Pellet heads!! What's up today?

They are forecasting 0* when I leave early Monday morning. The sudden weather change, and their wishy-washiness on forecasting Tuesday's low temp is making it difficult for my pet sitter. Some places still have us in the low single digits Tuesday morning, but TWC is saying in the teens (I think they are having trouble with the timing of the clipper system more than anything)



At the low morning temps in low single digits I'll have to shut off the mini split for a couple of days and go solely with the P43 (which is fine, just the timing is bad). Between the wind and low temps it will burn thru a lot of pellets - and it will probably need 2 bags a day. The pet sitter is about 5'2" and MAYBE 90 pounds (she is super skinny - like a runner). I look at her and wonder how she can possibly fill the extended hoppers, even with the step stools I have for that reason. I know she can do it, since she has done it in the past. I will at least bring up 5 bags or so of pellets so she won't have to climb the stairs carrying them (says the 63 YO woman, but I'm from sturdy farmer/peasant stock - LOL).

At least by Tuesday night or Wednesday morning she'll be able to turn the mini split back on so the P43 will not run as much, just when the office cools down (where the stove's thermostat is at).

The blessing is that the cold hasn't settled deep into the ground yet (KOW), so the P61a won't run overly much and she'll probably only have to throw a bag in once or twice.

 

I'm going food shopping and gassing up the Rav4 early tomorrow morning. Filled the Corolla this morning. Been a few weeks since I got gas, was surprised that it's $2.74/gal around our area.
Then for the next 4-1/2 days I plan to just crank up the P43 while Lori & I catch up on streaming. Other than keeping the bird feeders stocked , not venturing out unless I absolutely have to.

Almost 3 weeks since pacemaker put in, feeling pretty good, though still can't seem to sleep more than 3 hours at a time. Getting good at handling bags of pellets with mostly right arm.

sam

 

Load number 3 in the books.We were just about finished...Sucking out the last barrel full and it started raining.
Rain lasted maybe 3 minutes.

Then we got a break.....Finished up and got the skid steer in the barn and grabbed the dumpster and sat it on the concrete.

Pulled the Burb and the trailer out and parked the skid steer in the stable.
Backed the other Burb into the barn and loaded up all the equipment we use to transfer the shells....Headed up to the house and the rain started getting serious.

Can't ask for better timing.....
Yes...We have two Burbs ,,,2005 Blue 4x4 (Papa Smurf) And the 1995 Green Burb 4x4 (Jolly Green)
Just very handy rigs
The 95 is a 3/4 ton with the moose engine.....GREAT FOR TOWING....
Papa Smurf is a 1/2 ton....Great people mover.....
So we are full up now........
Probably do another run in January some time....Depends on the weather....

We had used 8 of the barrels from round 2 ....About 8 days left on those 2.....

Great time to get a load....Yesterday was a great day.

Nice until we backed in the barn....Then it rained off and on through the afternoon/evening
This morning was dry until about 12 when the first little shower hit.

And a good time was had by all....

 

Happy winter's soltice

 

At 5am when I got up it was +8, felt like -6 with the NW wind. Got the Skytech remote set to 75, stove gets up to 77 before it goes into maintenance burn. House comfy at 71. May go to a constant burn for overnight tonite and tomorrow night with the temps closer to zero.

sam

 

Low yesterday morning was 3*, it is matching that right now at 1:30 am. Will be a bit on the cold side when I leave for the airport at 5 am. I've had some better pellets in the P43 the last couple of nights (pellets bought off CL a couple of years ago). The P61a just does its thing with GS as usual.

 

Did someone say its officially winter now ?

 

Nope so I will, it is Winter now.

 

What no huummers, must be Merry Christmas everyone

 

Merry Christmas all you Pellet Heads!

 

Merry Christmas FHC family!

 

First repairs on the New control box for the big Whitfield
Ever so often we were getting an annoying WHINE WA ..WA ...WA noise coming from what appeared to be on the room air fan side of the stove,,,,Very annoying to say the least
Sooooo
This can pretty much only be the Phase angle control....(PHS120A6)
I bought these off ebay and the spade terminals showed having had been used (Bright marks)

I had 2 more in the parts box....
Shut the stove off to do a clean and opened up the control box.


OMG
Been over 5 years since the box has been opened up.

I got out the large schematic and wrote down the numbers of the wires and where they go.
Unplugged the unit and removed it.....

Swapped in another one and connected things back up.....

Lit the fire and waited....Took about 5 minutes on a fairly warm stove to get the low temp light to come on ...( Stove uses a startup relay that handles the power for 25 minutes until the low temp switch closes and put the power onto the main buss.......

Been running quietly now for 25 minutes....

Hard on the fan motor when the current wave is not equal on both sides of the wave

I run the blower at 105 to 110 volts as the 120 (Line voltage is just a a bit too much fan speed)
The stove is behind my recliner and full speed is tooooooooo loud...

I think that getting a couple spanky new units will be wise......

Fan is sooooo much quieter now......

Ah well
5 years on the first go round....Especially if the parts were used...

All the other components were new items.
Both stives running on low....House cozy..