Trial by... ice?

[Slow1]

Well, I think this is the coldest spell we've had since I got the PH installed. Frankly I wonder if the predicted temps for the next couple days may well be the coldest in a few years here. High today was in the teens, already in single digits out now and tomorrow it may only barely reach 10* with a low predicted of 5 below. Brrr.....

I've been running the stove harder than I have before - averaging about 6hrs between loads and I may try and push it in tighter tomorrow. House has been maintaining temps though - not sure I can keep it up tonight unless I wake up and feed sometime. Not my usual habit really.

I will run the central heat as a test tonight to be sure it hasn't frozen up just in case (hydro-air unit in the attic froze up once a few years ago, added antifreeze at that time, hopefully it does the job).

How are the rest of you out here holding out?

 

[cableman]

Ya its gonna be a cold one! Glad im off for a couple unless they make it mandatory to come in, i hope not cause i have enough ot already lol.
My house is still 70 in the mid room and im sure will drop unless i get up to feed it!

 

[Slow1]

Kids are our of school tomorrow already - due to the snow they say but I wonder if there is also concern about kids staying warm at bus stops in sub-zero temps that they aren't used to. I am not mandatory to go to the office tomorrow either so I'll be home, trying to get some work done here as the kids bounce off the walls, heh.

 

[trguitar]

I've been running the stove hard all day, too. I'm getting about 5 hrs per load. It's 3* out right now, and I am holding on with 70* downstairs, and 63* upstairs which is normal for me. We'll see how tomorrow night goes. Low is supposed to be -7*. I'm not optimistic that I'll be able to handle it.

But overall I am impressed with the Freedom. I'm heating 2400 sf with an insert.

 

[toddnic]

Going to be really cold here at 4000' elevation in the western mountains of NC! Time to break out the seasoned red oak and some locust for the overnight burn. The PH stove top is cruising at around 500 degrees with great secondaries currently. Thankfully the house is really warm. My biggest concern over the next few days is making sure that the pipes underneath the house don't freeze overnight. I will probably have to run the fan on the furnace to keep some warmth in the crawl space. Well.....I guess winter has officially arrived

 

[HotCoals]

Temps here are similar to you slow1. I actually turned my blowers on tonight!
I been on 12 hour reloads for the last few days and been holding temps around 72 in the next room over from stove. 68-70 in the rest of house.Almost forgot, stove room 76 or so. No complaints.

 

[rideau]

You folks are warm! We aren't going above -13 F until sometime Saturday, and our wind chills are -35 F.

 

[Slow1]

You folks are warm! We aren't going above -13 F until sometime Saturday, and our wind chills are -35 F.

I somehow suspect you have a much better built/insulated home than I do. My house was minimum code standards - and that isn't much in my opinion. Oh well, I bought it and now I get to heat it.

My central heat test passed though - good to know the pipes aren't (yet) frozen so if I need it then it can kick in. Probably burned a gallon of oil in that 30 minute run though, heh.

 

[toddnic]

You folks are warm! We aren't going above -13 F until sometime Saturday, and our wind chills are -35 F.

WOW! I haven't experienced temps that cold since the early 1990's. Rideau, will your stove keep the house warm without any secondary heat?

 

[Joe in MI]

I'm still learning how to best burn the PE Summit, but for the most part I've kept the house warm without the furnace running. It's -5 here right now. The stove isn't keeping up nearly as well as it was when it was closer to 30 outside. The furnace has kicked on a few times today. I just raked the coals forward and cranked the air up so I can do my reload in an hour or so. I'm loving not using so much propane this year!

 

[tsquini]

The temp this AM was 17* and has dropped to 1* as of now with about 14" of snow. I have been running the stove hard the house is 71*. It's time to load up some hard wood the the night.

 

[rdust]

1* right now, loaded the stove full a bit ago. Gonna be tough to torch a full load in 10 hours but I'm gonna give it a go.

 

[Swedishchef]

You folks are warm! We aren't going above -13 F until sometime Saturday, and our wind chills are -35 F.

-18F temperature here right now. -37F with the wind.

Stove is being loaded every 4-6 hours (just put in a load for the night...should have lots of coals in the AM).

You know it's cold when your nose hair sticks together within 45 seconds of going outside.

 

[Smoke Signals]

5 out side and 77 inside here and my heavily modified smoke dragon is pull'en at the reins. Calling for a high of -6 monday, should give me a chance to give her a good work out. Im not 100% wood heat yet though, yet being the key word.

 

[lopiliberty]

The cold hasn't gotten here yet 27 outside but is only supposed to be 17 tomorrow and 5 tomorrow night. Got me 7 large pieces of locust ready and waiting. The real cold comes next Monday night when it supposed to hit -8 and a high of 12 Tuesday. Wood for next Monday night has yet to be picked out

 

[fire_man]

I'm pushing the limits on my PH! 7 hour reloads using 22" beach splits and its still kind of cold upstairs (55F).

I'd like to know what those Rochester and Canadian houses are made out of so that I can heat my house with a candle too!

 

[HotCoals]

I'm pushing the limits on my PH! 7 hour reloads using 22" beach splits and its still kind of cold upstairs (55F).

I'd like to know what those Rochester and Canadian houses are made out of so that I can heat my house with a candle too!

2500 sq.ft.2 story. Built in 1986
2x6 walls full of pink then high-r then vinyl siding.
I didn't leave out the plywood..there is none.
Sway bars are in the walls. Built in 1986. No problems.

 

[rdust]

I'm pushing the limits on my PH! 7 hour reloads using 22" beach splits and its still kind of cold upstairs (55F).

I'd like to know what those Rochester and Canadian houses are made out of so that I can heat my house with a candle too!

Say it ain't so, there is no way possible you can be loading every 7 hours! You should be able to run a 300* stove top and heat 3K+ sq', of course you may have to crack a window when it gets to hot. Oh yeah all this is done on three medium sized splits.

Don't sweat it, most of us mortals have to push the stoves hard when these types of temps hit.

 

[Smoke Signals]

Just for the record, it's not to cold to to pee out side here yet. Don't ask me how I know.

 

[BrotherBart]

Yeah I think the "low and slow" conversations are done for this season.

 

[rideau]

WOW! I haven't experienced temps that cold since the early 1990's. Rideau, will your stove keep the house warm without any secondary heat?

It better.

 

[dyerkutn]

It better.

I see a lot of eastern MA folks on here--these are the lowest temps I have ever seen here in over 40 years(tho not the most snow). I have been reloading my T5 every 5 hours--last load was my biggest and stove temps seem to be manageable. Stove area in the 70s but had to turn on furnace for two back bedrooms that are not in a line from the stove. Really loving the stove. THis cold weather really forces you to get your technique down.

 

[gyrfalcon]

-18F temperature here right now. -37F with the wind.

Stove is being loaded every 4-6 hours (just put in a load for the night...should have lots of coals in the AM).

You know it's cold when your nose hair sticks together within 45 seconds of going outside.

It's been -6 to -8 here all day. My long undies got noticeably stiff when I went out to refill the bird feeder. My lovely Heritage isn't up to this much cold even with high-BTU wood like beech and black birch., alas, so I'm having to help it out with the oil boiler/$$ burner in the basement. Tomorrow night will be even colder, then a "warm-up" to balmy 20 or so, then a worse deep freeze middle of next week. Sigh.

 

[Swedishchef]

-25F right now. With the wind it is -44F. Sweet potatoes it is not warm.

 

[Motor7]

10 here now, 77 in the basement, 67 on main floor. At least the wind has calmed a bit, it was blowing pretty good last night.