Fine tuning your flame for more BTU

[Lance1]

While just adjusting the lazy flame out is pretty much the standard. Eyeballing a flame doesn't give an accurate fuel to air ratio. The higher your supply temperature, the closer your getting to the rated BTU output.

This method is like adjusting a carburetor air/fuel ratio on a car for max engine output.
After you stove is adequately heated and settled without a lazy flame, use a digital temperature gauge with 10ths (you can see changes faster), put the thermocouple as close as you can from your hottest port measuring only the air (don't touch the stove). Adjust the air damper the smallest amount you can and wait a minute or two. When you have the correct ratio, the thermometer will rise steadily. I got 40°+ more output fine tuning my flame. Over the course of a day, 40° is allot more BTU output. Just mark the air damper location for next time. This needs to be done with all feed rates so one has the correct fuel to air ratio. Also needs to be redone when switching fuel types or brands.

On a feed rate of 3-3.5 pounds an hour I'm getting 275° output (high fan) and still rises slowly, but the house gets too hot before I see where it stops at.

 

[Bioburner]

Why? I have a Harman. What do you have Lance1?

 

[jtakeman]

IMHO, The Harmone puters take all the fun out of burning pellets. jk

Us tinkerer's like to tweak the stove and have some fun while tinkering!

 

[glenc0322]

Why? I have a Harman. What do you have Lance1?

me too my stove does it automatically

 

[Bioburner]

I don't mind a bit of tinkering. But I also don't like coming home to a cold house because the wind changed.

 

[jtakeman]

Wind doesn't seem to effect my burn. Never came home to a cold house , Unless human error like forgetting to add fuel comes into play!

 

[iceguy4]

Its too bad we dont have info like oil burners do. to tune an oil burner you must set exhaust as close to 14% CO2 as possable with no soot (smoke test) This is done by adjusting your air as low as you can,,,just enough to burn the fuel and NO more. This is so you limit the nitrogen (air is 21% O2 good for combustion...79% Nitrogen...useless but must be heated too and sent up your chimney) This is why you are a FOOL if you let the same person set up your oil burner that sells you fuel. He will give it all the air he can...flame will look GREAT. That said, go down and check your oil burners vent pipe. if there iis no hole after the furnace and before the barometric damper, your getting screwed. This is the only way to test (that I'm aware of) Hole is needed for all three tests 1) co2...2) temp...and 3) soot(smoke test) setting up by eye is impossible..

 

[Bioburner]

Had a countryside setup. Major weather change would screwup all the tuning when in lowest setting which I ran it in most of the time. Bixby can change fuel feed as well as my current Harman.Hopefully the last setup for a long time with it running the crosslink and not caring much what I feed it.

 

[jtakeman]

Its too bad we dont have info like oil burners do. to tune an oil burner you must set exhaust as close to 14% CO2 as possable with no soot (smoke test) This is done by adjusting your air as low as you can,,,just enough to burn the fuel and NO more. This is so you limit the nitrogen (air is 21% O2 good for combustion...79% Nitrogen...useless but must be heated too and sent up your chimney) This is why you are a FOOL if you let the same person set up your oil burner that sells you fuel. He will give it all the air he can...flame will look GREAT. That said, go down and check your oil burners vent pipe. if there iis no hole after the furnace and before the barometric damper, your getting screwed. This is the only way to test (that I'm aware of) Hole is needed for all three tests 1) co2...2) temp...and 3) soot(smoke test) setting up by eye is impossible..

Not sure we need to be that criticle with the solid fuel burners. If you need to you can poke a hole in the lee cap to take any readings. Its single wall at the tee caps.