Heat from the hearth: The pleasures of wood burning stoves

As the gray light of a bleak winter day fails and night falls, icy wind wails through the air, whipping freshly fallen snow into deep drifts and piles across the middle American countryside. The mercury drops into the single digits and livestock hunkers down deep in the corners of the barn, toughing out the latest bitter Arctic cold snap. But inside the farmhouse, the belly of the woodstove burns bright, emanating a radiant, heat much to the comfort and delight of the inhabitants gathered around it.



There are few household accoutrements more pleasurable in the dead of winter than a classic cast iron wood burning stove. Certainly, part of their appeal is nostalgic, serving as a reminder of self-sufficient pre-modern American living. The sight and feel of an old fashioned wood burner harkens us back to the days captured by Laura Ingalls Wilder in her “Little House” books where she fondly reflects on frontier winters when “the fire in the cookstove never went out…often the wind howled outside with a cold and lonesome sound. But inside…everything was snug and cozy.”



Beyond nostalgia, a modern wood burning stove is a very practical, economical heat source. In his book “The Woodburner’s Companion,” Vermont chimneysweep Dirk Thomas says “Wood heating equipment has improved drastically since the 1970s. Wood may not be the fuel of the future, but it is certainly a fuel of the future for millions of people weary of high-priced fossil fuels, power outages and power shortages.”



One especially useful modern innovation is the use of a catalytic converter in wood stoves, which greatly reduces chimney emissions and improves heating efficiency. The catalyst is a honeycomb metal lattice that is built into the stovepipe. As smoke from the fire rises to exit the flue, the catalyst reignites the smoke, making it into an additional source of fuel. When turned on, the converter sends heat out directly into the room, as opposed to wastefully sending the heat up the chimney and out of the building.



In order for wood stove fireplaces to truly help reduce winter heating costs, it is important to procure one’s own firewood, as purchasing loads of firewood from third parties can prove expensive. So, while a wood stove is energy efficient and cost-saving, the cutting, chopping, and stacking of fire wood is labor intensive.



Gary McCandlish, of Pleasantville, uses a wood burner to alleviate the costs of heating his drafty, 100-year-old farmhouse. McCandlish collects timber from the woods at the back of the farm.



“We get a lot given to us too. A lot of people have trees fall down or cut down and want them removed. I’m not too proud or ashamed to go out and cut up storm damage wood. If I was buying the wood the cost would be uneconomical,” he said.



The best time to harvest wood for winter burning is early spring, McCandlish said.



“I want to get it in April to cure for the winter. We don’t always get that, but that’s the ideal. It takes six to nine months to season most green wood and you have to split it to give it time to air in order to cure and dry it,” he said. “If you cut her in April, you can burn her all winter.”



Beyond the time and labor spent culling firewood from the field, McCandlish estimates he spends two to three hours a week splitting, sawing, stacking, and hauling wood and he is greatly appreciative of his “common bought” 22-ton hydraulic log splitter.



“It cuts my labor down and it is time saver, not to mention it saves my back,” he said.



For burning, McCandlish said he prefers walnut, oak, cherry and ash. Ash isn’t the best, but it does burn. The very best wood is hedgewood, but it takes too long to season and it is hard to cut. “It tears your chainsaw up. When you’re cutting green hedge, the chainsaw will literally throw sparks because it’s such mean, tough, hard wood,” McCandlish said. “All the original corner posts on this farm here are all made from hedge and you cannot to this day drive a nail into one of them.”



Beyond use as a heat source, many folks enjoy cooking on their wood burners. While not all modern wood burners are designed for cooking, there are still cookstove models reminiscent of 1800s-era kitchens being produced to serve both heating and cooking needs, and there are numerous recipe books in publication to guide a woodstove cook. And even if the wood burner doesn’t possess the necessary stovetop space needed to heat large skillets, there are nonetheless plenty of options for down-home cooking on and in your woodstove.



