Jotul c550 Rockland tips thread

[OhioBurner©]

Forgot I was going to do my review of the Eco-Bricks in my Rockland here too...

Since I've been burning more and more Eco-Bricks as my wood supply dwindles, I tried increasing the number of bricks and did an overnight burn of 100% EcoBricks in the Rockland. And took some pics to document it so figured I'd throw em up here.

Loaded up 12 bricks on a hot coal bed. I should have evened the coal bed out more, they are tilted and lopsided. ~41 lbs of compressed wood. 11:10pm

After getting it going I closed the air control all the way shut and settled out 600-700F across the stove top, a good cruising temp for the Rockland. 11:40pm

Woke up in the morning, shot the stove top as is after 9hrs... about 300F (blower was set on high all night too). 8:20am

And here is what it looked like after 9hrs. Several of the chunks were 3/4 or so the original size still.

I poked and stirred up the coals, turned the air open half way, and the blower down to low. The stove did climb back up slightly to 375F and burn another hour. 9:23am

Finally spread out the coals and ready for a reload, this is the hot coal bed after 10hrs 15min. All above 300F.

I think I've stretched out the burn about as much as I possibly can with the Rockland. Still no where near enough to get me through a workday, so unfortunately I am seriously considering selling it and getting a bigger cat stove. With the 10+hr burns (or 8hr when I'm home)even with my pellet stove going in conjunction on these arctic cold blasts I'm just not getting enough heat to keep the stove room (great room) in the mid 60's and the kitchen that comes off the great room is dipping down to low 50's. But more seasonable temps outside in the 20's or more and I can keep the house warm just fine. I could squeeze a few more bricks in there, but geez even at the great price I’m getting them for I'm spending around $12/day on bricks and also the same on pellets. Hoping I can get more heat out of a freestanding stove if I decide to make a hearth pad in front of my fireplace. Not for sure yet, will be a lot of money plus I really like this Rockland and its been a great stove.

 

[Stoneseller]

OB those are some serious high temps. How often do you get the stove this hot? When I had very good dry oak last year a high for me was in the 450 range. Aren't you concerned of "over burn" damage?

 

[jatoxico]

Stone, my top peaks at 650-700 all the time and cruises at 550-600. Where are you taking your temp readings?

 

[OhioBurner©]

Its pretty hard to keep mine down in the 450º range, secondary burn would be questionable and probably result in dirty burn. My Rockland usually runs up to 600-750 with good secondary burn. That's measured on the hottest point of the stovetop, usually in the middle area right in front of the flue collar (through the blower vent). If your only getting 450º either your not measuring the hottest part of the stove or else some part of your burn isn't ideal I would think.

 

[Stoneseller]

I don't know why my burns are so much cooler. Here is a photo taken about ten minutes after loading some new splits. I'll shoot another at a 15 minute later burn.

 

[Stoneseller]

After 15 minutes with air control wide open. Wood has settled down pretty much.

 

[jatoxico]

Stone, are you shooting the glass or the door? Stove top temps should be taken from the vent to compare with most others. I keep a magnetic thermo in the vent, center right about 3" back. Hard to get a good reading with my IR but have rough agreement between the two.

 

[Stoneseller]

The glass, with the laser dot on glowing coals. The highest reading I can get in the top blower slot is about 300. I get about 350 pointed to the back, onto the stack. When I opened to add more wood just now, after running vent half closed, the metal floor was high 600's into low 700's with door wide open.
jatoxico, what exactly do you mean by the vent?
I was shocked by OhioBurner's IR reading of 699 pointed at the glass, with door closed. This is how I typically monitor my burn, and have never seen a number like that without opening the door & shooting at coals.

 

[jatoxico]

The glass, with the laser dot on glowing coals. The highest reading I can get in the top blower slot is about 300. I get about 350 pointed to the back, onto the stack. When I opened to add more wood just now, after running vent half closed, the metal floor was high 600's into low 700's with door wide open.
jatoxico, what exactly do you mean by the vent?
I was shocked by OhioBurner's IR reading of 699 pointed at the glass, with door closed. This is how I typically monitor my burn, and have never seen a number like that without opening the door & shooting at coals.

Various people have said the IR won't read correctly off the glass. I don't know how true that is but in any case I wouldn't worry too much about the temp of the fire itself or the coals. What's relevant and useful for comparing to others is the stove top. You don't want the top too much over 750 on any regular basis although once in a while won't break it. Actual glowing is the issue to be avoided. If you suspect over fire turn off the lights and look in the vent at the flue collar.

