Early Season Observations and Questions
Posted: Thu. Oct. 18, 2007 10:20 am
I started my new-to-me Harman Magnum last week and just shut it down this morning.(supposed to be 75high and 57 low the next few days)Below are my observations and a few questions.
This stove is at one end my un-insulated 1300sqft basement. Although the basement ceiling is insulated. (I live in a 1300sqft raised ranch). I have a central stairway with closed door at basement level that I installed a cool-air return grate in the bottom of the door. I can definitely feel the air returning through it to the basement. I removed the drywall that was between the top of this basement door and the basement ceiling to allow for the hot air to rise to the main floor. The stove is ducted (6” dia) to a floor register directly above it to the master bedroom. Anyways, while it has not been really cold (highs around 57, lows 30-35) the entire house has remained at 72-74 deg for the last week with the stove setting at 5 min on and 7 min off, pushing less than one dot maybe. One 40lb bag of coal lasted 60 hours. This, to me, seems like a pretty low setting. Do any experienced coal burners out their have any feedback as to whether the stove is running efficiently? Should it be using less coal at this point in the season?
While yes, it is really early in the season and I shouldn’t be getting too excited yet I am pretty stoked (no pun intended) about my initial evaluation and still can’t quite grasp the fact that this stove on one end of my basement seems to be heating the entire house evenly.
My pellet stove upstairs, and on the other end of the house is on a thermostat set to 69 deg and has not come on yet. I think it might be feeling a little neglected!
I have been burning pellets (Breckwell Big-E) upstairs for the last few years without a fulltime stove on in the basement and been staying very comfortable upstairs in the mid 70’s throughout the winters burning 3 ton/year.
At what point do I look at my pellets stacked in the basement and say, “Sorry, your time has come”
Just a few thoughts
One last note
I woke up yesterday morning and my wife said “I’m hot.” Woohooo!! I won!! Victorious!!! I am the winner
Mark
Go Sox!
This stove is at one end my un-insulated 1300sqft basement. Although the basement ceiling is insulated. (I live in a 1300sqft raised ranch). I have a central stairway with closed door at basement level that I installed a cool-air return grate in the bottom of the door. I can definitely feel the air returning through it to the basement. I removed the drywall that was between the top of this basement door and the basement ceiling to allow for the hot air to rise to the main floor. The stove is ducted (6” dia) to a floor register directly above it to the master bedroom. Anyways, while it has not been really cold (highs around 57, lows 30-35) the entire house has remained at 72-74 deg for the last week with the stove setting at 5 min on and 7 min off, pushing less than one dot maybe. One 40lb bag of coal lasted 60 hours. This, to me, seems like a pretty low setting. Do any experienced coal burners out their have any feedback as to whether the stove is running efficiently? Should it be using less coal at this point in the season?
While yes, it is really early in the season and I shouldn’t be getting too excited yet I am pretty stoked (no pun intended) about my initial evaluation and still can’t quite grasp the fact that this stove on one end of my basement seems to be heating the entire house evenly.
My pellet stove upstairs, and on the other end of the house is on a thermostat set to 69 deg and has not come on yet. I think it might be feeling a little neglected!
I have been burning pellets (Breckwell Big-E) upstairs for the last few years without a fulltime stove on in the basement and been staying very comfortable upstairs in the mid 70’s throughout the winters burning 3 ton/year.
At what point do I look at my pellets stacked in the basement and say, “Sorry, your time has come”
Just a few thoughts
One last note
I woke up yesterday morning and my wife said “I’m hot.” Woohooo!! I won!! Victorious!!! I am the winner
Mark
Go Sox!
