Long Heating Season

mplynn64 · Post by **mplynn64** » Tue. Mar. 29, 2011 5:22 pm

Does this seem to be a very long heating season?

This is my second year with coal and have been burning since october last year (with one match)

How about others??

captcaper · Post by **captcaper** » Tue. Mar. 29, 2011 6:10 pm

Me too. I didn't get to take any vacations. Just played here in Northern NH's snow. Lot's of it this year. Still got 2 ft in the yard. I think I may go until May before shutting down. Then I may have only day fires of some kind to take the chill out on those days. My stove's in the basement. I work there as well.
Nights stay chilly here for a while but days are warming up so I'm burning Pea now to keep it from getting too hot. I turn my intake way down. You'd swear the fire was out. I tend it once a day on those milder days. Barely twice a day. Doesn't take much. Pea is so nice. No jam's at all. I didn't have one this season. Burnt Nut when winter here set in but good.

I'm On Fire · Post by **I'm On Fire** » Tue. Mar. 29, 2011 6:12 pm

Yup, its ridiculously cold for this time of year. Granted, I'm not expecting it to be in the 60*'s but it'd be nice if it wasn't 14* when I woke up every morning.

Last year, I did burn wood into the second week of April. I'm expecting at this rate to burn coal through April, its crazy cold.

2001Sierra · Post by **2001Sierra** » Tue. Mar. 29, 2011 6:56 pm

I know I am answering in a hand fed arena. My Keystoker typically runs through May, as it is located in the family room, in the basement. Upstairs requires far less heat , and the distribution fan I have set up gets throttled back.The old hand fed Buderus struggled with the shoulder months, but the Keystoker is able to cruise much easier.

EasyRay · Post by **EasyRay** » Tue. Mar. 29, 2011 8:34 pm

I usually start off around the middle of October or a little later depending on the forecast. I burn non stop until about the middle of April. We'll see how the end of the season turns out. You can never be sure about these things.
I like to keep it running until it looks like it will go no lower than 55º overnight on a fairly steady forecast.
Because my stove is in the basement it also keeps the dampness low, although the basement is a nice place in the hot weather.

Freddy · Post by **Freddy** » Wed. Mar. 30, 2011 5:49 am

This year, March: In like a lion, out like a lion. Will Spring ever come?

coalnewbie · Post by **coalnewbie** » Wed. Mar. 30, 2011 7:03 am

It's easy to make the mistake of a too early shutdown, I did last year and it cost me $3000 in HO, you know "I will just turn on the oil CH for a little while" won't use much oil. I wonder if I will live long enough to learn from my many mistakes in life. I don't seem to be doing too well at present. No shutdowns for me yet.

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Wed. Mar. 30, 2011 7:26 am

Sounds like you're doing as good as the rest of us

I suspect we learn exactly the amount of lessons we're supposed too & live as long as we're meant to--it's colder then a witches tit flying around on her broomstick this AM. Damn global warming

Let's see--earthquakes,tsunamis,wars where we don't belong,nuclear spills,floods & a President that's an ass-hole w/ questionable citizenship

just another beautiful day in the neighborhood

BUTTT, the old Hitzer keeps purring along

xaos · Post by **xaos** » Wed. Mar. 30, 2011 8:23 am

President that's an ass-hole

Some things just never change..

whistlenut · Post by **whistlenut** » Wed. Mar. 30, 2011 8:23 am

.....and we are going to get 6" to 8" on Friday.....The sap can't even run with cold nights AND cold days. At least the calender says we are enjoying spring......Big ski areas are scheduled to close in a couple of weeks, but they should reconsider!!
Best skiing of the year.....(and riding, for you boarders)

coalnewbie · Post by **coalnewbie** » Wed. Mar. 30, 2011 8:47 am

Whistle,

Just noticed your list of stoves, are you heating the whole of NH?

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Wed. Mar. 30, 2011 10:00 am

Nah, he's just kinda old & loves that warm cuddly feeling.

EasyRay · Post by **EasyRay** » Wed. Mar. 30, 2011 10:57 am

freetown fred wrote:Nah, he's just kinda old & loves that warm cuddly feeling.

I guess you can include me in that one too.

wsherrick · Post by **wsherrick** » Wed. Mar. 30, 2011 11:34 am

Heating starts here around the middle of September and gets serious by the end of October. There is still plenty of snow on the ground from the storm from the beginning of last week and more is expected in the next day or two. Spring is coming late this year it seems. Last year I heated up until the middle of May and that was a warm spring for the area. Who knows how long it's going to go this year. No biggie for me since I am a refugee from the land of long, hot, humid and miserable summers. Don't miss them at all.

Post by **Rob R.** » Wed. Mar. 30, 2011 11:46 am

I don't mind that it is still cold, but I am sure sick of the roaring wind and snow. The EFM doesn't care one way or the other, it just fills the ash tub faster when the weather is nasty.

It's easy to make the mistake of a too early shutdown, I did last year and it cost me $3000 in HO, you know "I will just turn on the oil CH for a little while" won't use much oil. I wonder if I will live long enough to learn from my many mistakes in life. I don't seem to be doing too well at present. No shutdowns for me yet.

I made the same mistake the first year I burned coal. The stove was overheating the house during the day, so I called it quits. The oil boiler and cast iron radiators were keeping us toasty, and I didn't check the fuel tank for a couple weeks because I knew it was full. We burned nearly an entire 275 gal. tank in the month of April.

The next year I ran the stove almost into May. Now I just let the EFM and the thermostats take care of things.