The vent I'm referring to is the air vent where hot air comes out. From there you can shoot the flue collar or try getting a reading a couple inches back. Not the easiest due to the angle but can be done. That's why many here just put a regular stove top thermo in the air vent and read that. I'm at 550 right about now, peaked at about 625 earlier.

 

[OhioBurner©]

I was shocked by OhioBurner's IR reading of 699 pointed at the glass, with door closed.

I don't read off the glass or anywhere on the stove except the stove top through the blower vent, as I pointed out here...

That's measured on the hottest point of the stovetop, usually in the middle area right in front of the flue collar (through the blower vent).

I merely took the picture standing in front of the stove. Also with the view of the stove in the picture it would give some idea as to the vigor of the fire, which my post was documenting how Ecobricks burned.

Glass will read much lower. I think the glass reading is close to accurate, but with the air wash and all its not necessarily indicative of the stove. Short of having a remote stack probe or something, shooting the stove top through the vent is going to be best and what most of us here do.

This is a high quality heavy steel stove and can be run pretty hot. Cast iron, soap stone, thinner steel stoves are not nearly as robust in handling higher temps.

 

[Oldman47]

I don't know why my burns are so much cooler. Here is a photo taken about ten minutes after loading some new splits. I'll shoot another at a 15 minute later burn.

What is the emissivity index you are using for that reading? Most IRs are set up to read a very dark or black surface, not a flame or reflective surface. Even a reading from the outside of a stainless pipe will be way off from actual temperature. I guarantee the actual temperature of that flame is over 570ºF since it is burning.

 

[OhioBurner©]

I know this has been discussed a lot in the past (I think on this thread even) but here are some numbers from my burn right now comparing different parts of the stove. About 1hr in with 8 EcoBricks, nice rolling secondaries, and air control shut all the way.

Max stove top (through blower vent) = 686F
Avg stove top (swept over full surface with IR gun set to AVG) = 531F
Max temp on door glass = 465F
Cast iron trim above door (like where air slider is but opposite side) 275F

Emissivity is set to default 0.95 which should be pretty accurate for glass and painted steel. Also remember not all thermometers are equal. I've found quite a discrepancy between them. Even with IRs unless your going to spend >100$ on a pro one I wouldn't trust they are that accurate. I've noticed significant differences between them.

 

[Stoneseller]

What is the emissivity index you are using for that reading? Most IRs are set up to read a very dark or black surface, not a flame or reflective surface. Even a reading from the outside of a stainless pipe will be way off from actual temperature. I guarantee the actual temperature of that flame is over 570ºF since it is burning.

I have to be honest Oldman47, I don't have a clue. I bought that IR years ago to look for escaping heat from the ductwork in my attic. I never read the instructions other than a quick glance. I'll look into that.

Re OhioBurner. I missed the text under the photo with the 699 degree reading, and thought you got that reading at that location. My bad.

I bought some ecobricks to supplement my dwindling wood supply. They sure burn hot once you get them going. I kind of dislike the amount of remaining ash compared to clean red or white oak. Too bad my supply ran low.

 

[OhioBurner©]

There could be some variation between batches, but I am very pleased with the ash content of mine... probably less than any species of wood I've burned (haven't ever burned much oak though), and a lot less ashes than the 'ash' I have been burning this year. I haven't exactly measured it, but during the last month or two that I've mainly burnt the bricks I've probably only been shovelling out the ashes about every two weeks. They do hold on to coals for a while though (maybe more so in mine since I have the doghouse air plugged) but if you poke em and open up the air at the end of the burn, or just reload, they will eventually turn to powder.

 

[Stoneseller]

The bricks I have yield a very fine powder once burned out. When stirring up the still warm, or cool pile after everything is burned out, it reminds me of exceptionally smooth, slightly moist sand. It even sticks to the poker a little like sand. The brand I have is "Wood Brick Fuel". I'm down to my last bundle of forty. Hopefully spring is arriving to Maryland this week, and I won't need to purchase more this season. This winter has been a brutal one for a majority of the US, hopefully global warming will resume next winter.

 

[EJL923]

The glass has an IR coating on it to reflect heat back into the firebox, so im not sure what that does to the readings. In any case, put a magnetic thermo in the vent area

 

[OhioBurner©]

The bricks I have yield a very fine powder once burned out. When stirring up the still warm, or cool pile after everything is burned out, it reminds me of exceptionally smooth, slightly moist sand. It even sticks to the poker a little like sand. The brand I have is "Wood Brick Fuel". I'm down to my last bundle of forty. Hopefully spring is arriving to Maryland this week, and I won't need to purchase more this season. This winter has been a brutal one for a majority of the US, hopefully global warming will resume next winter.

