# Heat reclaimers



## wingsfan (Jan 18, 2012)

Anyone here use a heat reclaimer on thier stove. I am sure there is pros and cons of using one,what are they. Where is the best place to put it, if you do use one? Thanks for any help. I'm looking into a future stove install.


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## Hass (Jan 18, 2012)

wingsfan said:
			
		

> Where is the best place to put it



In a garbage can.


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## pen (Jan 18, 2012)

I would not install one.

Here is a link w/ a lot of information about them that you may be interested in https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/search_results/42efd4e2085db77c9b133469fcb490a1/

pen


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## HotCoals (Jan 18, 2012)

I don't like them either,but funny how long they been selling theses things..forever.


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## certified106 (Jan 18, 2012)

O man I got here late with the popcorn and beer.....there is already four posts :lol:


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## wingsfan (Jan 18, 2012)

Wow. after doing some reading at the earlier mentioned link. I'm sorry I asked.I wont be thinking about one after all.


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## nate379 (Jan 18, 2012)

They work just fine on old smoke dragons.


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## Chelmsford Fireplace Center (Jan 18, 2012)

A heat reclaimer really shouldn't be used on any newer style stove.  When they are added to a new high efficiency stove you can reduce your flue gas temps which can hurt draft and will promote creosote.  But would work well on a older stove which is just throwing most of your heat up the pipe any way!


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## begreen (Jan 18, 2012)

NATE379 said:
			
		

> They work just fine on old smoke dragons.



Agreed... if you like collecting creosote.


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## nate379 (Jan 18, 2012)

:roll: 





			
				BeGreen said:
			
		

> NATE379 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## pen (Jan 18, 2012)

NATE379 said:
			
		

> :roll:



Care to add something?

pen


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## Dairyman (Jan 18, 2012)

I wish that I would've taken pics of my last chimney cleaning with the magic heat for treads like this . Looking back I can't believe that I never had a chimney fire! You could have measured the creosote in gallons. If you need more heat there are safer ways to get it.


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## stoveguy2esw (Jan 18, 2012)

heat reclaimers back in the day so to speak were a popular way to steal a bit more heat out of the flue  and with older less efficient stoves it didnt usually create too much of an issue since much more heat was dumped in the chimney. modern units are more efficient and thus you have less wasted heat, now ,these more efficient stoves also need a more powerful draft than the old units do simply because of the design which gives us the higher efficiency. the chimney needs to have the heat it gets from the stove in order to generate the stronger draft. sucking heat off the flue with this type stove can actually hinder the stove itself's operation. also with lower overall stack temps the drop from there can result in temps getting into the "creosote zone" more readily which is somthing all woodburners want to avoid.

short version, i do not like them , i think they are an old technology which has seen its time but is now obsolete. i never recommend them and usually try to talk folks out of using them


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## Flatbedford (Jan 18, 2012)

I just saw a "Magic Heat" for the first time last week. The guy had it installed on a big old iron smoke dragon. He swore that it was the best thing since sliced bread. Being a guest, I was polite.


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## DanCorcoran (Jan 18, 2012)

Flatbedford said:
			
		

> I just saw a "Magic Heat" for the first time last week. The guy had it installed on a big old iron smoke dragon. He swore that it was the best thing since sliced bread. Being a guest, I was polite.



The "magic heat" comes from the chimney fire...


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## Flatbedford (Jan 18, 2012)

I was at  firemen's house. I guess he is prepared.


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## Lumber-Jack (Jan 18, 2012)

I have a wall mounted fan that blows air past the base of my flue and across the top of my stove, can that be considered a "Heat reclaimer"?
If not, it should be, because it sure works well for getting extra heat off the stove, and I can run the fire hotter and heat the joint up faster and warmer than without it. Puts the $300 stove blower (that came with the stove) to shame.


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## bogydave (Jan 18, 2012)

Most new stoves already rob much more heat from the exhaust. That's why
most stoves now use (recommend)  double wall stove pipe, to keep the exhaust gasses hotter.
Cooling the exhaust gasses even more  will effect the draft strength,  
promote creosote build up & not meet the basic pipe installation specs for most stoves.


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## greythorn3 (Jan 18, 2012)

bogydave said:
			
		

> Most new stoves already rob much more heat from the exhaust. That's why
> most stoves now use (recommend)  double wall stove pipe, to keep the exhaust gasses hotter.
> Cooling the exhaust gasses even more  will effect the draft strength,
> promote creosote build up & not meet the basic pipe installation specs for most stoves.



i find this to be true, going from a blaze king classic, i had pretty high chimney temps all the time

now runing the blaze king princess cat, once you flip that cat lever the chimney temps drop allot, i see 250 - 400 usually now compared to the classic king, 600-700


 i cant figure out where the heats going tho, as it seems to give off allot less heat then the blaze king. since stovetops rarely get to 600


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## tcassavaugh (Jan 18, 2012)

Flatbedford said:
			
		

> I just saw a "Magic Heat" for the first time last week. The guy had it installed on a big old iron smoke dragon. He swore that it was the best thing since sliced bread. Being a guest, I was polite.



sounds like my brother....he burns in an old earth stove......but he does get quite a bit of creasote.

cass


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## firefighterjake (Jan 19, 2012)

Flatbedford said:
			
		

> I was at  firemen's house. I guess he is prepared.



Or at the very least he will be the first on scene with a scene size up when the chimney does catch on fire . . .


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## dougand3 (Jan 19, 2012)

This conversation is so one-sided (albeit, the good side)...I kinda miss Pook.  :bug:


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## Chelmsford Fireplace Center (Jan 19, 2012)

Carbon_Liberator said:
			
		

> I have a wall mounted fan that blows air past the base of my flue and across the top of my stove, can that be considered a "Heat reclaimer"?
> If not, it should be, because it sure works well for getting extra heat off the stove, and I can run the fire hotter and heat the joint up faster and warmer than without it. Puts the $300 stove blower (that came with the stove) to shame.



  I would not call that a true heat reclaimer.  Just watch your flue gas temp but I don't see any problem with what your doing long as the fan is far enough away meeting your stoves clearences.
                                               Cory


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## VCBurner (Feb 8, 2012)

I had a Magic Heat connected in the basement, originally on a non EPA stove. It did throw some major heat. I then bought an EPA stove and had it hooked up for a few weeks. I wanted to learn to burn the stove without it, so it came off and sat in the basement until I gave it away with an old non-airtight box stove. In my opinion, it did not increase the creosote dramatically, but I was running the stove hot to heat the house from an unfinished basement. The main concern I had was damaging the electrical components during a power outage. I ended up emailing the big cheese of the company that made the particular reclaimer and he responded backing up his company's product. However, when asked to disclose how hot the electrical components had to get to sustain damage he could not provide me with any concrete answer. My feeling is he was not required by law to disclose such information and there was a danger presented by installing one of these units on a wood stove. Regardless of it being EPA rated or not, the electrical components can and will get damaged in case of a power outage, the manual states they should be removed in such a case. In the case of a power outage occurring when no one is home this would become a lot more likely. There are people who run these without a problem, I did, but if a company is not willing to disclose information about the safety of one of their products it raises a red flag IMO.


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