Garn is up and running

[Deere3720]

Well it is official we no longer relying on oil to heat our house. As of today we are using our Garn 2000 to provide our heat and hot water. It was a long road to get here but with help from family and friends and Chris Holley at FHS it has come true. When my son, who is away at college, found out he sent me a text " now mom will be happy all the time and a happy mom makes for a happy house". Man I taught the him well.

 

[KenLockett]

Well it is official we no longer relying on oil to heat our house. As of today we are using our Garn 2000 to provide our heat and hot water. It was a long road to get here but with help from family and friends and Chris Holley at FHS it has come true. When my son, who is away at college, found out he sent me a text " now mom will be happy all the time and a happy mom makes for a happy house". Man I taught the him well.

Congrats! It was just about this same time last year that I brought my Tarm Solo Plus 40 online. It's been an obsession ever since and like most of us you'll find on here you'll probably be tinkering with it for many seasons to come. It's a relief getting away from the oil hog isn't it? And my wife is happy as well now that she is always warm without having to be concerned about the cost of heating.

 

[maple1]

Obsession - yes indeed.

Happy burning!

 

[BoilerMan]

Welcome to the obsession................"Hi my name is ______, and I have a firewood obsession"

Sounds great to me!

TS

 

[infinitymike]

And my wife is happy as well now that she is always warm without having to be concerned about the cost of heating.

For now she may be but once the obsession really kicks in she will she how much the heat really costs
Countless hours on hearth.com, countless hours out scrounging
countless hours out cutting splitting stacking
countless hours staring at the boiler
Quite a cost but worth every minute.

 

[infinitymike]

oh yeah congrats Deere3720

 

[Rick Stanley]

Congratulations!!

 

[mikefrommaine]

Congrats, but I haven't seen the pics yet.
So it never happened.

 

[Deere3720]

Well thanks everyone. My wife and kids have been very happy these last couple of days. I have had an wood obsession almost my whole life. I also have called a pyromaniac. I have told my wife I will never tell her that she can't turn the heat up. However I'm afraid that I will be to hot yet she will be comfortable. I am in the retail business so I will not be able to do much to finish the final steps for a couple of weeks. I am not looking forward to tomorrow. I have to drain the Garn and clean it and then refill it. So we will be off line for a while. I hope the oil burner doesn't kick on.

 

[Tennman]

Congrats! I was wondering if you where farming in SE MA. This is your time of year in retail. There's probably a little of pyro in most of us here! I'm guessing you have radiant heat with your Garn?

 

[Deere3720]

Tennman I am not a famer but like the outdoors and physical labor. And yes playing with fire. I do have radiant heat in the new "Barn" but I don't need it yet. I haven't finished insulating the Garn so until then it is way to hot in there to even think about turning it on. The house is forced hoy water.

I drained it this pass week and did the first cleaning, now that was not a fun job. I knew it was going to be dirty but never imagined it would be that dirty. Everything seems to be working great so far. Definitly going to take some time to learn the right time to fire and how much wood etc...

I have sent some picture on a different thread but will send some I this one as well. I took plenty.

 

[Kemer]

Tennman I am not a famer but like the outdoors and physical labor. And yes playing with fire. I do have radiant heat in the new "Barn" but I don't need it yet. I haven't finished insulating the Garn so until then it is way to hot in there to even think about turning it on. The house is forced hoy water.

I drained it this pass week and did the first cleaning, now that was not a fun job. I knew it was going to be dirty but never imagined it would be that dirty. Everything seems to be working great so far. Definitly going to take some time to learn the right time to fire and how much wood etc...

I have sent some picture on a different thread but will send some I this one as well. I took plenty.

 

[Kemer]

Is that a vertical Garn?

 

[Deere3720]

Is that a vertical Garn?

Yes it is.

 

[Kemer]

Yes it is.

I have mine for about 3 years now.If you ave any questions fell free to ask me.Harry

 

[Deere3720]

Harry what size wood have you been using? And how often do you light a fire?

 

[Kemer]

Harry what size wood have you been using? And how often do you light a fire?

I cut my wood at 24" and keep it back 8" or 2 firebrick from the front.I fill it about 3/4 full.I usually burn once a day for 3 hrs.I burn for about 1.5 hrs then reload .Just not as much .

 

[RustyVT]

Congrats on the Garn! I'm inches from pulling the trigger in Vermont, but the last thing is a worry I'm going to smell smoke all the time. I would also do the verticle. The building I'm looking to use as the famous "Garn Barn" is a post and beam adjacent to my house, but off its northeast corner. Yup- we get north wind most of the time here in the Champlain Valley, so I imagine if it's coming out, I'm going to smell it. Am I worried about nothing?

PS- Your JD has shinier paint than mine, but I still love it!

 

[Deere3720]

Congrats on the Garn! I'm inches from pulling the trigger in Vermont, but the last thing is a worry I'm going to smell smoke all the time. I would also do the verticle. The building I'm looking to use as the famous "Garn Barn" is a post and beam adjacent to my house, but off its northeast corner. Yup- we get north wind most of the time here in the Champlain Valley, so I imagine if it's coming out, I'm going to smell it. Am I worried about nothing?

PS- Your JD has shinier paint than mine, but I still love it!

