe 10 nipple waterers but will have to drain that this week and put in at least a 5 gallon waterer like yours.

Maybe someone can come up with a solar powered pellet stove small enough for the coop!! Anyone have one yet???????

I didn't even check to see if there is a forum here to talk about things like this, is there one? I'll go looking now anyway to see so that this thread doesn't get hijacked any longer.

The DIY forum.

 

[save$]

I'm with vettechick. Just Turmans in the basement and they kept our house toasty warm last night. I enjoyed experimenting with different pellets for a couple years, but I grew tired of that "I can't wait to burn through these pellets because they s*&k feeling" so I just buy one brand now. I'm hoping they continue to maintain their good quality. I do always look at what pellets are around, but I haven't been buying. It practically took a 12 step program to be able to do that.

You know, when I get up in the morning and see myself in the mirror, I have come to the conclusion that things change! That is a good enough excuse for me to keep looking around to see what might be a little bit different in the pellet world. At least that is one area I can adventure into and not get into trouble! From what I have been reading in here. esp. the evals from Jay, I know that pellets standards change, can be season to season, or even batch to batch. Fun part is trying. I hear a lot of crabbing about some brands of pellets that seem to have just as many friends as not. I think that has a lot to do with preferences and habits, much the same as if you are a chocolate or vanilla flavor person. I'm always on the hunt for an available pellet that doesn't cost too much, i.e. $300 range, and burns hot and does not form clinkers in the burn pot.

 

[jtakeman]

I'm with vettechick. Just Turmans in the basement and they kept our house toasty warm last night. I enjoyed experimenting with different pellets for a couple years, but I grew tired of that "I can't wait to burn through these pellets because they s*&k feeling" so I just buy one brand now. I'm hoping they continue to maintain their good quality. I do always look at what pellets are around, but I haven't been buying. It practically took a 12 step program to be able to do that.

You know, when I get up in the morning and see myself in the mirror, I have come to the conclusion that things change! That is a good enough excuse for me to keep looking around to see what might be a little bit different in the pellet world. At least that is one area I can adventure into and not get into trouble! From what I have been reading in here. esp. the evals from Jay, I know that pellets standards change, can be season to season, or even batch to batch. Fun part is trying. I hear a lot of crabbing about some brands of pellets that seem to have just as many friends as not. It think that has a lot to do with preferences and habits, much the same as if you are a chocolate or vanilla flavor person. I'm always on the hunt for an available pellet that doesn't cost too much, i.e. $300 range, and burns hot and does not form clinkers in the burn pot.

I agree with save$! Gotta know whats out there. What if Turmans have a fire and no pellets hit the market next season? Or peeps like "OMV", "ironpony", "STB" or "Dex" go and buy up all thats available! You'll need to know whats close for back up. Or you might get stuck with a pellet that is no better than #2 in your stove.

Gotta have options! JIC! ;-)

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I'm with vettechick. Just Turmans in the basement and they kept our house toasty warm last night. I enjoyed experimenting with different pellets for a couple years, but I grew tired of that "I can't wait to burn through these pellets because they s*&k feeling" so I just buy one brand now. I'm hoping they continue to maintain their good quality. I do always look at what pellets are around, but I haven't been buying. It practically took a 12 step program to be able to do that.

You know, when I get up in the morning and see myself in the mirror, I have come to the conclusion that things change! That is a good enough excuse for me to keep looking around to see what might be a little bit different in the pellet world. At least that is one area I can adventure into and not get into trouble! From what I have been reading in here. esp. the evals from Jay, I know that pellets standards change, can be season to season, or even batch to batch. Fun part is trying. I hear a lot of crabbing about some brands of pellets that seem to have just as many friends as not. It think that has a lot to do with preferences and habits, much the same as if you are a chocolate or vanilla flavor person. I'm always on the hunt for an available pellet that doesn't cost too much, i.e. $300 range, and burns hot and does not form clinkers in the burn pot.

