AK-110, Is It for Me?

 
titleist1
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Post by titleist1 » Fri. Feb. 24, 2017 7:45 am

2biz wrote:Do you know what the usage conversion is between wood and coal?
There is a fuel comparison calculator at the very top of the page indicating a full cord is roughly equivalent to a ton of coal regarding BTU content. That is variable depending on the type of wood & seasoning of the wood but is a good starting point for the first years coal supply to have on hand.


 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Fri. Feb. 24, 2017 8:02 am

2biz wrote:Nope, not face cords...Full cords...Do you know what the usage conversion is between wood and coal?
It varies considerably, depending on the type of wood, moisture content, and efficiency of each appliance. In my case it was about 1.6 cords to 1 ton of coal. Using the same ratio, you should expect to burn 5-6 tons of coal...maybe less if you make those changes to the ductwork.

I think that AK-110 will be pretty busy heating your house in cold weather. Do whatever you can to improve the efficiency of your ductwork setup.

 
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EarthWindandFire
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Post by EarthWindandFire » Fri. Feb. 24, 2017 8:59 am

I think that AK-110 will be pretty busy heating your house in cold weather
BTU ratings are subjective and more is always better. The lighting of that second burner on a AK-220 may not happen often, but you may want that option.
Last edited by EarthWindandFire on Fri. Feb. 24, 2017 9:45 am, edited 3 times in total.

 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Fri. Feb. 24, 2017 9:22 am

EarthWindandFire wrote:
I think that AK-110 will be pretty busy heating your house in cold weather.]
BTU ratings are subjective and more is always better. The lighting of that second burner may not happen often, but you may want that option.
The comment,I believe, was towards it being on the 'too small' side...not on being 'too big'. ;)

 
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Post by Olllotj » Fri. Feb. 24, 2017 9:42 am

What I learned with my short stint of having stoker stove was that, unlike woodstoves, you really can't over fire the stove to push the limits when needed. The Fan Limit just won't have it.

But they are able to idle down much easier than a big wood burner.

 
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Post by windyhill4.2 » Fri. Feb. 24, 2017 12:16 pm

windyhill4.2 wrote:In the approximately 4 yrs I have been following this forum, I have read way too many threads from folks who bought too small. So many get hung up on the heat loss figures which are dependent on the average. We have had some worse than average winters in the recent yrs. & this is likely why the threads on not enough heat from the installed unit.

If it was me,with the info you posted,I would install the AK-180,it is a dual burner stoker,so it can be run low on 1 burner or fire both burners for the high heat demand times.More is better when 1 of those ridiculously cold spells comes to visit your house .
Not trying to repeat myself,but sometimes repetition helps the thought process. There were too many that had undersized heating systems during the '13/'14 & '14/'15 heating seasons & there are numerous threads about their trials with small heat output & the extreme cold.

GO AK-180 & relax thru the cold. :)

 
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2biz
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Post by 2biz » Fri. Feb. 24, 2017 12:34 pm

I appreciate the response and concern…Here in Southern Ohio, the weather can change daily! Like a high of 74° today and a high tomorrow of 37°! What a roller coaster ride! While I let the wood furnace go out during upswing in temps like this, sometimes we just open a window or two to regulate…But I am wasting wood too!

2 years in a row a few years back we hit -16° that you speak of…My wood furnace had no trouble keeping up, I was the limiting factor! I refused waking up in the middle of the night to reload! I do have reserves that automatically kick on to make up the difference. The Remote T-Stat controlled unvented propane logs are priceless to have as backup. So I have it covered if the AK-110 won’t keep up at -16°…That cold of temps are short lived around here….

I have learned so so much here in just a few short weeks reading the threads. Since not having the internet 25 years ago I had to fly by the seat of my pants back then! Another huge mistake I made was adding a register to the plenum to aid in heating the garage. Even though it stays shut, it gaps open and spews heated air into the garage. The garage stays warm as toast even though it has ¼” to ½” air leaks around the (2) 9’ garage doors! Go figure?! The heat is going out not cold air in since I’m sucking heat out of the house! Negative pressure in the house, positive in the garage! When it gets real cold, I can even feel cold air coming in the house around the electrical outlets let alone what comes in around the doors and window seals! For the past 25 years, my resolution was to crank up the furnace and burn more wood! LOL! After what I’ve learned here on heating I see what I created, a huge vacuum in the house and it sucks in cold air wherever it can!!

So, I have a few things to correct and I believe I can make the AK-110 shine!! Thanks to everyone here, I wouldn’t be headed in the right direction to solve these issues!


 
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Post by Olllotj » Fri. Feb. 24, 2017 12:43 pm

i did not know you were in S Ohio.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Fri. Feb. 24, 2017 12:44 pm

If there is a second heating system that can help out if needed on those 3-4 days per year, sleep easy.

 
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Post by windyhill4.2 » Fri. Feb. 24, 2017 12:48 pm

Rob R. wrote:If there is a second heating system that can help out if needed on those 3-4 days per year, sleep easy.
What he said ! A secondary system will make up the difference on those real frigid nites.

 
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Post by coalnewbie » Sat. Feb. 25, 2017 5:11 am

GO AK-180 & relax thru the cold. :)
+1.Undersizing is a classic mistake around here. 4 full cords a year.Either you are leaving the front door open or you need serious power. WH, it's more than just relaxing.

 
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Post by 2biz » Sat. Feb. 25, 2017 9:13 am

coalnewbie wrote:
GO AK-180 & relax thru the cold. :)
+1.Undersizing is a classic mistake around here. 4 full cords a year.Either you are leaving the front door open or you need serious power. WH, it's more than just relaxing.
How many sq ft you heating with the 180? Didn't you start with the 110?

 
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Post by 2biz » Sat. Feb. 25, 2017 9:14 am

Too late for the 180 for me. Picking up the 110 today.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Sat. Feb. 25, 2017 9:47 am

Be sure to post some pictures as you progress through the install.

 
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Post by coalnewbie » Sat. Feb. 25, 2017 4:26 pm

Photo of my AK110 on it's way out ... yes, quality sells.

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A tearful goodbye

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