Oh I see, i thought you were burning EcoBricks (a specific brand... made by Red Stone). Different makes of compressed wood bricks could be a lot different, around here I have not seen any but the ones I posted about so not sure how similar/different they are.

 

[elevatorman]

well going over my stove and hearth.com tonight figured Id finally look at my Doghouse air inlet. Most of you have said two small holes 1/8 ID. Take a look at the picture of my stove I measured the hole size to roughly be 1/2'' and there are to side openings there next to the hole prob. to hold in the small pieces of stainless that for the air jet. what to do?


Last season I really had trouble getting long burns and I used a ton of wood. I want to seal up this stove best I can to prolong burn times and conserve wood. I did not look at the secondary air holes yet on the back of the stove. I did look at the primary air slide. With the slide fully closed I could look up through the air manifold and see the middle intake was still about a 1/4 of the way open.

 

[EJL923]

thats the intake for the doghouse. on the inside where the air exits mine has two 1/8 holes, newer versions may differ. i plug one with a loose fitting screw. I tried both, but had too much coal buildup.

 

[ChrisUK2USA]

Hey, so I am a newly registered user and just wanted to say hello. This is a long thread that I need to read thoroughly, lots of good advice here.

I decided on a c550 at the beginning of this year, I worked out it would fit and the visuals passed with my wife. I had our unit installed in February. So far so good, just getting into burn season here so looking forward to seeing how I get on. My garage is stocked with wood, but not sure it's the best. Doesn't seem dry enough. Might have just learn't my lesson of the difference between seasoned wood and dry seasoned wood.

Anyway, part way through my fireplace remodel I was able to use a thermal imaging camera to take some photos of my c550. Now, I know the fireplace just looks like a 'work in progress' project in these, but I couldn't wait to fire up my 550! As of now the remodel is done, so it looks a whole lot nicer than this. Wait, because they are thermal imaging you don't really see too much of the horrors part way through my work.

I thought members here, and other c550 owners may appreciate seeing these images. I haven't seen any other thermal images in this thread.

My friend loaned me the camera, it was awesome and I hope to borrow it again sometime.

You can see the flue pipe through the wall..

I guess we hit the max for the camera here at >536F

Unit seems to get hotter in the top left, or rather the brick work gets hotter in the top left.

Heat filling the room from the top down and you can see an LED down light can there in the roof. Probably filled with hot air

 

[uloset]

Man those thermal pics are pretty cool,

I've been stalking this thread for awhile, I just starting using my C550 this season and trying to learn the strings. I do have a nasty downdraft sometimes so it can make it a pain to start without getting smoke in the room. I'm guessing one of the culprits may be my whole house fan which I'm going to try and seal much better. I may also try buying some cheap tubing and experiment with extending the chimney a few feet to see if that also helps.

 

[jatoxico]

Man those thermal pics are pretty cool,

I've been stalking this thread for awhile, I just starting using my C550 this season and trying to learn the strings. I do have a nasty downdraft sometimes so it can make it a pain to start without getting smoke in the room. I'm guessing one of the culprits may be my whole house fan which I'm going to try and seal much better. I may also try buying some cheap tubing and experiment with extending the chimney a few feet to see if that also helps.

For a fix on any given day push up on and slide one of the Skamol bricks to the side. You'll see the vent opening w/ the draw down adapter. Light a piece of newspaper and hold it right there in the flue. The reverse should turn around and blow out the cold air. When putting the brick back, make sure it's seated.

 

[uloset]

For a fix on any given day push up on and slide one of the Skamol bricks to the side. You'll see the vent opening w/ the draw down adapter. Light a piece of newspaper and hold it right there in the flue. The reverse should turn around and blow out the cold air. When putting the brick back, make sure it's seated.

Thanks Funny you would mention that I was planning on burning tonight and that was my exact plan of action. I've had mixed success with putting some small amount of paper on top of the front of the baffle and figured lifting those would give the heat a straight shot to the flue.

By sealed I'm guessing you mean seated flat in the rectangular cutout they lay in?

 

[jatoxico]

you mean seated flat in the rectangular cutout they lay in?

Yup. There's enough room to lift a brick straight up and to push it to the side. Sometimes after a bunch of fires they get very slightly stuck. A tap with your fingers and it will pop up. After you just want it back in place so flames can't sneak past and mess up your 2nd burning.

 

[uloset]

Yup. There's enough room to lift a brick straight up and to push it to the side. Sometimes after a bunch of fires they get very slightly stuck. A tap with your fingers and it will pop up. After you just want it back in place so flames can't sneak past and mess up your 2nd burning.

Alright I'll definitely give that a try tonight, thanks again.