To open or not to open: which makes for more heat?

[1869_Caboose]

Hello out there, this is my first post but I've been burning for about 3 years. My question is--while burning my pot belly, would I get more heat from it if the door is open or closed? That might seem like a silly question but here is my dilemma...yes the fire feels hotter when the door is open but that also means its consuming more oxygen compared to ithe door being closed...which means it'll burn through faster. On the other hand if the door is shut, that means a slower burn because of less oxygen to combust and it also means the door will heat up and radiate heat....so to recap, which gives off more heat, keeping the door open or closed? Thanks to all who reply.

 

[shawneyboy]

Hello out there, this is my first post but I've been burning for about 3 years. My question is--while burning my pot belly, would I get more heat from it if the door is open or closed? That might seem like a silly question but here is my dilemma...yes the fire feels hotter when the door is open but that also means its consuming more oxygen compared to ithe door being closed...which means it'll burn through faster. On the other hand if the door is shut, that means a slower burn because of less oxygen to combust and it also means the door will heat up and radiate heat....so to recap, which gives off more heat, keeping the door open or closed? Thanks to all who reply.

The advantage of the stove is the controled air, If you open the door, you might as well have an open fireplace, you will be sucking more warm air from the room and sending it up the chimney, than the radiant heat you gain. this is of course IMHO.

 

[branchburner]

Yup, door closed.

 

[1869_Caboose]

Thanks for those replies....I will keep her shut!

 

[firefighterjake]

There's a reason they build stoves with doors . . . and not just the EPA stoves . . . even those old potbelly stoves from yesteryear . . . part of it was the safety . . . and part was the heating efficiency.

 

[Battenkiller]

Here's a chart taken from a study that was done in the mid-80s. It compares the results of several test burns using both green (41% MC) and seasoned (20% MC) oak in a conventional airtight stove, and in the same stove burning with the doors fully opened (appears to be a Vermont Castings stove, although the brand wasn't mentioned in the report). The stove burned with less than 50% overall efficiency with seasoned oak while open, but about 65% overall efficiency with the same wood when burned as an air-tight (doors closed).

The author of the study defined "overall efficiency" as the heat output divided by the total potential heat in the wood. The potential heat of the wood was determined using the "low heating value" figure, which neatly and conveniently accounts for all of the heat lost during the various water vapor transformations. These were eliminated from the equations since they provide no sensible heat inside the living space. This is the only realistic way to define efficiency, since it accounts for heat transfer as well as combustion efficiency and heat lost due to unrecoverable condensation of water that occurs outside the flue.

Curiously, the open stove had slightly better overall efficiency with the green oak than it did with the seasoned oak while burning in the doors-open manner. Even more interesting is that the author mentions that the stove produced only 1/4 of the amount of creosote while burning the green oak at a high burn rate as compared to the seasoned oak burned at the same rate, both burning while the stove was in the air-tight mode.

H-mmmm......

 

[logger]

Not only will you suck the heat out of the room, but the heat produced in the stove will also get sucked up the pipe. Even when my stove gets ripping, I shut the air down so Im not sucking the heat in the stove up the chimney. I would just leave it open only if you need help with the initial lighting.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Looks like your question was answered well, but welcome to the forum anyway 1869_Caboose.