Deep freeze question

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Vinelife

Minister of Fire
Hearth Supporter
May 31, 2010
627
Way Up North Michigan
In the last week, what are some of the night time temps you guys are getting. One morning a few days ago we had -34 ... at that point the stove could not keep up... any thoughts ?
 
Move?

Just kidding. ==c

I can't imagine trying to heat a house in those temps. With anything.
 
Well.. it was that temp for about 4 hours before it got up to 8 degrees that day. I have a pellet stove, wood stove and electrical baseboard heat. So when things get really cold, i'll use more than one heat source.
 
Have had several double digit temps below but not a serious issue till someone cranks up the wind. -7 here now but the wind unexpectedly has dropped too. Will be to at least -18 and daytime high of -8 tomorrow. With three stoves it's not an issue. Just have to start bumping up the feed rate if it continues for more than a couple days.
 
- 7 here last night and stove did fine but -34 no way. Last week when we had the cold with high wind my stove was working very hard and we felt every draft we have in this place
 
Well.. it was that temp for about 4 hours before it got up to 8 degrees that day. I have a pellet stove, wood stove and electrical baseboard heat. So when things get really cold, i'll use more than one heat source.

We set records since they started recording them in the eighteen hundreds for a couple of days/nights this week and I had to get inventive myself. Since we don't have another heat source other than the wood stove.
 
We set records since they started recording them in the eighteen hundreds for a couple of days/nights this week and I had to get inventive myself. Since we don't have another heat source other than the wood stove.
Did she like it;)
 
Well, now that you ask. Yes. :p
 
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Seems to me around minus 30-33 C (-24-ish F?) I start losing the battle where if I try and keep up, I end up with a bunch of coals. Depends on the amount of wind though.
 
I thought my MAXX was a little to much stove for my house for the last 3 years. But the last few weeks its keep me warm. Keeps up just fine with it set at 50000 BTU. Glad I got it now.
 
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-6 yesterday. 31 today. Here in New England we have a saying about the weather. "If you don't like the weather, just wait a minute"
 
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Space heaters are not going to keep up at those temps.. Some part of your house will be cold.
 
Unless you have very tight house, you need a boiler that circulates heat all around the house to keep up with temps like that. I have on occasion heated my house with my boiler in -30 temps and routinely do at -15. I just have to have two fires a day to charge up the storage. It is great time to go around the house and identify where there are air leaks. I have a high tech bathroom fan that is supposed to have a good backdraft damper and noticed it was leaking in a lot of air from the outside during a -20 night last week. I will be upgrading it.

The other thing folks forget when they are running a stove or boiler hard is that combustion air has to come from somewhere and unless they have a HRV it coming from outdoors at -30.
 
I guess when people install a space heater (aka: woodstove/pellet stove/coal srove) they toss their central heat plant.... Not me. Mine is always on standby because a space heater is just that, heats a space, not the whole thing.
 
When temps get anywhere below 0 my central heat starts losing the battle. Several tips. Turn the oven on and open the door ,gives my kitchen 10 degrees in about 20 minutes. Small Electric space heaters on low. when its -35 its a good day to clean that self cleaning oven. Any type of cooking helps,lastly wear a sweater.
 
We had between -35 and -40 temps last week. My house is probably smaller then most (1200sq/ft) and super drafty and my pellet stove kept the house warm. There was no way I was going to turn on the electric heat. I'd rather just feed more pellets to the stove
 
Down to the normal two stoves now and chicken in the oven and have to dig out the pie from the freezer to keep the oven going and start up some soup on the range to help get some humidity. -14 out right now but the winds aren't bad at only 15mph.
 
There was no way I was going to turn on the electric heat. I'd rather just feed more pellets to the stove
As long as it works. My electric bill went up a whopping $12 since i start supplementing my central heat with electric space heaters and running the oven a lot.
Not bad for 2 months of the coldest temps in memory. My boiler is running 24/7 already producing about 85000 BTUs.
 
It was -23 with a bad wind last Monday morning. It never got above zero. It was -15 on Thursday morning and we had a high of 5.

Last winter it was -26 two mornings in a row. I think that is as low as the thermometer would go.
 
I thought my MAXX was a little to much stove for my house for the last 3 years. But the last few weeks its keep me warm. Keeps up just fine with it set at 50000 BTU. Glad I got it now.

Funny that extra head room makes all the difference when the white stuff starts a flying and the temps head way down there..
 
Been averageing -20 most mornings for the last couple of weeks though today 2/22 we have the windows open to get some fresh air in the house . About to close them though as we're headed back down tonight . Stoves kept up all winter so far but burning at least 2 bags (energex ) a day . So how long before the sap starts running and we get back to weather fit for man and beast .?
 
As long as it works. My electric bill went up a whopping $12 since i start supplementing my central heat with electric space heaters and running the oven a lot.
My baseboards were costing close to $300/month and the house was maybe 12c (could not get it warmer) with pellet stove bills are around $100/month with a much warmer house
 
When temps get anywhere below 0 my central heat starts losing the battle. Several tips. Turn the oven on and open the door ,gives my kitchen 10 degrees in about 20 minutes. Small Electric space heaters on low. when its -35 its a good day to clean that self cleaning oven. Any type of cooking helps,lastly wear a sweater.

I'm kind of suprised your Keystoker can't handle the heat load. I would figure that would roast you out....
 
Down to the normal two stoves now and chicken in the oven and have to dig out the pie from the freezer to keep the oven going and start up some soup on the range to help get some humidity. -14 out right now but the winds aren't bad at only 15mph.
What time is dinner tonight? Do you want me to grab some nice bread? lol sounds good
 
I'm kind of suprised your Keystoker can't handle the heat load. I would figure that would roast you out....
Its the smallest one they make heating a 3000 Sf 3 story partially insulated house. About 85000 BTUs The coldest it got this winter was 70,without help Thermostat is set at 75.
Stove is so small you can hardly push 1 ton through it in a month of bitter weather.
 
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