Yeah I get about 30 mpg or so these days. I see a lot of customers/patients and am in the phone constantly these days but am often working alone. I enjoy the quiet periods to be honest because the rest of the day is so hectic.
That's a Wrap!
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Before I had PV, I had solar hot water that runs off an ancient 12 volt panel to run the circulator. Once the temps get over 40 degrees, I have free hot water. It was sized for four people but I am solo so I have plenty of it. The panels can last a long time as they are typically closed loop copper. Unless the anitfreeze went acidic they rarely wear out, balance of system components can and that can lead to freezeup and leaks usually in the piping. I see used ones on Craigslist all the time for cheap that were out of service and removed when people had their roofs replaced. The systems are not that complex and in most cases the panels can be put back in service. The biggest challenge is tying it into the existing hot water system.
Gearhead660
Minister of Fire
Not calling it quits here yet. Getting to a high of 80 this week, got the bike out. But still a chance for cooler weather. Looking to be cooler with some rain this weekend, good weather to sit by a fire. When we get to May is when I feel its safe to say no more fires. Don't clean chimneys until June.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
Seen on the local tv station weather report last night that they predict the last freeze for Apr 30 here, and the last frost May 10
Ashful
Minister of Fire
I've taken to cleaning my chimneys in September or October, just before I start back up. I've always had a lot of wasps and hornets in this area, and I figure it's better to clean in the fall to be sure the pipe and cap free of nests before starting the burn season in-earnest. I usually have some very small fire the day before doing this sweeping, to smoke any out that might be there, lest I end up with a house full of them when sending the sooteater up the pipe.
I usually wait out the month of April before calling it quits, looks like we'll have a couple chilly mornings next week so I may have a small fire or 2. But I'm definitely not feeding the stove this week!
lml999
Minister of Fire
Aaagh you guys! I'm waiting on my solar installer and I can feel the kWhs slipping away!
This is a good idea. First year burning so having it done in May to see what everything looks like. Going forward I’m also thinking about having it done before the season in September.
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
On the other hand, having crud in the chimney during the humid months is not good for the metal liner.
So I do it in spring. It's easy to do it once more quickly in fall before burning if you're concerned about critters.
Edit: I added "more" (to once more).
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Thank you for that advice. Good to know about crud in the metal liner. It will be interesting to see what it looks like. I don’t plan on investing in brushes and getting on a ladder to do the clean out so having it done professionally once a year. Have a chimney cap so hopefully keeps them out. Was installed last June and I had no problems with cutters last summer/Fall.
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
You may not need to go on a ladder. I don't. I bought a ($70 I think, not sure, also depends on the length of the chimney) SootEater. Bottom up brushing with a cordless drill.
I go in a horizontal section thru the wall, and then 90 degrees up 26 ft.
But your mileage may vary depending on your install parameters
I go in a horizontal section thru the wall, and then 90 degrees up 26 ft.
But your mileage may vary depending on your install parameters
Ashful
Minister of Fire
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
Stainless does not mean "does not corrode".
It very much depends on the chemical make up of the crud (what fuel was burnt - see coal chimneys, but wood species will matter too -, how it was burnt, etc.)
One thing is for sure, corrosion will exponentially accelerate when going from "dry" to "water is present". Of course those are qualitative descriptions, but the point is crud+summer humidity is not good.
I don't know how fast this goes, as that depends on the type of steel, the make up of the crud, the cracks in the crud (letting water get to the interface between crud and steel), the residual stresses in the steel (corrugated flexible liner?!), the grain size of the steel, the temperature during (slow) ongoing corrosion, etc. etc.
It is certain that crud+humidity will accelerate failure. I only don't have experience to say "by 1 week" (who cares) or 5 years (everyone cares).
It very much depends on the chemical make up of the crud (what fuel was burnt - see coal chimneys, but wood species will matter too -, how it was burnt, etc.)
One thing is for sure, corrosion will exponentially accelerate when going from "dry" to "water is present". Of course those are qualitative descriptions, but the point is crud+summer humidity is not good.
