Hello all! First off, been using this site as a ”go to” for years on my stove research for myself and others. Has been an invaluable resource and figured I’d state my appreciation. Thank you so much and on behalf of others I’ve helped into the world of stoves.
I’m currently (happily) burning with a DS stove energy max 110, now in my 6th season. Unfortunately, I’ve found minimal information on thewe here so I figured I should share my personal experience/insight.
My lil evolutionary history; I purchased a small cottage with some wooded acreage with a big old 70’s timberline stove (Fisher clone?). Rudimentary heat…worked. I then built the cottage into a full 2 story, with open to grade basement totaling 2700 sq’ finished space. Open floor plan with centralized split stairwell and open grate risers to facilitate wood heat dispersion from the (stove room) open/adjacent to the basement stairwell. Extended the central chimney and installed SS liner. Worked as planned but needed to update the dirty wood consuming “beast”.
Picked up a slightly used Magnolia TSC “smoke burper“ for $300 which worked OK as a step up in efficient heat, but after a couple seasons got sick of fooling with it as well. Concluded that I wanted something big, hot, efficient, and easy to use for primary heat. I liked the build quality and full shaker grates of coal stoves so went with that as my features template.
Ultimately, landed on the DS Energy Max 110 lil brother of the 160. At the time, they were advertised as a coal/wood burning stove and sold with a steel plate to partially cover the perimeter of the full bottom shaker grate for when burning wood. It’s cut out/open in the center for ash to drop to the HUGE pan.
The rear intake (bimetal thermostatically controlled) damper air leads to 2 louvers that are aimed downward at the lower left side of the big, all bricked firebox. Cold start the kindling here with the chimney damper and ash pan door open. Once the chimney pipe reaches 500deg-ish, close top damper. Heat! Pang, pang, pang…This detours the exhaust through the top right side of the box. It then passes down a steel plate behind the bricks, and routes back up across the vertical convection tubes, then across the top and out the pipe to chimney.
Once the box itself reaches 500deg-ish, close the lower ash door. Sealed, the ”ghost flames” appear via the top burn tubes and some through the air wash if it’s open. With thermostat set, walk away. The exhaust pipe thermometer will read avg 325-350 deg with a fully efficient burn.
Heats the home thoroughly even during ”Arctic bomb” or whatever. I do not use my electric air handler furnace anymore unless I’m away. the DS is really too hot to use on 40+ deg days w out an open window. I have a heat pump/ac for mild weather. Packed full of good wood I will always have chunky red coals even after 12hrs. for reload. One wheelbarrow of wood per roughly 24+hrs when it’s cold. I burn approx 3 cord per yr. 22” max wood length. I sweep the chimney once a year almost unnecessarily. The home is quite tall on a west facing hillside to open farmland, so I found it helpful to install an an additional stove pipe damper for during xtra heavy winds due to stronger updrafting.
Thanx for allowing me to share and no animals were harmed in this production.
I’m currently (happily) burning with a DS stove energy max 110, now in my 6th season. Unfortunately, I’ve found minimal information on thewe here so I figured I should share my personal experience/insight.
My lil evolutionary history; I purchased a small cottage with some wooded acreage with a big old 70’s timberline stove (Fisher clone?). Rudimentary heat…worked. I then built the cottage into a full 2 story, with open to grade basement totaling 2700 sq’ finished space. Open floor plan with centralized split stairwell and open grate risers to facilitate wood heat dispersion from the (stove room) open/adjacent to the basement stairwell. Extended the central chimney and installed SS liner. Worked as planned but needed to update the dirty wood consuming “beast”.
Picked up a slightly used Magnolia TSC “smoke burper“ for $300 which worked OK as a step up in efficient heat, but after a couple seasons got sick of fooling with it as well. Concluded that I wanted something big, hot, efficient, and easy to use for primary heat. I liked the build quality and full shaker grates of coal stoves so went with that as my features template.
Ultimately, landed on the DS Energy Max 110 lil brother of the 160. At the time, they were advertised as a coal/wood burning stove and sold with a steel plate to partially cover the perimeter of the full bottom shaker grate for when burning wood. It’s cut out/open in the center for ash to drop to the HUGE pan.
The rear intake (bimetal thermostatically controlled) damper air leads to 2 louvers that are aimed downward at the lower left side of the big, all bricked firebox. Cold start the kindling here with the chimney damper and ash pan door open. Once the chimney pipe reaches 500deg-ish, close top damper. Heat! Pang, pang, pang…This detours the exhaust through the top right side of the box. It then passes down a steel plate behind the bricks, and routes back up across the vertical convection tubes, then across the top and out the pipe to chimney.
Once the box itself reaches 500deg-ish, close the lower ash door. Sealed, the ”ghost flames” appear via the top burn tubes and some through the air wash if it’s open. With thermostat set, walk away. The exhaust pipe thermometer will read avg 325-350 deg with a fully efficient burn.
Heats the home thoroughly even during ”Arctic bomb” or whatever. I do not use my electric air handler furnace anymore unless I’m away. the DS is really too hot to use on 40+ deg days w out an open window. I have a heat pump/ac for mild weather. Packed full of good wood I will always have chunky red coals even after 12hrs. for reload. One wheelbarrow of wood per roughly 24+hrs when it’s cold. I burn approx 3 cord per yr. 22” max wood length. I sweep the chimney once a year almost unnecessarily. The home is quite tall on a west facing hillside to open farmland, so I found it helpful to install an an additional stove pipe damper for during xtra heavy winds due to stronger updrafting.
Thanx for allowing me to share and no animals were harmed in this production.
