Quadrafire Castile Experiment

[YooperD2]

The spring stock is on the way for the Santa Fe. At such a small up front cost, less than 4 bags of pellets, any long run gain is worth it to me.

 

[tjnamtiw]

The spring stock is on the way for the Santa Fe. At such a small up front cost, less than 4 bags of pellets, any long run gain is worth it to me.

Good for you. Let us know what you think!

 

[Wi Thundercat]

Now this is getting interesting !! Stay tuned! :bug:

 

[tjnamtiw]

Now this is getting interesting !! Stay tuned! :bug:

We're waiting for you to get some flat stock to put in those 16 tubes! Join the party!

 

[Wi Thundercat]

Now this is getting interesting !! Stay tuned! :bug:

We're waiting for you to get some flat stock to put in those 16 tubes! Join the party!

Believe me i have been thinking of what material to use! Copper, stainless,........Will have to pull cover off tubes and mic them and see what i can find!

 

[tjnamtiw]

yea, I just was on McMaster Carr and the copper is EXPENSIVE! So is the aluminum. More than I thought. That's disappointing but it still might be worth it with that much increase in surface area. Maybe buy some at a scrap yard and find a friendly machinist to mill it down to the right width........ Try just a few tubes to see results.

 

[Countryboymo]

I think even one small piece of thin flat stock in a slow spiral would make a huge difference. I am thinking of what material to use and how or where to get the nice even swooping twist.

 

[Wi Thundercat]

Cousin owns a scrap yard and is quite the machinist too! We have built and tried some crazy s#*t over the years ! Most with great results but some were a bust

 

[tjnamtiw]

I think even one small piece of thin flat stock in a slow spiral would make a huge difference. I am thinking of what material to use and how or where to get the nice even swooping twist.

I think you are right. I know I've seen that same thing employed in furnaces as someone else commented. Anchor one end in a vise and twist the other end with vise grips or even a slow speed drill (if it's thin metal like 20 gauge or so).

 

[tjnamtiw]

Cousin owns a scrap yard and is quite the machinist too! We have built and tried some crazy s#*t over the years ! Most with great results but some were a bust

It sounds like you are in the driver's seat!

 

[jtakeman]

Interesting thread. I wonder if it will work or have an effect on other round convection tubed stoves? Like the Breckwell bigE for instance.

Lowering the exhaust temps without playing with combustion air has to be a plus to the stoves overall efficiency.

 

[thz123]

Last night I cut up some different shaped aluminum to 9", and inserted them except the outside 2. I had flat pieces of different thicknesses and widths. Two pieces were shaped like this [ . Those 2 pieces were smaller than the I.D. This was all scrap material. I tried each piece in different configurations inside the tubes. I feel they restricted air flow. I took them all out. At 9" the flat stuff may be too long causing a restriction all the way in the back of the tube were the air comes up from the fan. I did pull a few further to the front of the tube, but they still felt restricted to me. I did drill holes in the ends of them, thinking that I could shorten them and use a piece of wire so that I can pull them out. I haven't cut them down yet, waiting to see what others try. They were good and hot when removed. I plan to watch this thread to see what the outcome is.

 

[slls]

Yes different stove, 3 heat settings, low ,med, hi, fan settings, low, hi. the fan speed is different for the 3 heat settings, each higher for each mode.

I work with my hands a lot, maybe that's why I can take the heat.

So you have a high and low setting for each of the three heat settings? Damn, I wish mine had that! The low fan on low heat is about useless.

Like the comment on the 'take the heat'. Hey, I'm married so I CAN TAKE THE HEAT TOO ha ha ha. I have a feeling with the high fan setting on the lower heat levels you are getting better heat transfer.

Very good heat transfer on high, another bonus is the fan is low, so it acts like a cold air return.
It took me a while to figure out why the mud room, 2 doors away, was warm like the other rooms.

 

[B-Mod]

Not sure If I posted it in here or not.....but I am heating my whole house 1600 sq ft with stove on low heat, convection fan on high, springs (thanks tjnamtiw!) in tubes 2 thru 7 (my stove only has 8 tubes, early model). 71 degrees in the house, 20 degrees outside air temp, and snowing. I am burning straight corn, top airwash sealed off, bottom gasket removed. 9 Years and this stove has burnt nothing but corn. I only tried pellets once or twice when it was warm in the spring to use the room thermometer.............

 

[tjnamtiw]

I
Lowering the exhaust temps without playing with combustion air has to be a plus to the stoves overall efficiency.

