Is Burning Coal A Hobby?

Devil, that desk is way to neat. I would post a photo of where I am sitting, but I'm to embarrassed. Somehow I always end up with huge piles of papers everywhere. I work out of the house, on the road lots for my job, but do my paperwork here. I also have my own business and all the paperwork that goes with it, plus the usual personal stuff. It all just piles up.

Can you give me more info on that electric meter remote? I have to get one of them!

Thanks.

Hi to Wood'nCoal's wife!

Yes that is the slab, there was a tin shed on it. The property that has the slab is next to mine and I just purchased it. I have hauled 1 22' flatbed trailer, and 5 pick up loads to the scrap yard. Plus probably 70 garbage bags and bulk garbage to be put out for the garbage guys over the past two weeks. I thought I was a pack rat, there was the tin shed plus a single wide trailer that I am gutting for storage of the Sanford and Son collection that was in my yard.

And yes my neighbors think I am a little eccentric. At one point I had 4 tow trucks in my yard in addition to all the other stuff. Of course thinking I am eccentric doesn't keep them from bringing whatever needs fixing to me.

Devil5052 wrote:My home office: (very cramped area)

1. Computer built into wall (above printer)
2. Garmin Ique3600 GPS (on desk just to right of printer)
3. Inddor/Outdoor wireless thermometer (with rel. humidity & atomic clock)-On wall just to right of computer
4. Blueline electric meter reader. (sending unit attached to elec meter outside)-Tells you how much electricity your house is using at the moment, what you are spending per hour, monthly cumulative money totals & even has an oiutdoor thermometer!-On wall above wireless thermometer (item #3 above)
5. Tide guage (above item # 4)

I will soon be adding a wireless coalstove thermometer/temp alarm (receiving unit) to the wall.

You're not using that energy-guzzling halogen desklamp, are you?????

j/k, I have two just like it, but hardly use them anymore. My wife thinks I'm nuts while I'm changing all the lightbulbs over to fluorescents.

to the wife of wood'n'coal- This is the wife of Devil5052 - you can call me lil bubba as that is the name my grandson gave me when he was little- so I'm lil bubba to all my grandchildren -I posted a reply however it appears to have been lost in the re-formatting of the site. I too am sitting in shorts with all of my windows opened. I have fans blowing hot air up the stairs-down the stairs and thru the vents. There is a thermometer in every room of the house and I drew the line when he wanted to place one in the bathroom. (my only sanctuary). Our conversations center around heat, coal and stove subjects. When I get home from work instead of "Honey, how was your day" I get- "notice how warm it is!". My husband is like a little kid with this forum and all I hear is "you should see what this guy said, etc etc etc............ Maybe we can get a group rate for justifable homicide......


This is hubby again.......I don't have any fans blowing down the stairs!
'

Hmmm, I think we're gonna have to send the wives over into the corner with the lawyers!

Devil5052 wrote:to the wife of wood'n'coal- This is the wife of Devil5052 - you can call me lil bubba as that is the name my grandson gave me when he was little- so I'm lil bubba to all my grandchildren -I posted a reply however it appears to have been lost in the re-formatting of the site. I too am sitting in shorts with all of my windows opened. I have fans blowing hot air up the stairs-down the stairs and thru the vents. There is a thermometer in every room of the house and I drew the line when he wanted to place one in the bathroom. (my only sanctuary). Our conversations center around heat, coal and stove subjects. When I get home from work instead of "Honey, how was your day" I get- "notice how warm it is!". My husband is like a little kid with this forum and all I hear is "you should see what this guy said, etc etc etc............ Maybe we can get a group rate for justifable homicide......


This is hubby again.......I don't have any fans blowing down the stairs!
'

I'm going to get my wifey to read your message. Thanks.

Wood'nCoal wrote:Devil, that desk is way to neat. I would post a photo of where I am sitting, but I'm to embarrassed. Somehow I always end up with huge piles of papers everywhere. I work out of the house, on the road lots for my job, but do my paperwork here. I also have my own business and all the paperwork that goes with it, plus the usual personal stuff. It all just piles up.

