# Cemi wood stove BTU



## JerryK (Jul 27, 2014)

Hi,  I have an old Cemi free standing, rear 6" flue, woodstove, probably built in the early 80's.   It is well built out of 1/4" plate, and I have used it daily thru the winters for about sixteen years to heat my workshop. Paid $65 for it, rebricked it a couple times, and replaced the angle inside holding the brick three or four times.   It puts out quite a bit of heat, but also eats a lot of wood to do it.  I can find no info on this stove, only on a fireplace insert they sold about the same time.  I think it was rated about 105K input BTU at the time it was built, but the output was nowhere near that.  I want to get a new non-cat stove to cut down on my wood consumption as I get older.  I was wondering if anyone knew about how much BTU it 'actually' puts out compared to today's stoves?  30K BTU or so..???


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## JerryK (Jul 28, 2014)

Here is a current picture of the stove.  I have welded stuff on the legs to raise it up.  The firebox is about 14" wide and deep enough for 24" logs.  The area I presently heat is 16' by 40' with a semi-insulated ceiling at 10'.  Walls are just chipboard with two big tarped 10' by 9' high access doors, plus a walk in screen door I used in the winter when the tarps are closed.  I am thinking maybe either a medium 1500-2000 sq' non-cat stove would work to heat this area...up here in Northern Lower Michigan.  But I am just shooting in the dark.  Don't know anything about the new stoves.  Any advise would be gladly appreciated...  I'd rather have a size stove that I have to idle down some, than one that would not do the job.


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## begreen (Jul 29, 2014)

Cool stove. That is the first time I have seen a Cemi freestander. If it is built like their insert it probably has a decent heat exchanger. I don't know the btu output. Steady state may have been around 30K, though I suspect it is capable of much more if stoked regularly.  A popular EPA replacement would be the Englander 30NC. It will burn less wood, but note that modern stoves need fully seasoned wood to reach their potential and they need a decent height flue of about 16ft. to burn well.


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## JerryK (Jul 29, 2014)

begreen said:


> Cool stove. That is the first time I have seen a Cemi freestander. If it is built like their insert it probably has a decent heat exchanger. I don't know the btu output. Steady state may have been around 30K, though I suspect it is capable of much more if stoked regularly.  A popular EPA replacement would be the Englander 30NC. It will burn less wood, but note that modern stoves need fully seasoned wood to reach their potential and they need a decent height flue of about 16ft. to burn well.



Thanks for the info...   I bought this stove used years ago, and have used it ever since to heat the center workshop in an 40x80' pole barn.  Have a stainless chimney going straight up about 20' right next to the peak.... up where the sliding snow won't shear it off during the winter.  I will probably run this stove another winter, still nothing structural wrong with it.  And look for a stove in the BTU area you advised early summer when the prices are lower.  Thanks again, Jerry....


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## begreen (Jul 29, 2014)

The stove looks in decent condition. It will probably last a lifetime. Can you post a shot or two of it's interior?

Around February/March the big box stores start clearing out winter inventory to make space for lawn mowers and BBQs. That is a good time to pick up a good inexpensive stove. The 30NC was available for $649 then. Now it is $899.


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## JerryK (Jul 30, 2014)

begreen said:


> The stove looks in decent condition. It will probably last a lifetime. Can you post a shot or two of it's interior?
> 
> Around February/March the big box stores start clearing out winter inventory to make space for lawn mowers and BBQs. That is a good time to pick up a good inexpensive stove. The 30NC was available for $649 then. Now it is $899.



Here are a few pic's.  Stove is real dirty, haven't touched it since last winter.  Getting ready to put a new door seal in.  Maybe cut some of the metal out and put some new straping on the sides.  There are two muffin fans in the hood that hangs on the back that blow thru the tubes that go thru the fire box.  Anywhilst, here she is...  [ The flash pictures make her look a lot more rusty than she is in person....  but she is a ' shop stove ' .... ]


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## begreen (Jul 30, 2014)

Thanks for the pictures. It looks pretty simple on the inside. One option might be to modify the stove by adding a baffle and a secondary tube. There are a few threads in this forum on the topic if interested.


