Firing up!

Well been 80 dgrees here all week (West of Philly) and was thinking I may not be firing up until November. Been down since March 12th!

But.....now I am hearing a pattern change and in the upper 50's low 60's all next week starting Sunday. My criteria for Lighting up is a forcast of at least a week of 60's day/40's at night and it looks like I will be firing up on Sunday! So.....exciting weekend ahead!!

Forecasting our first frost up here on the mean streets of MA by next Tuesday.

Hi Smitty what do you have for a stove or furnace ? I have a Royall wood/coal furnace . I don't want to start it until the temp doesn't get above 50 ,I don't want that puppy blowing off on me. What are your thoughts on that?

Well first off, I've got to nail you on your terminology (it's for your own good).

The terms "furnace" & "blowing off" are incompatible ... so I'm going to assume that you have a BOILER, and not a furnace (I was guilty of this too my whole life - it's a MA thing I guess ). A furnace blows hot air ... no safety devices on the air. A boiler heats water - hot water can "blow off" - plenty of safety devices for the water.

I've got a Harman Mark III with 2 stainless coils I bought from a ripoff artist in NY. I don't recommend buying anything from those crooks in Schenectady, NY. Had to get that in - I never forget!

The coils are tied into my oil boiler, so once the stove is running full-tilt, it will heat the boiler water enough that I can leave one zone's T-stat on 70° 24/7, and heat hot water on top of it. When it's 50° out, even my drafty dump of a home will get unbearably hot.

Stoves just burn basically the same amount of coal (and as such, give off the same amount of heat) whether it's -40° out ... or 65° out. Stokers are better able to gear way down in output in warmer temps by altering settings. Hand fires basically, with a very narrow range of adjustment, give off a bunch of heat regardless of outside temp.- for that reason, I wait until nighttime temps are in the 30's, & daytime temps are in the 50's before lighting up. IF I had anywhere near normal insulation in this place, I'd roast out of the house lighting up even then. It all depends on your house, and your stove's characteristics. If you have a hand fired boiler, you'll have to constantly monitor your water temps until you get an idea of what the unit wants for a given load, and outside temperature. It's an art. With practice, it'll be as second nature as riding a bike to you ... but remember, that won't be the case for the "officials".

Here in Western PA we are to get some cold rainy weather also starting this weekend.

lows in mid 30's with chance of snow Sunday Night.

Probably will start the EFM up Saturday morning.

haven't bought coal yet this year... still have a ton from last year... But will need to order it in!

well here in valley forge pa. my aa.130 is just idlin along makin domestic hot water ,but on sun the temps only mid 50 for high an rain ,just might twist the t-stat a little and let ol' bessie stretch her legs,,,, tommy , ps , the farmers almanac is callin for cold and snow this year,, its on the way ,soon enough....