I don't know how fast this goes, as that depends on the type of steel, the make up of the crud, the cracks in the crud (letting water get to the interface between crud and steel), the residual stresses in the steel (corrugated flexible liner?!), the grain size of the steel, the temperature during (slow) ongoing corrosion, etc. etc.
It is certain that crud+humidity will accelerate failure. I only don't have experience to say "by 1 week" (who cares) or 5 years (everyone cares).
My tee clean-out is outside the house and I would need to be on a ladder to go up say 23 feet. I have two offset 30’s to clear the eves. Then I would have to balance on the ladder with a cordless drill cleaning the flue with good face mask protection. My wife said I’m more valuable to the family in one piece 😂. Don't really want to risk a fall on my pavers. Inside I have about 24” of stovepipe with a slip joint to a 90 elbow than roughly 14-18” to the thimble. My sweep is also my stove installer so I like to watch how he does it.
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
Is the clean out 23' above the ground, outside?
The 90 is not an issue. Take the first elbow off, go in horizontally, bend it up to the cap. That's what I do.
Mine is 23" up, 90 to a long run horizontal thru the wall, then a 90 up in the chimney and 26 ft to the cap.
The 90 is not an issue. Take the first elbow off, go in horizontally, bend it up to the cap. That's what I do.
Mine is 23" up, 90 to a long run horizontal thru the wall, then a 90 up in the chimney and 26 ft to the cap.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Of course. But when you're talking about 316 in normal terrestrial environments, against the normal service life of a chimney liner, then yes... it basically does. Ten times out of ten, you will damage that liner by cleaning or over-firing, before corrosion from waiting until September to clean will ever become an issue.
I suspect that in nearly all cases, the stove and stovepipe are the susceptible areas for rust and corrosion, not the interior of a stainless liner.
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
I have not done the test re: overfiring vs waiting until September...
In the UK they recommend 904, if I remember correctly, because of better resistance than 316 (L or TI) against creosote (mostly sulfur, which is also present in wood creo, tho less than in coal exhaust).
Better - meaning it's not zero for 316, and that was all I wanted to convey.
In the UK they recommend 904, if I remember correctly, because of better resistance than 316 (L or TI) against creosote (mostly sulfur, which is also present in wood creo, tho less than in coal exhaust).
Better - meaning it's not zero for 316, and that was all I wanted to convey.
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Ashful
Minister of Fire
It'd be interesting to hear from bholler what is the typical service life of a liner, and what most frequently drives their replacement, other than swapping to a new stove. Mine are both 10 years old, and are that dreaded "smooth wall" double-walled stuff, which tends to un-spiral itself from the ends.
If bholler lived closer, I'd pay him to come check these out. Then we'd get to see how much he likes heights, as I've had two sweeps tell me the roof on this house scares the hell out of them.
If bholler lived closer, I'd pay him to come check these out. Then we'd get to see how much he likes heights, as I've had two sweeps tell me the roof on this house scares the hell out of them.
I usually just clean it in the spring so there's no issues/I don't forget etc. It's a nice "we're done for the year" moment.
Who did you end up going with? How big is the system? All in the roof? What size panels? Yada yada. So many questions!
I went with Critical Mass Solar from Pepperell. So far they seem like a nice small scale operation and went over a couple different design iterations with me to get to what we wanted. It'll be 12 kW with the 400W Q-cells. I'll report back after the install on how they did.
The installer did comment this is the most complicated system they have designed. It's an old rambling house with a lot of broken up roof planes so the panels are scattered around the south and west-facing portions where they will be least visible from the street, which was a requirement of the historic district. I didn't have the option of ground-mounted array since my yard is very shady.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
A solar equipment installer chose to name their company after one of the most famous terms used in describing nuclear power generation? Amusing.
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
Critical mass is a common concept in physics, also beyond nuclear, due to the presence of fluctuations that mess up too small entities, and thus has experienced its translation to the non-physics world in terms of "enough presence" (to be effective in one way or another).
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