My steel plate Regency F3100 does not put out much heat compared to the Vermont Castings Resolute and Dutchwest stoves that I had years ago. This is my first steel stove with insulating bricks and insulating shields
on the back and sides. This thing devours wood without warming up the house much.
.
When manufacturers state efficiency numbers I believe they refer to how much of the wood is converted to heat not how efficient that heat is transferred into the space that needs to be heated. All that shielding and bricks would make for a great baking oven in that all the heat is kept inside the stove and ends up going out the chimney, very efficiently, mind you.
I've read the arguments that the bricks are there to keep the firebox hot to keep the wood burning well, but I think that that is propaganda by the manufacturers. The real and only intent of the bricks (in my opinion) is to protect the stove steel from warping.and causing customer dissatisfaction. For maximum heat transfer a stove should have as little material as practically possible between the burning. fuel and the room requiring the heat, and insulating bricks would drastically reduce the heat transfer, meaning much lower efficiency.
I believe that my Regency is rated at 80% "efficient" which implies that if I took 80% of the daily wood consumption and burned it in the open on my concrete basement floor, I would get the same heat output as 100% of daily consumption inside the stove. I think 80% of the heat goes up the chimney. My next stove will be cast iron, not insulated and shielded like my self-cleaning oven with is designed intentionally to keep the heat in, just like the steel/brick stove.
p.s. I joined just to post this opinion and wonder what others think.
When I signed up I had to answer a verification question which was:"What do you burn in a stove? (four letters)" I though the answer could be either food, coal or wood. I guess I answered correctly since here I am.
on the back and sides. This thing devours wood without warming up the house much.
.
When manufacturers state efficiency numbers I believe they refer to how much of the wood is converted to heat not how efficient that heat is transferred into the space that needs to be heated. All that shielding and bricks would make for a great baking oven in that all the heat is kept inside the stove and ends up going out the chimney, very efficiently, mind you.
I've read the arguments that the bricks are there to keep the firebox hot to keep the wood burning well, but I think that that is propaganda by the manufacturers. The real and only intent of the bricks (in my opinion) is to protect the stove steel from warping.and causing customer dissatisfaction. For maximum heat transfer a stove should have as little material as practically possible between the burning. fuel and the room requiring the heat, and insulating bricks would drastically reduce the heat transfer, meaning much lower efficiency.
I believe that my Regency is rated at 80% "efficient" which implies that if I took 80% of the daily wood consumption and burned it in the open on my concrete basement floor, I would get the same heat output as 100% of daily consumption inside the stove. I think 80% of the heat goes up the chimney. My next stove will be cast iron, not insulated and shielded like my self-cleaning oven with is designed intentionally to keep the heat in, just like the steel/brick stove.
p.s. I joined just to post this opinion and wonder what others think.
When I signed up I had to answer a verification question which was:"What do you burn in a stove? (four letters)" I though the answer could be either food, coal or wood. I guess I answered correctly since here I am.
