Temp gauge

Chubby79 · Post by **Chubby79** » Thu. Jan. 04, 2018 1:08 pm

I'm wondering if we have the wrong the temp gauge to read our stoves temp? I've seen a lot of folks saying they keep their stoves around 350 but it seems too low for keeping the temp up in the house, I mean it's a very nice 74 in the rooms the stove is in, but just around 64/65 in the bedrooms down the hall. We're using the stove to negate the use of our electric baseboards.. do wood/pellet stoves take different temp gauges than coal stoves?

Qtown1835 · Post by **Qtown1835** » Thu. Jan. 04, 2018 1:18 pm

Magnetic gauges are all the same. You may want to invest in an IR thermometer. They are less than $20 on amazon and they will give you instant and accurate readings.

lobsterman · Post by **lobsterman** » Thu. Jan. 04, 2018 1:33 pm

Yeah, the mags are really only good for relative temp. I just use mine to see if the stove is staying constant or moving up/down. I can probably judge the temperature to about 50 degrees by standing next to it. The IR is the way to go. Here you see my gauge is reading 550 bu the true temp is 450.

lobsterman · Post by **lobsterman** » Thu. Jan. 04, 2018 1:41 pm

And those room temperatures sound pretty good to me! Enough to keep the baseboards off, no? To warm up the bedrooms you can use a fan to push cold air from the far side of the house along the floor to the stove. That is what is happening anyway with natural convection and a fan can speed that up substantially.

Chubby79 · Post by **Chubby79** » Thu. Jan. 04, 2018 1:52 pm

Thanks everyone! I'll look into getting an IR, we're also looking at a magnetic thermostatic fan for on top of the stove as well as putting in a ceiling fan in our entryway (split ranch) to regulate the temperature downstairs some too.
And yes we haven't had any baseboards on since getting the stove running on Tuesday night! It's been amazing!!

Also interesting about moving the cool air towards the stove, I would've never thought of that!

It's so funny because we just bought our first house this summer, and one of the first things we agreed on was getting rid of this stove.. I'm so glad we didn't!!

lobsterman · Post by **lobsterman** » Thu. Jan. 04, 2018 2:02 pm

When I first bought this house I got an antique wood stove and fired it very hot (over fired actually) and was trying to save $2000 per year in heat (had free wood). One side of the house was cold and the other hot. We taped paper strips in every doorway to see which way the air was moving. We found the path of greatest air flow and put a fan on the floor to increase that. Made a 10 degree difference for equalizing the temperatures. Now I don't run the coal stove nearly as hot. I am happy with 68 degrees. My belief is it is always more effective to push cold air to the stove then to try to push warm air away from the stove because the warm air wants to rise.

ddahlgren · Post by **ddahlgren** » Sat. Jan. 06, 2018 12:28 am

Glad to hear I am not the only one to use a paper tell-tale to check air flow LOL. I find a 1 foot long piece of toilet paper works real well. I have had friends come over and see it then stare wonder if I had lost it. Only person that did get it was a friend with a 30 ft sail boat.

oliver power · Post by **oliver power** » Sat. Jan. 06, 2018 4:06 am

Your magnetic temp gauge reading is fine. You're asking that stove to produce a lot in these temps. I'll bet most members with magnetic temp gauges are reading up in the area yours is in this weather.

Chubby79 · Post by **Chubby79** » Sat. Jan. 06, 2018 5:38 am

Thanks everyone! We put in a ceiling fan last night in the entry way, hopefully over the next few days we see some warm up in the stairwell. Both my husband and is are away for the weekend and counting on our babysitters to maintain the heat for us... I left these instructions.. I expect a few phone calls...

