Improving wood stove efficiency

[goldmarc]

I have a Gold Marc wood stove insert with a blower, probably installed in 1977 when our current house was built. I realize the efficiency of these older stoves is about 1/3 less then inserts on the market today. Are there any ways to improve the efficieny of my current stove? I though about adding fire bricks to the upper half of the fire box or maybe replacing my existing blower with a larger one. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[savageactor7]

Nope, since '77 stoves have come a long way...I'm on my 4th stove since '77. If you had that same stove since then I'm thinking you've saved 60k minimum...you owe yourself a new EPA stove and you'll burn way less wood while being a hole lot warmer.

 

[Todd]

30 years is a good run for a stove. I think it's time to look for a new one.

 

[daleeper]

I have a Gold Marc wood stove insert with a blower, probably installed in 1977 when our current house was built. I realize the efficiency of these older stoves is about 1/3 less then inserts on the market today. Are there any ways to improve the efficieny of my current stove? I though about adding fire bricks to the upper half of the fire box or maybe replacing my existing blower with a larger one. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Tom

PAwoodburner- what improvements are you looking for? I am assuming that you are wanting more heat with less wood. You are not going to find many people willing to assist you in modifying a stove. This stove has lived its best years, and to gain real efficency, you will need to upgrade stoves.

Is the Gold Marc doing the job heatwise? If it is, or replacing the stove is not an option, using good quality, well seasoned wood is the best way to make sure that you are burning most efficiently. There is no substitute for dry wood. Make sure the chimney is in top shape including the connection from the insert to the chimney, if not properly installed, you may have heat going up the chimney.

It is not completely clear within your question whether you have been using this stove before, or whether you have experience with burning wood. I am assuming you are familiar with operating a wood stove, and are burning it at its peak already.

If the blower motor is weak, then replacement or at least some proper electrical motor maintenance is in order. Using a larger blower will not really increase the efficiency of the stove, but it will distribute the heat differently, may be better, may be worse in the way of comfort in the room and house.

 

[daleeper]

Nope, since '77 stoves have come a long way...I'm on my 4th stove since '77. If you had that same stove since then I'm thinking you've saved 60k minimum...you owe yourself a new EPA stove and you'll burn way less wood while being a hole lot warmer.

Savageactor7, what are you doing to burn through so many stoves? We have had 2 in 23 years, both used, and the only reason I want to upgrade now is to reduce the amount of wood I have to cut, current stove should last several more years mechanically. For the price of purchasing a new stove every 7 years, we could buy the propane to heat the house. In fact, that is why we haven't yet purchased a new stove, because the purchase price of the stove I want would pay for several years worth of propane. You guys that are better at math help me justify a $2200. wood stove. We cut our own wood, having plenty of down trees to clear on the farm.

This might help the op to justify a new stove also.

 

[karl]

Savageactor7, what are you doing to burn through so many stoves? [/quote]


That's what I was wondering. This will be year two on the Summit and I'm hoping 18 more to go after that.

 

[BrotherBart]

Savageactor7, what are you doing to burn through so many stoves?

That's what I was wondering. This will be year two on the Summit and I'm hoping 18 more to go after that.[/quote]

Heck, BeGreen is on his 4th stove in something like five years. :lol: Precaud probably about the same.

 

[burntime]

2nd stove since 1981, first made a run of 22 years in 2 homes. The hampton should last another 15 plus!

 

[Todd]

Some of us are just wood stove junkies. I've gone through 3 stoves in the last 5 years. Hearth.com doesn't help either, you get all this great info and stove reviews and it makes you want to go out and buy new stuff. My wife told me this is the last one! :sick: As far as justifying a $2200 stove, you have to think of it as a long term investment or a fine piece of furniture, and also try to keep yourself from coming down with a wood stove addiction.

 

[moshiersr]

I am on my second stove in three years, but that's because the first one was free, I fixed it up, used it for a year and a half, and sold it for $250 bucks, the second stove I bought for $346 during the Lowes 50% sale last spring.. so I have less that $100 invested so far, if the oppertunity presents it self this spring, I might go for an Englander if I can find one on sale and can sell my Century

Anyways, modifying the stove.. Is it air tight? if so you could build a secondary burn baffle into the stove.. but unless your a good fabricator yourself I doubt you will find anyone willing to attempt this..

My experiance with adding larger blowers is it actually cools the stove too much and you start to lose burn efficiency and they smoke more... unless you keep a ripping hot fire going all the time.. With my old fire-view and a big blower I could condense creosote on the back wall of the stove and still have a stack temp in the 450 range, it just didn't seem to be a good idea..