Can you give me more info on that electric meter remote? I have to get one of them!

Thanks.

Here's a link for that meter:

http://www.newenergywatch.com/2007/04/p ... view_.html

Thanks for the link, Devil. Wait until I tell my wife about it. She's gonna love this idea.

Going to ask for it for Christmas

Wood'nCoal wrote:Thanks for the link, Devil. Wait until I tell my wife about it. She's gonna love this idea.

Going to ask for it for Christmas

I found out about it through my power company (NSTAR) & got it for $24.95 through them. Best part is that it's pretty accurate too! (usually within a few dollars, depending on when they read the meter)

I'll see if I can get it through JCP&L, it's part of GPU, a huge power company.

For those that need a thermometer in every room, but may have a hard time convincing a significant other of that fact--check out the following link. Perhaps, if you are quiet about it, they won't even notice.

http://www.heatinghelp.com/shopcart/pro ... gory=5-114

Greyhound wrote:For those that need a thermometer in every room, but may have a hard time convincing a significant other of that fact--check out the following link. Perhaps, if you are quiet about it, they won't even notice.

http://www.heatinghelp.com/shopcart/pro ... gory=5-114

Great idea...Thanks!!
(Found a cheaper site though http://www.time-weather.com/fdgbdf.html )

Now that I'm about to shut down the Harman & switch things over to summertime mode, I figured I'd reopen this thread by asking if you'll miss keeping your stove going & what you do to switch from winter to summertime mode. What I do is this:
1.Uncover the whole House attic fan
2.Clean out & put away the whole House humidifier
3. Disconect the stovepipe from the chimney & seal the opening
4. Clean & deploy the 2 De-humidifiers I have.



What do you do?

Devil5052 wrote:Now that I'm about to shut down the Harman & switch things over to summertime mode, I figured I'd reopen this thread by asking if you'll miss keeping your stove going & what you do to switch from winter to summertime mode. What I do is this:
1.Uncover the whole House attic fan
2.Clean out & put away the whole House humidifier
3. Disconect the stovepipe from the chimney & seal the opening
4. Clean & deploy the 2 De-humidifiers I have.

What do you do?

Not so fast. It's been in the 70's here the last 2 days and looks it will also be there today. But after that we're supposed to have several days in a row of 30's at night and only 50's daytime. You're quite a bit further north so I'm sure you will see colder temps.
As for your switch over routine, I hope most have read the thread somewhere here that discusses summerizing your coal burner. Devils #3 regarding disconnecting the flue pipe from the coal burner is really important. I didn't do the first year with my boiler (old wod burning habit) and I had a very corroded vent pipe and rusty inside of the boiler come fall.

coalkirk wrote:

Devil5052 wrote:Now that I'm about to shut down the Harman & switch things over to summertime mode, I figured I'd reopen this thread by asking if you'll miss keeping your stove going & what you do to switch from winter to summertime mode. What I do is this:
1.Uncover the whole House attic fan
2.Clean out & put away the whole House humidifier
3. Disconect the stovepipe from the chimney & seal the opening
4. Clean & deploy the 2 De-humidifiers I have.

What do you do?

Not so fast. It's been in the 70's here the last 2 days and looks it will also be there today. But after that we're supposed to have several days in a row of 30's at night and only 50's daytime. You're quite a bit further north so I'm sure you will see colder temps.
As for your switch over routine, I hope most have read the thread somewhere here that discusses summerizing your coal burner. Devils #3 regarding disconnecting the flue pipe from the coal burner is really important. I didn't do the first year with my boiler (old wod burning habit) and I had a very corroded vent pipe and rusty inside of the boiler come fall.

You're right but I haven't shut down the Harman yet! Still cool & rainy here but it looks like there will be a warming middle week so I'm still on he fence about shutting down??? We'll see.