Pellet heads!! What's up today?

Don't play that game too long. Local TV station is saying the oil deliveries can't keep up and some people have run out of oil not realizing they would use more oil than usual with this weather (yeah, I don't get that thinking either ). Some people called 5+ places before they found someone to do an emergency delivery. I'm sure those people paid a premium on top of the regular price.

 

The last thing I did on the insulation side was to enclose the foundation concrete walls and while I lost the garage to keep root veggies in it sure helped the heating fuel consumption. On the main floor the double pane interior storms helped a lot as well.

 

The house is easy to heat. Even in this extreme prolonged cold, I can keep open the door to the glassed in porch. That gives me a really nice place to have my plants, and to get some light to help with depression.

 

Just checked C.O.D Oil.com.....$2.73 around me. Looks like you should have placed that order back in July.

 

Saw the same on WMUR this morning.

The tank is in the open and I see the gauge whenever I go down there, which is several times a day. No worries, I have 1/2 tank and over 6 ton of pellets. I should be OK.

 

The Maine governor removed the O/T limits on fuel truck drivers.

 

ouch.

 

I didn't wait until the last second and changed the oil in the snow blower today (first change since new - had about 4 hours on it). I had a heck of a time getting the drain plug started, but growled at it a couple of times and scared it into submission.

I had a funky set up for draining since the tube is over a rear tire, but it worked well and only cost a couple of bucks. Worked well, once I figured out why it wasn't draining - take the dipstick out you dipstick! It drained so quickly that I ran some new oil from the fill to make sure it wasn't just being obstinate.



I didn't get a torque wrench so just tightened the plug as far as I could - giving it an extra grunt just for good measure. Then I filled it with the full synthetic.



The book says 16 oz. Someone had said 17 oz is what they used, but I found it needed close to 20 oz, which is what the book says is for the next engine size up. Didn't see any drips but gave the plug another quick wrench just in case. I also started it and let it run about a minute to make sure oil didn't go spewing out. Will check the oil level before I start blowing when the next storm hits. Was darn happy to be in the garage where it was 28* instead of the 8* (and windy) outside!

Thanks for everyone's suggestions - this was the smoothest and easiest project I've done in a long time and I owe it to you guys! (KOW)

 

Oil & gas prices will be going up. HHO due to demand, plus the price of a barrel of crude is up to $60 now. Gas prices should go up about $.10 in the next 7-10 days. Glad 1. we use pellets and 2. the Corolla gets 41mpg COMBINED (1.8l w/CVT tranny).

Was +3 this morn at 5 when we got up to take granddaughter to Logan to catch her flight home (NC). It was 25 at the airport in Raleigh-Durham. Every one coming in to Departures was dressed like an Eskimo then started peeling layers off so they wouldn't roast on their flights. Think everyone had 1 extra carry-on just to stow those away in.

Sam

 

Glad you "got 'er dun". With the full synthetic, you should be good until next winter. BTW, did you ever get the spray Sno-Jet for the chute & housing? If so, what did you think?

 

I already used that stuff on my shovels and old snow blower - been using it for a couple of years. Worked well for the old snow blower compared to the first year when I didn't know about using non-stick stuff.

I did give in and give the new blower a light coat. IDK, all the paint and everything was new so I'm unsure if it made a difference or not. I can tell you there hasn't been any sticking from any of the storms and I never had the chute back up.

 

Did my windows (triple pane argon filled) and all my doors summer of 2014. I sure hope they are saving me bunches of money since that was 10k (had to hire someone as I can't do it myself). 10k will buy a whole lot of pellets, oil or even propane. I will admit, at least I don't have to cover them with plastic every winter now, so there is at least a noticeable difference (but plastic is cheap . . . ).

 

Thank you. I think I’m going to try the same thing. Would like to compare notes on our setups, before taking the plunge. PM sent.

 

My propane price is Locked In. I buy a set amount for a set price. They deliver it as needed and I pay monthly a set price. Only if I go over that amount do I pay the current market price. Never know, that could be cheaper or cost more than the set price. If I don't use that amount, it is carried forward. My son heats upstairs with the propane, Hot water baseboard heat. We both use it for hot water, and I use it to cook with.

 

Saw this on Harbor freight; They are comparing it to Honda. not dual fuel, but looks like a decent price for a back up item.

 

Welcome back late afternoon 130's damm 50 hour half lives.

 

Got the Oak installed on the P43 and stuck a old fashioned straight up radiant heater in the deep crawl space, should thaw out the drain pipe for the washer as laundry is piling up .
Going to have to order a long 3" pipe for the P68 online as mentioned by someone here Homeless depot only had 4" which of course I tried to get to work but it blew out . Single digits today did manage to give the P43 her first good cleaning today when i had it down to install the oak . Both stove are cranking 4* outside and 65* inside not bad at all. Happy New Year to all Ya'll hope this year brings prosperity to ALL ! Oh BTW these LaCrete are burning just Lovely not quite as much heat as the Northerns but dang close and figuring they are burning cleaner a tad bit but wont know that until next Friday rolls around, very happy with them could have less fines in em but have gone back to screening em as I am trying to erk out every BTU from the pellets. If in fact Scenario 1 rolls in with some snow I will head out and grab a snowblower, kind of torn between Husky and Ariens have seen both at a decent price.

 

The wind has been ramping up all day and with the sunset the temps started plunging. The bedrooms never got over 66* today and that was while the sun was shining and as the P43 was going into shut down mode (and the garage, which the bedrooms are over, was at its warmest of the day at 28*). Decided it was time to switch it to renegade mode so I switched it to stove temp, auto with a feed rate of about 0.5.

The room that I keep the thermostat that the P43 normally runs off of is showing the temp at 70 (thermostat is set at 69 - just for comparison's sake). The bedrooms are holding at 66*. Later tonight I'll probably raise the feed rate a little to keep the bedrooms where they are at - assuming the wind doesn't die down any.

Basement stove is still on room temp using the probe and I don't think I will need to change it any since it won't be bleeding any/much heat upstairs.

 

You are female?You are smarter and handier than 95% of my neighbors,up here in the mountains!