less air= more heat?

[skinnykid]

So it has been WICKED cold here in NH lately, sposed to get down to 15 tonight with wind. YIKES!

So here is my question, to get maximum heat out of my little stove, how should I adjust the air?

Obviously more air more flames but is all that heat just going up the pipe due to more air movement? It seems if i shut the air down a bit, the flames roll around more. Which way will give more heat out put?

 

[SlyFerret]

On my 30, I get more heat by cutting the air slightly from full.

From my experience (granted it's limited), setting my air at about 3/4 gets the secondary rolling pretty well and cranks out some serious heat.

-SF

 

[Todd]

Gotta find that sweet spot. Yes your stove should get a little hotter with a good bunch of secondaries burning rather than a wide open setting. You just need to experiment with different settings and watch your stove top thermometer.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Due to all the variables in your setup compared to everybody elses setup your sweetspot should be different than others with the same stove. You just have to play around to find it.

Matt

 

[skinnykid]

watch your stove top thermometer.

Yaaa, about that thermometer...........

 

[Pagey]

I picked up one of those Rutland magnetic thermometers today and put it on my newly installed Lopi Endeavor. Assuming the thermometer is indeed accurate, my 'sweet spot' is around 700F. I get a good, "lazy" secondary that just rolls all over the top of the wood. I know that 700 is running close to the 800 Lopi considers overfiring, but it seems to stall out a bit when I'm below that. I'm using mostly red oak that's been split and stacked in the dry from between February and April.

 

[ControlFreak]

Assuming that you're burning full loads, close it down as much as you can without hindering the secondary burn. If you're only burning a couple logs, you won't get enough heat to require you to close it down. With the thermometer, you'll find the proper temperature to begin closing it down, as well as the final temperature where you want to be closed.

 

[skinnykid]

I need to get a thermometer!

 

[begreen]

Yep, y'er flyin' blind without one kid.

 

[skinnykid]

maybe if I remember, I will swing by the hard ware store and grab one. Are the Rutland ones accurate?

 

[Nic36]

maybe if I remember, I will swing by the hard ware store and grab one. Are the Rutland ones accurate?

Mine is not very accurate. It seems to be about 75 degrees off on the low end and about 100 degrees Fahrenheit off on the high end. I tested it in my oven and compared it to my infrared thermometer to come that conclusion. But, it is consistently off and I use it determine when to damper down. I keep mine on my stack just above the flue. It's been pretty handy.

 

[pumiglk]

everything is relative - but they do provide quick OBJECTIVE reference to how the fire is buring. Have been completely amazed at the number of fires I thought were "cranking" that were producing very moderate heat in the stack and similarly the few fires that didn't seem that spectatcular that all of the sudden started to send things into the scary range. I don't trust my eyes - at least not yet!