Coal stove tending 100.1

1. Open flue damper (handle in- up/down position=closed -sideways=open)
2. Open air on bottom door all of the way (slide handle on center of door to the right)
3. Open bottom door and remove ash pan (use oven mitt and dump in bucket on deck. Cover bucket, return pan and close bottom door.
**Open bucket prior to steps 1 and 2, while dump keep pan as close to bucket as possible to reduce dust**
4. Slowly open fire pot door, add 2-3 scoops of fresh coal. Close door and let sit for 5 minutes.
5. *Close Air on bottom door (all the way to the left)*
With oven mitt on, using the rod located on the lower right hand side of stove, push and pull rod to shake down ash from fire pot. (Approx. 25 times)
6.*Open Air on bottom door* op3n bottom door, take stoked and floss the grate *careful of burning embers, you should see a glow in ALL grates. Close bottom door.
7. Slowly open fire pot door. Fill with fresh coal to the brim. Close door, wait 5 minutes.
8. Close air on bottom door until there is about 1/8 inch slot on both openings.
9. Close flue damper.
10. Stay warm.

oliver power · Post by **oliver power** » Sat. Jan. 06, 2018 6:25 am

Chubby79 wrote: ↑
Sat. Jan. 06, 2018 5:38 am
Thanks everyone! We put in a ceiling fan last night in the entry way, hopefully over the next few days we see some warm up in the stairwell. Both my husband and is are away for the weekend and counting on our babysitters to maintain the heat for us... I left these instructions.. I expect a few phone calls...

Coal stove tending 100.1

1. Open flue damper (handle in- up/down position=closed -sideways=open)
2. Open air on bottom door all of the way (slide handle on center of door to the right)
3. Open bottom door and remove ash pan (use oven mitt and dump in bucket on deck. Cover bucket, return pan and close bottom door.
**Open bucket prior to steps 1 and 2, while dump keep pan as close to bucket as possible to reduce dust**
4. Slowly open fire pot door, add 2-3 scoops of fresh coal. Close door and let sit for 5 minutes.
5. *Close Air on bottom door (all the way to the left)*
With oven mitt on, using the rod located on the lower right hand side of stove, push and pull rod to shake down ash from fire pot. (Approx. 25 times)
6.*Open Air on bottom door* op3n bottom door, take stoked and floss the grate *careful of burning embers, you should see a glow in ALL grates. Close bottom door.
7. Slowly open fire pot door. Fill with fresh coal to the brim. Close door, wait 5 minutes.
8. Close air on bottom door until there is about 1/8 inch slot on both openings.
9. Close flue damper.
10. Stay warm.

For starters, Fix #1.

Chubby79 · Post by **Chubby79** » Sat. Jan. 06, 2018 6:48 am

?? I just typed it out how we do it

oliver power · Post by **oliver power** » Sat. Jan. 06, 2018 6:57 am

Chubby79 wrote: ↑
Sat. Jan. 06, 2018 6:48 am
?? I just typed it out how we do it

Read it again.......... The way you typed it is wrong. Or, the handle is not properly locked on to the damper plate inside stove pipe. Could be one of your reasons for not feeling warm. Heat may be going up the chimney.

Chubby79 · Post by **Chubby79** » Sat. Jan. 06, 2018 7:00 am

Oh, nope, if the handle is up down the damper is closed, maybe my hubby installed it opposite? But it's nice and toasty on the first floor 70-74 degrees. The fan is to try and help the stairwell to the basement (split ranch)

oliver power · Post by **oliver power** » Sat. Jan. 06, 2018 7:17 am

Chubby79 wrote: ↑
Sat. Jan. 06, 2018 7:00 am
Oh, nope, if the handle is up down the damper is closed, maybe my hubby installed it opposite? But it's nice and toasty on the first floor 70-74 degrees. The fan is to try and help the stairwell to the basement (split ranch)

Are we talking about the same damper??? I'm talking about one up in the stove pipe. If you have a built in damper at the stove, you may be correct. I'm talking about one you would buy separately, and install it in pipe.

Chubby79 · Post by **Chubby79** » Sat. Jan. 06, 2018 7:24 am

Yeah, it the in line one just at the rear of the stove.

Temp gauge

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