Isn't most of the heat generated at the top of the stove from the cat except during hot burns? If so, the benefit of soapstone firebrick might be minimal. Maybe it would depend on how the stove is normally run?
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Hey I just read in another thread that some people were thinking about replacing there firebrick with soap stone. I was wondering if that would be a good idea to try with the princess. Remove the fire brick, install soap stove 1" 1/4 thick and add a top piece of soap stone, being that it would heat up the fastest. Its just an idea, I'm gonna need a six pack of beer tonight, my bk manual, and stare at the stove for sure. Also going to have to add some type of support bracket to hold the small stone slabs on the sides and hold the upper piece on top. Again this is just an idea.
Hey I just read in another thread that some people were thinking about replacing there firebrick with soap stone. I was wondering if that would be a good idea to try with the princess. Remove the fire brick, install soap stove 1" 1/4 thick and add a top piece of soap stone, being that it would heat up the fastest. Its just an idea, I'm gonna need a six pack of beer tonight, my bk manual, and stare at the stove for sure. Also going to have to add some type of support bracket to hold the small stone slabs on the sides and hold the upper piece on top. Again this is just an idea.
Hmmm, sounds like a bad idea, I'm not gonna screw with the stove then, it already works good enoughSoapstone is for non-cats and decorative stoves. Those of us fortunate enough to be running cat stoves do not need to further slow the release of heat from the stove. This concept of thermal mass and a flywheel of heat is pointless when the cat can slowly chew on small amounts of smoke and already has a long and low output setting.
Adding mass to a cat stove may actually cause harm by lengthening the warm up stage.
Well, sort of melted and warped. I mean it was the heating and melting that allowed the warping to occur. Was glad to get replacements in metal but they did begin to rattle a bit last night. Not enough for it to really be an issue so long as it doesn't get worse. Why do you prefer plastic?Our supplier indicated that a small batch of fan blades may have had the wrong matrix. We have not heard of but a couple of such cases, so we had them supply metal blades until they sort out their issues.
The same blades are sold through out many industries, so we hve been suprised by hearing some of them warp. (Not melted correct?)
My guess is cost with the added benefit of vibration damping, like the noise your getting now.Well, sort of melted and warped. I mean it was the heating and melting that allowed the warping to occur. Was glad to get replacements in metal but they did begin to rattle a bit last night. Not enough for it to really be an issue so long as it doesn't get worse. Why do you prefer plastic?
I owe somebody some props.
Last time I cleaned my flue, I noticed a bit of charcoal on the gasket the bypass door seals to. I wiped it off with my finger, brushed the rest of the gasket off with a fingertip, re-assmbled, fired the stove; something just wasn't right.
I ran it for three days, every time the stack output looked OK, it just seemed like I was getting less heat out of the stove than I was accustomed too.
I finally lifted the telescope flue again on day three and brushed off the gasket with a paint brush as _______ suggested. Put it back together refired, I got my performance back.
Thank you. A paint brush to the bypass door gasket is now part of my regular cleaning routine,.
I owe somebody some props.
Last time I cleaned my flue, I noticed a bit of charcoal on the gasket the bypass door seals to. I wiped it off with my finger, brushed the rest of the gasket off with a fingertip, re-assmbled, fired the stove; something just wasn't right.
I ran it for three days, every time the stack output looked OK, it just seemed like I was getting less heat out of the stove than I was accustomed too.
I finally lifted the telescope flue again on day three and brushed off the gasket with a paint brush as _______ suggested. Put it back together refired, I got my performance back.
Thank you. A paint brush to the bypass door gasket is now part of my regular cleaning routine,.
If you are going through the trouble of removing the flue pipe then grab a shop vac and really suck out every bit of that cat chamber that you can. I wouldn't pull the flue unless absolutely necessary and even then, I would make sure to sweep the chimney first.
Soapstone is for non-cats and decorative stoves. Those of us fortunate enough to be running cat stoves do not need to further slow the release of heat from the stove. This concept of thermal mass and a flywheel of heat is pointless when the cat can slowly chew on small amounts of smoke and already has a long and low output setting.
Adding mass to a cat stove may actually cause harm by lengthening the warm up stage.