 

[begreen]

Heck, BeGreen is on his 4th stove in something like five years. :lol: Precaud probably about the same.

Yeah, me and carpneils just like trying out new stoves. But I never had 5 stoves on the property at one time :coolsmirk:

Jotul 602 - 10 years (came with the house), Jotul 3CB - too small - my mistake, sold at end of season as we were renovating the house. Jotul Castine, 2 yrs. - wife's choice, I wanted an Oslo. A cold winter and an extended power outage proved me right, but there was no alternative close fitting big, cast stove except steel. (Wife does not like the look of the soapstone stoves. Her problem, not mine.) We dickered about a Napoleon, but I liked the Summit design better. Then the Alderlea came out. When Tom said he had a test model on the floor and made me a sweet offer, I jumped on it. So far it looks like a keeper.

 

[savageactor7]

"Savageactor7, what are you doing to burn through so many stoves?"

1st stove we had was a 'Franklin' with the isinglass windows and brass trim, it was pretty but you had to keep reloading it...just couldn't slow it down. 3 years later we got a Shenandoah R65 barrel stove (20 years) a very good stove that my wife tired of as we continued improvements on our old farmhouse. Then we got a rectangular Shenandoah R77 (7 years), I loved that stove but while visiting friends Carol saw a newer stove with a window and insisted we get one with a window too. I like totally resisted cause if were up to me I'd still be burning with the R65...but she was relentless.

Now we have the QF4300st...less than a year. I resisted the change because I didn't believe the hype, of course now I'm a believer the new tech is much better....but I never cared how much wood we burned since I don't buy it. the only downside for me is that for the stove to operate at peak performance imo it requires much smaller splits than I was used to making...but that's no longer an issue either.

All 3 of our stoves were still in good shape when I took them out...someone saw the Franklin while I was trying to unload a wine press and I got 100 for it. Still have both Shenandoah's stored out back...except for the bi-metal thermostat (which is replaceable) they're both fully functionable...the R65 needs a paint job though.

 

[Rockey]

My neighbor down the street is on his 2nd 55 gal drum stove since he lost his job back in the 80's. He claims burning Firestone tires coats the inside of the stove and protects it. He says its just like smoking unfiltered Marlbros, it does his lungs wonders. We refer to him as Kentucky Mudflap. Here is his picture:

 

[BrotherBart]

My neighbor down the street is on his 2nd 55 gal drum stove since he lost his job back in the 80's. He claims burning Firestone tires coats the inside of the stove and protects it. He says its just like smoking unfiltered Marlbros, it does his lungs wonders. We refer to him as Kentucky Mudflap. Here is his picture:

Haven't noticed I moved huh?

 

[Rockey]

My neighbor down the street is on his 2nd 55 gal drum stove since he lost his job back in the 80's. He claims burning Firestone tires coats the inside of the stove and protects it. He says its just like smoking unfiltered Marlbros, it does his lungs wonders. We refer to him as Kentucky Mudflap. Here is his picture:

Haven't noticed I moved huh?

Mudflap wouldn't dare move to Virginia. He'd raise the average IQ a full 2 pts.

 

[BrotherBart]

My neighbor down the street is on his 2nd 55 gal drum stove since he lost his job back in the 80's. He claims burning Firestone tires coats the inside of the stove and protects it. He says its just like smoking unfiltered Marlbros, it does his lungs wonders. We refer to him as Kentucky Mudflap. Here is his picture:

Haven't noticed I moved huh?

Mudflap wouldn't dare move to Virginia. He'd raise the average IQ a full 2 pts.

Of Ohio.

 

[fossil]

His brother, Oregon Mudflap, lives a couple miles north of me. He's got a pretty nice looking spread. Rick

 

[Rockey]

My neighbor down the street is on his 2nd 55 gal drum stove since he lost his job back in the 80's. He claims burning Firestone tires coats the inside of the stove and protects it. He says its just like smoking unfiltered Marlbros, it does his lungs wonders. We refer to him as Kentucky Mudflap. Here is his picture:

Haven't noticed I moved huh?

Mudflap wouldn't dare move to Virginia. He'd raise the average IQ a full 2 pts.

Of Ohio.

Hehe. Touche, I have nop dog in that fight. I am solely envious of his number of teeth.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

easy now rockey! :grrr: some of us live here, i think you have us confused with west virginia.

though they have contributed to civilized life in their own right, the "toothbrush" was invented in "west by gawd" i know this for a fact as if it had been invented in any other state it would have been called a "teethbrush"

 

[precaud]

Heck, BeGreen is on his 4th stove in something like five years. :lol: Precaud probably about the same.

Yeah, but I still own 3 of those 5 !

Know anyone that wants a good F602?