Small things matter
Re: Small things matter
I find the logs we burn will light off a few bits of scrunched up newspaper as long as I bunker the logs tightly around the paper balls and then leave the door on the draw position till the wood starts to crackle, then its door shut bottom air off glass air on full and away it goes!
Our wood yard is very good - I cant ever recall getting bad logs from them or anything marginal in seasoning.
Its dropping here too now, definitely a drop in air temperature and condensate forming on metal and glass surfaces outside.
Have a nice evening all.
Moxi
Our wood yard is very good - I cant ever recall getting bad logs from them or anything marginal in seasoning.
Its dropping here too now, definitely a drop in air temperature and condensate forming on metal and glass surfaces outside.
Have a nice evening all.
Moxi
Re: Small things matter
My go to starter these days is a toilet roll core or as i think of it "The Wee dragon". I also enjoy a reignition now and then next morning if time allows or I'm up early .Moxi wrote: ↑Fri Jan 12, 2024 3:47 pm I find the logs we burn will light off a few bits of scrunched up newspaper as long as I bunker the logs tightly around the paper balls and then leave the door on the draw position till the wood starts to crackle, then its door shut bottom air off glass air on full and away it goes!
Our wood yard is very good - I cant ever recall getting bad logs from them or anything marginal in seasoning.
Its dropping here too now, definitely a drop in air temperature and condensate forming on metal and glass surfaces outside.
Have a nice evening all.
Moxi
Just been for a shower and as SWMBO is out I thought I'd try a quick test.
Shut the doors leading to hall and left the three interconnected (dan) rooms with WBS in to do their own thing.
Start
15 minutes
That's half air and maintenance fuel only.
30 minutes
I'm not exactly sure why but it's a big deal to me that I can make this happen and be entirely self reliant. Even to the extreme of a flint & steel standing by for when the gas runs out, aye all the gas.
19.7kW PV SE, VI, HM, EN & DW
Ripple 7kW WT & Gen to date 19MWh
42kWh LFPO4 storage
95kWh Heater storage
12kWh 210ltr HWT.
73kWh HI5
Deep insulation, air leak ct'd home
Zoned GCH & Hive 2
WBSx2
Low energy bulbs
Veg patches & fruit trees
Ripple 7kW WT & Gen to date 19MWh
42kWh LFPO4 storage
95kWh Heater storage
12kWh 210ltr HWT.
73kWh HI5
Deep insulation, air leak ct'd home
Zoned GCH & Hive 2
WBSx2
Low energy bulbs
Veg patches & fruit trees
Re: Small things matter
I am a bit of a Tolkein fan and always liked the idea of filling the corners postprandial. He has such a wonderful turn of phrase which I've likely besmirched.
That particular idea of post meal revisiting the viticules came back to me today as I swapped out the alkaline for rechargeables in my swanky new pepper grinder.
That particular idea of post meal revisiting the viticules came back to me today as I swapped out the alkaline for rechargeables in my swanky new pepper grinder.
19.7kW PV SE, VI, HM, EN & DW
Ripple 7kW WT & Gen to date 19MWh
42kWh LFPO4 storage
95kWh Heater storage
12kWh 210ltr HWT.
73kWh HI5
Deep insulation, air leak ct'd home
Zoned GCH & Hive 2
WBSx2
Low energy bulbs
Veg patches & fruit trees
Ripple 7kW WT & Gen to date 19MWh
42kWh LFPO4 storage
95kWh Heater storage
12kWh 210ltr HWT.
73kWh HI5
Deep insulation, air leak ct'd home
Zoned GCH & Hive 2
WBSx2
Low energy bulbs
Veg patches & fruit trees
-
- Posts: 2030
- Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2021 6:10 pm
Re: Small things matter
I love the smell/scent of fresh-ground black pepper and have a simple manual grinder on the table... However for cooking I have found that my wrists get strained by the amount of turning needed even for 0.5kg mince in a Bolognaise, so I have to confess that I ground a good tablespoon-full in an electric coffee grinder and keep it in a sealed jar by the cooker. (Otherwise that machine only gets used on freshly-toasted coriander seed.)
Happy cooking!
A
2.0 kW/4.62 MWh pa in Ripples, 4.5 kWp W-facing pv, 9.5 kWh batt
30 solar thermal tubes, 2MWh pa in Stockport, plus Congleton and Kinlochbervie Hydros,
Most travel by bike, walking or bus/train. Veg, fruit - and Bees!
30 solar thermal tubes, 2MWh pa in Stockport, plus Congleton and Kinlochbervie Hydros,
Most travel by bike, walking or bus/train. Veg, fruit - and Bees!
Re: Small things matter
We do something similar with chilli flakes. Buy them by the 1/2 kilo in the village. Also keep a kilo or so of our own homegrown ones in the freezer. I love the Turkish spice markets (incl black & White peppercorns). Best spice market experience though was in Dubai. The smell and scale of it was awesome .. Rechargeables going innthe sea salt mill today. Easypeasy from here on out.AE-NMidlands wrote: ↑Sat Jan 13, 2024 6:36 pmI love the smell/scent of fresh-ground black pepper and have a simple manual grinder on the table... However for cooking I have found that my wrists get strained by the amount of turning needed even for 0.5kg mince in a Bolognaise, so I have to confess that I ground a good tablespoon-full in an electric coffee grinder and keep it in a sealed jar by the cooker. (Otherwise that machine only gets used on freshly-toasted coriander seed.)
