Hearth

Description

The Hearth is a Saltbox house with a double-lofted, open interior. It is a 2500 sq ft building. It contains

• a Kitchen and dining space
• a large living space
• 1 full bathroom
• 1 half bathroom
• 1 master bedroom with closet
• 2 side bedrooms
• 1 loft bedroom with closet
• basement
• wood storage attachment
• large deck

Programming

The Hearth is currently a private dwelling, planned to be converted to a communal living space over the preparation epoch. When complete the building aims to achieve the following goals:

• Comfortable cooking and eating for up to 30 guests.
• social space on two floors
• a bodywork studio (Yoga, Shibari, Meditation, etc)
• Sleeping for 12
• A two story greenhouse
• semi-public showers, baths and toilets for anyone living on or visiting the site

Arriving and Leaving in Winter

When arriving:

• First, adjust the electric heater thermostats for key locations: downstairs bathroom, then downstairs main and downstairs office (if using office soon)
• Adjust the heatpump to 71 deg C
• Light a fire in the wood stove
• then go ahead and do other unpacking

When leaving:

• Turn off all the electric heaters
• Turn the heat pump down to 61
• Check and lock the basement door
• Empty the kitchen compost, clean compost bucket

Regular Home Maintenance

• Refuse, Recyclables and Compost is taken out every second Friday. Check the Collection Calendar for dates (we're Week 1, Friday). Collection starts at 7am so it should be out to the road Thursday night if residents won't be up early.
• Check the fridge to see if food has expired once a week
• Check the levels of laundry detergent, Dishwasher detergent, hand soap, white vinegar, baking soda once a week

Appliances and Equipment

Wood Stove

The Wood Stove is a Jøtul F 500 stove produced in Maine, USA. The user manual is here.

Managing Wood & Kindling

Wood lights and burns best when it is warmer, so it is useful to manage your stock of wood throughout the day thoughtfully. Wood is kept in the wood shed attached to the basement door as outdoor stock, which is the outside temperature. On a daily or semi daily rhythm wood is brought into the basement as indoor stock, usually enough wood for about day of continuous burning in the winter. The indoor stock will get warmer because of the higher ambient temperature in the basement, and so will light easier and burn more efficiently.

• Take the kindling basket and the log tray down into the basement, leave the basement steps door open a crack for your return
• If there is enough wood in the log hauler (wheeled U-shaped dolly) and kindling in the large kindling basket for this trip and the next, fill them and head back up
• Otherwise, leave them at the bottom of the steps (you'll fill these on your way back up) and take the log hauler and large kindle basket down the ramp to the basement back door and outside.
• If you need kindling, find the axe and cut up one or two dry logs to make kindling. Cut a couple pieces of kindling into even smaller ~1 cm diameter kindling and fill the kindling basket. Ash is the easiest to cut into kindling, if available.
• Fill the log hauler with logs, keeping larger logs on one end and smaller on the other the whole way up. Double check that the basement door latched correctly
• Haul both back up the ramp, fill the log tray and small kindling basket and bring it back upstairs. Remember to turn off the light :)

Starting a Fire

• Start a fire using the two log or top down method for fire starting. See page 10 of the Jotul guide or this guide from woodheat.org for more information.
• As the fire pass 200 deg Celsius on the stovetop thermometer, reduce the air control to half. Continue to lower it as it burns hotter.
• When loading on more wood, load mid sized logs first, and then larger logs as the coal base gets larger. When leaving the stove unattended, pack the firebox full of logs in the same direction.

Regular Maintenance

• Empty the ash tray using the ash tray door. First dump the ash tray, then rake any additional ash that fell into the ash tray area into the tray, positioned below the ash tray access door. The tray area must be empty and the ash tray door must clase fully and seal before using the stove, otherwise the stove will have an air leak and burn to hot, and the air control wont work. To make sure there is a seal, use the ash tray door opening tool and press with force towards the stove as you twist the handle.
• Yearly the stove chimney should be cleaned.
• Every 5 years the stove should be WETT certified again. Most recently this was in November 2015, and so is due.

Pellet Furnace

The pellet furnace is a Treager Oll 350S forced air furnace. The furnace can also burn corn. The user manual is here.

Regular Maintenance

1. Check the ash pan regularly and empty as necessary. Dispose of the ashes in a metal container, and when cooled, bury them to prevent any spontaneous fires.
2. Check the fire pot regularly for any residue build-up. Clean and dispose of them when completely cooled.
3. Remove the two heat exchanger access panels twice per burning season and check the heat exchanger for ash. Vacuum if necessary. Replace gasket material if any tearing or deterioration occurs.
4. Annually check the blowers for lint deposits from carpeting, dryer lint, furniture coverings, pet hair, etc.
5. Inspect the flue pipe or vent assembly and chimney each time the heat exchanger is serviced (minimum twice per heating season). Clean these passages as needed. Higher usage of the unit could require more frequent cleanings.
6. The unit is equipped with an aluminium air filter, wash and clean it regularly. At least once a month.

Hot Water Heater

The hot water heater is a Richmond 6CE40S-2, which we think is a 6-Year, 40 gallon tank. The User manual is here. The manufacture date is 28 May 2014.