First fire of the season here in S. Maine

[michaelthomas]

Fired up the Resolute tonight as the temps are to dip down to 35 or so tonight. Felt good to have an armfull of wood again. It also felt good to check the stovetop temp and do all of the adjusting again. It gives you something to do ya know? Always checking to see if it is hot enough to engage the secondary and then to slowly lower the damper etc... It felt good to be back into the routine. 40 degrees outside and 78 inside. I guess I should take out the window AC tomorrow

 

[Tfin]

Lit a nice fire Sat morning. 31F outside. Burnt until around 11:30 am to an inside temp of 76F. Very nice!

 

[gyrfalcon]

Same here last night. Glad to know others are, too, because I was feeling like a bit of a wimp. But after a week of unseasonably cool temperatures, especially at night, and little daytime sun to warm things up again, the house was getting too chilly even with heavy winter clothes.

I was a little anxious, not knowing for sure and certain that this year's firewood had gotten itself sufficiently dried since April with all the rain we've had, but man, what a difference from last year! Stuff lighted right up, stove temp zipped up to 400 in short order. And best of all, what was left in the AM was almost pure ash, without the masses of charcoal crap I dealt with every day last winter.

I am so looking forward to using the stove this winter. I got my "hot water on demand" off the boiler replaced with an electric tank water heater last week, and my plumber and I made a bit of a ceremony of turning the damn dollar-bill-eating boiler off altogether, I hope permanently, but we'll see.

 

[fossil]

First fire of the season this morning in the workshop. Nights are getting cold, mornings downright chilly. Workshop's at 79 right now, guess I can throttle back a bit. Rick

 

[Henz]

not for me, still holding out!

 

[ScottF]

I am still running my air conditioning in the days and open windows at night for the free AC. Cant see starting the stove till beginning of November. But I like it 60 or less .

 

[michaelthomas]

Same here last night. Glad to know others are, too, because I was feeling like a bit of a wimp. But after a week of unseasonably cool temperatures, especially at night, and little daytime sun to warm things up again, the house was getting too chilly even with heavy winter clothes.

I was a little anxious, not knowing for sure and certain that this year's firewood had gotten itself sufficiently dried since April with all the rain we've had, but man, what a difference from last year! Stuff lighted right up, stove temp zipped up to 400 in short order. And best of all, what was left in the AM was almost pure ash, without the masses of charcoal crap I dealt with every day last winter.

I am so looking forward to using the stove this winter. I got my "hot water on demand" off the boiler replaced with an electric tank water heater last week, and my plumber and I made a bit of a ceremony of turning the damn dollar-bill-eating boiler off altogether, I hope permanently, but we'll see.

I have a 45 gallon storage tank for water that is heated by my boiler. I have used 1/2 tank of oil since April...basically for DHW. 1/2 tank = 137 gallons@$3.59/Gallon=$489 for DHW. $489/6 months=$82/Month. I cannot imagine that Electric would cost nearly that much? Any way to plumb an electric tank to have the boiler as an option to heat it if oil comes down or electric comes up? Anybody have any figures on how much it costs to run an electric water heater for a 40 gallon per day family?

 

[Jerry_NJ]

Well it depends on the start temperature and the desired hot water temperature. Those given and 40 gallons would allow an exact cost if the cost per KWH is known.

I'd give the rough estimate, just not doing the math, that for somewhere between 50 to 75 cent one can get a 40 gallon of water that starts at 50 degrees F, up to 125 degrees F if they pay 18 cents per KWH.

EDIT: crunched some numbers, water 8.3 pounds per gallon, electric 20 cents, that's what I now pay in the summer, I get it cost $1.47 to bring 40 gallons of water up 75 degrees. A bit more than my rough estimate above. Here I'm talking resistive hot water heating.

 

[gyrfalcon]

Same here last night. Glad to know others are, too, because I was feeling like a bit of a wimp. But after a week of unseasonably cool temperatures, especially at night, and little daytime sun to warm things up again, the house was getting too chilly even with heavy winter clothes.

I was a little anxious, not knowing for sure and certain that this year's firewood had gotten itself sufficiently dried since April with all the rain we've had, but man, what a difference from last year! Stuff lighted right up, stove temp zipped up to 400 in short order. And best of all, what was left in the AM was almost pure ash, without the masses of charcoal crap I dealt with every day last winter.

