Hitzer 50-93 Heat Loss ???

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By: Maxie105 On: Wed Dec 09, 2009 2:15 pm

Running a new Hitzer 50-93. At times it produces plenty of heat and at other times nothing. It seems like all the heat is going up the chimney. I have used and ran a Victory 700 for 20 some years, so I am not new to the game. The Hitzer is showing a bed of red coals across the entire burning surface the only time I get heat is if I open the door slider,on the ash bin, open the temp. control on the back and run the unit with a fine blue flame across the entire upper edge of the hopper box. My old Victory just glowed and produced heat. My stack temp. on the Victory was nill but this Hitzer is running around 200 degrees or more. I am using pea coal cannot see how nut would help just more heat going up the chimney. Maybe this is normal but I think I have to run this way to hot to get any heat from it. Victory was all cast parts and coal gas was taken from in front of fire box and ran to back and stack I see Hitzer vent directely from back. Any ideas would be appreciated

Describe you damper settings: using front, back, both ?
Are you using the blower ? makes a big diff on my 30-95

If a Hitzer is showing a glowing coal bed and not putting heat into the room there is only one other place its going.

Maybe some of the seasoned Hitzer folks can help as soon as they see the details of your damper settings.

Edit - the intermittent nature of the problem make me think of your chimney draft becausue I had the very same problem
this morning in Pgh when the high wind was whipping the chimney. I see now why I need a baro damper.

Are you in windy conditions ? Do you have a baro damper?

Please don;t double post...

Hitzer 50-93

I find, that when this happens on my 30-95, that I have an ash buildup problem and a little assertive shaking will allow air to bring up the temp. I also use a manual and baro damper. I set the manual damper nearly closed and let the baro do its job. This keeps more heat in the stove and less out the chimney. My stack temps have been running about 150 degrees or so with the stove temp about 350. With this colder weather coming in I expect that these numbers will go up some to keep the house warm.

I have a baro damper on the unit there is no wind problem I do think an ash buildup was a problem, I just cannot get used to the high stack temperature. I am running an old Victory stove at the same time up stairs and you wouldn't believe the stack temps. You can hug the stack on the Victory and fry eggs on the Hitzer. The Victory is 20 + years old I have never had any build up in my chimney flue. I clean both chimneys every year so I know their clean. Guess I have to get used to the way this new stove runs.

Have you set the draft with a draft gauge? Which Baro Damper do you have? Is it setup correctly (calibrated) with a draft gauge. How tall is your chimney?
Do you have a temp. gauge to tell what the exact temps are?
Without any exact numbers and/or setup, it's hard to tell you what to check/adjust or improve.....

As I type this reply, My HITZER 50-93 stack temp is 150*. My 3400 (includes basement)square foot house is 71*. Outside temp is 22*, up on a windy hill. No Baro Damper. Still haven't tended the stove since 8:00PM yesterday. Your stack temp being 200* doesn't sound too much out of line. Mine will run there at times in the dead of winter. What I can not figure out yet, is why you are not getting any heat out of the stove. At 200* stack temp, your stove should be kicking out all kinds of heat. By the way, I'm burning nut size coal. Never tried pea size. Maybe the coal size is your problem. With a stack temp of 200*, I wouldn't think so, ??????????

I looked at my 30-95 this morning and the stove temp was 400 and the stack was about 175. I have one thermostat on the side of the stove and one on the stack. 6 degrees this morning with high winds and the house was 70. I cranked her up a smidge so momma would not be cold when she got up.

Maxie105, Where is your baro damper placement? Can you send us a picture of your set-up.

I've got a Hitzer 354....stack running 150-200 F......thermometer on side of the stove level with the top of the door runs between 250 and 350...the living room it's located in is about 80 F while the farthest room is 65 F and the upstairs is 70 F.....outside is 25 F with 25 mph winds....using approx 1/2 bag of Blashack nut per day. This is my first year with the stove and coal so I couldn't tell you whether it's good or bad but it gives you another Hitzer to compare to

Hay guys thanks for all the help. I think I am expecting too much from this heater. It puts out heat if I crank it up. I am just not used to the high stack temperatures. Right now it is 27 outside my stack is running 205 Facing unit Rt. side is 287 left side is 339 front rt. corner door 299 left corner door 359 I always show 50 degree difference high on left side. Measurments taken with a Raytek digital infrared thermometer. Held approx.6 inches away from meas. pts. Room is getting warmer 77.5 and climbing. Blower is running. Don't know how to add a picture or I would.

hi guys I also have a 50 93 I have a 30 ft chimney baro damper with manometrer stack temps around 200 or so stove running currently 600 with magnet therm. If I use lazer gun on the same side as magnet therm. im reading around 470. I have the auto draft control set at 11. I have to 6inch ducts from front of stove to registers. and a return air duct with a inline fan at farthest end of first floor.My home is about 1900 square ft its all brick home non wood studs on outside walls and the attic is not insulated. I came home from work yesterday outside temp below 20 first floor 65 degrees (stove in basement) and my gas furnace kicked on. I was planning on insulating the attic soon but I thought I would be warmer with this stove. I am using alot of coal already , its burning well no clunkers lots of ash.

Maddie sounds like you are experiencing the same heatloss I was having. I did find a buildup of ash on my grates that I got rid of by vigerous shaking. Crack the slide open on your ash door and shake until you see red coals falling through then stop. Top off your coal hopper each time you shake grates. I have my stack damper set almost closed stack around 200 above it and below. Heat control on back is on 9 setting. Running with Pea coal and a fine layer of frech coal showing coming out of hopper a fine blue flame grows along hopper edge. Let vent on ash door open for a while and watch heat build. I also installed a fan speed control on my blower motor ( Nutone 57V ) about $21.00 helps control noise and cooling of stove set to desired level.I put a remote Christmas light control on the blower motor ( watch amp rating) works fine from up stairs to turn blower on and off.

Oliver Power You may have hit on my solution. I think my Baro damper is located in the wrong place I will relocate it when I get a chance and see if it makes a differance.

Durring the high winds of the past couple days my baro. stood wide open all the time and it still could not keep the water columb low enough. My manometer was showing up to .10 inches durring the highest winds, and the flue temp ran up to 300* while the stove temp was only about 350*. Now that is heat loss I will add a manual damper below the baro. next spring.

At normal wind speeds my flue temp is about 50% of stove side temp as taken with two magnetic thermometers.

I find that shaking the grates of my 20-95 often (about every 6 hours) and agressively is essential for getting high heat output.

As a life-long wood burner I am still amazed how much air it takes to maintain a hot coal fire. I would have melted my wood stove with a fraction of the air the coal requires. Nearly two years of buring coal and I still am constantly learning new "tricks of the trade" from trial and error and from this terrific forum.