As BB noted, time to put the top up on the convertible. The heat loss is absurd. This house needs an energy audit and a blower door test to ferret out the leakage.
PE T6 - not working as expected - Bad decision or just uneducated?
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BeGreen said:
It would have to be a HELL of a leak. I live in a very old home. I know leaks and gaps intimately. My house is still leaky. I could not imagine having a stove that size and getting such poor results.
I can't honestly say it's bad results, I think Tom @chimneysweep was right on - the huge glass area at -10 F directly facing the stove @ 10' away likely killed off almost all the radiant heat out the front, the top heat rose to the 9' ceiling and got eaten up by the lack of insulation, and the rest of the hot air just dissipated onto cold walls and couldn't be moved around the house without cooling. I think it's also the convection vs radiant issue that we're facing, this is the first non-steel woodstove we've ever had, and none of the dealers seemed to have anything in the showroom period, much less burning except the T5. That was in a tiny shoproom so we just figured it was a small fire, and that ours would still give more radiant heat when loaded. Case of buyer beware, but when you have no way to see one in action it's hard. Most dealers out here also sell insurance, fix cars, don't keep a showroom, etc. so in-action stove shopping is limited. I'm trying to find one with a Summit, preferably hooked up, so I can see that for comparison. So far no luck, but one dealer just installed it so maybe I can check it out with the owner's OK. I think we'll try to live with it for now; it's such a beautiful stove if we can make it suit our purpose we will. And it's so dang heavy we never want to move it again.
Thanks all!
Thanks all!
The T6 IS a steel stove, it just has a castiron overcoat. The Summit is also a convective, clad stove. It has a sheetmetal jacket so it will radiate a little more, but it sounds like the 30NC without side shields was a better fit for brute force.
Personally I would spend my cash on addressing the heat loss rather than trying to heat the neighborhood. It's a one time investment that pays off every year. And it'll will pay off year round if there is air conditioning.
Personally I would spend my cash on addressing the heat loss rather than trying to heat the neighborhood. It's a one time investment that pays off every year. And it'll will pay off year round if there is air conditioning.
I agree on the insulation being a great investment, we'll keep at the heat loss problem. I guess we've figured out there are two issues, one is the heat loss the other is convective vs radiant preference for a stove. I'll start a separate post on that one, looking for feedback on how much radiant heat a Summit produces with the clad sides. For the insulation, I think we'll just keep sealing and stuffing the leaks until it's tight, you're right about the benefits during summer as well. A well-sealed house is just a more comfortable place regardless of season; and bringing a 90 year old home to more modern specs is a challenge. Thanks to all who helped out with this, it's the best forum I've been a part of for true neighborly concern and willingness to offer candid advice.
Seems like the focus is on the wrong area. The stove is doing its job, but the house is not keeping out the elements, which is its job. Old houses are a challenge, but not impossible. Our house was built in 1924 by farmers. Lots of shortcuts including no covering for the sheathing, not even tar paper. They built with the skills they had and the materials they could afford at the time. But we are heating all 2000 sq ft of it with the T6 when it's cold. The colder it gets, the more we rely on the stove. My guess is that there are a few key areas being overlooked or missed that are the root cause of the issue of the leakage. You have a good stove. With a reasonably sealed house envelope, it can do the job and the house will be comfortable.
moosetrek said:
You have to have some pretty apparent drafts in your house. Do you feel cold air when you put your hand up to any windows? Gaps in seals at the top, bottom or from of the windows. It is only 900 sq ft, the leaks MUST be easy to detect.
Get a dozen cans of The Great Stuff. Use Everywhere.
Temporary caulking (that can be peeled away when it warms up) to seal the windows, doors, and frames.
Insulation tape for any storm windows that have gaps.
Weather stripping. Lots of it.
Plastic wrap for windows that are particularly bad.
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