Can chimney cap affect burn time

[etiger2007]

Ok it's a long shot but I thought I'd ask. I have a new Osburn 2000 insert that has a 2.3 cf fire box . No matter how full I fill it or what type of wood I use and yes it's dry , oak , ash mainly I can only get about 2 to 3 hours of useful heat out of it. My insert is insulated with Roxul all around it . It has me thinking maybe chimney caps also very , I'm not sure what type I have but here's a pic of it . The insert does throw heat but I figured I'd get at least 6 hrs of good heat from it. I may need to go to a cat stove but that's more $ . Don't get me wrong I'll have coals for hours afterward but the useful heat is gone , I've had coals to start the next load 10 hrs later .

 

[fossil]

Nope.

 

[pen]

Is the air control fully closed on the unit when you are in cruise mode?

How tall is the chimney?

What kind of space are you heating?

I know it's tough to measure on an insert, but how hard are you running the blower and what kind of temps are you getting in the hottest place you can measure with an IR gun?

Ultimately, I'm wondering if the unit is just too small for what you are asking of it????

 

[BrotherBart]

Tell us how ya load it, how ya burn it and your definition of "useful" heat to get us started.

 

[etiger2007]

Air control about 10% open when cruising .
18 ft chimney
1200 downstairs 500 upstairs
I'm measuring between 500-650 on the stove top
I typically load big splits on bottom with smaller stuff on top, I have tried the rake coals forward method but I feel that back split smoldered more than I like , I typically get four to five desent size splits in per load.
I run the blower on medium high or high
I load e/w

 

[etiger2007]

My definition of useful heat is anything over 400 on the stove top because once it's there she fades quick

 

[pen]

Sadly, it sounds to me like you are getting all she has to offer.

Either enjoy / accept that it is saving you money by delivering what BTU's it can, or sell it and get something bigger.

 

[etiger2007]

Ya, I hear ya , it's 7 outside right now and the kindling got the main living area to 70 so far , I just wish it would hold a fire and heat longer .

 

[pen]

Ya, I hear ya , it's 7 outside right now and the kindling got the main living area to 70 so far , I just wish it would hold a fire and heat longer .

A cat on that size stove isn't going to help ya. Cat or no cat, you need more stove. If you want it to carry the full load.

 

[etiger2007]

This stove maxes out the clearance to combustibles , I guess if I want more a renovation for a free stander is in order , I can live with this stove when it's 20 outside and above it's when it gets in the teen and lower I wish I had more power .

 

[pen]

This stove maxes out the clearance to combustibles , I guess if I want more a renovation for a free stander is in order , I can live with this stove when it's 20 outside and above it's when it gets in the teen and lower I wish I had more power .

For the cost of what it takes to change, and what you'd probably lose in value for what it's worth as a used stove, there is no shame in using another heat source to fill in the gaps. You are still saving a ton, and what it costs to get something that can do the full deed would probably take years and years to offset what it will cost to kick the furnace on, use a space heater here or there, etc.

Just depends on how determined you are to be 100% heated with wood, and if it's worth it to get there.

In the meantime, you have a great stove, enjoy what it can do and just accept / be happy with getting all it is she has. Looking at it with contempt for not doing more than it is capable of isn't good for you or the stove.

pen

 

[dafattkidd]

Hey Ed, If you have to run the oil or gas heat for a short time to bring house temps up then let the insert cary the load for the most part, that's a successful heating session in 7* weather. Like pen said, you're still saving a ton and keeping the place warmer than you probably would with the thermostat alone. It's still way better than an open fireplace. Honestly at 7* I'm pushing the 2400 in my 1700 SF living space. Maybe this year it's a little better because of insulation improvements, but no shame in sharing the load with a more conventional heat source. It's not a competition, its your house. Keep it comfortable. Wood heat is going to certainly make everything more comfortable.

 

[Sully]

I had same experience so far with 2200. It burns good. But holds stove top heat for short periods. 3 hours is about all it does flame wise than just coals and during that three hours temp falls quickly. Seems to have no cruise. In the end we decided our house is to big, needs work on insulating and we are upgrading to 2400. Hopefully it arrives this week!

