Castle Serenity - lots of ash

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It's finally gotten cold here, 22 outside at the moment. My Serenity is getting its first real workout and I've noticed something I hadn't noticed before last night. It's not nearly as hot as it's been getting inside now that it's colder out but last night (and even more so tonight) I noticed a cool breeze on my feet... I attributed it to the ceiling fan on reverse to help spread the heat out but, after shutting the ceiling fan off, it actually got more noticeable. I believe I finally have a noticeable convection current working. The cold air is rushing down the hall from the bedrooms... but the heat isn't going down the hall as I'd hoped it would, even with 2 fans helping. Oh well, 1 electric heater running is much better than the 3 I had running last winter.
 
do you have the outside air hooked up
 
It's finally gotten cold here, 22 outside at the moment. My Serenity is getting its first real workout and I've noticed something I hadn't noticed before last night. It's not nearly as hot as it's been getting inside now that it's colder out but last night (and even more so tonight) I noticed a cool breeze on my feet... I attributed it to the ceiling fan on reverse to help spread the heat out but, after shutting the ceiling fan off, it actually got more noticeable. I believe I finally have a noticeable convection current working. The cold air is rushing down the hall from the bedrooms... but the heat isn't going down the hall as I'd hoped it would, even with 2 fans helping. Oh well, 1 electric heater running is much better than the 3 I had running last winter.

Same here. Furthest bedroom hit 63 when it's usually 66-68 and kitchen hovered at 73 instead of the usual 75-77. I only have ONE window cracked open this time. It's in the 20's out there.
 
It's finally gotten cold here, 22 outside at the moment. My Serenity is getting its first real workout and I've noticed something I hadn't noticed before last night. It's not nearly as hot as it's been getting inside now that it's colder out but last night (and even more so tonight) I noticed a cool breeze on my feet... I attributed it to the ceiling fan on reverse to help spread the heat out but, after shutting the ceiling fan off, it actually got more noticeable. I believe I finally have a noticeable convection current working. The cold air is rushing down the hall from the bedrooms... but the heat isn't going down the hall as I'd hoped it would, even with 2 fans helping. Oh well, 1 electric heater running is much better than the 3 I had running last winter.

The source of the "cool breeze" needs to be found asap while it is cold out. Is the entire floor cold to the touch? Are certain exterior walls colder than others?

We finally had our first freeze of the season this past week. Two days were quite windy with that light weight snow flying around. Because of the wind direction, the east side of my house was more exposed to the wind. This is unusual when moisture is in the air. It happens, just not very often.Usually when the east wind blows cold, it is dry and sunny outside, just in the 20sF. Anyway, my entry door in the car port has a window in it that leaks air around the trim holding it in the door. While doing some remodel years ago, I also found that the east wall is the least air tight with small gaps between the boards that are between the studs and the cedar siding. This section of the house was built before plywood was around.

I actually had to turn which ever stove was running, up to number 2 heat setting. I also moved my floor fan to blow onto the hot part of the stove at an angle. Worked great. Still had one end of the house quite a bit cooler than the end with the running stove, but not enough for me to make adjustments for. But that breezy window in the car port door is going to need fixed soon.
 
MRBEAL,
Can you post exactly what settings you are running now with your stove for damper exhaust/blower settings. Its kind of hard to read what your final was with all the adjustments and other posts. I Started my new stove last night, and I will have to make some serious adjustments tonight
 
It's 8 degrees outside and my stove is struggling. I have it on level 2 right now and the other side of the house is cold even with the fans directing air towards the stove. I can't do level 3+ cuz it gets way too hot in the living room.

At least half the house is warm....
 
It's 8 degrees outside and my stove is struggling. I have it on level 2 right now and the other side of the house is cold even with the fans directing air towards the stove. I can't do level 3+ cuz it gets way too hot in the living room.

At least half the house is warm....

Have you tried different fan locations and directions?
It was 17 F here an hour ago, My exterior walls are very cold. I finally pointed my floor fan to side of the stove at an angle so the air would glance off of the hot side of the stove, and it keeps the temp difference from house end to end less extreme. Still 5-8 degree difference, but I can take a couple degree difference on either side of optimum.
 
Have you tried different fan locations and directions?
It was 17 F here an hour ago, My exterior walls are very cold. I finally pointed my floor fan to side of the stove at an angle so the air would glance off of the hot side of the stove, and it keeps the temp difference from house end to end less extreme. Still 5-8 degree difference, but I can take a couple degree difference on either side of optimum.


I figured it's easier to take pix than explain the fan placement. Let me know what you suggest.

Fan at bottom of pix is at the door of the furthest guest room on other side of the house.

hallway_zpssgcedbtj.jpg

Living room and fan directing air into it:

LR_zpsq137gnph.jpg
 
I figured it's easier to take pix than explain the fan placement. Let me know what you suggest.

Fan at bottom of pix is at the door of the furthest guest room on other side of the house.

View attachment 190505

Living room and fan directing air into it:

View attachment 190506

If you're up for it, just to see if your house current likes it, put the fan on top of the stove's pellet lid and see what happens. This is up to you, I do not "advise" putting things on top of the stove and I'm sure the manual likely says something about not doing so too. But the pellet lid is a cool spot. Do so at your own risk, just curious if it would do what you need.
 
I figured it's easier to take pix than explain the fan placement. Let me know what you suggest.

Fan at bottom of pix is at the door of the furthest guest room on other side of the house.

View attachment 190505

Living room and fan directing air into it:

View attachment 190506

Try placing one of those fans in the doorway of the room with the stove blowing into the room. Also if you have a forced air furnace, running the blower on the furnace will help move things round.

Does the doorway into the room with the stove go right to the ceiling? If not then that will hold back alot of the heat.
 
If you're up for it, just to see if your house current likes it, put the fan on top of the stove's pellet lid and see what happens. This is up to you, I do not "advise" putting things on top of the stove and I'm sure the manual likely says something about not doing so too. But the pellet lid is a cool spot. Do so at your own risk, just curious if it would do what you need.

I have an all metal small fan that sits on top of my hopper running on low to help circulate the air. Works great for me but I don't have many doorways.
 
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Has any of your serenity stoves made a clicking noise when igniting? I started noticing it recently. It doesn't do it every time but frequently enough to concern me. It's a loud click every second or two and it appears to be coming from the hopper area and only when igniting. Everything's working fine though.
 
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Has any of your serenity stoves made a clicking noise when igniting? I started noticing it recently. It doesn't do it every time but frequently enough to concern me. It's a loud click every second or two and it appears to be coming from the hopper area and only when igniting. Everything's working fine though.

Search recent threads by rich2500. He had a banging noise issue and had to warranty a faulty burn box. One of my stoves does make a noise that sounds like someone is tapping on the burn box with a small hammer, but only after ignition while waiting for the room fan to come on. It is the burn box being just a bit out of spec, and when expanding from the heat, it does make noise. But it seems sealed and no smoke escaping.
 
Has any of your serenity stoves made a clicking noise when igniting? I started noticing it recently. It doesn't do it every time but frequently enough to concern me. It's a loud click every second or two and it appears to be coming from the hopper area and only when igniting. Everything's working fine though.

Is it after you have a flame or before you have a flame
 
I did little more poking around and watching/listening to the stove. I was wrong originally about when it starts clicking. It starts when the flame begins. I also noticed a burn smell around the stove during ignition. So it appears I might have the same burn box issue.

I contact Castle Stoves via email and wait to see what they say.
 
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It's normal for the noise when the stove is first building heat. The noise should then stop after the stove is up to temp.
 
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