The following simplistic recipes merely scratch the surface of what can be prepared using a wood burning stove, but they might come in handy for beginners or for those stuck in the midst of a power outage. For example, slice up some eggplant, add some tomato slices and basil, wrap them in foil, and place them on the coals inside of the stove, cooking until tender. For that matter, many vegetables, such as potatoes, small beets, and sliced zucchini, can be double-wrapped in heavy duty foil with some butter and seasoning and cooked on the fire’s coals. For a meat dish, tightly seal marinated strips of chicken breast in double-wrapped aluminum foil packets and cook them on the hot coals.



If cooking over a wood stove doesn’t light your fire, McCandlish suggests that everyone with a wood burner should at least invest in a miniature, six-inch cast iron skillet. As the fire really gets rolling, fill the skillet with pistachios or another favorite variety of nut and warm them on the stovetop. The fire-warmed nuts are sure to prove an addictive treat on a cold winter afternoon, providing an incentive to circle back around for another nibble every time the fire needs fed.



There is much to be admired about the classic cast iron woodstove. It is a reliable, centuries-old source of heat for creature comfort and cooking. It nurtures pleasure and fellowship, gathering friends and family around it for warmth and sustenance. Perhaps Japanese farmer and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka said it best when he wisely observed, “the simple hearth of the small farm is the true center of our universe.”



Source: https://ocj.com/2014/11/heat-from-the-hearth-the-pleasures-of-wood-burning-stoves/



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Ask Ila: Are hot tubs safe?

Q. Ski season is approaching. Après ski I love to climb into a hot tub to soak my weary muscles. Is that a safe thing to do?

I am a big fan of sweating to rid the body of toxins and to help relax. Sweating can help rid your body of the effects of over eating, excess salt, or over indulging in alcohol. You can sit in a sauna for about 20 minutes to reap these benefits. Don’t stay in much longer and be sure to drink water so you don’t dehydrate.



A hot tub is a different story though. While they can be very relaxing they can also be a breeding ground for bacteria if not well maintained and properly disinfected. These bacteria can lead to skin infections and/or skin irritations.



Hot tub folliculitis, a hot tub rash, is a skin condition in which hair follicles become inflamed. It may look like small red bumps or white-headed pimples around hair follicles. The infection can spread and turn into non-healing, crusty sores. It’s caused by soaking in a poorly sanitized tub, which can occur even if the water looks clean. Don’t ever get in if the water looks murky or green, or smells funny.



If you are pregnant you should not use the hot tub whether it is clean or not, especially during the first trimester. Hot tubs are generally too hot and can dangerously raise the body’s core temperature, which is also dangerous for the fetus.



If you do go in a clean hot tub do not stay in too long. There is a risk of fainting from overheating that can be dangerous. Dizziness and overheating can lead to accidental slips and falls in the tub, which can then lead to other injuries.



Researchers at the American Journal of PreventiveMedicine recommended in their December 2009 edition that for safety’s sake, it is best to use the hot tub for only 10 to 15 minutes, at a temperature no higher than 104 degrees. The use of hot tubs at water temperatures above the normal body temperatures can cause drowsiness which may lead to unconsciousness and subsequently result in drowning.



A few other things to keep in mind when using a hot tub include not getting the water in your mouth and not swallowing it if you do. Be considerate of others; shower with soap before entering and don’t use it if you have diarrhea.



Pay attention to the maximum number of people posted that the tub can safely accommodate, and don’t over load beyond that number. Avoid drinking alcohol before or during hot tub use. The risk of drowning is significantly increased if individuals consume alcoholic beverages while, or prior to, soaking in hot water. Excessive drinking while in a hot tub can lead to drowsiness, which can then lead to unconsciousness and possible drowning.



Check out the color and smell of the tub before entering. It should not have a foul odor, but it should also not have a strong chemical odor. The tiles should not feel sticky or slimy. You should be able to hear the pumps and filter working.



The temperature should not exceed 104 degrees. Keeping the temperature at 100 degrees is considered safe for healthy adults. Soaking in a hot tub with water heated to 106 degrees Fahrenheit, for example, can raise human body temperature to the point of heat stroke, a condition in which the body’s core temperature is raised to greater than 105 degrees. This can lead to complications in the central nervous system and include nausea, seizures, confusion, disorientation, and sometimes loss of consciousness or coma. These conditions can be fatal even to fully healthy adults.



