Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) March 30, 2022
We’re getting off fossil-fuel heating! Installation starts April 11th!
With great help from very low-interest financing offered by the VT State Grange, we have been able to place our order for an “Auto Pellet Air furnace”, distributed by Maine Energy Systems, and sold by Bourne’s Energy.
This advanced pellet-burning furnace will be quite different from pellet stoves that many people have. Unlike them, no one will have to lug bags of pellets to dump into the furnace. Nor will anyone have to scrape out the ashes. Pellets will be delivered by a bulk truck (like the one shown above). Pellets will be blown into an outdoor bin, like the one in the top right photo above. They will be fed automatically from the bin to the furnace (like the one in the top left photo) in the basement using airflow also. And the ashes get pushed out of the bottom of the combustion chamber into the box at the lower right of the furnace. It’s easy to dump the cold ashes into a trash bag for disposal every few weeks, with amazingly little dust.
The reason I can speak with some authority about the operation of the pellet furnace is that Merry and I have used one for heating our house for the last 9 years, and have found it very reliable, and requiring minimal care.
The pellet bin will be installed on pre-cast concrete pads, in the flower-bed to the left of the old entrance. We are also having a stainless steel liner installed in the existing chimney, as required for this heating system. The furnace will connect to the existing duct work, operating a 2-zone system for the two floors, similar to our existing system. The same WiFi thermostats will control the system, too.
The earliest date we could get for Bourne’s to start the installation is April 11th. We have had great understanding from the many folks who rent the Grange Hall for rehearsals, celebrations, meetings and more during this time with no heating system; only a few have canceled their events during this time. We will be asking them to endure a little longer as we get the system installed. But we can now expect our new heating system to last for decades!
We see many positives from this decision:
- Reducing our carbon-dioxide footprint, by heating with a renewable fuel.
- Purchasing a locally-grown product, rather than one imported from thousands of miles away. Pellet production and transportation provides jobs for people in this region, too!
- Having a secure supply source, not affected by international disputes.
- Cheaper, and more stable fuel prices. Wood pellets do not fluctuate in sync with oil prices. Merry’s and my pellet costs have risen by only 18% since 2013, a lot less than oil! The Grange expects to save at least $800 per year, based on the current price differential.
- And we will be getting a $6,000 rebate from Efficiency Vermont!
Next meeting April 2
Our meeting on April 2nd will be short–just from 4:30 to 5:00 PM. I’m sure we’ll have quite a bit of discussion of the new system, the loan from the State Grange, plus plans for FCCGH projects coming up. If you’re attending by Zoom, you’ll find the link on the Grange Calendar listing for this meeting at: https://bit.ly/3Lu5rSU. Note that this will be a different link than the one for our Program about Community Radio, from 5:00 to 6:00.
We do ask that any unvaccinated people that join us in person for the meeting or Program wear a well-fitting mask. COVID numbers in Washington County are, unfortunately, rising these days. We look forward to when we can open windows and have more fresh air! For this meeting, we’ll be warming up the lower level with the electric heaters, but we suggest wearing an extra layer to the meeting.
Besides the meeting itself, we’ll have time to talk more at the Community Potluck Dinner which we’ll have following the program. See below for a few details on the potluck!
Potluck time again! Join us at 6 PM on April 2nd.
We’ll have another Community Potluck dinner together in the lower level, following the Grange meeting and the Program. As usual, we’ll have no idea what to expect for food–but as usual, we are confident we will have a variety of main courses, salads, soups, breads, beverages, desserts, and much more! The 30 or so people who came to our March potluck shared lots of great food, so come and see what’s on the counters!We do ask that only people who are vaccinated join us for this event, as we continue to be conservative about our group events–especially when we know we won’t be able to wear masks.