I know it gets stressful when I expected more but it holds my homes heat decently , it has very hard time raising temp. If at all. I get house up with heater than do best to maintain for now. That still saves money. I have nest thermostat and look at energy usage on daily basis. 24 hour period I'm usually looking at 1 3/4 hours that heater ran. I think that's good.

 

[Oregon aloha]

Are the sides of your stove insulated too? If you don't allow the thermal mass around your stove to get warm your not getting all your useful heat. Keeping the heat out of the chimney is good, but that thermal mass around the insert will help heat your home for hours after the inserts heat dies down.

 

[Sully]

Are the sides of your stove insulated too? If you don't allow the thermal mass around your stove to get warm your not getting all your useful heat. Keeping the heat out of the chimney is good, but that thermal mass around the insert will help heat your home for hours after the inserts heat dies down.

I just insulated the sides of insert. I thought after reading a few threads that was the way to go. I have exterior chimney though, seems like those bricks are in a battle from the
Inside to the out , freezing on outside hot on inside. I figured I'd try and keep the cold out before I attempted to heat them up

 

[Oregon aloha]

I just insulated the sides of insert. I thought after reading a few threads that was the way to go. I have exterior chimney though, seems like those bricks are in a battle from the Inside to the out , freezing on outside hot on inside. I figured I'd try and keep the cold out before I attempted to heat them up

I forget about those exterior chimneys. Bummer you lose that extra heat. Your right about keeping the cold out of your firebox.

 

[etiger2007]

I'm insulated all around the insert. All good points here. I do have to ask tho why wouldn't a cat stove the same size do better? They claim to burn much longer than non cats , ( it was mentioned above that a cat the same size wouldn't do any better)

 

[oldspark]

I'm insulated all around the insert. All good points here. I do have to ask tho why wouldn't a cat stove the same size do better? They claim to burn much longer than non cats , ( it was mentioned above that a cat the same size wouldn't do any better)

Longer burns at a lower rate, balls to the wall the secondary stoves do very well.

 

[pen]

I'm insulated all around the insert. All good points here. I do have to ask tho why wouldn't a cat stove the same size do better? They claim to burn much longer than non cats , ( it was mentioned above that a cat the same size wouldn't do any better)

A cat stove would be better if the stove were a bit too big for the space as cat stoves do quite well running low and slow. You don't need low and slow. You need a bigger stove.

There are only so many btu's that can fit in a 2-point-something cubic foot firebox no matter what design it is.

 

[etiger2007]

Just out of curiosity when a cat insert is burning low and slow what would the surface temp be?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Depends upon the insert Ed. Even different stoves will have different surface temperatures. Case in point is our Fireview (which you have seen) vs the newer Progress Hybrid. We have no problem getting 600 + on the stove top and can even do this most times with 3 splits. Most folks with the Progress, which is a larger stove, never reach those temperatures but still the stove throws more heat than ours.

 

[etiger2007]

Depends upon the insert Ed. Even different stoves will have different surface temperatures. Case in point is our Fireview (which you have seen) vs the newer Progress Hybrid. We have no problem getting 600 + on the stove top and can even do this most times with 3 splits. Most folks with the Progress, which is a larger stove, never reach those temperatures but still the stove throws more heat than ours.

What im thinking is Dennis if a cat stove runs on low at lets say a surface temp of 400 for eight straight hours, I have to think that would keep the house warm versus my stove dying after three hours of good heat. By the way Dennis it was in the 20's today and Ozzie did a lot better.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Some stoves might work like that but to keep our surface temperature from going over 400 degrees we would have to load very little wood in it. Then, of course, it would mean a shorter burn time.

 

[dafattkidd]

Something else to keep in mind is when it's 7* out your draft is pulling like crazy compared to when its 30*. I mean 7* is freakin cold!

 

[etiger2007]

Something else to keep in mind is when it's 7* out your draft is pulling like crazy compared to when its 30*. I mean 7* is freakin cold!

True that fat kid lol