Door glass - Is it mandatory?

[bholler]

It will be higher temp in the stove with foot thick walls therefore the stack temp will be higher because you insulated the stove from the area you want to heat.

You keep saying you are insulating the stove and you are not insulating it at all all of that steel will be sucking heat from the fire box. Steel is not a good insulator at all. But at least we can agree about burning with the door open lol

 

[bholler]

Where as alluminum, silver etc are not quite as robust. I would have to read up on silver and other metals in regards to this, but i doubt few could afford a stove made out of silver!

They also both have relatively low melting points which is not very good for a stove

 

[HotCoals]

You keep saying you are insulating the stove and you are not insulating it at all all of that steel will be sucking heat from the fire box. Steel is not a good insulator at all. But at least we can agree about burning with the door open lol

Like I said..we can agree to disagree..but yeah we do agree on the door..and I'm sure someday you will agree with me on the other..lol.

 

[ambull01]

While a material may look good on paper, not all materials are created equally. Steel, cast iron, and soapstone are used because of their ability to withstand the very high temperatures of an intense fire. Where as alluminum, silver etc are not quite as robust. I would have to read up on silver and other metals in regards to this, but i doubt few could afford a stove made out of silver!

Here is a chart i foubd with a wuick search
http://www.onlinemetals.com/meltpt.cfm

lol true, silver would be expensive.

Well this sucks. I was sure the soapstone was inside an insert to help keep the heat inside the firebox and direct it out through the ceramic front. Also thought it directly aided in secondary combustion through holding heat in. Now I'm agreeing with HotCoals even more. It would probably help to take the soapstone bricks out to have the heat transfer into the metal of the stove and radiate out. The metal wouldn't hold heat as long as the soapstone but that's what the primary air control is for. I may do some experiments with my insert.

 

[pen]

lol true, silver would be expensive.

Well this sucks. I was sure the soapstone was inside an insert to help keep the heat inside the firebox and direct it out through the ceramic front. Also thought it directly aided in secondary combustion through holding heat in. Now I'm agreeing with HotCoals even more. It would probably help to take the soapstone bricks out to have the heat transfer into the metal of the stove and radiate out. The metal wouldn't hold heat as long as the soapstone but that's what the primary air control is for. I may do some experiments with my insert.

Are you certain your insert has soapstone inside it already? Or did you add it?

Is there a stove company that uses soapstone inside a stove that doesn't also use it on the outside?

 

[ambull01]

Are you certain your insert has soapstone inside it already? Or did you add it?

Is there a stove company that uses soapstone inside a stove that doesn't also use it on the outside?

Never mind, it's firebrick. Now I have to look up how that differs from soapstone.

Stone on the outside? That would be kind of cool. A stone fireplace instead of a mass of metal.

 

[BrotherBart]

The Century insert has common ceramic fire bricks in the stove.

 

[ambull01]

I guess my insert experiment is a no go. Just read a Q&A here about firebrick. Helps protect steel sides from really high temperatures and directs heat back into the firebox to help with efficiency. That sucks, thought I would be able to get the heat out of the firebox faster.

 

[BrotherBart]

Yeah that firebox is 3/16" steel. Take the bricks out and you will warp the crap out of that stove. Not to mention kill the secondary burn efficiency.

 

[ambull01]

Yeah that firebox is 3/16" steel. Take the bricks out and you will warp the crap out of that stove. Not to mention kill the secondary burn efficiency.

Well that just made up my mind. I'm getting rid of this insert even though it was a gift. Totally not what I wanted/need.

 

[BrotherBart]

Inserts are not radiant heaters. No matter what they are made of. They primarily heat by pulling in cooler air and blowing it out into the living space. All of them. Just like the one you have.

 

[ambull01]

Inserts are not radiant heaters. No matter what they are made of. They primarily heat by pulling in cooler air and blowing it out into the living space. All of them. Just like the one you have.

So what I need is a free standing stove, I guess. How long did it take you to figure all this stuff out. Quite complicated when you start getting really into it.

 

[BrotherBart]

Heated this barn for 21 years with an insert. It would still be here if it hadn't cracked finally. I was about to put another one in when I came across a free stander that fit the fireplace and decided to give it a try. It does no better or worse a job in the fireplace than the insert did.

Give that insert a chance. Get used to using it and enjoy.

 

[smokedragon]

My harman reminds me of the northern lights in the arctic and puts on quite a show.

We thought that same thing. Never cared for or wanted a glass, but after owning a stove with one, I would never go back.

 

[ambull01]

Heated this barn for 21 years with an insert. It would still be here if it hadn't cracked finally. I was about to put another one in when I came across a free stander that fit the fireplace and decided to give it a try. It does no better or worse a job in the fireplace than the insert did.

Give that insert a chance. Get used to using it and enjoy.

How big is the barn? 21 years is pretty impressive.

 

[bholler]

In my opinion ambull01 if the stove is going to be mostly in the firebox you are better off with an insert or a stove with a full convective jacket not a radiant stove. Both the insert and a convective stove will give off radiant heat off the front but will turn what would have been radiant heat heating the fireplace structure(which if it is an external chimney is not great) into convective heat that is blown out the vents by the blower. If the stove is out of the firebox or atleast most of the way out and the fire box is sealed and insulated a radiant stove can work very well. But which will work better depends allot on your needs i wouldnt give up on the insert so quick give it a couple years like bb said

 

[ambull01]

In my opinion ambull01 if the stove is going to be mostly in the firebox you are better off with an insert or a stove with a full convective jacket not a radiant stove. Both the insert and a convective stove will give off radiant heat off the front but will turn what would have been radiant heat heating the fireplace structure(which if it is an external chimney is not great) into convective heat that is blown out the vents by the blower. If the stove is out of the firebox or atleast most of the way out and the fire box is sealed and insulated a radiant stove can work very well. But which will work better depends allot on your needs i wouldnt give up on the insert so quick give it a couple years like bb said

The insert is actually sticking out of the firebox quite a bit. I think it looks more like a free standing. I think I have a clue as to the purpose of the firebrick lining but it may be more for something that will be predominately enclosed within a firebox. If it's basically sitting outside of the firebox, then redirecting the heat toward the ceramic front is wasting time when it could be dispersed from all sides.

Anyway, that's enough with my opinions. I'll just run this bad boy as is and see where it takes me.

 

[begreen]

This thread has been answered, derailed and hit the end of the line.