Is a 20" box fan killing my draft?
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The one that is supposed to in the hole onto of the stove. Without that how do you determine when to close the bypass?
Oh that's what the hole in the lid is for? There has never been a thermometer in it that I can remember.
Always closed the bypass immediately once the door is closed. If you leave it open for very long, it gets too hot and won't close.
If you drill a hole in the pipe how do you plug it when you remove the probe thermometer? I don't need more smoke.
BTW, reloaded the stove and it continues to burn. That's a first in quite some time.
Your burning habits will change now that the cat and gasket are in place. The stove should be much more predictable. The flue thermometer is optional but a cat thermometer will be really helpful for running the stove better.
Amazon product ASIN B00113L8QU
Amazon product ASIN B00113L8QU
To solve the box fan issue, consider relocating it and placing the fan on the floor blowing the cooler air from the adjacent space, into the stove room. Run it at low speed if possible. You may find this even more effective than the current fan setup. Cold air is denser and easier to move than hot air.
That's probably a big part of the reason you are going through cats so often. You shouldn't be closing the bypass until the cat is active. If you can't do that once it's hot you need to adjust it. What condition is the bypass gasket in?
Without a doubt. 170º on our double-wall is about 500º inside flue gas temp.
No idea on the gasket. Was not aware there even was a gasket on the bypass.
How does one go about "adjusting" it? It was starting to be a problem in general before we rebuilt the stove two years ago, with the bypass being extremely difficult to open and close.. We "adjusted" it with some washers on the control shaft.
I don't even know what it's doing when it won't close, but I sure as heck am not going to take the lid off when the fires of hell are raging inside the stove! With the stove cold the bypass works perfectly.
You adjust it with the adjuster bolt on the bracket attached to the bypass plate. They always tighten up a bit as they get hot. I would tear down the whole bypass assembly replace the gasket clean up any rough spots lubricate everything with anti seize. Then adjust it so it works right cold. Then back the bolt off 1/4 to 1/2 turn. Start with 1/4. If thats to tight when warm back it off another 1/4
I certainly hope so.
I put a new cat in before the season started last year. It didn't seem to make any difference.
Would the missing gasket (last year) have made that much difference?
Not having a cat probe so you know when to close the bypass is one of the biggest issues. If you close it right away it's going to take forever to heat up
48 hour update. So far, so good. Zero smoke smell in the house with the new cat. Stove burns when you add wood, instead of going out.
I also drove 50 miles to pick up a moisture meter. I get readings all over the place, from no reading at all to 18%. Most of the wood I probe is in the 5-15% range. I guess you're supposed to take measurements from a freshly split face, but you're not splittin' this stuff without a hydraulic wood splitter, it's so snarly and twisted. Splitter is tucked away in the barn for the winter. So the readings are pretty meaningless.
The only thing that puzzles me is why I had so much trouble last year after doing the exact same thing. New cat made ZERO difference last year. Only difference was the gasket and the cat fits pretty tightly without it.
I also drove 50 miles to pick up a moisture meter. I get readings all over the place, from no reading at all to 18%. Most of the wood I probe is in the 5-15% range. I guess you're supposed to take measurements from a freshly split face, but you're not splittin' this stuff without a hydraulic wood splitter, it's so snarly and twisted. Splitter is tucked away in the barn for the winter. So the readings are pretty meaningless.
The only thing that puzzles me is why I had so much trouble last year after doing the exact same thing. New cat made ZERO difference last year. Only difference was the gasket and the cat fits pretty tightly without it.
They are pretty good, for a cheaper cast iron stove. I've still got my 2460 for a backup stove in case I need it.
Like they said, move the dense, cool air along the floor back to the stove room from the area you are trying to head. Use small fans, 8", on low speed.
Yeah, don't open the door once the cat is lit off. If for some reason you have to open the door, open the bypass first for several minutes so that you don't thermal-shock the ceramic cat.
You're rolling the dice there as to whether that wood will be dry. I've seen gas station wood that bubbled water out of the ends of the splits.
Yep, the will plug up over time and need to be cleaned. When the cat is glowing, you can see it if you get your head low and look almost straight up through the glass.
Yep, it's a Condar cat probe, same one the 2460 uses. I think it's like 1.75" long..that's what the one in my 2460 appears to be. You can gently lower a metal rod through the hole and measure how far it is to the face of the cat, then subtract 1/2-3/4" to determine the right probe length.
I'll try to find out which Condar probe it is, and report back..
bholler gave a good tutorial on that, and the manual has a lot of good maintenance info.
Get an OEM gasket kit and replace them all; There are a lot of places that can leak air on these stoves.
If you see any warped doors, bypass door etc, replacements are available. You have to season cast iron parts before installing them, and instructions come with the parts.
If you see any warped doors, bypass door etc, replacements are available. You have to season cast iron parts before installing them, and instructions come with the parts.
I agree with seasoning the parts. I collect skillets and such. You just dont want to over fire it. Low and slow, then ramp it p to about 500 in the kitchen oven. 1 1/2 hrs........with skillets you put some kind of grease on it before hand....Crisco, lard, PAM, ect. I have no clue about stove parts tho.
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