Year 2-Still Freezing

Looks a little better but I gotta ask, do you seem to have more airflow since you hooked up the extra 6 inch cold aire return?

Too early to tell, Don

Right now for example I'm at 24 hours since last tending

Mine was at 3 hours

larryfoster wrote:Just looked and saw that, supposedly, a cord of dry oak weighs in excess of 2 tons.I don't believe that.However, BTU wise, (as you said) they appear to be close.I am having trouble picturing a cord of wood lasting as long as a ton of coal.Not saying it won't.

Are we talking a full cord or face cord? A full cord contains roughly 3 face cords. Normal price on a face cord is $55 - $75 depending on quality and delivery ect.

Been out of this conversation for a bit but just read the last few pages. You added return air and it didn't help much that you can tell. I don't see a down side other than time and a little extra funds that weren't expected, still it's not a bad thing as it proved that isn't necessarily the problem.

One thing I noticed is you saying that no one else mentions having the problems you are having. Of course we have, but we just keep on keepin' on until it's beat.

If wood works better for you then that to me is a telling sign, coal isn't treating you right. That means your coal is lacking.

A cord of good hardwood is typically about 3500#

Average price is typically about $180/cord

3500# of good hardwood is typically equal to 2000# of anthracite coal

I would rather handle the 2000#
& enjoy a more steady heat

larryfoster wrote:Just now.

650 and 220

Just curious Larry but am I undersatnding correctly that you are getting 220* temps from your supply? And this is not warm enough in your living area?
Wow! If that was the case with my setup it would be 90* in my house...

Just curious Larry but am I undersatnding correctly that you are getting 220* temps from your supply? And this is not warm enough in your living area?
Wow! If that was the case with my setup it would be 90* in my house...

Today, I am plenty warm but it's almost 50 outside

I would rather handle the 2000#
& enjoy a more steady heat

Me too.

One thing I noticed is you saying that no one else mentions having the problems you are having. Of course we have, but we just keep on keepin' on until it's beat.

If wood works better for you then that to me is a telling sign, coal isn't treating you right. That means your coal is lacking

I never saw a combined almost 70 pages dealing with this here.

I don't disagree about the coal. It could be better.
But, if I can get 650-750 degree fires, is that a coal problem?

Are we talking a full cord or face cord? A full cord contains roughly 3 face cords. Normal price on a face cord is $55 - $75 depending on quality and delivery ect.

That's at the low end of a level pickup load here.
Me picking it up.
I bought 2 pick up loads last year.
Paid $60 for one and $90 for the other

Last winter,at local auctions an 8' pickup load of firewood sold for $180-$200

Was that delivered for that price?

Those prices were for the pickup loads at the auction , both pickups were then unloaded into a bigger trailer.

Likely that means that the buyer was also a firewood retailer

That's really high.
Maybe it's going to be packaged and resold in the 3-4 log packages they sell at convenience stores?

larryfoster wrote:That's really high.
Maybe it's going to be packaged and resold in the 3-4 log packages they sell at convenience stores?

I would think you are right about that.

Another of my brilliant observations/questions.
I get warmer air into my supply and then in to my house with higher furnace temps.
So, I need to keep my furnace temps higher to be warmer.
Duh!

I have always been scared to let my furnace fire run away.
So, when I have the ash door open, for example, I'm checking it pretty often and closing it when I get around 700.
Even with the spinner all the way open, temps drop fairly quickly.

Ky Speedracer has taken the plug out of the back to get more air.

I tried that for a short time and didn't seem to get any favorable results.
I think I'm going to try it again, though

Short of opening and closing the ash door every 30-45 minutes to keep the temps higher, but not too high, any suggestions on how to maintain higher temps for longer periods of time?

I guess this is my Goldilocks post.
Not too hot, not too cold, just right.

I'm guessing this will necessitate using more coal if it can be achieved

larryfoster wrote:Another of my brilliant observations/questions.
I get warmer air into my supply and then in to my house with higher furnace temps.
So, I need to keep my furnace temps higher to be warmer.
Duh!

I have always been scared to let my furnace fire run away.
So, when I have the ash door open, for example, I'm checking it pretty often and closing it when I get around 700.
Even with the spinner all the way open, temps drop fairly quickly.
Ky Speedracer has taken the plug out of the back to get more air.

I tried that for a short time and didn't seem to get any favorable results.
I think I'm going to try it again, though

Short of opening and closing the ash door every 30-45 minutes to keep the temps higher, but not too high, any suggestions on how to maintain higher temps for longer periods of time?

I guess this is my Goldilocks post.
Not too hot, not too cold, just right.

I'm guessing this will necessitate using more coal if it can be achieved

This tells me that the available air supplied by the spinner must be bypassing the fuel bed through the front and rear plates. It's only when you flood the ashpan area with primary air, by leaving the ashpan door open, that the fuel itself is satisfied.

Well, Papa Bear, how can Goldilocks get it just right?


Apply the Lightning fix?

I forgot to say above, I have the over fire air wide open and, if there's no smoke, the load door propped open about 1"

I had the Lightning mod in the front but after a while, it kept falling out.
After 3 or 4 times, I said the heck with it

Now that you've made big changes to your system, and your tending patterns and coming to the realization that the warmth of your house is directly dependent on the firebox temperature. I would block that front plate again.

Whatever you do..........only do 1 thing at a time, either remove the plug at the back again, or the Lightning mod and try each one independently.