I agree with save$! Gotta know whats out there. What if Turmans have a fire and no pellets hit the market next season? Or peeps like "OMV", "ironpony", "STB" or "Dex" go and buy up all thats available! You'll need to know whats close for back up. Or you might get stuck with a pellet that is no better than #2 in your stove.

Gotta have options! JIC! ;-)

Hey I's on fixed income have to watch out for costs. When I see a good deal around, I bunker.

 

[jtakeman]

I'm with vettechick. Just Turmans in the basement and they kept our house toasty warm last night. I enjoyed experimenting with different pellets for a couple years, but I grew tired of that "I can't wait to burn through these pellets because they s*&k feeling" so I just buy one brand now. I'm hoping they continue to maintain their good quality. I do always look at what pellets are around, but I haven't been buying. It practically took a 12 step program to be able to do that.

You know, when I get up in the morning and see myself in the mirror, I have come to the conclusion that things change! That is a good enough excuse for me to keep looking around to see what might be a little bit different in the pellet world. At least that is one area I can adventure into and not get into trouble! From what I have been reading in here. esp. the evals from Jay, I know that pellets standards change, can be season to season, or even batch to batch. Fun part is trying. I hear a lot of crabbing about some brands of pellets that seem to have just as many friends as not. It think that has a lot to do with preferences and habits, much the same as if you are a chocolate or vanilla flavor person. I'm always on the hunt for an available pellet that doesn't cost too much, i.e. $300 range, and burns hot and does not form clinkers in the burn pot.

I agree with save$! Gotta know whats out there. What if Turmans have a fire and no pellets hit the market next season? Or peeps like "OMV", "ironpony", "STB" or "Dex" go and buy up all thats available! You'll need to know whats close for back up. Or you might get stuck with a pellet that is no better than #2 in your stove.

Gotta have options! JIC! ;-)

Hey I's on fixed income have to watch out for costs. When I see a good deal around, I bunker.

Now thats a good excuse for being one of the biggest hogs we know! ;-) And me being very jealous that I can't bunker a full 5 seasons at a time! :sad:

 

[jrogers999]

Green Supremes. Left stove on 3 feed@2, 20 degrees. Outside when I woke up. 76 degrees in house.

 

[Oink Oink]

Been alternating between Green Supreme and North American for the shoulder season (seems to be about the same). Was 74 in the living room and 24 outside when I woke up at 7:30am. Have Vermont's for when it gets cold out.

 

[[email protected]]

18 degrees this morning and 69 degrees inside. I try to keep it about 70 so all good. I am burning NEWP, only a few bags left but picked up 2 tons of Green supremes yesterday, I hope they are the same as NEWP. Oh yea stove was on 1 (out of 9). Sometimes I like my little 950 foot house!

 

[vettechick]

I agree with save$! Gotta know whats out there. What if Turmans have a fire and no pellets hit the market next season? Or peeps like "OMV", "ironpony", "STB" or "Dex" go and buy up all thats available! You'll need to know whats close for back up. Or you might get stuck with a pellet that is no better than #2 in your stove.

Gotta have options! JIC! ;-)

Funny that you say this. In April we will be bartering some excavation work for a truckload (22-24 tons) of Turman pellets. They will be stored inside and go in the tractor bay of the barn and will last us for 4 years. That will be the "Feel-Good of all Feel-Goods!"

 

[chrisasst]

Instant Heat= these things are throwing the heat out from my PDVC and EF2.

 

[Bank]

Burning the last 10 bags of CleanFires from 2008, then onto the Maine's Choice which suprisingly are not bad, Whoulda thunk!

 

[UncleAnthony]

Greene Team

 

[Eatonpcat]

I'm with vettechick. Just Turmans in the basement and they kept our house toasty warm last night. I enjoyed experimenting with different pellets for a couple years, but I grew tired of that "I can't wait to burn through these pellets because they s*&k feeling" so I just buy one brand now. I'm hoping they continue to maintain their good quality. I do always look at what pellets are around, but I haven't been buying. It practically took a 12 step program to be able to do that.

