Stoveworks USA power stove .

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buildingmaint

Feeling the Heat
Jan 19, 2007
459
Oil City PA
I saw these on the web .They claim to burn any kind of burnable but coal[ WOOD, CORN AND PELLETS] . Has any one heard of these or know any one who has one? I'm just interested to hear how well they work. In the companies description it says you will need to have a fan behind the heat exchange tubes and install a direct out side power air vent. They are not expensive , and if they will work with out a chimney they sound like a good deal.
 
NO, no no no no no no no no.



I don't have to test one or see one to know that they won't work, are not EPA certified, are not UL listed, and are basically a joke.


Sorry. Had to say it.
 
I would not comment until I burned one........I've been surprised (both ways) before!

Certainly is a lot of surface area and heat exchange surface! Of course, no one I know would let that thing anywhere near their actual living area, but it might be a good shop heater.
 
I remember the first wood stoves I ever saw with tube heat exchangers. Pretty much every Englander up to around 2000 and something.
 
They MAY transfer a lot of heat to the room. But burning pellets in a pile with natural draft trying to make it happen is not a good idea. I've tried. Less than impressive; lots of smoldering, not much heat. Corn may have a better chance of burning that way, never tried that.

Here's what irks me about the design. With nothing to insulate the steel of the firebox from the heat of the fire, the steel is going to get beat up quickly AND your never going to have high enough firebox temperatures to get much of a clean burn. Its going to end up being a smoke factory and while it may move a lot of heat into the house, free convection heat transfer coefficients for nearly horizontal flat plates like those welded to the sides of the stove are not very good.

I think anyone trying new things and trying to expand the industry into new corners is a great idea, but I don't think a whole product line of non UL listed, non certified wood stoves has any business being sold. Not in the current day; maybe 20 years ago, but things are much different now.


That being said, tubular heat exchangers ROCK! Tubes are very good at transferring heat and that part of the design is sound. Its the ramshackle construction look, and the piece together appearance that make me nervous.
 
buildingmaint said:
I saw these on the web .They claim to burn any kind of burnable but coal[ WOOD, CORN AND PELLETS] . Has any one heard of these or know any one who has one? I'm just interested to hear how well they work. In the companies description it says you will need to have a fan behind the heat exchange tubes and install a direct out side power air vent. They are not expensive , and if they will work with out a chimney they sound like a good deal.
How would they work without a chimney? I think your missin somthing as that would be impossible. ;-)
 
north of 60 said:
buildingmaint said:
I saw these on the web .They claim to burn any kind of burnable but coal[ WOOD, CORN AND PELLETS] . Has any one heard of these or know any one who has one? I'm just interested to hear how well they work. In the companies description it says you will need to have a fan behind the heat exchange tubes and install a direct out side power air vent. They are not expensive , and if they will work with out a chimney they sound like a good deal.
How would they work without a chimney? I think your missin somthing as that would be impossible. ;-)
I think he's saying the are power vented. Which is like my oil furnace. The exhaust is sucked out and blown outside via a blower.
 
Thanx Hog. Still it would need (A-VENT) as it is a solid fuel burner. It would not be able to side vent out the structure either. Still needs something.
 
Yeah, they're not direct vent compatible. Even if they were, would you want a creosote factory blowing smoke out the side of your house? It would turn it all black. Plus, imagine some creosote caught fire and it was direct vented. Can you say "10 foot flames shooting from side of house"?
 
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