3 years and still don't understand

[chrisasst]

...my stove...

I have been running my stove on setting 4 (of 5). It has been keeping my furthest room corner ( about 30 ft away) at about 69-70 degrees with it being about 33 outside temp. The temp coming out of my stove according to the thermometer I have stuck in my blow pipe is from 200-225.
Today I figured since I have some good pellets (unlike previous years) I would play around with heat setting 3. The top temp I can get out of my stove is about 170 (damper pulled out 1") but outside temp right now is 31 and inside it says 69 degrees.
So for one, I still don't know why I can't get more heat from setting 3, just my stove I guess. Two, I don't understand why it is about the same temp on my thermometer than it is when I have it on setting 4. Very weird. If it gets any colder, I don't think setting 3 will hold up very well though.

 

[burrman]

i wish i had your luck..my stove on setting 1 gets the house 82 deg ......too hot lol

 

[chrisasst]

how about we trade stoves

 

[THE ROOSTER]

How high is your ceiling, 20'-25'???

 

[chrisasst]

How high is your ceiling, 20'-25'???

it is 8' high

 

[jtakeman]

chrisasst,

You don't happen to know the feed rates on the Kozi, Do you? The amount af fuel per hour fed. Some stoves have it listed in the manual. Could be the stove just has a low overall BTU output. I don't know what the manufactor rates that stove. Or the bad thing. It looses to much up the vent.

I woulder. Have you ever checked the stack(vent) temp?

 

[imacman]

You don't happen to know the feed rates on the Kozi, Do you? The amount af fuel per hour fed. Some stoves have it listed in the manual. Could be the stove just has a low overall BTU output. I don't know what the manufactor rates that stove.....

10,000-40,000 BTU, 1-4.5 lbs/hr

 

[chrisasst]

Correct, what macman said..
88% efficiency


I am pointing my laser thermometer on my vent pipe directly behind the stove and it is from 150-165 degrees...

 

[jtakeman]

You don't happen to know the feed rates on the Kozi, Do you? The amount af fuel per hour fed. Some stoves have it listed in the manual. Could be the stove just has a low overall BTU output. I don't know what the manufactor rates that stove.....

10,000-40,000 BTU, 1-4.5 lbs/hr

So even if it were 80% efficient(I am sure its lower) it may be only 32,000 BTU on max. Can't really expect lots and lots of heat form a little stove. To get the big numbers you need the higher feed rates. Sounds more like your doing pretty well with that stove and getting the maximum you can get from it. As long as the heat exchanger air is hotter than the vent air. Don't really think you could ask for more.

How many square feet are you heating again(I think you said it once I don't remember though)?

 

[jtakeman]

Correct, what macman said..
88% efficiency


I am pointing my laser thermometer on my vent pipe directly behind the stove and it is from 150-165 degrees...

Again sounds like that stove is tweaked pretty well.

88% would be manufactor's rating. I am sure thats high. They like to strech the numbers and use lab Idea conditions. EPA numbers will drop it to the high 70's.

Example my stove is factory rated at 86% and EPA'ed at 79%. use the lower number or some where close. 80% works for me.

Pretty sure your getting all you can get. From the stove and your pellets.

 

[chrisasst]

You don't happen to know the feed rates on the Kozi, Do you? The amount af fuel per hour fed. Some stoves have it listed in the manual. Could be the stove just has a low overall BTU output. I don't know what the manufactor rates that stove.....

10,000-40,000 BTU, 1-4.5 lbs/hr

So even if it were 80% efficient(I am sure its lower) it may be only 32,000 BTU on max. Can't really expect lots and lots of heat form a little stove. To get the big numbers you need the higher feed rates. Sounds more like your doing pretty well with that stove and getting the maximum you can get from it. As long as the heat exchanger air is hotter than the vent air. Don't really think you could ask for more.

How many square feet are you heating again(I think you said it once I don't remember though)?

my whole house is 1900 sq ft. I am trying to heat mainly the living room, kitchen and dining room which is about a little more than 1/4 of the house I would say.


Yeah, I should have done more homework before I jumped into pellet stove buying, but I had little time and little money. Oh well..
Luckily I have baseboard heat up stairs... (ouch on the electric bill though)

 

[jtakeman]

I understand all to well. I took me 3 tries to get mine right. My Quad was close 48.000 BTU(had to tinker with ducts to move the heat) Wore it out from being maxxed all the time. BigE was a miss(way over rated!). Omega is the one I needed. Basemant install heating 2 floors. Almost never higher than medium.

I have one word of advice. BIG!

Better to be bigger than needed than to small.Hard to find just right.Big will work less and you will have extra cold season room to play with. And add more insulation to the attic(fairly cheap and has a possitive payback quickly). R38 or higher.

Keep plugging.

 

[chrisasst]

Insulation is another issue. Pretty much none I would guess in the whole house with plaster walls. Major issue that I have wanted to fix the past 2 years, but....

 

[woodsman23]

with out insulation your gonna be in the poor house for sure. There is just no way that stove can make the place warm without it.
I have a st croix and it is only 40k and it heats almost too well but i have great insulation and my home is 1400 sqft. I run mine on #3-4 depending on the outside temp and i keep it at 72+ all winter...

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

If there is room to add insulation add it. Insulation is like paying a few hundred dollars buying a few tons of pellets that never run out. Permanent pellets are a lot cheaper than burning them :lol: .

 

[DannMarr]

I had my previous home insulated by a contractor. He cut out holes at the top of the walls, pumped in loose insulation, then sealed up the holes. All I had to do is repaint the room. Worth every Penney.

 

[chrisasst]

I had my previous home insulated by a contractor. He cut out holes at the top of the walls, pumped in loose insulation, then sealed up the holes. All I had to do is repaint the room. Worth every Penney.

thats what I wanted to do last year but ran out of $. I have 2 unfinished rooms and insulation that I need to tackle this year hopefully.

currently:

Room temp is 67
outside is 25
Inside wall temp is 61