Adding mass to the stove

EatenByLimestone · Jan 21, 2015

So I'll be heading up to the cabin soon and want to see how (or if) adding about 150lbs of steel to the stove changes how long usable heat is released into the room. The stove will be the little Century in my signature. I think it weighs around 250lbs. Currently the stove can heat the room fine, but doesn't have a long burn time. I'd like to try to replicate the longer time the stove is hot like a cast iron stove.

The weight will be the dumbells and plate weights that have been sitting unused at the house.

They currently have paint on them that isn't high temp. Can I just overcoat it, or should I remove it before applying the high temp paint?

Toploader · Jan 21, 2015

I don't think you will gain anything because what you gain at the end you sacrifice in the beginning and most of the usable heat happens when the fuel is burning not in the coaling stage. You need a bigger firebox as well as more mass. This my opinion based on observation I don't know the science of it.

bobdog2o02 · Jan 21, 2015

EatenByLimestone said:
So I'll be heading up to the cabin soon and want to see how (or if) adding about 150lbs of steel to the stove changes how long usable heat is released into the room. The stove will be the little Century in my signature. I think it weighs around 250lbs. Currently the stove can heat the room fine, but doesn't have a long burn time. I'd like to try to replicate the longer time the stove is hot like a cast iron stove.

The weight will be the dumbells and plate weights that have been sitting unused at the house.

They currently have paint on them that isn't high temp. Can I just overcoat it, or should I remove it before applying the high temp paint?

Good luck with your experiment, you will want to sand/media blast the paint off before adding stove bright. The original paint will just burn off taking the new paint along for the ride.

JA600L · Jan 21, 2015

I would think that adding that much mass would result in overall lower temps leading to lack of efficiency and a cooler house. Idk though.

EatenByLimestone · Jan 21, 2015

I figured I'd need to remove the paint. I just didn't know if the old paint would cook off without oxygen hitting it.

It's an odd situation where the little stove will already cook me out of the room most of the time. Slowing down the heat transfer is the idea behind this.

However, when you walk into a room that is most likely 10F it's nice to be able to throw the heat fast. The thin walled steel stove is great for this. The idea behind the experiment is to see if I can have the best of both worlds with this little stove that was only $242 out the door at Lowes back in 2005 or so. Quick heat at first to get the room up to temp, and then add the mass to absorb the heat and then radiate it slowly. I'll be insulating the walls this spring so the thermal storage will be more important as I would just be cooked out of the room faster. The small firebox can be an issue overnight as I only get useful heat coming out for 4 hours or so when the temp really drops or it is windy. Upgrading to a larger stove would be fun, but presents obvious issues. A cat stove is probably the answer, but something with the characteristics of a soapstone stove when you want those characteristics might work to... And it allows me to fiddle and be cheap.

bholler · Jan 21, 2015

Yes you need to remove the old paint. Where will you be putting the weights?

rideau · Jan 21, 2015

You could also get a few slabs of soapstone, keep them on top of the stove. Wrap one in a towel and take it to bed at night...it will radiate heat all night and keep you warm even if the room gets cold.

EatenByLimestone · Jan 22, 2015

The weights will be placed on top. I'd love to add them to the sides, but don't have a way to do that without welding brackets to the stove. I suppose if I had a large sheet I could lay it against the sides where it would absorb the radiant energy. I'd have to go out and buy that though.

bholler · Jan 22, 2015

It might make a little difference but i wouldn't expect much. But hey it cant hurt unless you crush that poor little thing by putting more than half its weight on top of it.

EatenByLimestone · Jan 22, 2015

I'll be sure to remove some should it start buckling! Percentage wise, stretching out the time the stove puts out heat from say 4 to 5 hours is significant. I really don't need the peak heat after the initial warming of the cabin.

zig · Jan 22, 2015

We've stacked brick around the garage stove and it seems to radiate heat for quite a while.

firefighterjake · Jan 22, 2015

I doubt you'll see much gain . . . but if it's free and only costing you a bit of time . . . .

Babaganoosh · Jan 22, 2015

Was going to suggest stacking some bricks on top.

I think overall more trouble than it's worth.

mellow · Jan 22, 2015

You would get more from using water for your heat storage.

Fsappo · Jan 22, 2015

I wouldn't go so large as far as pounds of "stuff" Also, in a camp, you want quick heat. I would have a 50lb slab of soapstone handy, get the stove warm and put the stone on top. That stone should hold heat for a few hours after the steel goes cold.

different opinions on this, but as Jake mentioned, these things are cheap to try and experimenting with alternative heat is always fun. If you have an IR gun, try to document your findings.

begreen · Jan 22, 2015

Jotul, Enviro, PE, Quad, Napoleon, have been pretty successful hanging a lot of cast iron as a jacket around some of their stoves. Done right it definitely reduces temperature swing and extends heat release after the fire has died down.

Vic99 · Jan 22, 2015

This seems like an quick, cheap, interesting experiment. When do you think you will begin?

I would be interested in simple data like stovetop temp at a set time in the morning without the weight (control)and after experimental addition of weight. Make sure to take into account something that might affect your burn, like keeping wood type constant, rough idea of wind speed, etc.

Good luck

firefighterjake · Jan 23, 2015

Fsappo said:
I wouldn't go so large as far as pounds of "stuff" Also, in a camp, you want quick heat. I would have a 50lb slab of soapstone handy, get the stove warm and put the stone on top. That stone should hold heat for a few hours after the steel goes cold.

different opinions on this, but as Jake mentioned, these things are cheap to try and experimenting with alternative heat is always fun. If you have an IR gun, try to document your findings.

Having put a hefty slab of soapstone on top of my stove . . . albeit cast iron . . . I think you'll find that unless you have a lot of mass you will not see a huge gain in heat retention. In my own case the soapstone and cast iron seem to cool down at about the same temps -- never have run the temps on them . . . perhaps I should do that some morning.

Fsappo · Jan 23, 2015

firefighterjake said:
Having put a hefty slab of soapstone on top of my stove . . . albeit cast iron . . . I think you'll find that unless you have a lot of mass you will not see a huge gain in heat retention. In my own case the soapstone and cast iron seem to cool down at about the same temps -- never have run the temps on them . . . perhaps I should do that some morning.

Do eeet, do eeet now!, Get in the choppa!

Adding mass to the stove

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