How can I benchmark my pellet stove?

[grunyon]

Hey guys,

I got my new 25-PDV and all seems well.

I was hoping I could get some direction from you guys on how to benchmark the heat coming out of my stove. I think measuring room temp is very inaccurate since there are a lot of outside variables like outside temp and how hot the room was to begin with. Should I use one of those infrared thermometer guns to measure the same spot on the stove? Is there a stove thermometer I can buy? What do you guys do? I'd like to be able to tune and experiment with it.

Thanks.

 

[jtakeman]

Are you benchmarking the stove for tuning purpose? You can just use room temp for that. Warmer room equals more heat from the stove.

Bench marking pellets and air temp off the heat exchanger has worked for me. Variables are hard to work around or comp for. From what I have seen the variables only effect in small increments. Temps might only flutualte a degree or 2. If it bothers you that much measure the outside temp/humidity and do the next test with as close as you can outside temp/humidity.

 

[briansol]

IMO, there's only 2 benchmarks that matter.
- are you warm?
- at what cost?

Nothing else really matters to me.

 

[Boondoggie]

Well yeah, but heat loss is a factor... It would be nice to know if the room is not heating up because the stove sucks, or because the house sucks.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Well yeah, but heat loss is a factor... It would be nice to know if the room is not heating up because the stove sucks, or because the house sucks.

Blower door test and thermal imaging will rule the house in or out in terms of suckage.

 

[imacman]

Hey guys, I got my new 25-PDV and all seems well.........

Well, I'll let others help you out w/ the benchmarking stuff. I'm just glad the new stove is running OK.

You should send Mike H. the serial # of the old one and have him contact you when they get it back and re-furb it.....very curious what was wrong w/ it.