30-NC is on the way (shipping) , Hearth and temp questions

[slickschoppers]

I have been reading through past posts on the Englander 30-NC..... MAN THIS SITE HAS A TON OF INFO!!


I ran into a picture that someone posted of their 30-NC and they had used cement blocks to raise it off the ground, as I am told they sit very low. is there any disadvantage to making the same setup in this picture with only ONE row of cement blocks? and then I have a couple 4x8 sheets of 1/4" stainless steel, so I was thinking of cutting one down to sit on the cement blocks and then stacking the flat cement blocks on the 1/4 inch stainless.

this seems like it would be a very stable setup, and also add some R value to the hearth.


my second question and maybe I'll start a different post...

how do you recommend actually RUNNING the 30-NC. I see people saying they run consistently at 700 degrees, and that it's not an issue for this stove, but that is above the recommended firing range of most stoves.

would it hurt it to run in the upper register of the wood stove thermometer, as in run it in the 500 to 600 range?

 

[bholler]

Why add the stainless? It seems like a waste to me

 

[bholler]

And i would guess your thermometer is a pipe thermometer not a stove top one 700 is not overfire for and plate steel stoves i know of.

 

[Highbeam]

That’s my nc30 and is on the blocks to meet the required 18” height above the slab in this shop area. It is nice to have the stove that high in the shop but not in your home imo.

It will not hurt the stove to run it 500-600 but it will be a challenge to get a clean burn at that cold temperature.

 

[Highbeam]

700 is above the recommended range of operation as labeled on most thermometers. 700 is well within the limits of operation for all plate steel stoves. Most stoves say 800 or when the stove glows.

 

[bholler]

That’s my nc30 and is on the blocks to meet the required 18” height above the slab in this shop area. It is nice to have the stove that high in the shop but not in your home imo.

It will not hurt the stove to run it 500-600 but it will be a challenge to get a clean burn at that cold temperature.

I dont see any reason not to raise it in the home to other than aesthetics. My regency was up on blocks at the old house.

 

[slickschoppers]

why stainless? because I have it on hand. I felt the steel layer under the blocks would help evenly disperse any heat throughout the top bricks. it also spreads the weight of the stove out evenly to all the lower bricks, and gives the top bricks and nice surface to sit on.....

it should also add to the R value, again, i'm not thinking of going up the full two blocks, just one. also, I like the looks of it a little higher off the floor.

also,, I'm not 100% committed yet, I'm thinking I might use the thinner flat style cement blocks with the air chambers, lay them flat and then stainless, then my hearth pad, that would only be raised up about 4"


then in the summer, I want to cover the blocks in flat limestone that is the common stone along the river in my back yard. more of a decorative thing, tie in the outside campground into the house.

 

[begreen]

It will not hurt the stove to run it 500-600 but it will be a challenge to get a clean burn at that cold temperature.

Not so. There can be good secondary combustion with a partial load of fuel running at that temperature. Have done this daily until temps dropped into the 30's. With a 500-600F stovetop the flue temps will runs about 400-500F. Dry wood and timely closing down of the air supply is key here.

 

[begreen]

it should also add to the R value,

No harm in using a metal sheet, though most common metals are conductive and do not add to the R value. The metal will help distribute the weight and block any embers from slipping between the gaps between blocks. What is most important is that the hearth design achieve or exceeds the required and tested R value requirement. Concrete has an R value of .095/inch, so not very great. Common brick is 0.80 for 4".

 

[Highbeam]

Not so. There can be good secondary combustion with a partial load of fuel running at that temperature. Have done this daily until temps dropped into the 30's. With a 500-600F stovetop the flue temps will runs about 400-500F. Dry wood and timely closing down of the air supply is key here.

Not so? Have you ever run an nc30? Not all noncats are built with Cast iron like your PE beauty. For whatever reason, the nc30 really needs to run a little hotter.

 

[begreen]

Some folks have posted very detailed burn cycles on the 30-NC. I've been following it since 2006(?) when @BrotherBart first showed up with one. Since then there have been hundreds of postings on burning in it. Have recommended it to several friends. Two moderators own them. To say that it can't burn cleanly at 5-600º is bunk, particularly with a partial load. There are lots of data points. I don't have to run every stove to get a feel for how it burns.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/real-world-burn-times-for-30-nc.164636/
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/nc-30-cruising-temps.133199/
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/nc-30-cruising-temp.60169/

 

[BrotherBart]

My normal cruise is a smoke free 500-550.

 

[begreen]

and the model is 30-NC. :hrumph:

 

[slickschoppers]

I went back and fixed it.......

 

[Squisher]

Certainly robust secondary combustion occurs in most baffle stoves from 500-600. 700+ is hot hot hot. I regularly run up to 750, I've hit 850+ many times I think. The paint is starting to flake off my stovetop thermometer. Lol. At 700+ I'm getting impressive airwash and flames shooting out of the primary until it's settled down sufficiently from running up the load. Zero damage to my stove yet. Slight 'butt print' fade on the top but not bad.