I am so looking forward to using the stove this winter. I got my "hot water on demand" off the boiler replaced with an electric tank water heater last week, and my plumber and I made a bit of a ceremony of turning the damn dollar-bill-eating boiler off altogether, I hope permanently, but we'll see.

I have a 45 gallon storage tank for water that is heated by my boiler. I have used 1/2 tank of oil since April...basically for DHW. 1/2 tank = 137 gallons@$3.59/Gallon=$489 for DHW. $489/6 months=$82/Month. I cannot imagine that Electric would cost nearly that much? Any way to plumb an electric tank to have the boiler as an option to heat it if oil comes down or electric comes up? Anybody have any figures on how much it costs to run an electric water heater for a 40 gallon per day family?

I'm in rural Vermont, it cost me about $500 to have a first-rate (ie, non Home Depot) 40-gal water heater installed, but it would be a good deal more in metro suburbs, I'm sure. I don't know precise figures on how much oil I was using just for my tankless "hot water on demand" system, but as a single person, it just wasn't making any sense at all. I could hear the money going down the drain every time I turned on the hot water and heard the boiler in the basement firing up-- in mid-summer. Arrgggh.

To answer your question, yes, it's simple as can be to have a system where you can switch easily back and forth. That's what my plumber did for me as a matter of course. It just involves sticking a couple simple valves on the pipes to the tank. If I want to switch back, I turn those valves off and re-open two others on the boiler and it's done.

Although I gotta say, if electric comes up in price to the point where it's as costly as fuel oil, we're in very deep trouble, and I doubt oil is ever again going to come down to the levels we all got so used to.

 

[gweldgen]

First fire tonight in our Regency. Just a few sticks to take the chill off and burn off some of the left over crustys from yesterdays cleaning. Sure feels god!! And the secondary burn looks great!!

 

[sbohlen]

Tonight makes the 3rd fire here in Bucksport this season. Just short fires in the morning or at night to take the chill off.

 

[mrurbplanner]

I managed to hold out until last night. 4 degrees Celsuis here this morning.

 

[Diabel]

Couple of half loads fires last week & a third one going right now....! This is way too early for burning!

 

[North of 60]

There calling for flurries here to-night. Ive still got some fishin to do without the ice! :coolmad:

 

[begreen]

Tonight was season launch for the gentle giant. I was hoping to hold out till October. But it looks like we're in for a chilly night, and I am still imagining it's summer. With a collection of about a cubic ft of pistachio nut shells in her, the launch was an easy season opener.

 

[Elderthewelder]

Yeah, I got a small fire going as well. clear sky's outside amd I can see my breath, house dropped below 70 around 8ish, fired up the stove and now a comfy (for wife) 75. Seem like I just stopped burning 3 months ago, I remember burning last June and already got it fired up again

 

[gyrfalcon]

I managed to hold out until last night. 4 degrees Celsuis here this morning.

Oh, heck, you're in the tropics up there. We've already had a couple nights touching O Celsius, and only a degree or two more than that the rest of the time for the last couple weeks.

 

[Tfin]

I have a 45 gallon storage tank for water that is heated by my boiler. I have used 1/2 tank of oil since April...basically for DHW. 1/2 tank = 137 gallons@$3.59/Gallon=$489 for DHW. $489/6 months=$82/Month. I cannot imagine that Electric would cost nearly that much? Any way to plumb an electric tank to have the boiler as an option to heat it if oil comes down or electric comes up? Anybody have any figures on how much it costs to run an electric water heater for a 40 gallon per day family?

This was my situation this last spring until I added a 40 gal electric water heater. Simply added a couple of valves so I can switch between the electric unit and the 40 gal externally oil fired unit.

I also added a timer to the electric water heater. I'm at about 9.8 cents/kwh and I've only seen my electric bill go up by $15 -$20 per month. If oil drops/electricity increases, I'll simply switch back to oil for DHW.

Very simple instal.

 

[Jerry_NJ]

Hum, I don't remember Seattle being cold until February :>) I lived in Seattle 1958-1966, so my weather memory is distant in time and memory resources.

Here in central NJ, while I've seen high 60s in the house at night/morning, we still just put on warmer cloths, long trousers, and shirts. I have returned to sleeping with an night shirt (undershirt), but still nothing but a sheet on the bed. I'd doubt we'll use any heat before mid-October, and then just the heat pump.

 

[RedRanger]

Only 4 celsius here this morning at 6 am. And we are not very far north of seattle. The bear is burning. With 14+ cords of nice dry wood in the bank I`m not too concerned about running dry. ;-P