Spreadsheet to track stove settings and room temps?

[Proulx06]

I'm a data geek...professionally and otherwise...and with a new toy (Accentra Insert), I was thinking of putting together a spreadsheet that would look at some variables and record them at set intervals (twice a day or something). I was thinking of outside temp, stove settings (room vs stove temp, settings on the temp dial, pellet brand, temp in diff rooms...but I wanted to see if anyone had done this already. We have an external temp probe outdoors and a couple that we could use indoors. Just thought it would be neat to track and see if I can spot any trends as the winter progresses. Any other nerds like me out there try this?

 

[Madcodger]

Yes, but not all the variables listed. On TapATalk now but will upload tomorrow.

 

[Lowarea]

Yes, I've tried several approaches but haven't landed on the set of variables. My daughter has picked up on my interest and is now considering pellets/biofuels as a science fair project. One key piece is measuring temperature data, stove temps, hair temp at output of heat exchanger and exhaust temps.

I'd be interested in hearing about what others are doing.

 

[Alain S. Prevost]

Scroll down and click on the pellet.pdf worksheet I posted.
Inside/Outside temps - Pellet used - BTU/type of pellet and then calculated for savings switched from oil. - daily/monthly average temp
(spreadsheet is example for figures, not actual pellets used or temps)
PM me if you want an updated sheet with the formulas or I can make soemthing up for you...If you want dial settings in there as well, and how the temp corresponds, tc..
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/cost-to-run-pellet-stove.100363/

 

[Harman Lover 007]

You guys need to find a hobby......

 

[Ricks]

They do have a hobby; tracking stove settings, inside and outside air temperature, pounds of pellets burned, amount of ash produced........

 

[PutnamJct]

This was discussed a few weeks ago:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/tracking-pellet-usage.115874/#post-1550209

 

[bill3rail]

Another thing to track would be the wind speeds for the day.
High winds could drastically kill your inside temp unless your house is hermetically sealed!

Bill

 

[New Hampshire Jim]

Take A look at my SIG for my weather page and look at the detailed reports that date back to 2008.Inside and outside temp Wind speed wind direction.This is what I report to NOAA from Plaistow NH

 

[The Grintch]

I lost you with "I'm a data geek"

 

[skibumm100]

When I test burn pellets I log convection blower outlet at the grill, convection blower inlet at the fan, OAK air temp (preheated) and exhaust flue temp. If I'm doing pellet testing during the daytime I record outside air temp. I don't record indoor air temp because it changes throughout the test. My OAK air comes down the old fireplace flue along the outside of the pellet vent pipe so it's usually 115-120 deg F. I have four Type K thermocouples installed in each location and I use an Omega digital thermometer.

 

[pell it]

Yes, I've tried several approaches but haven't landed on the set of variables. My daughter has picked up on my interest and is now considering pellets/biofuels as a science fair project. One key piece is measuring temperature data, stove temps, hair temp at output of heat exchanger and exhaust temps.

I'd be interested in hearing about what others are doing.

Depends on how close to the stove you stand!!

 

[webbie]

It would be near impossible to gain any useable data from these types of tests. You'd have to do things such as perfectly check the moisture content of each load of pellets, carefully measure the flyash in the firebox and heat exchangers, etc.

Some here have been working "data" for years. Others just look for water wells using sticks or chant hari krishna. All, in their own way, make some sense of this complex universe!

 

[Madcodger]

Proulx06 and all: My spreadsheet is a bit different in that it attempts to track and predict pellet usage, pellet inventory, and pellet costs. It is designed to track up to three stoves individually and collectively and I created it to help me figure out how many pellets I need to have on hand after adding a second stove of a very different vintage (an old Whitfield in my office, compared to the much new Quad MVAE).

Rather than post that spreadsheet here just look for the thread labeled "Tracking Pellet Usage". The spreadsheet can be found a few posts down in that thread as a .zip file that can be unzipped to an Excel file. If you're a data geek you might find it useful (or amusing), and updates / improvements to it are certainly welcome, as is proofing for errors.

I also created a spreadsheet to help me figure out the temps achieved by my little Whit at various combinations of the damper, pellet feed setting, and blower. But I don't know that it's very useful for much else and it doesn't include items such as outdoor temp as that doesn't appear to affect these settings. Pellet brand would affect it, but I don't switch around much from pellet brand to brand.

And finally, I have to admit that this type of thing is something of a hobby. I also have an automated house (security, lighting, non-pellet HVAC, etc.) that I enjoy fiddling with. None of this is used with great frequency in my professional life, but I'm a firm believer that you need to do something different than what you do for a living, for fun.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

It would be near impossible to gain any useable data from these types of tests. You'd have to do things such as perfectly check the moisture content of each load of pellets, carefully measure the flyash in the firebox and heat exchangers, etc.