Heating water takes a lot of energy. For an on-demand system, raising the temperature of even 1 gallon per minute stream of water from 40 to 120 F takes 40,000 Btu/hr. I don't think you are going to get anywhere near enough heat transfer from that type of set-up. You would have to have some type of hot water storage system. I think you would be much better served in terms of safety and performance by purchasing a system designed for heating water than trying to build a homemade system, or else just buy a stove that you can use as a cook top and put a pot of water on the top of. The Ashford has a convective cast top with an air gap below where the room air is actually heated. The cast top is relatively cool so it will not be the best for this.I don't currently have a BK stove but I'm planning to buy an Ashford 30 after this winter. Id really like to run pex tubing to the underside of my kitchen and heat water with the stove for it. My thoughts were to make a network of copper pipe that snakes back and forth and plaster it all together and have it sit on the top of the stove and then tie into the pex and a pump further from the stove.
Your comment about robbing heat from the top of the stove has me concerned though, do you guys think I'll be able to do this without affecting the way the stove operates too much? Do you see any other way I could heat that water with a cat stove? Thanks for your help!
I owe somebody some props.
Last time I cleaned my flue, I noticed a bit of charcoal on the gasket the bypass door seals to. I wiped it off with my finger, brushed the rest of the gasket off with a fingertip, re-assmbled, fired the stove; something just wasn't right.
I ran it for three days, every time the stack output looked OK, it just seemed like I was getting less heat out of the stove than I was accustomed too.
I finally lifted the telescope flue again on day three and brushed off the gasket with a paint brush as _______ suggested. Put it back together refired, I got my performance back.
Thank you. A paint brush to the bypass door gasket is now part of my regular cleaning routine,.
Well last night I did a big clean, pulled all the ash out of the fire box, took the smoke pipe out, I looked inside the top of the stove and it was as clean as a whistle, no debris, I still vacuumed around the cat (in case of fly ash build up) cleaned the by-pass gasket with a paint brush, took the chimney brush in the garage and clean the smoke pipe. Even though I didn't need the cleaning I was real happy I did it, I'm still learning the stove and for burning almost (2) months 24/7 I had very minimal ash / creosote debris. Thanks guys
Heating water takes a lot of energy. For an on-demand system, raising the temperature of even 1 gallon per minute stream of water from 40 to 120 F takes 40,000 Btu/hr. I don't think you are going to get anywhere near enough heat transfer from that type of set-up. You would have to have some type of hot water storage system. I think you would be much better served in terms of safety and performance by purchasing a system designed for heating water than trying to build a homemade system, or else just buy a stove that you can use as a cook top and put a pot of water on the top of. The Ashford has a convective cast top with an air gap below where the room air is actually heated. The cast top is relatively cool so it will not be the best for this.
I'm sorry I don't think I was specific enough. I'm not trying to make hot water for cooking or anything I want to heat the water in a hot water radiant heating system that will run underneath the floor. I'm only looking to keep the floor from being cold as the woodstove keeps the house very comfortable but the travertine tiles are still cold.
I'll be running the woodstove 24/7 in the heating season so I don't think the water in the system will ever get truly cold therefore the heat required to bring it back up to temperature should be minimal. I'm more concerned with how robbing heat from the top of the stove could interfere with the cat as I really don't know all that much about them, seeing as I have an old school VC vigilant right now. Thanks again for any input!
does anyone have a pic or video of their stove running with the tstat turned up? My wife and I are trying to decide on a stove and the blaze king is one of our options but we would like to have a stove were we can sit and enjoy the fire view from time to time. I know you will get some fire show with the tsat turned up giving the stove more air but i haven't been able to find a pic or video of this on the net. I know doing this will consume more wood and we will have lower burn times. But we would only be doing it from time to time when we are sitting down enjoying the stove. Also how big are the logs you guys are using. I know they say the stoves can take up to 18 but recommend 16 inches. Is using 18 inch wood have any draw backs? I have about 2 cord of wood cut split and stacked right now but its all 18 inches.
Our other main choice is the Lopi Liberty.
I don't think the Ashford would even have the transfer to do anything meaningful for heat gain.My guess is the heat robbed from the stove to heat the water will screw with the efficiency and emissions output of the stove. The firebox was designed and EPA approved without heating water, adding that is a game changer.
I'd shop for a stove made to heat water.
I don't think the Ashford would even have the transfer to do anything meaningful for heat gain.
I don't currently have a BK stove but I'm planning to buy an Ashford 30 after this winter. Id really like to run pex tubing to the underside of my kitchen and heat water with the stove for it. My thoughts were to make a network of copper pipe that snakes back and forth and plaster it all together and have it sit on the top of the stove and then tie into the pex and a pump further from the stove.
Your comment about robbing heat from the top of the stove has me concerned though, do you guys think I'll be able to do this without affecting the way the stove operates too much? Do you see any other way I could heat that water with a cat stove? Thanks for your help!