Am I expecting too much???

[Woodcutter Tom]

I have had trouble getting heat out of my Drolet Escape 1500 all year. I do not get the STT that I think I should get from this stove. And thus, I do not get the heat in my house that I expect to get.
I ran a test last Friday when it was 23 F outside and no wind. My stove top to chimney cap is 12 feet. I had just installed a manometer and a damper.
My goal was to try to keep the flue temperature around 750 F.
I got the fire up and going and for 3 hours the flue temp was between 700 and 800 F. It would fluctuate, but I did not chase the temperature by adjusting the primary air. When it did go below 700 F one time, I did a slight adjustment which brought it back into range.
My manometer stayed in the .07 range.
I never adjusted the damper. It was full open the entire time.

Here my concern: The STT never got above 485 F. That happened about 2 hours into the test.

Is this all I should expect? Should I expect more heat to transfer to the stove top and then into my room?

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[bholler]

I have had trouble getting heat out of my Drolet Escape 1500 all year. I do not get the STT that I think I should get from this stove. And thus, I do not get the heat in my house that I expect to get.
I ran a test last Friday when it was 23 F outside and no wind. My stove top to chimney cap is 12 feet. I had just installed a manometer and a damper.
My goal was to try to keep the flue temperature around 750 F.
I got the fire up and going and for 3 hours the flue temp was between 700 and 800 F. It would fluctuate, but I did not chase the temperature by adjusting the primary air. When it did go below 700 F one time, I did a slight adjustment which brought it back into range.
My manometer stayed in the .07 range.
I never adjusted the damper. It was full open the entire time.

Here my concern: The STT never got above 485 F. That happened about 2 hours into the test.

Is this all I should expect? Should I expect more heat to transfer to the stove top and then into my room?

Thanks for any thoughts.

Why do you want the pipe temps at 750? To get more heat in the house you want lower flue temps

 

[MongoMongoson]

You probably already mentioned this in another thread, if so, sorry for a repeat question. How are you measuring STT? On mine, I have a couple of hot spots that might read 650, but elsewhere it might only be 500. I gave up on the magnetic thermometer and now use an IR gun for STT. If you don't have one, get one. You get instantaneous temperature readings and you can sweep around to find the hot spot(s) if you have them.

 

[Woodcutter Tom]

Why do you want the pipe temps at 750? To get more heat in the house you want lower flue temps

What temperature should I aim for?

I am trying following BeGreen's "Staring a Fire" thread. He get his flue up to over 800 F . Which bring his STT up to 625F.

 

[Woodcutter Tom]

You probably already mentioned this in another thread, if so, sorry for a repeat question. How are you measuring STT? On mine, I have a couple of hot spots that might read 650, but elsewhere it might only be 500. I gave up on the magnetic thermometer and now use an IR gun for STT. If you don't have one, get one. You get instantaneous temperature readings and you can sweep around to find the hot spot(s) if you have them.

I have a magnetic thermometer placed center of the stove (right to left) and placed up as close to the airmate as possible. The airmate is the name Drolet uses for a top cover over the stove top. It guides heat from the back of the stove toward the front. I use an infrared thermometer to double check. They seem to match each other within 20 degrees.

 

[weatherguy]

Do you feel like your house is warmed enough from the stove?

 

[MongoMongoson]

And another question, are you seeing good secondary flames burning the gasses, or are you mostly running on primary? When you have it up to temperature, how far do you have the primary air turned down?

I know you are reading high on your manometer, but you have a fairly short chimney. If you have the draft you are measuring you should need to have the primary air turned down quite a bit to keep it from running too hot.

 

[bholler]

What temperature should I aim for?

I am trying following BeGreen's "Staring a Fire" thread. He get his flue up to over 800 F . Which bring his STT up to 625F.

What happens when you shut the air back?

 

[Woodcutter Tom]

Do you feel like your house is warmed enough from the stove?

No, that's the problem. The house is cold.
I have a wall thermostat 20 feet away from the stove. I can only get that to increase 1 degree ever 1 1/2 hours. If it is 63 in the morning, I can get 68 by 4 in the afternoon.
People talk about being blasted from the room from heat. And they see 650 - 700 F on the stovetop.

 

[stoveliker]

I think some videos of your cruising might be helpful. To see how it is burning, secondarily etc.

 

[Woodcutter Tom]

And another question, are you seeing good secondary flames burning the gasses, or are you mostly running on primary? When you have it up to temperature, how far do you have the primary air turned down?

I know you are reading high on your manometer, but you have a fairly short chimney. If you have the draft you are measuring you should need to have the primary air turned down quite a bit to keep it from running too hot.

No I am not seeing good secondary flames. Never have seen robust secondary flame.
In this test the primary was shut down about 3/4 of the way closed.
I have had my chimney length every where from 15 to 17 back to 15 to 12 to 14 and now back to 12 feet. i have been trying a lot of things.

 

[weatherguy]

It didn't run any better with 17'?

