RV10flyer
Pattern Altitude
It is 24F and dropping with clear skies over NE Ky. It is nice and toasty in here. The Mrs. even wanted to sleep in the living room tonight, she missed it so much since Spring. I do like my heat pump above 35-40F though.
First Fire This Fall In The Woodburner
- Thread starter RV10flyer
- Start date
denverpilot
Tied Down
Temps have been up and down here so far, but when down at night, enjoying the base load heat in the basement from the pellet stove here, too.
This time of year the lowest feed rate yields two days easy on 40 lbs of pine pellets and that's more than enough heat. Since we shut it down during the day, lasts longer.
Keeps the inefficient propane furnace from running.
During REALLY cold weather, both crank along, keeping up with the upstairs having some insulation challenges.
You can get the majority of the base load from the pellet stove when down around 10F or lower, but you'd have to keep that corner of the basement at 80F.
Especially with any wind. Ha.
Current propane prices have the pellet stove beating propane quite well right now, but it's nice to be dual-fuel for weird price bumps in either one.
40 lb bags of pellets were $4.50/ea this year. Propane was up around $1.90/gal here for a while. Was close to $3 during the peak quite a while back. Wood pellets haven't moved much in a couple years.
Our stove also has the ability to be hooked to a thermostat but I haven't found time to research it fully yet. Was thinking of doing a thermostat system that can treat the propane as auxiliary heat similar to a heat pump plus aux arrangement.
Unfortunately in initial searching I can't find a thermostat that can both handle the pellet stove's ability to provide two levels of heat (low feed and high feed) and a third aux heat from the propane furnace, that ALSO can be two zoned so if the upstairs is struggling the propane will be forced on. That's a tall list for even thermostats like the Nest and other fancy ones.
Meanwhile manual management of the pellet stove and leaving the upstairs thermostat for the propane set relatively low "just in case" is working fine. I just like automation, when it works.
This time of year the lowest feed rate yields two days easy on 40 lbs of pine pellets and that's more than enough heat. Since we shut it down during the day, lasts longer.
Keeps the inefficient propane furnace from running.
During REALLY cold weather, both crank along, keeping up with the upstairs having some insulation challenges.
You can get the majority of the base load from the pellet stove when down around 10F or lower, but you'd have to keep that corner of the basement at 80F.
Especially with any wind. Ha. Current propane prices have the pellet stove beating propane quite well right now, but it's nice to be dual-fuel for weird price bumps in either one.
40 lb bags of pellets were $4.50/ea this year. Propane was up around $1.90/gal here for a while. Was close to $3 during the peak quite a while back. Wood pellets haven't moved much in a couple years.
Our stove also has the ability to be hooked to a thermostat but I haven't found time to research it fully yet. Was thinking of doing a thermostat system that can treat the propane as auxiliary heat similar to a heat pump plus aux arrangement.
Unfortunately in initial searching I can't find a thermostat that can both handle the pellet stove's ability to provide two levels of heat (low feed and high feed) and a third aux heat from the propane furnace, that ALSO can be two zoned so if the upstairs is struggling the propane will be forced on. That's a tall list for even thermostats like the Nest and other fancy ones.
Meanwhile manual management of the pellet stove and leaving the upstairs thermostat for the propane set relatively low "just in case" is working fine. I just like automation, when it works.
timwinters
Ejection Handle Pulled
Nate,
You could use a two stage t-stat for the pellet stove installed right next to the single stage t-stat for the furnace. And then simply keep the furnace set 2 degrees colder than the pellet stove and it'll automatically be the third stage when the pellet stove can't keep up.
You could use a two stage t-stat for the pellet stove installed right next to the single stage t-stat for the furnace. And then simply keep the furnace set 2 degrees colder than the pellet stove and it'll automatically be the third stage when the pellet stove can't keep up.
Kiddo's Driver
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Jim
I'm feeding my wood stove for the first time this year also. Still trying to finish using up the four Hackberry trees we had cut down in our back yard a couple of years ago. The oldest one was easily over 160 years old. I got lost counting at 160 and still had a few inches left to count! This should be the last year. I'll probably need to buy some wood this year.
I have a heat pump also. It is a dual fuel set up with natural gas as the back up. It works well, but I like to burn wood whenever I can.
Jim
I have a heat pump also. It is a dual fuel set up with natural gas as the back up. It works well, but I like to burn wood whenever I can.
Jim
steingar
Taxi to Parking
Actually had to put on a hat to walk in today. I love fall.
RV10flyer
Pattern Altitude
I'd probably do as mentioned with two separate thermostats. Honeywell makes a nice tstat that has optional remote sensors, so you can mount thermostat anywhere near unit and carry sensor wherever you go in the house. Also can connect to ipad/iphone, so no need to leave POA to turn the heat up.
It was 19F just before sunrise, back up to 26F now. Stay warm and fly if you can. Great visibility here.
It was 19F just before sunrise, back up to 26F now. Stay warm and fly if you can. Great visibility here.
wsuffa
Touchdown! Greaser!
I probably ought to fire mine up, too, though that will require splitting some wood - and I'm not doing that in the dark. Maybe this weekend if it's still cold.