Looking for a more efficient stove

[jjs777_fzr]

I'd go for the Englander nc 30 as its arguably the best bang for the buck.
With that said - if you didn't like it after a season or two - you can always sell it and get something else.
If cost didn't play a role - then I'd surely go for a soapstone model. Once they get hot they retain their heat for hours.

As for the less than seasoned wood - I'd hate to say how many wood burners I know that burn wood that sizzles. That don't make it right...but it's reality.
And I can't say enough how much I agree with one of the other replies - buy some compressed wood blocks (canawick, biobrick etc) and throw a one or two bricks in with the wood splits.

 

[Jo191145]

Also you guys seem to think this wood I'm using is just dripping wet and green as grass....... The least seasoned stuff I have is poplar and even that if I split it into kindling sized pieces I can lay it on papers and it goes right up, I can put full size splits of it on a bed of coals and they light off in a minute or two.
I get absolutely no sizzling at all from the ends when burning. I don't have a fancy moisture meter but I don't think the wood is really as bad as we've made it out to be here.

Dont get upset if the members harp about wood moisture. It is the number one cause of chimney fires and not enough attention is usually paid to it. Wet creosote can penetrate masonry chimneys through cracks etc, pool up, dry off and possibly one day ignite when conditions are right. That's how houses burn down. Not trying to scare you just explain the possibilities. Your straight stack chimney sounds safe.
Connecting a wood stove in a fireplace throat without a full metal liner is usually where pooling, penetration occur and become a fire hazard. Congrats on choosing the liner for your fireplace imstallation.

For a few bucks you can know exactly what your wood is like.
http://t.harborfreight.com/digital-mini-moisture-meter-67145.html

It doesn't have to be fancy this is plenty good enough for a casual homeowner. I found my wood is a little wetter than I ever thought. Changes will be made to my seasoning habits to adjust.
The new efficient stoves are a little more finicky about moisture than your old Shenandoah. From what I've seen they're more finicky but less dangerous as far as chimney fires go.

Have any members ever had a chimney fire while using a catalyst stove? Just wondering myself.

 

[bholler]

Have any members ever had a chimney fire while using a catalyst stove? Just wondering myself

I have seen chimney fire on just about every type of stove if burnt improperly even with good wood you can have a chimney fire. And you can burn less than perfect wood pretty well and have no problems but it is allot harder to do than if you have good dry wood

 

[Jo191145]

Ahh, no. 7x7 is ~49 sq. in. area, 6" round is ~27 sq. in, big difference.


Good call

In flue calculations the square corners are omitted. That's an old rule of thumb I read back in the day doing masonry. That's why a round flue is considered more efficient than square. I won't back it up with science, that's not my style it's just something I remember reading about many many years ago.

 

[bholler]

In flue calculations the square corners are omitted. That's an old rule of thumb I read back in the day doing masonry. That's why a round flue is considered more efficient than square. I won't back it up with science, that's not my style it's just something I remember reading about many many years ago.

That is true the square corners cause turbulence that slows things down

 

[brenndatomu]

That is true the square corners cause turbulence that slows things down

Isn't that already the problem? Too big flue, low draft velocity, draft cools...and it just gets worse from here

 

[bholler]

Yes and the fact that the clay is harder to clean well and is not insulated to help keep the flue temps up means a round insulated ss liner is definatly a better option. Clay can work but it will never work as well for wood as an insulated liner

 

[2broke2ride]

So I've been reading about adding a baffle to the stack of these old stoves to help a littles with efficiency.......... I understand most of it my only question is how far forward of the stack outlet should the baffle come?

Also was thinking of somehow converting the thermostatic draft control to a regular old screw in screw out setup. Anyone ever done that? I really don't want to permanently modify the stove in case it didn't work out.

 

[begreen]

There are some old stove mods posted in the classics forum. Check out those conversions for ideas. The most successful ones also add secondary burn tubes under the baffle.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

What kind of cook stove do you have? We have a Kitchen Queen 480 and it keeps us plenty warm in a drafty 1860's farm house.

 

[2broke2ride]

It is a fairmount 8-20........ It came with the house, someone removed the pedestal from it and mortared it into a brick alcove....... It is set up to burn coal and it throws a ton of heat on nut coal, slightly less on wood. Actually cooked thanksgiving on it this year because we lost power two hours I to preparing the meal.

 

[Jo191145]

So I've been reading about adding a baffle to the stack of these old stoves to help a littles with efficiency.......... I understand most of it my only question is how far forward of the stack outlet should the baffle come?

Also was thinking of somehow converting the thermostatic draft control to a regular old screw in screw out setup. Anyone ever done that? I really don't want to permanently modify the stove in case it didn't work out.

The Shenedoas I've seen had a simple thermostatic draft control plate that regulated the heat via a spring. Usually connected by a chain. You could shorten the chain so it couldn't close entirely. You could jerry rig a paper clip onto the plate in mere seconds.
I recall the plates also had a small angle steel riveted onto the bottom. Twist that angle steel and you'd find two air holes underneath. That was your air adjustment for a fully closed plate. Of course I'm sure there were hundreds of different designs but they're all fairly simple. Shouldn't be hard to rework any of them.

 

[2broke2ride]

That is exactly what it is........... I've played with it three ways from Sunday......... The way I have it set up now is working the best for me so far. The problem I seem to have with it is unlike a manual draft where you can crank it open to get a fresh reload going and then tone it down, this either seems to open too much or not enough especially on the high side, the thermostat won't react quick enough to close it down before it overfires and on the low side it doesn't open at all once the fire is going. so once the stove is going I've been leaving the setting at the middle and using the door to control draft on reloads. I leave the door cracked open until I get the stack to about 600 then shut it and it's usually going good enough then to keep burning and not smolder with the stack around 450 for the majority of the burn.

 

[Jo191145]

Sounds fairly normal for those old stoves. Usually those old damper systems broke fairly early on in life and were never repaired. Sounds like yours still wants to keep trying.

Do you have a stovepipe damper installed on that beast? They can help greatly regulate air in air out on the smoke dragons. I personally wouldn't run a non EPA stove without one.

 

[2broke2ride]

I do have a pipe damper installed, it is required by code on all woodstoves in my town. I do use it as a means of toning down the burn and it does help. I'm just trying to find the best balance so as to not run too got but not make tons of creasote.

 

[fbelec]

sounds like you are running your stove right. from my experience poplar is a very smokey firewood. even when it is bone dry and light as a feather it still smokes and tars up the chimney. sounds like this year burnin wood for you is going to s&^%. have you checked your other stove's chimney? if you are having trouble with wood it might be ready to go also.

 

[2broke2ride]

The cook stove doesn't get used enough to really dirty the chimney but yes I've checked it......... The other stove is still in the installation process and hasn't been used yet.