If you can, talk to someone working there to ensure that chlorine and pH levels are checked at least twice a day, and more often when the tub is in heavy use.



If you have a history of heart disease, circulation problems, diabetes, or blood pressure issues (high or low) you should check with your medical provider before using a hot tub. Do not use the hot tub if you are taking tranquilizers, anti-histamines, or anti-coagulants.



Getting in and out of the tub can be slippery with wet feet so keep your towel nearby.



Before getting in look around you. Note where the manual disconnect device is located. You never know when you might need to use it, so know where it is!



And if possible, tub with a friend. Not only is it more enjoyable, but it’s safer to not be alone. Follow this advice and have fun après ski.



Ila Shebar is a women's health nurse practitioner specializing in women's pelvic health and continence at Pioneer Valley Urology in Springfield. Her "Ask Ila" column appears every other Wednesday in the Health & Science section of The Republican and on MassLive.com. She can be reached at ilashebarnp.pvu@ gmail.com



Source: http://www.masslive.com/living/index.ssf/2014/10/ask_ila-_hot_tubs_safe.html



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This cook stove can cleanly burn plastic and charge a phone

A woman uses the KleanCook stove to charge a cell phone during the pilot study in the Philippines, where entrepreneurs got the idea for the K2.


It's no secret that the smoke spewing from open fires and from indoor coal-fired cook stoves is a silent killer in the developing world and a contributor to climate change. More than 4 million people die each year from health problems related to inhaling carbon monoxide or particulate matter released from stoves that burn wood, biomass or coal, according to the World Health Organization.



And despite a long-running government campaign to eradicate dirty fuels from households, the problem persists in China. But thanks to two young entrepreneurs, a new kind of cook stove — one that can cleanly combust small amounts of plastic trash and convert its excess cooking heat to electricity — could be on its way into kitchens across China in the future.



Smoke-related illnesses are a bigger issue than malaria or HIV



" Smoke-related illnesses are a bigger issue than malaria or HIV," said Jacqueline Nguyen, one of the entrepreneurs and a University of California, Berkeley, senior toxicology student. "It kills more than HIV and malaria worldwide per year."



While Nguyen handles business and marketing for Energant, the company behind the device, her best friend, Mark Webb — a 2011 Berkeley graduate who studied biochemistry — designed the K2 cook stove.



The K2 reduces smoky emissions by 95%, according to tests Webb conducted. Using the excess heat created during operations, it can generate enough electricity to trickle charge a mobile phone. It has the ability to burn biomass briquettes cleanly as well.



And it can also burn plastic and wood without toxic emissions as long as the material — which emits volatile organic compounds when burned — doesn't exceed 8% of the mass being used as fuel, according to Webb.



The ability to burn plastic and wood cleanly is what distinguishes the K2 model from the KleanCook stove, the first product Webb designed last year.




A prototype of the K2 stove, which is not yet available on the market.




Webb got the idea for the K2 cook stove during pilot testing of the KleanCook model in the Philippines this past summer when he and Nguyen noticed people cooking food over open fires all across the country — and burning plastic bags as a way to get those fires started.



"We decided to make the K2, which was centered specifically around being able to burn off all of the toxic material from this trash," Webb said.



But because the two wanted the cook stoves to generate income for local people who would sell the devices for profit, they decided to target the Chinese market, as business costs in the Philippines were too high.



How does it work, and what differentiates it from other clean cook stoves?



The unique geometric design of the stove's built-in fan, which resembles a turbo fan from a jet engine. When the fan blows air into the fire, it creates forced convection, which makes the stove more fuel-efficient. Carbon monoxide is then converted to carbon dioxide.



50% fewer fuel has to be burned to create the same amount of heat, resulting in lower emissions.



50% fewer fuel has to be burned to create the same amount of heat, resulting in lower emissions, according to Webb. A patent is pending on the K2's design.



The stove also contains a thermoelectric generator. When one side of the device is exposed to heat and the other is kept cool, an electric current is generated as the heat travels from one side of the generator to the other. That electric charge is then fed into a voltage regulator to produce a steady current.



