How long will your 30 maintain 500*+???

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herdbull

herdbull

Member
Dec 31, 2010
132
Wisconsin
Now that we're well into this burning season this thought has been crossing my mind a lot. With all the threads about burn times this or that it got me to thinkin.... I know, go outside and do something :) already, but a guy sometimes needs to know stuffz. And there's a lot of us running 30's around here.

I'll set a few guidelines which should cover most of the factors involved to keep things as close as possible. Lets say outside temps around 15*-20* (don't know if this matters too much), normal 10ish MPH winds, medium to large sized splits. These splits being dry of course and of good quality. Not the top shelf you've been saving in the corner for "that" day or weekend but nice hardwood splits.

I think most here burn in cycles so lets try and use that criteria as well. The standard let stove get to around 300ish, rake coals forward business, reload, taper back air as she heats up and then let it cruise. Probably in that 600-650* range. You know the whole song and dance, you can do it in your sleep. In fact you probably dream about it at night ;) .

It's at this point I'm curious as to how long you are maintaining stove top temps above 500*. While stove temps around 400* are ok, it's really over 500* that you're getting good heat, nice heat. At least for me it seems that way anyway.

I forgot to mention the load size. Lets say how about a 1/2 load, a 3/4 load, and then the I don't think the door is gonna shut cause she's busting at the seams load. Is that too much to ask? Dunno ;?. Temps measured should be stove top temps if possible and actual times not "I think" temps or "it seams like" times, actual times in minutes.

Yes, I know. I will now go outside and split some wood or something.
 
I will wait for your stats first. >>
 
I've asked the same thing in the past in a less detailed way and not really gotten the answer I was looking for.
"I get several hours of good heat" is the normal type answer.
Any answer is helpful, but detail is gooder.:cool:
 
I get several hours of good heat...:)
 
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Now the longer answer......I have no idea on any of the ranges. Why you might ask? Well, I load up the stove, get it to heat, and then go upstairs out of the unfinished basement into my comfortably warmed house. Every so often I come to the bottom of the stairs to look at the fire from a distance through the glass to make sure everything is ok, but I am not checking the heat cycle. When the thermometer in the kitchen drops,4 degrees or so, I know it's time to consider reloading.

Wish I could be of more help.
 
I will do a test for you now and post later. Going to load a 1/2 load of hardwoods and record the thermometer on a dvr. Will post the results. Outside here is 32 degrees.
 
I just found that the 30 blower that comes stock is 2 speed.....
 
herdbull said:
Now that we're well into this burning season this thought has been crossing my mind a lot. With all the threads about burn times this or that it got me to thinkin.... I know, go outside and do something :) already, but a guy sometimes needs to know stuffz. And there's a lot of us running 30's around here.

I'll set a few guidelines which should cover most of the factors involved to keep things as close as possible. Lets say outside temps around 15*-20* (don't know if this matters too much), normal 10ish MPH winds, medium to large sized splits. These splits being dry of course and of good quality. Not the top shelf you've been saving in the corner for "that" day or weekend but nice hardwood splits.

I think most here burn in cycles so lets try and use that criteria as well. The standard let stove get to around 300ish, rake coals forward business, reload, taper back air as she heats up and then let it cruise. Probably in that 600-650* range. You know the whole song and dance, you can do it in your sleep. In fact you probably dream about it at night ;) .

It's at this point I'm curious as to how long you are maintaining stove top temps above 500*. While stove temps around 400* are ok, it's really over 500* that you're getting good heat, nice heat. At least for me it seems that way anyway.

I forgot to mention the load size. Lets say how about a 1/2 load, a 3/4 load, and then the I don't think the door is gonna shut cause she's busting at the seams load. Is that too much to ask? Dunno ;?. Temps measured should be stove top temps if possible and actual times not "I think" temps or "it seams like" times, actual times in minutes.

Yes, I know. I will now go outside and split some wood or something.
Click to expand...

How much coffee have you had today?
 
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mywaynow said:
I will do a test for you now and post later. Going to load a 1/2 load of hardwoods and record the thermometer on a dvr. Will post the results. Outside here is 32 degrees.
Click to expand...
25 minutes in and just surpassed the 500 mark. Loaded 4 splits; a 5 inch square red oak, 2- 5x5x8 cherry and 1 5x5x7 hickory.
 
Okay, I'll do this short and fast:
Depending upon the load, and wood type, and all the other variables that come with wood burning
500+ degrees: 3-4.5 hours
300+ degrees: 7-9 hours
250+ degrees: 8-11 hours

Give or take. Some times longer than those averages. Sometimes shorter if I end up loading the stove like a drunken clown. Which happens.
 
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BrowningBAR said:
Sometimes shorter if I end up loading the stove like a drunken clown. Which happens.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that imagery :) Shakes The Clown is one of my favorite old "bad" movies. Bobcat Goldthwait is the drunken clown. I hacked my sister's netflix account and put it at the top of her list once. I use to use it for DVD movie swaps at work too, kept people wondering about me ;)
 
Thanks for the update. It will be good data for reference. Coffee was a distant memory when I posted this. Me is an earlier riser.

