The Deep Freeze Continues - Jan 2018

cabinover · Post by **cabinover** » Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 7:11 am

At the moment my back porch thermometer is reading -24.2. Was going to go out in the garage and clean this morning but I think I'll wait until it's at least -20 before I go outside.

coalnewbie · Post by **coalnewbie** » Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 8:10 am

I guess I will need to go somewhere else to complain about -7*. That is balmy compared to other readings here but this sensitive Hudson Valley boy is sure going to moan to someone. Coal fires seem at their best when it's really cold and it's 75* all around. Dare I say it, it looks like a winter wonderland. I set up the house humidification system yesterday and it is working great.

windyhill4.2 · Post by **windyhill4.2** » Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 8:23 am

Insanely cold here at -1*,currently light breeze,looks like the wind has wore itself out,wind chill advisory still in effect til 10 am.

75* inside..

gambler · Post by **gambler** » Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 8:39 am

A cold -14 here this morning with stove struggling. A balmy 66 in the house. Turned on the furnace only to find out that my mouse infestation that I had this fall must have made some adjustments to my furnace wiring. So I guess my little stove will have to run balls to the wall for a while.

Post by **Rob R.** » Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 8:48 am

I had to drive over to St. Albans Vermont this morning, and the temperature varied from -15 to -25 on the way over.

windyhill4.2 · Post by **windyhill4.2** » Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 9:03 am

Rob R. wrote: ↑
Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 8:48 am
I had to drive over to St. Albans Vermont this morning, and the temperature varied from -15 to -25 on the way over.

That is hardly surprising...

So many folks are cooling their houses to mid-sixties*...

A few smart ones are actually heating their houses to 75*...

That is the 10* variation that you saw right there.

Post by **Rob R.** » Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 9:08 am

You might be on to something. The warm spots all had Outdoor wood boilers rolling smoke. Must have been all those BTUs going out the stack.

coalnewbie · Post by **coalnewbie** » Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 9:28 am

A New York Times study showed a non-conforming OWB creates as much pollution as 45 cars or two heavy-duty diesel trucks. Chester has banned them.

windyhill4.2 · Post by **windyhill4.2** » Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 9:59 am

Rob R. wrote: ↑
Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 9:08 am
You might be on to something. The warm spots all had Outdoor wood boilers rolling smoke. Must have been all those BTUs going out the stack.

That was what happened to me when i read your post. How well i remember the heat going up the stack on the OWB i had. I could actually see the fire out the stack at times.

coalnewbie wrote: ↑
Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 9:28 am
A New York Times study showed a non-conforming OWB creates as much pollution as 45 cars or two heavy-duty diesel trucks. Chester has banned them.

I hate when regulations BAN something..... but this ban is a pretty good idea.... the stinking smoke from my OWB could be absolutely horrendous at times. Having OWB's meet some kind of burn efficiency standard is not a totally bad idea,but i am not convinced that gassifiers were the best way to go either.

Homesteader · Post by **Homesteader** » Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 10:11 am

The farm on the top of the hill on my road has an OWB. Haven't seen it running at all during these cold snaps. Maybe they gave up on it. Anyway -12 here this morning and up to zippo right now. Turned up my T-stats on my 2 zone oil fired hot water system last night to let them run. Didn't want to freeze those pipes. Harman has been a one match deal since Nov. 1 so I'm a happy camper. Going to warm up so off with the oil.

k-2 · Post by **k-2** » Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 10:26 am

The K-2 did a terrific job in one of the longest super cold stretches in memory. I think it could have handled another 10 to 20 degrees colder and still kept this big old barn above 70. Indoor temps never dipped below 77 for the last week. Last few days it maintained 80. All downhill from here (as far as coal consumption).

Post by **Lightning** » Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 10:29 am

It got to -12 last time I checked here at the house. We had company over and during their ten mile ride home they reported seeing pockets of -16. The furnace kept up pretty good maintaining 72, I tended it around 8:00pm last night. It's now showing signs of struggle 14.5 hours later, the thermostat is 2 degrees under set point of 72. My kitchen faucet ran slow for several seconds this morning as ice crystals were showing restriction.

With temps moderating a bit this week I'll be going back to a 24 hour burn cycle at least till next weekend when forecast temps look questionable.

k-2 · Post by **k-2** » Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 10:32 am

53 by friday

coalkirk · Post by **coalkirk** » Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 11:10 am

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This morning is the coldest morning we've had so far this season. The Harman VF3000 would have been belly up. Thankfully the EFM just clears its throat and takes care of business. Wish I'd found this boiler a few decades ago. We rarely have any sub-zero weather but it does happen. Maybe a couple degrees below but nothing like the temps you guys up north are having.
Yesterday the oil man visited my neighbor across the road. I felt pretty smug watching him load their tank.

gaw · Post by **gaw** » Sun. Jan. 07, 2018 7:21 pm

It was so cold this morning my old indoor/outdoor thermometer/weather station just said to hell with this. I changed the batteries in the outside unit but it refuses to work so time for a new one. I can’t find a manufacture date in or on it but I know it is over ten years old and probably closer to twenty, not bad in the days of throw away everything.

I tended the Keystoker this evening and burned about 160 pounds in the last thirty hours and filled an ash tub. The Keystoker can make heat faster than the baseboard can take it away so that’s a good thing.

50° by the end of the week, I’ll take it. I got a real snoot full already and the weather ain’t helping but at least it ain’t the flu.