Stovetop vs Heat output

[Chad S.]

So I got a hold of some 3 year old elm/ash mix from a co-worker. Its nice to not have it sound like I'm frying bacon when I load!! I have a fireview and still can only get to 575 but pretty easily and in about 2 hours maybe 2.5 hours from a 175-200 deg stove top. The thing I have noticed is that if I burn at setting 1.25-1.5 I have constant flame for about 2-3 hours then an hour or so of secondaries then coals and A LOT OF HEAT!! Blast you out of the room heat (well almost). But the top maxes out at 500 then stays at 450 ish for a while then 400 for an hour, then 350 for a loooong time....... Now If Ido the same thing and engage and choke it down to .75 or a little less the stove top will hit 575 in 1-2 hours then stay at 550 for a while then 500....... But I get less heat and obviosly way better burn times and useable coals. I know the coals is where the heat comes from so if you burn the wood down faster you'll get more heat but its interesting that you get a 100-150 deg cooler stovetop in doing so. Is it bad to burn the wood up really fast to get a lot of coals and quick heat but a low stovetop? Is it bad to have the draft at .75 with no flame for an hour and a constantly rising stovetop (cat bright orange) and just waiting for the POOF!! and the secondaries? I love this stove but its almost a little counter-intuitive. BTW--high 20'-low 30's daytime and mid teens at night overcast during the day. Full load at 5:00pm, 3 logs at 5:00am its now 4:00 pm and the back of the house is 73 the main area/stoveroom is 75 1600sq ft-- And its breezy outside. This heats WAY better than my electric baseboard heat!

 

[karri0n]

The heat is not from the coals, it's from active flame.

The reason your stovetop temp is higher but throwing less heat is because all of the burn is happening right there at the cat as opposed to within the firebox. The heat is heating the top stones and that is heating the room. When you have full flames going, obviously the load will burn faster, but also the heat from the flames will be radiating out the glass, sides, and top all at once. The very top won't be quite so hot becuase the primary is causing more action than the cat at that point.

 

[Pagey]

I don't get much usable heat from coals. My Endeavor, which is a non-cat mind you, throws the most meaningful heat (i.e., 600-650F stove top) when the wood is off gassing strongly. When it's really cold out, there is a substantially noticeable difference between a stove top of 400F, say, and 600F.

 

[Todd]

Yeah, a low burn in this stove can still give you a 700 stove top because the cat is doing all the work and you will see lower stove top temps with more flame in the box, but more overall heat output. I save my low 12 hour burns .5-.75 for the shoulder seasons when it's cold I load her up and burn hotter .75-1.2 with a good flame and red coals. This is something many people don't realize about this stove, they see those high temps with no flame and are afraid to give it more air thinking it will overfire and it won't. More flame and red coals equals more heat.

 

[Chad S.]

Todd- You're answer is what I was asking but didn't know how to ask. Thanks, I thought I was nuts when I was thinking if I give it more air the top will stabilize or begin to cool but I am right because You Say SO :coolgrin:

 

[Todd]

You will also notice a big difference once you have good dry wood. The drier your wood the lower your settings will go. Get a couple years ahead on your supply and you will have even more heat.

 

[Battenkiller]

When it's really cold out, there is a substantially noticeable difference between a stove top of 400F, say, and 600F.

The truth is that a stove surface at 600ºF is pushing out more than twice the heat per unit area than the same surface at 400ºF. One very good reason to keep those temps up there. Remember, too, that there are six major surfaces to a stove (plus the flue pipe). Stove top temps are only one indicator of the quality of your burn. Don't obsess so much about the top, the front and back are larger and will throw out much more total heat at the same temp.