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## JerryK (Jul 30, 2014)

I saw several things about adding the stainless tubes into the top of the stove for adding hot air for reburn.  This stove has what I think you call a baffle, it is a piece of steel protruding down about 5" just if front of where the flue and heat tube area is.  I think I would just try a new non-cat supposedly made for it. I live in the woods, but at some point I won't be young enough to feed this thing as much as it craves. I went thru 6 face cord dry and about 2 facecord green[ just to get rid of the buggy and odd pieces from the fall cutting/stacking ] last winter, just heating when I am out there...  maybe six hours a day.   My only question about the one you recommended is that it weighs about two hundred pounds less than this one.  This one is made of 1/4", except the flue thimble that is 3/8".  Must be made out of 3/16's" maybe.
Have a GREAT DAY..!  Jerry


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## begreen (Jul 31, 2014)

Yes, I saw the deflector plate in the interior pictures. That will slow down the flames a little, but a plate sitting horizontally above the bricks will slow down the flame better. It will cause the flames to take an S shaped path. With a secondary tube under the baffle, feeding air into the unburnt gases, a more complete burn will occur equalling higher efficiency and heat. 

A lot of newer stoves are 3/16 steel. Some have 1/4" steel tops. There are thousands of 30NC stoves out there. Haven't heard this being an issue yet and it probably won't be in our lifetimes. At 475# this stove is no lightweight.


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## JerryK (Jul 31, 2014)

begreen said:


> Yes, I saw the deflector plate in the interior pictures. That will slow down the flames a little, but a plate sitting horizontally above the bricks will slow down the flame better. It will cause the flames to take an S shaped path. With a secondary tube under the baffle, feeding air into the unburnt gases, a more complete burn will occur equalling higher efficiency and heat.
> 
> A lot of newer stoves are 3/16 steel. Some have 1/4" steel tops. There are thousands of 30NC stoves out there. Haven't heard this being an issue yet and it probably won't be in our lifetimes. At 475# this stove is no lightweight.



Even if it was 1/8 it would last a long time.  This 1/4 one is not much worst for wear even with my poor burn habbits.  I'll probably be looking for the 30NC in the Spring....  If it doesn't work out, I can always hook the old Cemi back up.  I would even go pellet stove, but I have too much wood on my property to go that route now.  Sugar maple, beech, and cherry...  Only problem is that being out in the woods, the bugs get into the wood while stacked out back for a year.  Can't bring in more than a winters worth at a time into the barn....


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## begreen (Jul 31, 2014)

These threads may be helpful:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...d-fisher-more-heat-less-smoke-under-25.74710/
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...ma-bear-or-grandpa-bear-more-efficient.15589/
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...er-stove-updated-with-2ndary-burn-idea.28006/
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/spencer-adding-secondary-burn-tubes-advice.117966/


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## mellow (Aug 14, 2014)

Interesting CEMI, I was thinking they would have done more with the exhaust exit like the inserts.


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## steveatresto (Feb 18, 2015)

JerryK said:


> Here is a current picture of the stove.  I have welded stuff on the legs to raise it up.  The firebox is about 14" wide and deep enough for 24" logs.  The area I presently heat is 16' by 40' with a semi-insulated ceiling at 10'.  Walls are just chipboard with two big tarped 10' by 9' high access doors, plus a walk in screen door I used in the winter when the tarps are closed.  I am thinking maybe either a medium 1500-2000 sq' non-cat stove would work to heat this area...up here in Northern Lower Michigan.  But I am just shooting in the dark.  Don't know anything about the new stoves.  Any advise would be gladly appreciated...  I'd rather have a size stove that I have to idle down some, than one that would not do the job.
> 
> View attachment 135877


I am looking for a model number for the cemi stove you have or had. I need a owners manual or installation instructions for a job I need to do. Appreciate any help I can get


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## BrotherBart (Feb 18, 2015)

The fellow with the Cemi hasn't logged in here since last July.


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## JerryK (Feb 18, 2015)

Heh, I came back when I got an email....       The stove I have does not have any marking on it saying what model it was.  The blower shroud on the back has a little oval Cemi tag with the city it was made in.  Also, bought the stove used many years ago, and it did not come with any operators manuals or other paperwork.  Sorry  .!  But it operates just like any other stove I have ever used, and same with the installation.  Set it up high off the floor so you don;t have to bend over, and at least 3' away from combustible stuff.    Good luck, Jerry.......   [ back to my tractor forum.....   ]


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## Mario N (Jan 16, 2016)

I have the exact stove. Inside the door, right above the dampers you will see a protruding part. Scrape off the soot and you will see a number. The number on mine is 0147


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## Mario N (Jan 16, 2016)

I copied these pics from Jerry K's on your site. I have the exact wood stove. My question is, even though the stove has 2 adjustable dampers, do I still need a damper on the 6 inch flue pipe ? I have got many conflicting answers.


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## begreen (Jan 16, 2016)

Answered in the other thread.


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