How do you heat now?

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shtrdave

Feeling the Heat
Feb 13, 2012
413
SW PA
With weather warming and just being cold enough to need some heat, how do you folks heat with your stove. Mine seems to run for a maybe 30 minutes and then shut down, which is okay but it doesn't get any heat into the other rooms in the house.
 
I am not reactive enough to handle the chore, So I rely on my stat! When the stat calls for heat the stove comes on. I just need to remind the wifey the heat is still on so she doesn't wing the doors and windows open.
 
Run it for a few hours in the morning and a few at night. Have it come on at 5 AM, I also have it turned down very low basically as low as it can go and still ignite.
 
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We run ours for a few hours in the morning and again at early evening to take the chill out of the house after its been without heat for 10 hours during the day. If I need any more heat by the time we go to sleep its the electric space heater.
 
my ignitor is dead, so im just running the oil pig now. it's running a lot more than I thought it would, too.
 
Few hours morning and evening. Once we get into the mid 60's regularly with sunshine, it may not run at all.
 
Hello

You can wire up a T-Stat to one leg of the room probe and then put the T-Stat away from the stove where you want the heat. Then just set it to Room Temp and the Temp dial to 90. Then set the T-Stat for the room temp that you really want! It works!
 
I run mine on manual, otherwise the t-stat will shut off and the bedrooms won't get enough heat. Usually turn in on around dinner time when the sun goes down and run it on low through the night. Seems to work fine and I haven't heard any rumblings from the boss.
 
my ignitor is dead, so im just running the oil pig now. it's running a lot more than I thought it would, too.

Why don't you manually ignite the pellets and keep it on low during the evening? That has to be worth the money you save on oil.
 
I don't have any gel and its a PITA to get going with out it. I did it once when it got really cold, but these nights I just leave the thermo on 60 and suffer.

i'm waiting for my tax return to come in to order a replacement ignitor..
 
I don't have any gel and its a PITA to get going with out it. I did it once when it got really cold, but these nights I just leave the thermo on 60 and suffer.

i'm waiting for my tax return to come in to order a replacement ignitor..

Have you tried using the propane torches from HD/Lowes they sell in the plumbing aisle? Put some pellets in the burn pot, light the torch and hold it to the pellets until they light. It does take a couple of minutes - but then again those bottles are only $2-3 each and they'll last you for a while. If not, then I have also used those 'fire sticks' they sell in HD/Lowes - I break it in half and put it in the burn pot with a few pellets on it and light it. Those stick burn for 5-7 minutes and they do ignite the pellets. Let it get going then let the regular stove feed kick in. Worked for my wife...
 
i'm hoping i'm done heating. :) rest of the week looks warm enough.

I have an electric space heater for my room if it gets too cold, and the oil pig is always set to 60 as a back up anyway. so, its running a bit here and there, and I'm due for a fill up (on auto delivery) any way.... plus oil is cheap this week. lol
 
I bought a remote tstat, I will hook it up for next year. The stat on the stove has about a 6degree swing so it takes a while for it to come back on once it shuts down.
 
The Harman takes care of everything. I love her.
 
I am running the heat pump now, it isn't running too much only a little at night. I have both stoves cleaned and ready for next year. I also have next years pellet stash already to go.
 
I'm running a few hours in the morning (I fire her up about 4 AM) unless it gets into the 40's at night, then it's on all night long. This week is seeing nights in the 50's, but next week the lows are to be in the 40's again.
 
Run a larger swing (Hormones don't have that??) and the room will get a degree or two warmer than you wanted it, which makes stove run longer, and heat travel farther.

I run a 3*-4* swing depending on the time of year, 3* in the Winter (so the heat isn't off that long and temp doesn't fluctuate that much) and larger swing in the Shoulder, so the stove runs longer, but may only run once or twice a day. Plus, with Milder temps, I turn the stat down a few degrees, so the house gets cooler, but then heats up to a almost normal temp, solar gain takes care of the rest. :)
 
We run ours for a few hours in the morning and again at early evening to take the chill out of the house after its been without heat for 10 hours during the day. If I need any more heat by the time we go to sleep its the electric space heater.

Exactly what we do!
 
The Harman takes care of everything. I love her.

Ditto....
However during these milder temps we burn a few hours in the eve, and a few hours in the morning with the Englander. we love her too!
 
Hello

It was 70 Degs all night last night without the Stove On ! :-(

I hope it gets cold again.

It was cool out in the insulated shed last night so I had the Quadrafire SantaFe on out there. :)

Got R15 in the walls with R4 foil on top and underneath the wood paneling. Just got some shelves in for a little more storage under the loft.

Click pic to see everything

With cable TV and wood pellet stove it makes a nice place for TV and Beer!
 

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Stoves turn on, and turns off. Just like rest of the year. I've got the feed rate set back down to 3 from 6. Still rocking nearly a bag a day, much better then 2 or 3.

Don't really notice a change of temperature anywhere in the home.
 
We have 3 stoves on 2300+ Sq Ft ranch style
During the moderate weather we use one small stove and run it on low around the clock.
When that becomes too much, we simply shut it down and if need be, have a small spot fire in the AM/PM OR ???

During the colder weather we use 1, 2 or all 3 stoves depending on the needs.

Every corner is a potential spot for an extra stove ya know;)
 
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Hello

That's funny. None of my 3 stoves are in a corner! They are all on raised hearths that I built and 2 have built in rope lights!

Where is your pics Snowy? Here are my 3 stoves!

Pic 1 - Avalon Astoria Pellet Stove connected to center chimney in the middle of the Basement using Selkirk DT venting with built in OAK.
Pic 2 - Quadrafire Santa Fe in middle of back wall of garage used when working in there connected to Selkirk DT up and out venting with built in OAK.
Pic 3 - Quadrafire Santa Fe in middle of back wall of shed used when I am working out there connected to Duravent Venting.

Click on pics to see everything.
 

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