Happy cooking!
A
19.7kW PV SE, VI, HM, EN & DW
Ripple 7kW WT & Gen to date 19MWh
42kWh LFPO4 storage
95kWh Heater storage
12kWh 210ltr HWT.
73kWh HI5
Deep insulation, air leak ct'd home
Zoned GCH & Hive 2
WBSx2
Low energy bulbs
Veg patches & fruit trees
Ripple 7kW WT & Gen to date 19MWh
42kWh LFPO4 storage
95kWh Heater storage
12kWh 210ltr HWT.
73kWh HI5
Deep insulation, air leak ct'd home
Zoned GCH & Hive 2
WBSx2
Low energy bulbs
Veg patches & fruit trees
Re: Small things matter
Just discovered this, new to me so thought I'd share. If you have a WBS and process your own logs you likely have a collection of multiple branch/knot awkward large sections? I have tried to split every one of mine to no avail as its only a 6T splitter.The trick is to split frozen. They fall apart.
I've just did a 2ft dia pine section with 4 branches through it. Just goes to show change in strength/compressibility between the two states..
I guess I'll be going through my 'awkwards' tomorrow.
Snows back on but light.
I've just did a 2ft dia pine section with 4 branches through it. Just goes to show change in strength/compressibility between the two states..
I guess I'll be going through my 'awkwards' tomorrow.
Snows back on but light.
19.7kW PV SE, VI, HM, EN & DW
Ripple 7kW WT & Gen to date 19MWh
42kWh LFPO4 storage
95kWh Heater storage
12kWh 210ltr HWT.
73kWh HI5
Deep insulation, air leak ct'd home
Zoned GCH & Hive 2
WBSx2
Low energy bulbs
Veg patches & fruit trees
Ripple 7kW WT & Gen to date 19MWh
42kWh LFPO4 storage
95kWh Heater storage
12kWh 210ltr HWT.
73kWh HI5
Deep insulation, air leak ct'd home
Zoned GCH & Hive 2
WBSx2
Low energy bulbs
Veg patches & fruit trees
-
- Posts: 2030
- Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2021 6:10 pm
Re: Small things matter
A very good point! Most of our house is Ok, but we had a weep from the outside bog stop-tap, and I was amazed how the skirting board was riddled with worm within a year - i.e. before we noticed the wet wood. It has also sneaked into the wooden bog-roll holder. Luckily that whole extension (an original single story wash-house, now the kitchen) is scheduled for demolition and rebuilding - one day!
We have also imported some wormy wood (into my workroom - curses!) with planks or furniture wombled when we emptied my late dad's house and garage, so a completely dry environment doesn't stop it.
If I had a wooden-tower turbine I would insist on regular scrutiny of the exterior paint - and the vegetation control around the foot.
A
We have also imported some wormy wood (into my workroom - curses!) with planks or furniture wombled when we emptied my late dad's house and garage, so a completely dry environment doesn't stop it.
If I had a wooden-tower turbine I would insist on regular scrutiny of the exterior paint - and the vegetation control around the foot.
A
2.0 kW/4.62 MWh pa in Ripples, 4.5 kWp W-facing pv, 9.5 kWh batt
30 solar thermal tubes, 2MWh pa in Stockport, plus Congleton and Kinlochbervie Hydros,
Most travel by bike, walking or bus/train. Veg, fruit - and Bees!
30 solar thermal tubes, 2MWh pa in Stockport, plus Congleton and Kinlochbervie Hydros,
Most travel by bike, walking or bus/train. Veg, fruit - and Bees!
Re: Small things matter
19.7kW PV SE, VI, HM, EN & DW
Ripple 7kW WT & Gen to date 19MWh
42kWh LFPO4 storage
95kWh Heater storage
12kWh 210ltr HWT.
73kWh HI5
Deep insulation, air leak ct'd home
Zoned GCH & Hive 2
WBSx2
Low energy bulbs
Veg patches & fruit trees
Ripple 7kW WT & Gen to date 19MWh
42kWh LFPO4 storage
95kWh Heater storage
12kWh 210ltr HWT.
73kWh HI5
Deep insulation, air leak ct'd home
Zoned GCH & Hive 2
WBSx2
Low energy bulbs
Veg patches & fruit trees
Re: Small things matter
Top tip on the frozen Logs Joeboy, will have to give that a go on all our 'ugglies' if it gets cold enough down this way.
Been on the chainsaw and splitter myself this morning, retreated inside for a warm up cuppa, more to go at this afternoon.
Been on the chainsaw and splitter myself this morning, retreated inside for a warm up cuppa, more to go at this afternoon.
4.0kw FIT PV solar Sunnyboy 4000tl & 7 x 570w JA solar panels
7.08kw JA Solar panels & Sunsynk ECCO 3.6kw.
7 x US5000 Pylontechs.
4500l RWH
Full Biomass heating system
iBoost HW divertor
Full house internal walls insulation
600min Loft insulation
7.08kw JA Solar panels & Sunsynk ECCO 3.6kw.
7 x US5000 Pylontechs.
4500l RWH
Full Biomass heating system
iBoost HW divertor
Full house internal walls insulation
600min Loft insulation