Some here have been working "data" for years. Others just look for water wells using sticks or chant hari krishna. All, in their own way, make some sense of this complex universe!

Phew...the voice of reason....I was beginning to think I was on an island....

 

[Madcodger]

It would be near impossible to gain any useable data from these types of tests. You'd have to do things such as perfectly check the moisture content of each load of pellets, carefully measure the flyash in the firebox and heat exchangers, etc.

Some here have been working "data" for years. Others just look for water wells using sticks or chant hari krishna. All, in their own way, make some sense of this complex universe!

With all due respect, I disagree. I have heard comments like this for years in various areas of business, science and healthcare, and have rarely found a situation where collecting and monitoring data can't lead to significant improvements. Much data that is not usable may be collected, but that often leads to other ideas or opens the door for others to take things a step further. So when a person wants to capture (and share) data and it isn't dangerous to do so, let 'em and encourage 'em! Just because we can't see a use for information, doesn't mean someone else won't. We don't advance technology without information, and sometimes it's the geeky amateur that collects the data needed to solve a problem or make a breakthrough. Personally, I rather admire and envy those folks and sometimes do what I can to emulate them. Perhaps one day I can even become one!

 

[skibumm100]

It would be near impossible to gain any useable data from these types of tests. You'd have to do things such as perfectly check the moisture content of each load of pellets, carefully measure the flyash in the firebox and heat exchangers, etc.

Some here have been working "data" for years. Others just look for water wells using sticks or chant hari krishna. All, in their own way, make some sense of this complex universe!

Sorry, I have to disagree, too. You have to minimize the variables but it's very do-able. You don't need a lot if instrumentation to tell that one pellet is significantly hotter than another, it just puts a number to it. As far as moisture content, that's true.....you can easliy measure that too. But it really doesn't make a difference to me. I test them "as-delivered" to my living room. They're stored in the same room so conditions are relatively the same.

Or you can throw your hands up and just go with "all pellets are the same". You know.....a pellet is a pellet is a pellet. That's the easier way out. I know a lot of people locally who burn Green Supreme and think they're great. Who am I to argue. At least they don't hog up the good pellets. As the sherry drinking vicar said....oh good, more for me......

 

[hockeyfan]

Good luck in your endeavors to collect data. I'd like to encourage it.

However....... there are many multivariable unknowns that will make interpretation of the data quite difficult. I'd try to get the stove under the most carefully controlled conditions as possible before collecting any data. And I don't think collecting data twice a day will be sufficient, you'll need a higher rate for data that changes more quickly. Automated data sampling (which would naturally be at a higher rate) would also help.

Also, without understanding the stove's firmware, it might be difficult to interpret data that is already controlled by the stove(!).

I don't want to discourage, but keep all those things in mind. And when you're finished with all the hard work of the analysis, don't forget to post your results here so we can get all the benefit of the information as well...................!

 

[skibumm100]

Agreed. I do all of my testing in manual on setting 4 of 5. I don't mess with the damper adjustment. Although the damper may allow you to get the most out of a chosen pellet brand, it introduces an important variable that would be uncontrolled and, on my stove, fairly unrepeatable for testing purposes. The damper knob makes a fairly large change for a relatively small movement. So I leave it alone during testing. I record the four readings about every 5- 10 minutes. Once the stove is on a particular pellet, the numbers don't change significantly. The auger speed is constant. the combustion blower speed is constant. The pellet feed rate is pretty constant. As you know, pellets don't feed perfectly. Sometimes it drops two at a time, sometimes one. The stove temperatures vary up and down a little, but on average, you can get a good idea if one pellet is hotter than another. Honestly, you can look at the flame and tell which pellets are hotter and burn better that another. You could do the data collection with a ruler. That said, quite a few are in the same ballpark. I can tell you that so far, the hottest pellets I've burned this year have been Okie Platinum (not Black Hills), Vermonts, Cubex and Spruce Point.

Trying to run a pellet test with a stove on thermostat control or a Harman on room temp control would be futile. I guess the Harman owners will have to take our word for it. ;-)

A data logger would be pretty cool but I really don't need it for my purposes. Doesn't mean I wouldn't buy one cheap if it came up on ebay.

Once you pick a brand of pellet you want to burn, you can collect data for different damper settings. I would shoot for the highest delta T (outlet minus inlet) on the convection blower coupled with the lowest flue gas temp, as long as the burn looks right. That would be for a given manual setting. I generally only run my stove on setting 3 and 4. I have a lot of volume to heat and the room temp doesn't change very fast.