Don't want to steal Paul's thread

Started by peternap, November 25, 2011, 12:11:46 PM

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peternap

I didn't want to take Paul's excellent heat thread off topic so I'll start a new one.

I've been using the new Jotul stove for about a month now and we haven't had any severe weather, but it's been cold enough to use heat.

I've yet to turn the electric heat on. The little stove is just amazing. It's controllable. I can keep it low enough to raise the temperature just a few degrees or 50 degrees.

For some reason, I don't get the hot/cold spots in the house I used to get with the old stove. I think that's because it doesn't have a blower and the natural currents and drafts in the house carry the heat.

It uses very little wood. I can load it at night, cut the draft back when it's burning well, and still be comfortable when I wake up.

If I need a quick burst of heat when I get up or when we get home, I just open the ash dump door a little and it's like a forge pushing air through the bottom grate.

I can either side load or front load wood.

The burn is so clean I hardly ever have to clean the glass doors.

I was looking over some of last years heating bills, some $500.00+...I think the stove will more than pay for itself this winter.

Cleaning the stove is a snap. Ashes fall through the bottom grate into a collection pan. I just remove the pan and dump it into a steel holding drum I have outside.

I have completely changed my mind about new stove technology.
These here is God's finest scupturings! And there ain't no laws for the brave ones! And there ain't no asylums for the crazy ones! And there ain't no churches, except for this right here!

firefox

Hi Peter,
Which Jotul stove did you get? There seem to be quite a selection of wood burning ones.
Thanks,
Bruce
Bruce & Robbie
MVPA 23824


peternap

These here is God's finest scupturings! And there ain't no laws for the brave ones! And there ain't no asylums for the crazy ones! And there ain't no churches, except for this right here!

firefox

Bruce & Robbie
MVPA 23824

peternap

Still not really cold but a couple of observations.

According to the Company, the stove is most efficient between 400 & 600 degrees F.

It's 35F here now. The stove is about 375 now and it's comfortable in the house but could get cool easily.
I had it up to 500 earlier and couldn't stay in the house.

For this cool weather, it seems like 350 to 425 is perfect. It may be on the low end of efficiency, but it's comfortable.

I get my temperature instructions from the boss. ;D

These here is God's finest scupturings! And there ain't no laws for the brave ones! And there ain't no asylums for the crazy ones! And there ain't no churches, except for this right here!


MountainDon

Our Aspen runs in that same range with 500 or so being common with the air inlet mostly open. Virtually invisible smoke too unless a fresh log has just been added.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

considerations

Would you two share also please, a description of your chimneys, like size, length, turns, double wall or single, etc....and if you've ever had them cleaned, how often, what you found?   I'm glad the stoves are working for you both...and am interested in these other aspects of performance as well.

MountainDon

We used 6" diameter black single wall telescoping pipe from the stove up to the the insulated pipe. The insulated pipe starts one foot below the 8 foot tall ceiling. The idea is to keep the single wall pipe at least 18" from any combustibles. There is no wood or other combustibles above the black trim ring we used, so measuring diagonally from the end of the single wall pipe to the wood adjacent to the metal trim ring is barely 18". It may be better to use a longer section of insulated pipe dropping from the ceiling. Back home I used a 24" pipe section for the ceiling drop.

Total length of the insulated pipe is 7 feet. This makes the total pipe run about 12 feet. That is about 4 feet short of the recommended chimney length according to the VC Aspen owner manual. I was ready to install more pipe if the stove needed it for a proper draft. However, it does seem to operate well as it is. And it makes cleaning it easier and the present length works without requiring bracing.

Note that VC also recommends the single wall pipe be limited to a length of 8 feet.

The telescoping pipe makes it easy to install. It also makes it easy to clean the chimney. I used two methods. One: lift the lower section enough to slip a HD garbage bag over the lower end. Tape in place. Clean chimney from the top. The bag gathers the debris.  Two: I've lifted the lower end just a few inches. Then I remove the screws that lock the single wall pipe adapter to the insulated pipe. Then twist and unlock the lower pipe section and take it outside. I run the cleaning brush through that pipe into a bucket. Then tape a bag around the lower end of the insulated pipe up near the ceiling and again clean from the top.   Then replace everything.   I like method two best because it gets the pipe right out of the way. That makes it easy to get a vacuum hose end into the top of the stove to clean out anything that may have collected there.

I use flexible, screw together rods for the brush. hey are stiff enough to permit pushing the brush down the pipe. With practice you can tell when the brush reaches the end of the pipe. Pushing the brush completely out the end could cause a problem with the collection bag.

I clean the chimney once a year. I get one to two quarts of black flaky deposits. One push down and then back up does the job for us.

The pipe has a straight no bend run from stove to chimney cap.

We used Selkirk SuperVent double wall insulated pipe that Lowe's sells. It's stainless steel with a mineral wool solid pack insulation that is 1" thick. So the 6" pipe has an OD of 8".

The telescoping black pipe is a heavier gauge than what is typically found in black pipe. It is welded seam that is invisible. It was something like $70 at a local fireplace and wood stove specialty dealer. Well worth it in my estimation.

I've mentioned elsewhere that we have a fresh air inlet via a 3" aluminum pipe and vent. Like a dryer vent but with no flap in the vent cap.

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.