You know, when I get up in the morning and see myself in the mirror, I have come to the conclusion that things change! That is a good enough excuse for me to keep looking around to see what might be a little bit different in the pellet world. At least that is one area I can adventure into and not get into trouble! From what I have been reading in here. esp. the evals from Jay, I know that pellets standards change, can be season to season, or even batch to batch. Fun part is trying. I hear a lot of crabbing about some brands of pellets that seem to have just as many friends as not. It think that has a lot to do with preferences and habits, much the same as if you are a chocolate or vanilla flavor person. I'm always on the hunt for an available pellet that doesn't cost too much, i.e. $300 range, and burns hot and does not form clinkers in the burn pot.

I agree with save$! Gotta know whats out there. What if Turmans have a fire and no pellets hit the market next season? Or peeps like "OMV", "ironpony", "STB" or "Dex" go and buy up all thats available! You'll need to know whats close for back up. Or you might get stuck with a pellet that is no better than #2 in your stove.

Gotta have options! JIC! ;-)

Great...You named the only two pellet hogs in Ohio, Now I must rethink my strategy!! I'm not above stealing, Wifey needs to be warm!! ;-)

 

[titanracer]

Have 2 ton of Somerset & 1 ton of Hamer's Hot One's for this year. With the unnormal warm season so far this year, this has been the 1st his year that I have burnt for 24 hour period. I have been burning Somerset so far, keeping the Hamer's for the even colder days & nights to come. We did have 18 dergrees last night, this morning, when woke up, I had 75 degrees in the house on the lowest setting the stove will burn.

 

[Augmister]

27 degrees and everything outside tonight is frosty! Still burning less than a bag a day and plowing ahead with the shoulder pellets, Fireside Ultra. Keeping the stove on one and two and a balmy 74 in our 820 sq ft hobbit. When we get down to the upper teens, will mix in some Somersets with the Firesides. Will break out the Barefoots at 10 degrees.

We just burned the first third of the month, so hoping to stay cold but dry till New Years.... then we're just looking at 90 days of Craptasticism. I can live with dat!

 

[Don2222]

Hello

It is 9:49 PM here tonight and the temp outside is 26 Deg F.

It is 77 in the basement where the pellet stove is and 73 upstairs in the living room and kitchen. Nice and toasty!

So I dumped in a bag of Clean Fire Pacific Blend on top of the Super Premium Geneva wood pellets for a powerful hot brew!!
http://www.genevapellets.com/pellet_quality.html
http://www.cleanfirepellets.com/test_data.aspx

The grass outside is stiff and crunchy from a frozen wet dew!

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

10:30 roughly, 76 in the stove room, 70 in the upstairs great room, 66 in the hardest room for the stove to heat, and 22 outside. Still burning those MWP and don't intend on changing to any other brand for awhile yet. The stove is cruising on 2 and will likely get a cleaning tomorrow after I do the laundry, IIRC it has been over a week. Temps headed for about 15 again in the morning if the dew point is any indication.

Finally the house is all decorated. I did two trees in between other odds and ends.

 

[Como]

8F

New Earth - medium setting and 80F inside, will turn it down to low for tonight.

We are in the middle of a warm spell, apparently there is another front coming through at the end of the week.

 

[capecod]

22 degrees this a.m. on Cape. I am burning Barefoots. ( I like the heat and hate to be cold!)

 

[JBiBBs5]

It was 21 degrees outside when I woke up this morning. Inside was 76 degrees with the stove running on setting 3. I had to turn it down to 2 because the barefoots burn super hot. To get the same heat out of the stove chow I would have had to been burning on 4 or 5.

 

[BradH70]

I just switched to my Okies over the weekend. Still have about 15 bags of NEWP left, but will save those for March.

 

[Kiver]

Going down to the teens tonight. The Green Supremes didn't cut it last night and the gas came on twice overnight. Setting 3 of 5. Throwing in some Spruce Pointes tonight to see if there is much of a differance