Since it's made from cheap metal, the stove costs only $16 to manufacture. Energant plans to sell the stoves to regional distributors for between $20 and $25. In turn, the salespeople will sell the units at retail for $50 — a price that Webb and Nguyen says the Chinese government has deemed an acceptable amount to charge based on disposable income.



The debut of the K2 cook stove could be timely, as recent reports from China indicate there's been an increase in burning trash and plastic, which releases carcinogenic dioxins.



Webb and Nguyen's clean cook stove venture attracted support from UC Berkeley's Development Impact Lab after the pair won the Lab's Big Ideas student innovation contest for the KleanCook stove.



The development lab is one of seven university efforts funded by U.S. Agency for International Development via the U.S. Global Development Lab. That initiative gives money to seven different centers at universities around the country that support students creating solutions to global problems such as climate change, food security, health and poverty.



"Our whole market approach to the KleanCook was to have the cheapest possible thing that was the most scalable and can deliver electricity for devices," Webb recalled.



KleanCook also won prize money from the Clinton Global Initiative University contest this past year, which allowed the entrepreneurs to fund KleanCook's pilot testing in the Philippines.



But though the K2 cook stove — KleanCook's more sophisticated sister — appears promising, it isn't ready for market quite yet. Webb says that Energant has a pre-manufacturing prototype that he's tested for efficiency using a consumer carbon monoxide sensor that recorded the carbon dioxide output of the stove.



To win the confidence of Chinese consumers, he says K2 needs to be tested using validated equipment — something that Energant would have to pay for specialists to do at Beijing's Tsinghua University.



The company hopes to raise $30,000 from an Indiegogo campaign to pay for the testing.



Source: http://mashable.com/2014/11/14/k2-clean-cook-stove/



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from energyhouse http://energyhouse.livejournal.com/33468.html

Caroline Wozniacki Looks Fantastic As Ever In Holiday Hot Tub Pic

Check out stunning Scandinavian tennis sensation Caroline Wozniacki in this smoking hot hot tub snap… Gorgeous tennis star Caroline Wozniacki enjoys her last night in the Bahamas by relaxing in the hot tub. The delectable Dane looked fantastic as always in nothing but a bikini.








And with her trip over we will hopefully get to see her on the tennis court again very soon.



Source: http://www.caughtoffside.com/2014/11/11/image-caroline-wozniacki-looks-fantastic-as-ever-in-holiday-hot-tub-pic/



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Never was so much owed by so many to so few

Happy veterans day 2014 !

"Never was so much owed by so many to so few." -Winston Churchill




from energyhouse http://energyhouse.livejournal.com/32868.html

Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute...

“Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity.” ― Albert Einstein



from energyhouse http://energyhouse.livejournal.com/32654.html

Sweetening Wood Heat

Using wood to heat homes and businesses offers plenty of perks, but spreading state incentives are further enticing installations.

During the first week of September, homeowners in New Hampshire paid about $25.20, $33.91 and $44.88 per million Btu for fuel oil, propane and electricity, respectively. Those using bulk-delivered wood pellets and cordwood paid about half that amount or less—$14.91 and $15.50.





Though the low price of wood and pellets holds plenty of appeal to consumers, making the transition is oftentimes a different story, particularly when it comes to anteing up to purchase the appliance and pay for installation. Most wood and pellet stoves cost between $3,000 and $5,000 for the appliance, potential change out and installation, but a wood pellet boiler system can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000 with installation.





To help mitigate the initial financial burden of fuel switching, New Hampshire is one of five U.S. states that offers wood pellet boiler incentives—up to a 50 percent rebate, a max of $6,000—and is one of a handful of states that does so, which includes Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont. Eight states offer tax credits, rebates or deductions for wood or pellet stoves, mostly in the western U.S., and a few states offer some kind of incentive for both.





Though states with wood heat incentives have seen momentous growth over the past several years—by over 100 percent in some—the trend isn’t isolated to that region; Great Lakes states such as Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio have also experienced exponential increases. But states with incentive programs have a leg up on states that don’t, especially when it comes to meeting certain objectives, such as guiding consumers to purchase cleaner and more efficient appliances to improve air quality, or providing help to low-income families dealing with ever-increasing fossil fuel prices. It all depends on what the state’s goal is, says John Ackerly, president of the Alliance for Green Heat.





