End of January Pellet Usage

So, here we are at the end of January, 2016. Used 30 bags (1200 lbs) in the MVAE for the month, and 28 bags (1120 lbs) in the Santa Fe. That's a big increase, as season to date we're only at 60 bags for the MVAE (2400 lbs), and 52 (2040 lbs) for the Santa Fe. We also passed both the calendar halfway point of our burning season on about January 6, and the point at which we normally use half our pellet fuel, about January 22. A very light year that will leave us with well over a ton of pellets still in storage in the shed, and possibly as much as two tons.

How goes it for you?

 

OK, I'm confused.

 

Hello
I used 3 tons so far this season of Okanagan gold. Just got another 2 tons. The new workshop addition is waiting for the electrician so it is still Not insulated causing more pellet usage!
Electrician cannot come till the end of Feb! So it will be cold!

 

63 bags in Jan, 142 overall.

Only burned 13 more bags this year than last at this time.

Last Feb I must have been burning like a madman because I lit up 74 bags. Zero chance I reach that number this year.

 

39 in January, 58 for the season so far.

January 2015 was 48 bags, and January 2014 was 59 bags.

I'm good with this seasons total.

 

I have burned just over a ton. This is a huge decrease from what i would have normally burned by now. 3 things are in my favor. last spring i did blown in insulation for my dining room which is quite large and pretty much had no insulation. The outside temps are remarkably higher and my stove is burning way better and hotter after a small mod.

I didnt buy as many pellets as i normally do, and was a little concerned about stretching them to the end of heating season but it looks like i might have a lot left over.

 

January was a big increase compared to the rest of the season to date. 50% of total in one month.

 

Two tons gone plus another 15 bags or so...

 

I burned 7 tons last year. About 2 tons so far this year.

 

Dr.Faustus Curious...... what was the "mod"?

 

We have been going through a 55 gallon barrel of shells per week during Jan.

We had several days the past week that we only ran the little stove, and this helps a bunch.

 

a version of the "steel wool mod" thread thats been going on at "the other forum". instead of steel wool, i plugged the 2 holes under the burn plate with 3/4" hillman plugs. I really do get a lot more heat from a lot less pellets now.

All the air is going through the pellets now, but i havent increased airflow at all. so the pellets burn hotter and since i havent increased combustion air, the ratio of heat lost up the vent is the same.
Its the best thing i ever did to this stove since extending the hopper, and this "mod" cost me less than 5 bucks.

 

Not sure, haven't been counting. Burning some cheap propane too, so that would skew the total downward. Not nearly as many as last winter, I know that.

 

as of today, 3 tons and 7 bags since sept. 15th-ish.

 

Around 2.5 ton , didn't really keep an accurate count this year , can't really compare with previous years , now that I have the 2nd stove .

 

I am in the same boat with the second stove. I have not used much more than last year. I am guessing on a normal winter I would use about a ton more than normal.

 

With one stove most years around 3-3.5 ton ,so I was projecting with 2 stoves about 2 more ton , I think I'm in the ball park with that

 

I usually do around 5.5 tons. What I have found with two is I keep the small one running hi/lo 24/7 and the second running on/off unless nights are single digits.
The heat pattern of my house makes this much more efficient and a much more evenly heated house.
Previously, and I didn't realize it until I out in the second stove. I was losing a lot of heat straight up the stairs and out.

 

I've been experimenting here , but I do something similar . The Accentra which is the work horse always runs stove temp mode [ constant burn ] that keeps the 1st and 2nd floors at a constant comfort zone .

The p43 in the Man Cave ,started running in Room temp mode [ on / off ] until it got really cold then it was basically running all the time any how . In room temp I can get 30 + hours out of a bag , in stove temp around 22 hours . It's a learning curve that will get fine tuned over time