 

[bholler]

No I am not seeing good secondary flames. Never have seen robust secondary flame.
In this test the primary was shut down about 3/4 of the way closed.
I have had my chimney length every where from 15 to 17 back to 15 to 12 to 14 and now back to 12 feet. i have been trying a lot of things.

If you are trying to get the flue temps up at the beginning of the load all air should be wide open untill you approach the target temp. Then shut back you should see the flue temps drop and stt climb

 

[stoveliker]

Can you see gas coming into the top of the firebox (by seeing the flame pattern be affected) from the holes for secondary combustion?

It almost seems like your secondary tubes are not functioning - blocked?

 

[Woodcutter Tom]

What happens when you shut the air back?

Not quite sure what you mean by 'shut the air back'. If you mean close the primary air control, the primary flames can be diminished. Very fine adjustments in the primary air control effect the flames.....BUT...the secondary flames do not increase. In an other stove I had, shutting the primary would increase the secondary flames. That does not happen with this stove. I do not get 'robust' flames from the secondary tubes.

 

[Woodcutter Tom]

If you are trying to get the flue temps up at the beginning of the load all air should be wide open untill you approach the target temp. Then shut back you should see the flue temps drop and stt climb

I have never seen the flue temp drop and the SST climb. Never. No matter what target temp I have tried. I have tried to close the primary early. I have tried to close the primary later with higher temps. Never get that STT up. A lot of times it stays in the 450 F range.

 

[Woodcutter Tom]

Can you see gas coming into the top of the firebox (by seeing the flame pattern be affected) from the holes for secondary combustion?

It almost seems like your secondary tubes are not functioning - blocked?

I get more secondary flames from the ends of the tubes. Not from the centers. And often third from back shows very little flames.
I have removed and inspected the tubes on multiple occasions. They are clear. The channel steel square tubes that run from the secondary air intake under the stove to the tubes is very hard to inspect. As best I could tell there are no blockage.
Everything is taken apart now. I can keep looking.

 

[Woodcutter Tom]

It didn't run any better with 17'?

No.

 

[fvhowler]

Just guessing here. You may have air leaks. Check gaskets around door. Seems like an air leak is robbing you of peak performance. You will know when you reach peak efficiency with strong secondarys and the heat is coming from the stove, not the pipe. As Bholler said, keeping the flu temps at 750 is not the goal. In fact maintaining temp constantly is not the goal. It's not really possible during a normal burn cycle. It's normal for your flu temps to spike early and come back down as your secondary flames kick in. Are you seeing smoke from the chimney through out the burn cycle?

 

[brenndatomu]

I have removed and inspected the tubes on multiple occasions. They are clear. The channel steel square tubes that run from the secondary air intake under the stove to the tubes is very hard to inspect. As best I could tell there are no blockage.

Can you use compressed air or a shop-vac to try to verify that the secondary air passages are flowing?
Have you tried many different ways of stacking the wood in? Many stoves seem to have a "favorite" method of stacking that seems to make them run in their sweet spot the best

 

[Woodcutter Tom]

Can you use compressed air or a shop-vac to try to verify that the secondary air passages are flowing?
Have you tried many different ways of stacking the wood in? Many stoves seem to have a "favorite" method of stacking that seems to make them run in their sweet spot the best

I am going to reinspect the secondary air passages in the morning. I did use air before, and a small camera, but it was hard to maneuver and the picture was lousy.
Mostly I try the N-S method. I had a lot of wood cut that size. and it seemed to get a fire going quicker. I am learning about using larger splits. All the wood I am splitting now is larger than in the past. May not be ready for next year though.

 

[Woodcutter Tom]

Just guessing here. You may have air leaks. Check gaskets around door. Seems like an air leak is robbing you of peak performance. You will know when you reach peak efficiency with strong secondarys and the heat is coming from the stove, not the pipe. As Bholler said, keeping the flu temps at 750 is not the goal. In fact maintaining temp constantly is not the goal. It's not really possible during a normal burn cycle. It's normal for your flu temps to spike early and come back down as your secondary flames kick in. Are you seeing smoke from the chimney through out the burn cycle?

I only tried to keep the 750 range in order to attempt to keep heat in the stove and not up the flue. Closing primary did not increase secondary flames.
On occasion I have seen smoke coming out the chimney when I do not expect to see any. Have not pinpointed why though. I have checked the gasket multiple times. Passes dollar bill test.

 

[brenndatomu]

This is an insert stove? And a newer model IIRC...have any other 1500 owners chimed in on any of this?
I have Drolet 1400i, but its probably completely different...I know I haven't had any issues getting heat from it...

 

[brenndatomu]

I can't remember...have you verified that the baffle board above the secondary air tubes is properly in place?
Any chance that the primary air adjustment rod/linkage is bent/damaged in a way that doesn't allow it to close as far as it should?

 

[begreen]

What temperature should I aim for?

I am trying following BeGreen's "Staring a Fire" thread. He get his flue up to over 800 F . Which bring his STT up to 625F.

That was very temporary, notice the time. The stove air should be closed down as soon as possible while maintaining fire in the firebox.