Different Goals, Different Programs

“Rebates are much better for lower-income people; they don’t have to wait until the next year to get it [money back], most rebates come in the mail one or two months later. Rebates are better for the consumer,” Ackerly says.





In states that don’t have air pollution problems, there aren’t typically requirements for qualifiers to remove old stoves, such as in Maryland, Ackerly’s home state, a newer member of the state wood heat incentive club. “We don’t have any substantial wood smoke problems, plus the program is being run out of the Maryland Department of Energy, and they don’t even have a mandate to improve air quality,” he says.





It’s a different story in the Northwest U.S., where programs are totally driven by air quality. “Even to the point of where the state will give you more money if you agree to switch to a natural gas appliance,” Ackerly says. “So there, the government is trying to get people to go from a renewable to a fossil fuel, and paying them more money to do so, which is kind of a pity. But in a deep valley in an urban area where pollution is really bad, you can’t really argue with that. Although, I think they could have done a better job starting earlier and providing people with incentives to get onto pellet stoves—the air quality might not be as bad as it is.”





Though the general wood heating incentive wave is trending toward boilers and automated bulk delivery—in Maine, distributors report an installation rate of about one system per day—Maryland’s new wood and pellet stove program has exceeded expectations in terms of popularity, and serves as a good example and place to start for other states looking to implement something similar.





Implementation and Challenges





Providing $500 grants for wood stove installations and $700 for pellet stoves—both required to meet certain emissions rates—the goal of the program is to reach Marylanders who don’t have natural gas access, says Emilee van Norden, Maryland Energy Administration clean energy program manager. “Last year was a pretty difficult year for people—many had difficulty affording fuel oil because of the really harsh winter, harder than we’re used to. These stoves only cost a few thousand dollars, and we give a pretty sizeable grant to them. It also allows us to get to parts of Maryland where they can’t get solar on their roof because they’re in the woods or mountain areas, or regions where income is a bit lower and [they] can’t afford geothermal or solar.“





After a strong response to its pilot phase, the program was expanded indefinitely as part of the state’s Clean Energy Grant Program, which also funds other types of renewable installations. Money for the program is drawn from Maryland’s Strategic Energy Investment Fund, which results from the state being part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a market-based, carbon cap-and-trade program.





Figuring out where funding for such a program will come from can be a challenge to states hoping to implement what Maryland has done. To help generate ideas, EPA Burnwise has recently released a guide for states to help them through the program development process. Program funds may potentially come from weatherization and other housing assistance programs, grants and loans through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, USDA, U.S. DOE or U.S. EPA.





Once the program is in place—after a need is demonstrated, preliminary plan has been developed, partners identified and funding scored—there are implementation problems that may arise, such as “free riders,” or people who would make the purchase anyway and don’t really need the financial help, an issue that stove incentives are more likely to encounter than pellet boilers. “[For boilers] the upfront cost is high, so I don’t think there will be too many free riders,” Ackerly says. “A few may have done it otherwise, but a $5,000 incentive is certainly enough to push people over the edge. One thing we don’t have in the stove or boiler world is the volume that will bring the per-unit cost down. Some of these companies are only selling a couple hundred boilers a year, and though 5,000 single stoves is a good year, it’s not enough volume to help bring the cost down.”





In Europe, where the residential heating market is thriving, the upfront costs of stoves and boilers are nearly the same, but the return on investment is much quicker. “The fuel you’re avoiding is double or triple the cost,” Ackerly says, adding that people stay in their houses longer in Europe, so most don’t mind making a longer-term investment. “Here, if you’re not sure you’re going to live there in five years, do you want to pay $20,000?”





