Scan Anderson - Heat Output problem

[WDSmith485]

I have a new Scan Andersen 10 with he soap stone kit (top and sides).
Being new to wood stoves, I played with varied amounts of wood. In all cases, I needed several hours (3+) to bring a 500ft (10ft ceiling) room to near 70F from 60F. The back side temperature, directly on the stove was around 375F to 525F. The door frame temperature went to 375-425F.
The stove top soap stone, on which I put a small aluminum pot never was able to boil the water and rarely went above 225F - ditto the sides (all measurements with IR Gun).
I am wondering id the soap stone is actually not acting as an insulator and prevents heat radiation.
Any thoughts?
Thanks for your help.

 

[begreen]

The stove is mainly a convective stove. You would have to remove it's side and top panels to turn it into a radiant stove. Of course that would void its UL rating, warranty and the clearances would need to be 36".

How well seasoned is the wood being burnt?

 

[BCC_Burner]

Starting from a cold stove it sounds totally reasonable to me that it would take 3 hours to increase the temp in a room that size 10 degrees. The first hour or so you aren't get much radiation or convection, as the stove body is sucking up lots of heat and you likely have the primary air open more to establish the blaze and are thus sending more heat up the flue too.

 

[WDSmith485]

Begreen:
The soapstone parts are an addition to the basic stove:
A size matching soap stone was simply put on top of the cast iron top (no affixing - nothing removed. Just an addition)
The two side cast iron panels covering the stove iron sides were removed and soap stone panels were affixed in their place.
I guess my main issue is no radiance?

 

[begreen]

Is the stove designed, tested and UL approved to run without the soapstone sides or cast iron panels?

 

[HotCoals]

Interesting.
(broken image removed)
Can you take the soapstone off easy enough to try it without?

 

[WDSmith485]

begreen & HotCoals
The stove came with cast steel side panels. They had to be removed to affix the side soap stone panels (Scan accessory/option). There are simply held in by 2 screws and are easily removable (heavy though). The soap stone panels were installed after buying the stove.
The stove with the side steel panels is the original design and certainly compliant.

(broken link removed) with steel side panels.

(broken link removed) with soapstone panels (and additional soap stone top)

 

[daleeper]

Do you have the steel panels? If you do, put them on and see what difference it makes. Every environment/stove combination will react differently with convection and radiant heat. I found that I like a convection stove in my particular space.

Looking at the literature, it looks to me like the stove looses its "convective space" when you put the soapstone on. So besides loosing on the convection, that soapstone is going to take a while to warm up, which is what you are experiencing. If you keep that stove going, over time it should not make any difference, however if you are letting the stove go out, and restarting it every day/evening and want that space to heat up fast, then soapstone is not what you want.

Are you running that stove all the time?

 

[WDSmith485]

daleeper:
Yes, I have the side panels which were removed last summer when I bought the stove. I intend to put them back on. You are right on the mark: I do not run the stove continuously (mainly evenings and weekends). It takes 3-4 hrs to get appreciable heat.
You are correct, the convection space virtually disappears when the soapstone panels are put on.
Thanks for your input.

 

[begreen]

Thanks for the links. It does look like the soapstone panels restrict convection. This appears to be a design weakness placing form over function. Soapstone is soft. I wonder if you could carefully carve a top and bottom slot on each side panel to improve airflow?

FWIW, it would take our large stove 3-4 hrs to raise the house temp from 60-70F when it's cold out. That's because it has to warm more than just the air space. The mass of the furniture, walls, windows, ceilings and floor also have to come up to temperature.