Wood burning heat exchangers

[bholler]

I don’t have a chimney, just a wood burning stove with a flue pipe.

Your single wall pipe transitions to chimney pipe once it meets the ceiling doesn't it?

 

[mjnicho1]

No joke, I had a similar setup with the same issue. My solution was to override the thermostat on the upper one... Can you say bad idea and chimney fire... Ignorance and arrogance on my part. Some of the longer tenured folks here may recall my "education period" when I was researching my new stove & flue install and proper burning technique.

I will only repeat what I have stated many times here. I wish I had installed the new stove and flue 15 years sooner. I safely use way less wood and get much more heat from the new setup. It's an upfront cost yes, but going from 5-7 cord to 3-4 with more effective heat is priceless...

Our winters here in the high desert of LA County are not that severe, so I'll typically burn about 1 to 1&1/4 cord of firewood.

 

[mjnicho1]

Your single wall pipe transitions to chimney pipe once it meets the ceiling doesn't it?

Yes I believe that's doublewall chimney pipe.

 

[bholler]

Yes I believe that's doublewall chimney pipe.

Ok. How do you operate the stove? What temps do you start to shut back the air?

 

[kborndale]

I don’t have a chimney, just a wood burning stove with a flue pipe.

Huh? That makes no sense.

 

[mjnicho1]

Overloaded electrical socket...

What about your chimney? You are either running the stove wrong and dumping massive ammouts of heat out the chimney or you are going to have creosote issues

I'm using a heat exchanger to maximize the heat distribution in the house. The wood burning stove with a straight vertical flue pipe is very typical to many other wood stove designs, with single wall pipe on the inside for radiant heat and double wall for heat insulation running through my attic.

 

[mjnicho1]

Ok. How do you operate the stove? What temps do you start to shut back the air?

When the stove temperature gets to about 200 F I'll start closing the air damper.

 

[bholler]

I'm using a heat exchanger to maximize the heat distribution in the house. The wood burning stove with a straight vertical flue pipe is very typical to many other wood stove designs, with single wall pipe on the inside for radiant heat and double wall for heat insulation running through my attic.

The whole idea is run the stove properly sending as little heat as possible into the chimney. You heat with the stove not the pipe. And yes your setup is not atypical at all but you still shouldn't need heat recaimers if run properly

 

[crstrode]

The whole idea is run the stove properly sending as little heat as possible into the chimney. You heat with the stove not the pipe. And yes your setup is not atypical at all but you still shouldn't need heat recaimers if run properly

The OP is an expert. Experts need no advice.

 

[stoveliker]

Is there a problem with cold ashes in an ash can with a tight lid? I have a screen that filters out the ashes so if there's any hot coals, I'll separate them and use them for the next fire.

One should never store hot ashes in the home.
The screen does not filter all partially burned stuff out, only over a certain size.

Ashes, also those in a metal bucket with tight lid, should be stored outside and away from combustibles for a few days at least.

 

[kborndale]

One should never store hot ashes in the home.
The screen does not filter all partially burned stuff out, only over a certain size.

Ashes, also those in a metal bucket with tight lid, should be stored outside and away from combustibles for a few days at least.

I store mine on my hearth for two weeks or so before disposing of them. Don't really see a problem with that. Metal bucket sitting on bricks with no combustibles near it.

 

[mjnicho1]

The OP is an expert. Experts need no advice.

I agree with you in that the ra

 

[mjnicho1]

I agree with you in that the radiant heat is enough to heat two rooms of the house comfortably in about an hour and a half, all I'm doing is matching what the more modern wood stoves have and that's a built-in fan that pushes the heat farther into the house a little quicker than radiant heat would provide. That's what I'm trying to achieve with the secondary heat exchanger pushing warm air into a back bedroom.

 

[mjnicho1]

I store mine on my hearth for two weeks or so before disposing of them. Don't really see a problem with that. Metal bucket sitting on bricks with no combustibles near it.

I never store hot ashes or coals in my house, they stay in the wood burning stove, like I said before I have a screen that filters out the ashes so after a 24 hour period when I go to start another fire, 90% of the time all the ashes are cold, that's when I'll put them in the ash can with a tight lid. If there are any hot coals I'll use them for the next fire.

 

[mjnicho1]

I never store hot ashes or coals in my house, they stay in the wood burning stove, like I said before I have a screen that filters out the ashes so after a 24 hour period when I go to start another fire, 90% of the time all the ashes are cold, that's when I'll put them in the ash can with a tight lid. If there are any hot coals I'll use them for the next fire.

I have a custom made 1/8" thick stainless steel screen with 3/8" diameter round holes, so the ashes that filter through are pretty fine and never hot.

 

[mjnicho1]

I have a custom made 1/8" thick stainless steel screen with 3/8" diameter round holes, so the ashes that filter through are pretty fine and never hot.

That is the ashes are never hot after about 15 hours of no burning until the next night when I'm ready to start another fire.

 

[mjnicho1]

That is the ashes are never hot after about 15 hours of no burning until the next night when I'm ready to start another fire.

Well I appreciate all of your concerns for my safety, but the bottom line is as long as you clean your flue pipes on a regular basis to prevent creosote buildup, at least once a year in my case, because on average I'll burn one cord per winter. The frequency of the creosote cleaning should probably be more than once a year if you're burning multiple cords per winter. And yes keep combustibles at least 18 inches from the stove. The pros and cons of using a heat exchanger are debatable, but I've had good success with using them over the past 10 years, so as long as I adhere to the important safety issues I'll continue using them. Thanks for your inputs.