Ackerly noted that a new payback mechanism, on-bill financing, is helping to sway those who may be planning to move in the future to make the investment anyway. “The next owner of the house will continue to pay the monthly amount, so you don’t need to worry if you sell the house in a few years,” he says. “They’ve been using it in the solar world, but it’s a lot easier to use it for electric appliances because the electric utility usually just adds a certain amount each month onto your electric bill. When you’re adding a nonelectric appliance onto your electric bill, it definitely takes coordination to make that happen.”





Other potential implementation challenges that are likely to be discovered during postprogram analysis include too many people using the incentive, causing the budget to run out quickly, excessive administration burdens, and people finding loopholes.





At that point, determining and fixing challenges is essential in ensuring a more successful next round. In Maryland, one challenge was identification of which stoves qualify and which don’t, van Norden says. “Now, I’m at the point of when I see a certain dealer’s name, I know it’s going to be a good application. It’s mostly a matter of making sure the dealers and stove owners are getting the right marks. Emissions rates are part of our requirement that people didn’t understand at first.”





To keep things running smoothly, a bimonthly meeting is held with Maryland stove dealers to find out what issues they might be having, or to answer any questions.





Ace Hardware & Hearth owner Pete Peterson, who opened the Glen Burnie, Maryland, hardware store in 1978, said the rebate program does result in more stove sales, but how it really benefits his business is other things that customers also buy—venting, pellets and wood, grates and materials to start their fires.





And, perhaps most importantly, the uptick in business has allowed Peterson to keep more employees on year-round. “We’re busy the whole year in spring and fall, so we get to keep eight people on during the winter because of this program.”





Peterson says upon implementation of the program, impacts occurred nearly immediately—people were quick to act upon the opportunity. “It was a very obvious there was an incentive to switch off of electric, oil, gas and propane,” he says. “In Maryland, we went through a situation where electricity costs went up 72 percent in just a couple of years, and there wasn’t much of an incentive [to fuel switch] other than some meager things the dealer can give. It’s been just like the story of the frog boiling in the pot—the heat has been turned up slowly and it’s dying but doesn’t know it—people have been slowly bleeding from their electric bill, when they could be buying other things.”





The biggest challenge has been spreading the word about the program, in Peterson’s opinion. “Letting people know they have an option, that they can take control,” he says.





On any confusion of qualifying vs. nonqualifying stoves, Peterson says the list the state has provided is pretty cut and dried, and there isn’t much motivation for hardware stores to carry stoves that don’t qualify. “It’s not very common, most of ones not certified are carried in big box-type stores that aren’t concerned about the things we are—they’ll sell anything at the right price points,” he says.





Van Norden says there’s potential to add pellet boilers to the state rebate program, but as the program is still new, much has to be figured out. “We’ll probably be looking at other states to see what they’re doing,” she says.





And to those states on the fence about implementing wood heating incentive programs, van Norden has the following advice to offer: “Engage the stove community—it’s a really good asset. And don’t hesitate. It’s a smart way to help people, it’s very practical, and it helps them lower their energy bills.”



Source: http://biomassmagazine.com/articles/11108/sweetening-wood-heat



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from energyhouse http://energyhouse.livejournal.com/32299.html

How to: Ready your hot tub for winter

Hot tubs are the same as any outdoor fixture that involves water. Either way, you have some prep work — whether it's going to be used throughout the colder months, or put to bed for the winter.

Year-round hot-tubbing: "There's a high percentage of hot tub owners that leave them running year round," says Brad Bomgardner of Crystal Pools in Lancaster.

How low should you go?: Most hot tubs go down as low as 80 degrees. But try lowering it to 95 degrees. That way, a 4- or 5-degree boost will put it in the comfortable 99- to 100-degree range.

Efficiency: Normal hot tubs take an hour to increase 2 to 5 degrees, Bomgardner says, so minimize major fluctuations for energy efficiency.

Closed for winter: If the hot tub is going to be unused, drain the water. Suck out water from pipes and jets with a shop vac so they don't freeze and burst.

Cover up: Cover the hot tub with a tarp. Standing water on the hot tub cover itself, from rain or snow, could leak into the hot tub, freeze and cause problems.



Source: http://lancasteronline.com/features/how-to-ready-your-hot-tub-for-winter/article_870ed326-5f76-11e4-8d95-001a4bcf6878.html



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