They would make a multi seasonal stove, where you put pellets in the hopper, in the winter, and ice in the summer... Sticky, Sticky weather... not a big fan.... Dan
actually, a pellet powered air conditioner could easily be built. Back in the day (not *my* day (i just love gadgets so i've read about them)) refrigerators used to run on propane. I believe the propane heat would expand the gas, the gas would pass through a small orifice then expand (cooling the gas) and then return back to get heated again. I believe they were banned many years ago due to the constant flame under the fridge. anyhow, im sure a pellet fire could do just as well, and have a convection fan move air over the chilled lines. much simpler however is just buy an electric air conditioner and place it in the window.
And straw - lots of straw. That's how they did it in the "old days". Could keep a block of ice in the ice box for quite a while like that.
years ago (well, many, many years ago 1970's) i was commercial shad fishing on the Connecticut river. We cut ice in the winter and simply stored it under a large maple tree with lots of sawdust. the ice stayed good thru fishing season which ends shortly after Memorial Day. I recall visiting as a child what was reported in Yankee Magazine at the time as 'the last ice house.' Ice was cut on the lake and stored in sheds with sawdust. I think that ice house was in Mass or southern NH
Still happening at Squam Lake Annual Ice Harvest in Squaw Cove | Squam Lakes Association Ice harvest underway in Sandwich