Welcome. If you have the right seasoned wood and laod it properly you will only see and smell smoke for a short time. My Garn is not completely insulated yet, so if you want to take a drive down and see it just let me know. I hope to insulate it within the next two weeks. If you can't make it with in the next two weeks you can still come another time, just let me know.

The dealer you would have to buy from is Chris Holly and he is from Vermont. He treated me great and was very helpful.

My JD is only 9 months old, or should I say that one is only 9 months old. And my wife says I love it more than her. And I never argue with her.

 

[Sawyer]

Looking Good, you have a nice clean install! Nothing easier to operate, load and leave. I am very glad I chose a Garn considering my loads and winter temps. Works great for domestic in the summer also. You JD makes my 1050 look tiny.

 

[Deere3720]

Looking Good, you have a nice clean install! Nothing easier to operate, load and leave. I am very glad I chose a Garn considering my loads and winter temps. Works great for domestic in the summer also. You JD makes my 1050 look tiny.

Thanks George, I still am getting some puffing however. But I rememeber seeing a post, by you, in regards to this. I have 16" and 24" lengths split. The 16" is what I normally use in my fireplace insert. I wasn't sure if I was going to have the Garn up and running in time for this winter season so I had to prepare for using the insert. The 16" are also split small, 2" to 4". The 24" are split 5" to maybe 8". The 24" was cut and split and stacked in March and April of this year and the 16" was cut slpit and stacked in Oct, Nov, Dec of last year (2011). I was orginally using the 16" laid two pieces to a row, 32" total, and I was getting puffing and alot of smoke. I was planning on using the 24" for next season. However I have been using them now and find that I get less puffing and alot less smoke. I did check the MC of both and found that my 16" are between 15% and 22%. My 24" are anywhere 20% and 30%. I would like to thank you for that old post and I will keep playing around until I find out what works the best. Do you still have wood for the 2018 season and if so how do you keep it from getting to dry?

It doesn't look that tiny in the pictures. How many horse is that 1050?
Here is a picture that might make you cry. This is my JD in my trench. I was triing to beat the weather, Hurricane Sandy, and the ground was sandy and the gave way and the back left wheel went first and then the front left. Not a fun night. About three hours later we got it out. And it had only a minor dent from the rear stablizer bar.

 

[Sawyer]

Yes, I am still set with wood for 2018 and have another 24 cords of hard maple ready to cut and split this spring. I have the wood stacked on pallets in the form of two 24” wide rows. I staple a tarp on the top and slightly over the edge. It keeps the water out of the pile and yet allows air to blow through it. The wood stored outside like this never goes below 15%-20% depending on the relative humidity at the time.

Burning small splits will always be a problem, just too much surface area igniting at the same time with a fixed blower setting. I have noticed fewer problems with puffing and lower/smoother exhaust noise since I installed the flow straightener a few weeks ago.

My JD 1050 has a diesel, 33hp, 3 cyl. Yanmar engine. Fortunately it has never been in the position you show in the photo. Fortunately no one was hurt and the tractor sustained minor injuries.

 

[Deere3720]

Yes, I am still set with wood for 2018 and have another 24 cords of hard maple ready to cut and split this spring. I have the wood stacked on pallets in the form of two 24” wide rows. I staple a tarp on the top and slightly over the edge. It keeps the water out of the pile and yet allows air to blow through it. The wood stored outside like this never goes below 15%-20% depending on the relative humidity at the time.

Burning small splits will always be a problem, just too much surface area igniting at the same time with a fixed blower setting. I have noticed fewer problems with puffing and lower/smoother exhaust noise since I installed the flow straightener a few weeks ago.

My JD 1050 has a diesel, 33hp, 3 cyl. Yanmar engine. Fortunately it has never been in the position you show in the photo. Fortunately no one was hurt and the tractor sustained minor injuries.

George what is a "flow straightener'? Are you using the new digital controller?

 

[Kemer]

George what is a "flow straightener'? Are you using the new digital controller?

If you take the time to pack your small splits it should help.My set up is very similar to yours (air intake and vertical) I bought a flow stabilizer and got puffing so I pulled it.
I also have the new controller.I think it's great

 

[wardk]

Yes, I am still set with wood for 2018 and have another 24 cords of hard maple ready to cut and split this spring. I have the wood stacked on pallets in the form of two 24” wide rows. I staple a tarp on the top and slightly over the edge. It keeps the water out of the pile and yet allows air to blow through it. The wood stored outside like this never goes below 15%-20% depending on the relative humidity at the time.

Burning small splits will always be a problem, just too much surface area igniting at the same time with a fixed blower setting. I have noticed fewer problems with puffing and lower/smoother exhaust noise since I installed the flow straightener a few weeks ago.

My JD 1050 has a diesel, 33hp, 3 cyl. Yanmar engine. Fortunately it has never been in the position you show in the photo. Fortunately no one was hurt and the tractor sustained minor injuries.

Hey Sawyer . haven't heard from you for a while, how is your winter going? It's been moderate here just below freezing lot's of snow.I was wondering for much wood you go through in a season? It's my first year with the garn and I think the way it's going I'll burn 10 cords a least,not the best wood fir and pine. Is your 1050 a hydro or jammer?