Question Regarding the Blower on a Hearthstone Shelburne

[DanCorcoran]

I was using the blower 24/7 last week (got down to 7 degrees one night). I wanted to see where the warm air was coming out, so I started moving my hand around the opening. Much to my surprise, even with the blower on high and the stove at 600 degrees or so, I was getting just a little warm air from the corners of the surround, but a LOT of cold air up the back, behind the flue. Is this normal? I thought about stuffing some insulation down the center of the surround, to force more air out the sides. Then I said, no, let me take a photo and ask the folks on Hearth.com, maybe they'll know. Anyone?

 

[DanCorcoran]

Here's another photo (flash) without the labels, so you can see how the surround fits on the stove.

 

[OhioBurner©]

Can't be of much help but from my short experience with the Shelburn so far (no blower) is that the hotest spot is on the side of the cast iron back. On the back it is much cooler, but near the corners on the top of the side of the back is the hottest metal spot on the stove.

I'm trying to figure out if the blower is worth it or not... I'm not getting the kind of heat out of this as I hoped, but it is much smaller than the stove it replaced so that kind of skews my opinions. I have a small oscilating tower fan set behind it, and there is a ceiling fan in the room practically within arms reach on the hearth so I didnt think a blower was needed.

So far it seems to be a great running stove, and it controls nicely with great secondaries. But to run it most economically with the secondary just burning, its much too cool and doesnt put out much heat. To get the stovetop (were your thermometer is) up into the 500's I have to have the air about 2/3 open and a raging fire and it burns through the wood much quicker.

 

[DanCorcoran]

In spite of my comments about apparent airflow, I have noticed that the stovetop temperature drops about 100 degrees in 10 minutes or so, when I turn on the blower. It must be moving some heat.

In my opinion, though, a small fan sitting behind the stove and blowing onto or across the back would accomplish the same thing.

 

[DanCorcoran]

No one out there with a blower on their Shelburne?

 

[BrotherBart]

Dan I don't remember but isn't the secondary air manifold riser in the center back of the firebox. If so the center back of the stove will be cooler as it is being cooled by the air pulled through the riser.

 

[DanCorcoran]

If you're right (which you may be), then it seems like a strange place for the blower air to be directed. Not only would you get less warm air off the stove, you'd be cooling the secondary air supply (which is supposed to be very hot). I hope someone else with a Shelburne blower can resolve this...

 

[OhioBurner©]

The secondary air inlet is in the bottom of the black cast back of the stove in the center, and the air channel goes up the middle of the back. Probably isnt ideal for a blower setup but this is the usual way most stoves are, arent they?

 

[DanCorcoran]

The secondary air inlet is in the bottom of the black cast back of the stove in the center, and the air channel goes up the middle of the back. Probably isnt ideal for a blower setup but this is the usual way most stoves are, arent they?

So, do you have the blower? If so, does the air coming off the back of yours feel similar to that in my labelled photo? Thanks...

 

[OhioBurner©]

So, do you have the blower? If so, does the air coming off the back of yours feel similar to that in my labelled photo? Thanks...

Nope, no blower like I said earlier. I think you're about it. I do know that the center is much cooler, I'll check when I get home tonight.

 

[OhioBurner©]

Dan I dont know if it will be much help but I took some measurements today. It was about 3.5 hrs into a 1/2 load of cherry, it was basically starting into the coaling stage at that point, and starting to cool. The stovetop was at 375 just infront of the flue, and 350 more towards the front. I have a small (12" maybe) oscillating tower fan in the back corner of the hearth that blows at the back of the stove. It was on low. On the opposite side the hottest part of the black back piece was around the corner on the side part, about 3/4 way up and was 550. I took all readings from that same height, I guess thats right above the top of the firebricks. Around the corner to the back part, just a couple inches was already down to 400. In the center below the flue was 290. Moving closer to the corner the fan was blowing on was up to 350 and around to the side was 450. So the side my fan was hitting was 50-100 cooler and the center was a lot cooler.

So like this:
L side - L back - center - R back - R side

550 - 400 - 290 - 350 - 450

 

[DanCorcoran]

That's exactly consistent with the temp of the air coming up from the back heat shield. Thanks for measuring. I'll be up at the cabin Sunday-Tuesday, so I can take some IR readings. Also, thanks for telling me where the secondary air inlet is...I didn't know it was there.