What's the point of secondary air?

[MotoBoyMatt]

I assume it's to make the stove more efficient but my Napoleon 1400 manual says that the stove is most efficient at 500-600F but any time that I can see flames shooting out of the secondary air jets for any period of time the stove temp are hotter than that.

 

[LLigetfa]

The superheated air from the secondary system feed the top of the fire regardless of whether the flame appears to come from the secondary vents. It's only when there is so much heat that the primary air cannot burn it all, that the unburnt hydorcarbons reach the secondary.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

It could also have to do with the hotter the surface is, the more BTUs are being radiated out.

Matt

 

[johnnywarm]

Warmer feet for less :coolsmile: allot less

 

[begreen]

Napoleon's are known to like to run hot. When secondary burning kicks in, the stove burns even hotter for a little while. While secondary burning is raging, it means that unburnt wood gases are being ignited and burned off instead of heading out the chimney as smoke. Secondary burning is cleaner, more efficient and provides a great light show.

 

[BrotherBart]

Secondary burning continues through most of the burn cycle. Even when there isn't the effect of flames blowing out of the tubes. The air introduced by the tubes injects oxygen into into the unburned gases, smoke, between the baffle and the wood. This and the turbulence created by the tubes burns gases that would normally just go up the chimney as smoke. That turns what would have left the chimney as smoke into usable heat.