NC 30 Fit Like A Glove

[johnpma]

Well I had the long weekend to finish up things around the home. Finally pulled the old stove and installed the new to me (used) NC30 I picked up last year. Ran a brush up the liner and gave it a quick clean. Chopped 1" off the legs and installed them. Back in Sept. I sanded cleaned and repainted the stove. The stove is set back into the fireplace and is set on a TSC Micore stoveboard for this season (R=1.5) I had to go with a stainless 6" offset adjustable adapter to get'er to fit. Not my favorite choice but gotta do what you gotta do. I also cut the rear blower plate and installed the blower from my old stove to help circulate the heat.

I still have to cut the ceramic baffle boards to size, install them, and lastly install the fire bricks. Wife already warned me that it will be in the high 20's by the weekend

Sorry for the poor quality pic....dropped my phone in the pond I was duck hunting Sat. AM

 

[Jags]

Looking good. Block off plate in place?

 

[johnpma]

Yes sir, it's a two piece overlapping block off....I also stuffed a bunch of Roxul up inside as far as I could reach. I used a thin door gasket and the supplied RTV and made a seal around the seam of the adjustable adapter. Was able to but two new ceramic fiber boards at a Quadrafire dealer for short money. Just had to do some trimming to get them to fit.

 

[brad wilton]

Don't worry john ,-3c night time low on saturday. It's coming

 

[Snotrocket]

Looks great. There are a bunch of us on here that have stuffed a NC30 into a fireplace.

 

[johnpma]

Looks great. There are a bunch of us on here that have stuffed a NC30 into a fireplace.

Thank you! Was tight going in but got it to fit. Was worried about the draft but seems fine.

Question regarding the ceramic fiber boards...are they suppose to be tight against each other and favoring the back side of the stove leaving an open space in the front (loading end) of the stove?

 

[Michael6268]

They should be tight together, and pushed all the way to the back of the stove. Opening in the front near the door.

 

[Snotrocket]

There will be a gap between the boards when they're installed. You want them pushed all the way to the back of the stove.

I used a solid metal rod down the middle of the two boards to help cover the space that's left. Pretty sure I read that tip on this site.

 

[Michael6268]

If they fit tight together there is no need to fill the seam.

 

[beatlefan]

You are going to like that stove.

 

[johnpma]

You are going to like that stove.

Already do.....test firing on the weekend

 

[crowescabin]

I've burnt mine 3 times so far to burn it in. I love it , can't keep my eyes off of those secondaries.

 

[Snotrocket]

Wait it until it gets cold. It will run even better.

 

[johnpma]

Ran the stove all weekend WOW!! What a wonderful source of heat My glass blackened up though....what is usually the cause of this?

 

[begreen]

Black glass typically happens from running the stove too low or damp wood. Try letting the stove top get a bit hotter before closing the air down and maybe leave the air open a little bit more.

 

[johnpma]

Black glass typically happens from running the stove too low or damp wood. Try letting the stove top get a bit hotter before closing the air down and maybe leave the air open a little bit more.

Thank you, I will give that a try. Also I noticed that the guy who sold be the stove gave me the fire bricks that were in good shape. One of the bricks had about a 15 degree bevel on the end. I thought it was cracked however I believe now that this brick is suppose to go on the inner latch side of the stove as a lead for the inner stove latch rod to engage????

 

[quotejso]

Thank you, I will give that a try. Also I noticed that the guy who sold be the stove gave me the fire bricks that were in good shape. One of the bricks had about a 15 degree bevel on the end. I thought it was cracked however I believe now that this brick is suppose to go on the inner latch side of the stove as a lead for the inner stove latch rod to engage????

yes that is the place so the latch can close but it really doesn't seem necessary.

 

[kennyp2339]

Good to see you are having success with the NC30, they are solid stoves. As far as the black glass you may have an up hill battle, if you have a shorter flue you will have weaker draft, even with the supply air open you aren't getting the pull you need so you will have build up on the glass. If you running a shorter stack it is even more important to make sure your fuel is dry as possible.
You may want to try adding a 3ft section of black pipe to see if it improves the burning, if it does you will want to buy an anchor plate and a section of class a pipe for the top of your chimney. Colder weather also improves draft so it may not be necessary to do any of this once the cold settles in.

 

[johnpma]

Thanks for all the help. We ran the stove hotter as begreen mentioned and the majority of the glass cleaned up. Stove is tight in the opening and we had to go with an offset box style adapter which runs into an 18' liner up thru my chimney. The cavity above the stove is insulated and I have a steel blockoff in place. I notice that with the larger stove that you have to burn smaller fires very hot to keep the fire box on the high side. I also noticed that my Rutland thermometer is giving me false readings. Is there something better out there I should consider in way of a thermometer?

 

[kennyp2339]

IR thermometer or probe thermometer.

 

[johnpma]

I do have an IR thermometer that I shoot the stove with now and then. I was getting 387 on the top of the stove and my rutland was saying 500...that's how I figured out I was off Wondering if there is a more accurate stove top thermometer

 

[kennyp2339]

You want the top of the stove in the 550 - 600 range, also remember not to shoot the glass, it will give a false reading

 

[PWash]

you can get different thermometers to read different temps at different locations of the stove. i know my rutland is a coil that takes time to warm up, so its temp reading is innacurate during cold start. from watching my chimney outside i know roughly know which temp on the rutland corresponds to a smoke free chimney. you wont really need to use a thermometer anyway once you learn to recognize and maintain the proper lazy secondary flames that you can best see with your eyes, not a therm.

 

[Highbeam]

I use an NC30 in my workshop. I run it hard and can tell you that you need a stovetop thermometer in the hottest place of the stove top which is right in the middle of the little step on top. I use a condar stove top meter and find it matches my IR temp exactly but the IR gun requires a proper method too. You need to be close to the target for best accuracy like a foot away and aim well, the IR gun needs to be at room temperature.

If you don't monitor temps you can overfire this stove and melt the insides. The airwash plate right at the top of the door opening is particularly weak and susceptible to melting. I monitor and aim for a peak temp of 700-750. Regardless of secondary combustion activity you need to not overfire the stove.

Perhaps your rutland is a dud. I have a rutland on the stove pipe and find it also matches the IR gun exactly. That is, unless I have a box fan blowing on it. You do know that the magnetic thermometers are cooled and give a low reading when there is a fan blowing on them right?

 

[johnpma]

You do know that the magnetic thermometers are cooled and give a low reading when there is a fan blowing on them right?

Never thought of that I installed the blower which is blowing air up the back and is redirected by the rear heat shield. Was hoping somebody made a digital magnetic stove temp thermometer