I should add please note if your blower is on or off. That will make a pretty big difference. It gets hard for me to actually answer my own question because I'm either sleeping or off to work for the day once she's cruising along. And like today for whatever reason it's so darn hot in here I can't really load her up and test or I'd have to open the windows.

No rhyme or reason to the 500*. It just seems like 500 was a good number to get some major heat out of the stove and maintain a nice secondary burn. My personal observations in the past on a half load was less than 2 hours. Now it would continue to heat and stay above 350 for another 4 maybe 5 hours on that half load.

I'm still trying to get a feel for this stove and I think I'm peaking the temps too early in the burn and the wood is outgassing too quickly. I taper the air back bit by bit but I think I'm too slow to react or not cutting it back nearly enough. It seems like on my stove the first 50%-75% of the control is useless. Has very little to almost no affect on the fire from wide open to half closed. Does that make any sense? I think I need to slow the whole process down and not ram the stove to 700-750*. For whatever reason that's where she wants to jump to all the time and I believe it's operator error.

I don't have good data on a full load. Maybe tomorrow morning when I start the burn for the day I'll just fill her up and see what happens. I will be around all day tomorrow.
 
If the fan is on, the top on my stove won't get much past the 5 mark regardless of load.

So it is 2 hours into the burn and the temps are now under 500 stovetop. Main air control is out beyond the lip by the length of the spring grip. I am going to open it up to keep the burn moving, but don't expect there to be much of an increase.
 
4 hours into the burn. Top of stove is just under 500. Front of stove is 550-650.
 
I am still recording the stove on the dvr. I will load the stove tight and see what happens overnight. Where is the main air control knob vs the ash lip when you are cruizing?
 
Yeah that blower really moves some air on these things. Much more than the one on my 1101.

This is some some really good data guys. I appreciate it.

When I load it up for an overnighter my air control is basically all the way in once she's up there and settled in. I have one doghouse hole permanently covered with a magnet and the other magnet gets used accordingly.
 
6 hours in:
Stove top: 300-310
Sides of stove: 380-415
Front: 350-405

The sides and front of the stove have been higher than the top of the stove for the last two hours.
 
If the spring on my Primary is out past the ash lip, it's gonna be glowing.

Blower or not.......

But if turned down slow and blower off, BBars times are pretty spot on.

Blower on, temps seem lower on normal mags, but my Tel-Tru still tells a tale of a HOT stove!!

The 1st 50% of air seems to have little effect on mine also, so I don't open 100%. I start at around 50% open, then go in a 1/2"-1" at a time
 
9 hours in:
Stove top: 225
Sides: 300
Front: 280

With bigger splits and a tighter load, I probably could have added an hour or two to the times.
 
BrowningBAR said:
You aren't seriously recording the stove, are you?
Click to expand...
Sure am. Had set up a cam and dvr for a school project my son was doing and never broke it down.

Loaded full at 11 and by 1:30 was back under 500. Stove spent its' time around 400 from 1:30 until 3 and then settled on 275 until now. I had the air about 1.5 inches out from fully closed. I am not surprised at any of these times since I have been working on this stove to improve heat output for a while now. Constantly noting temps whenever I go by it.
 
I'm now roughly 2.5 hours since a reload this am. It was running around 275 when I reloaded on very minimal coals. I had the air choked back pretty decent and babied it to 500. I couldn't take more time getting it 500 than this, roughly 45 mins.

Once to 500 I cut the air completely to the single dog house that I use and pushed the primary the rest of the way in, which was about 1.4" The load was a 3/4 load, medium size oak and maple splits. These are shorter splits I had cut and split for the other stove so they don't quite fill the box. I am loading N/S.

Disturbing findings to say the least. The stove was installed last spring and I tested it for air leaks but I think I need to test again. Stove top temp just peaked shy of 800. Now that is right smack dab in the middle of the angled part. An inch to the left or right and I lose about 75 degrees. But this is pretty dam hot for a babied 3/4 load.

I've had this issue for awhile and I'm starting to wonder why? This is installed in a fireplace and I'm wondering if using already heated air to feed the secondaries has any affect on temps? I shot the inside of the firebox and it varied from 250-300 so essentially the air feeding the secondaries is preheated to almost 300.

I'm thinking I will open the ash dump in the back of the firebox and see if it will draw air through that into the firebox. Can't hurt to try plus that would maybe circulate some air from basement. Every little bit helps as 800 is just to warm for my liking on a regular basis. I could run the fan but why waste $$$ on the electric bill if it keeps the house warm without it.

I'll keep you posted on how long it hangs above 500. It's nothing for me to see 250-275 stove top after a 12 hour burn which is my daily routine when I leave for work. But it's the quantity of time I'd like to see above 500 and below 600 to maximize the outgassing stage. I guess I could regulate some of the secondary air as well but not until spring when I can pull the stove.
 
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