Falling creosote?

[Roospike]

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[Roospike]

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[Roospike]

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[Andre B.]

Actually the formula used to calculate the test load is firebox volume, per the stove's design drawings, times seven. For example a two cubic foot firebox stove would be tested with 14 pounds of air dried 19% to 25% Douglas Fir and a three cubic foot stove would be tested with 21 pounds.

Do you know if it was a one size fits all at one time?
I would swear I read that some place.

 

[Andre B.]

You make a valid point, BUT,
the heat thru the glass isnt lost though, its into the room, the purpose of the heater is to heat the room right?


and the larger surface area ( heat sink) of a bigger firebox and small fire, is the same as a smaller firebox with more airflow.
a well designed airflow and radiator surface will maximize this.

Think about all the people putting fans behind their stoves to get the heat moved around, that is the same effect as having a small fire in a larger firebox ( the heat is 'lost' faster)

its all a trade off, how hot you have to keep the firebox to keep a clean burn, and then how much heat from that process you can extract without inturpting the process.

Yes it is not lost in the sense that it went to waste, but it is lost from the fire. If you take the heat out of a fire too fast the fire goes out.
Not saying it will not work, like in the other thread there are things you can do to make it work better. Just that it is more difficult to get a clean burn with a small fire in a stove designed for more, just like getting a camp fire to burn at emission levels comparable to an EPA stove would be difficult.

If you look at different stoves old and new you will notice that the older ones tend to allow more heat to go direct from the fire to the room. The newer stoves tend to separate the fire box from the parts that deliver heat to the room, more insulating firebrick around the fire box. The propose is to help keep the fire burning hotter, you can always get the heat out of the exhaust gases after they leave the fire box.

As you say it is a trade off, separating the firebox from the heat exchanger makes for a larger more expensive stove.

I am beginning to think that it may be possible to insulate the firebox too much and cause an unstable condition where you get too much positive feedback to the fire leading to uncontrolled runaway fires.