Yep, that's what I have been assuming. If it isn't going up the stack, it's going into the room.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Last night I cut up some different shaped aluminum to 9", and inserted them except the outside 2. I had flat pieces of different thicknesses and widths. Two pieces were shaped like this [ . Those 2 pieces were smaller than the I.D. This was all scrap material. I tried each piece in different configurations inside the tubes. I feel they restricted air flow. I took them all out. At 9" the flat stuff may be too long causing a restriction all the way in the back of the tube were the air comes up from the fan. I did pull a few further to the front of the tube, but they still felt restricted to me. I did drill holes in the ends of them, thinking that I could shorten them and use a piece of wire so that I can pull them out. I haven't cut them down yet, waiting to see what others try. They were good and hot when removed. I plan to watch this thread to see what the outcome is.

It sounds like you were on the right track. I could see if they were all the way in back and horizontal that they might cut the airflow. But if they were further forward, I can't see how they would do much restricting. I still haven't gotten my EBay airflow meter 'bargain'. ( Don't give up yet.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Not sure If I posted it in here or not.....but I am heating my whole house 1600 sq ft with stove on low heat, convection fan on high, springs (thanks tjnamtiw!) in tubes 2 thru 7 (my stove only has 8 tubes, early model). 71 degrees in the house, 20 degrees outside air temp, and snowing. I am burning straight corn, top airwash sealed off, bottom gasket removed. 9 Years and this stove has burnt nothing but corn. I only tried pellets once or twice when it was warm in the spring to use the room thermometer.............

That's amazing, b-mod! Who said tinkering doesn't pay?

 

[thz123]

I am about to order the springs, How did you cut them to 9"?

 

[tjnamtiw]

I am about to order the springs, How did you cut them to 9"?

I put the spring in a vise and used a side grinder to cut through. You could also use a Dremel tool with the cutoff wheel. Use the wheels with the reinforcement in them. They also sell a wheel that is just a thin disc and they have a habit of exploding into nasty pieces of shrapnel. Don't know how they can sell them.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I
Lowering the exhaust temps without playing with combustion air has to be a plus to the stoves overall efficiency.

Yep, that's what I have been assuming. If it isn't going up the stack, it's going into the room.

You have to watch out for condensing crap out of the exhaust, where are you measuring the exhaust temps at?

 

[thz123]

I just ordered 2 sets of springs, they ship out Monday.

 

[tjnamtiw]

I
Lowering the exhaust temps without playing with combustion air has to be a plus to the stoves overall efficiency.

Yep, that's what I have been assuming. If it isn't going up the stack, it's going into the room.

You have to watch out for condensing crap out of the exhaust, where are you measuring the exhaust temps at?

hi Smokey. I measured the surface temp of the exhaust pipe just above where it is attached to the stove's two part exhaust stack. I used that as a reference point for all my tests and measurements.

 

[tjnamtiw]

I just ordered 2 sets of springs, they ship out Monday.

Good for you. Keep us up to date on your testing, please.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I
Lowering the exhaust temps without playing with combustion air has to be a plus to the stoves overall efficiency.

Yep, that's what I have been assuming. If it isn't going up the stack, it's going into the room.

You have to watch out for condensing crap out of the exhaust, where are you measuring the exhaust temps at?

hi Smokey. I measured the surface temp of the exhaust pipe just above where it is attached to the stove's two part exhaust stack. I used that as a reference point for all my tests and measurements.

Just thought you should know that as the exhaust gets colder things will condense out in the exhaust that you are likely not going to want to see there.

So just keep an eye on it while playing.

 

[tjnamtiw]

I
Lowering the exhaust temps without playing with combustion air has to be a plus to the stoves overall efficiency.

Yep, that's what I have been assuming. If it isn't going up the stack, it's going into the room.

You have to watch out for condensing crap out of the exhaust, where are you measuring the exhaust temps at?

hi Smokey. I measured the surface temp of the exhaust pipe just above where it is attached to the stove's two part exhaust stack. I used that as a reference point for all my tests and measurements.

Just thought you should know that as the exhaust gets colder things will condense out in the exhaust that you are likely not going to want to see there.

So just keep an eye on it while playing.

Yea, you're right but I have 17' of flex going up my chimneys so I imagine I'll have plenty of condensation. Luckily (I guess) I'm not burning corn like b-mod is so I won't have the acid to contend with. Thanks for your comments and suggestions. Always a pleasure.