Could use some advice (Osburn 2400)

[SLRSLY]

Hello all,

I am looking for some help here. Last year I had an Osburn 2400 non-insert installed. Along with it I had new 6 inch double wall stove pipe installed. We burnt it plenty last year but never had a good supply of decent wood so I dealt with my issue and chalked it up to the bad wood.. This year I have fixed that. And have (had!) a shed full of 4 cords. It is nearly gone.
The problem is that the stove is not heating our house. And I am really tearing through this years wood. I have a split level and the stove is on the slab floor which is the living room. The kitchen sits behind the living room and the dining room and office behind that. Above the living room are the bedrooms. Of all these rooms the only one to ever be warm is the kitchen (middle floor). The living room is just never warm despite the 500 degree box of fire sitting in it. The thermostat is in the kitchen and if the fire is steady the temp up there is usually low 70s depending on outside temps of course.
I have spoken to Osburn and they informed me to install a damper. I did that and I'm just not getting the results I was hoping for. Living room still cold, kitchen about the same, all other rooms the same. Wood still burning up quickly. So I had a chimney company out to take a look. They say everything is fine but I could install a second damper. I did that and again it helped a little but I still feel like something is off.

So I am wondering what to do now. My goal is to at least heat my living room. I am baffled how it is not smoking hot down here. It seems to me like the energy is just blowing out the chimney. I have an 8x8 clay exterior chimney. Should I install a liner? I have purchased one but I have read conflicting stories on whether or not I should install it. So it is sitting in my shed at the moment.

Cliffs
Stove not heating as well as I hoped it would
Loaded stove last 4 hours max
6" double wall stove pipe - about 6 total feet, one 90 then straight to the exterior
8x8 clay exterior chimney
Two stove pipe dampers installed
Stove is VERY likely to overfire
I usually try to run it around 550 - it usually likes to run closer to 750-800
House definitely not air tight
Chimney always clean, just inspected this weekend

If I missed any details feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer. Stove was professionally installed. Thanks for any advice.

 

[brad wilton]

Have you checked your gaskets to make sure they seal properly . DOlla test it

 

[Plow Boy]

I agree, it sounds like u got a air leak on one of your gaskets. I think installing a ss liner would be a plus. A lot safer than a clay flue. IMO

 

[TheRambler]

How big of a space/ how many sqft are you trying to heat? High or cathedral ceilings?

The liner should be installed, though it probably wont help the heat side of the equation much. However a blockoff plate would help alot.

 

[tarzan]

As Rambled asked, how many square feet are you trying to heat?

Are you using a fan on the stove? How has the dampers changed the way the stove behaves?

 

[Plow Boy]

try using a incense stick to check for air leaks around gaskets.

 

[SLRSLY]

Thank you so much for all the replies.
The house is about 2000 sq ft. The living room (stove room) that isn't heating up is around 15x20 with low 8' ceilings. But it does open up to my kitchen which is a half floor above the living.
I have tried to dollar test and it was tight all around. I will try the incense today to check the glass gasket.
We have been very back and forth on the blower. Doesn't seem to matter much either way and it seems like however hot the fire is it just does not blow hot air.
The dampers have slightly increased burn times. I actually woke up today to a few embers but last night the stove was packed, probably too packed.
I will look into the blockoff plate. Haven't come across that before. Forgot to mention my chimney is 25 feet.

 

[TheRambler]

What is this stove room constructed of? Is it a basement? Are there uninsulated basement/ slab walls or floor? Without a blockoff plate, and a slab floor which i think you mentioned you are probably sending most of your heat to the earth.

 

[SLRSLY]

The stove room is on a slab at ground level. The walls are insulated. It's a living room.
Looking into the blockoff plate but it appears they are for inserts. Am I mistaken?

 

[kennyp2339]

Block off plates are for anything, if your appliance runs through the fire place you will want to "block off" the flue entrance. Usually people insulate then install the block off plate.

 

[SLRSLY]

Where my chimney pipe meets my wall I have a plate surrounding the chimney. I have a free standing wood stove.

 

[TheRambler]

Is the slab floor insulated(ie not just flooring)? If not, that is a huge heat sink.

A blockoff plate is for any masonry fireplace, insert or not.

 

[TheRambler]

Disregard the blockoff plate comments then. Does not apply in your case

 

[SLRSLY]

The slab has padding and carpet.
One thing I do notice. If I shut my dumper completely I can hear a very faint whistle coming in which sounds like under the stove near the ash pan. Just throwing this out there.

 

[TheRambler]

Your floor is acting like one giant heat sink then, which is why the stove room isnt heating up. It may not be the pnly issue, but its a major one. I would venture a guess to say your easily losing 30-50% of your heat to the slab, if not more. Would explain why your kitchen above is warmish but not stove room.

The whistling is either the stoves air intake r an air leak on the ash pan. Tou can check it with a grill lighter or incense.

 

[SLRSLY]

But what about the constant overfiring? I threw 4 fresh pieces on a small bed of coals this morning and the stove took off like a rocket. Damper fully closed the stove top is reading 800 at the moment.

 

[TheRambler]

You have two seperate issues. The over firing sounds like an air leak or a fuel loading with too small pieces and too much air space or a combo of some fashion with a little operator error. Kinda like how a pile of kindling will just erupt into a blazing inferno, same principle if it's a bunch of small splits on a hot coal bed. Air leak is most probable though.

 

[TheRambler]

I would check the stove over very thoroughly for air leaks. Focusing on parts that open, such as the ash pan and all its parts, stove loading doors etc. also look for anything obvious like a crack inside or out. Clean all debris and ash from any gaskets on stove door or ash pan

 

[SLRSLY]

Thanks Rambler. I will get in there once things cool off.

 

[TheRambler]

An easy check while its hot/running is the lighter or incense trick. Idea is if it is an air leak it will be pulled toward the leak/stove noticeably

 

[SLRSLY]

I didn't have any incense but I used an older 'high output' electronic cigarette and fogged the whole stove piece by piece. I tried with the damper closed and opened and I cannot find a single spot on the stove that would be leaking.
I took the ash tray out and did that area and found nothing. I cracked the door just to make sure I could notice and I definitely can see when the stove sucks in air.
The one thing I did notice is that the whole stove area is very turbulent. Kinda felt like there was a fan blowing on it but the blower was off.
I searched some old threads and found mention of a cool air pilot hole causing my whistle. I think it was fyrebug or something along those lines that mentioned he blocked his off because he has overdraft. So I just need to find that and give it a shot.

 

[begreen]

I don't know this stove well, but typically SBI made stoves are reported to be quite controllable. If there is a boost air port, covering it with a magnet would be a good test. I would also take a mirror and a flashlight and examine the air intake valve. Work it open and closed while looking at it. Make sure the air valve is closing tightly and not sloppy. You will note that the air does not close off completely. You may want to adjust the stop or reduce the remaining opening by say 50% to see if that gives better control.

Also, have you verified your thermometer is reading correctly? It's not untypical for some thermometers to be off by 100-150 deg., especially at higher temps.

 

[SLRSLY]

Thanks begreen. I got a reply from fyre and he directed me to contact SBI. I am supposed to receive a callback within the next hour. In the meantime I will do exactly what you suggest.
I have verified the thermo with a laser style thermometer. It is actually quite close.

 

[SLRSLY]

Osburn email support says I do not need a chimney liner. Osburn phone support says I absolutely do need a liner.
Any thoughts? I have an 8x8 25 foot chimney.

 

[mstoelton]

you would benefit from both the block-off plate and from the liner.