Curious about the amount of coal and heat output

Formulabruce · Post by **Formulabruce** » Fri. Jan. 08, 2021 7:35 pm

I have heated a 1500 sq. Ft. House build in 1862 for 5 years with 2 different Chubby models.
The first was a refurbished 1984 version with draft exit rear, no blower. After trying it for a month, I put tin foil over the barometric damper. I bought a heat activated fan for the top of the Chubby Since the stove really has no smoke path. Except *out*. The Chubby has NO bricks in the fire pot. This can and does really get rid of heat fast. For this version I had to run it hotter and also the fan from the hot air furnace to get hot air moving.
The second Chubby was a new 2016 version, TOP exit. And factory. Blower. This
Stove was a bit better to control, no barometric, and draft was bigtime due to no real smoke restriction. I loved the heat. Was able to burn 39 lbs a day in dead of winter with blower and the fan only from the furnace. I only use Blashack nut coal.
While I love the chubby, I found it a bit much for it to heat a house without some pressure monitoring ( barometric ) and wind, as the draft changes could change the burn times fast. . I think its perfect for back up, or parlor stove. I replaced it with a Mark 1 Harman which has a swirl smoke chamber which slows the stove down and gets a more even burn, for a longer time untouched.
COAL is the Top of the fuel chain. Nothing like commig home to the "hot spot" after being out in the cold. Don't loose faith in good coal!

ctmike8 · Post by **ctmike8** » Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 3:18 pm

The Stove runs between 350 degrees and 650 degrees. Curious about what the tin foil does over the barometric damper? I have no problem getting the stove lit and keeping the stove going days at a time. When I get home Monday, I'll post a couple pictures of the set up I have, maybe somebody will notice something that don't see. Thanks and I'll check mackey,s

Formulabruce · Post by **Formulabruce** » Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 6:19 pm

Foil basically eliminated the baro damper. Why?
It sucks heat right out of the room. It can however reduce the draft at the coal some
so it doesn't burn as fast. I prefer, like many here, to control the draft with a MPD and the ash door intakes

lsayre · Post by **lsayre** » Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 6:37 pm

Formulabruce wrote: ↑
Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 6:19 pm

It sucks heat right out of the room.

Indeed it does to some small degree (which is dwarfed by the homes natural outdoor air infiltration rate). But it's either suck some 80-90 degree air out of the room and send it up the chimney or suck some 400-500 degree air out of the stove and send it out the chimney. The choice is yours.

charlesosborne2002 · Post by **charlesosborne2002** » Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 8:19 pm

Rob R. wrote: ↑
Tue. Jan. 05, 2021 9:43 pm
40-50 lbs per day to heat a 2-story house almost 200 years old seems fine to me. You should expect the rooms farthest away to be cool, but the room the stove is in should be cozy.

try some different nut coal and see if you notice a difference.

I use about 60 to 80 lbs of coal (half in the morning and half at night) in mild winter weather on the western TN/KY border--so far, never over 80 lbs per day (two bags) in very cold, windy weather, and usually less. My stove can hold 50 lbs, and is radiant like yours. I have just under 1000 sq ft. on one floor. My TV area, office area, and kitchen/dining areas are open (wide archways between rooms, stove in the middle. Insulation is not good. The area (office) where the stove is located stays near 80 degrees on the wall thermometer, which is 5 feet from the stove. Across the room at my desk, it is cozy, about 75.

Is your stove itself hot--(600 to 700 degrees is my running temp in cold weather, lower if not so cold, but I think Chubby normal running temp is 500-600)? Is the firebox coal red hot, or mostly dim or black? There is a happy medium in shaking out ash--too much ash smothers the fire and lowers the heat. I shake and clear the ash (and fill coal) morning and night.

I assume with 2 stories the chimney is long enough for good draft, unless it is outside (that can cool the exhaust and reduce draft). (Mine is one floor plus small attic, about 18 ft or less, all inside except 2 or feet above the roof, Class A Chimney.)

Heat (and cold) do not go well around corners or through doorways; I had transoms cut over the door from the stove area and also to the bedroom beyond, so it is cooler back there, but not cold

Post by **Lightning** » Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 10:29 pm

lsayre wrote: ↑
Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 6:37 pm
Indeed it does to some small degree (which is dwarfed by the homes natural outdoor air infiltration rate). But it's either suck some 80-90 degree air out of the room and send it up the chimney or suck some 400-500 degree air out of the stove and send it out the chimney. The choice is yours.

Big +1 on that..

fig · Post by **fig** » Sun. Jan. 10, 2021 1:23 am

Baro’s make good baby sitters, though.
Before I started using one I’d get the draft all set properly and go off to work. Then the wind would kick up and I’d come home and find all the coal burned up. I’d scratch my head and wonder how hot the stove must’ve got. Put the baro in and it eliminated all that nonsense.

hank2 · Post by **hank2** » Sun. Jan. 10, 2021 2:16 am

My baro rarely comes into play unless I have real windy conditions or running near full tilt in very cold temps. I usually run about -.05 to -.06 in average cold weather. As low as -.02 to -.03 in windowstat conditions. I have the baro set to start opening at -.07. If and when the wind starts ripping, the single baro is barely enough to control it. I ought to also have a manual damper installed for those times. I have a couple of them but haven't used them for many years.

fig · Post by **fig** » Sun. Jan. 10, 2021 5:10 am

I have two dampers before my baro. I can usually get by with one but when the winds really kick up and I’m reloading with bit I have to use both mpds.

Post by **Lightning** » Sun. Jan. 10, 2021 9:03 am

hank2 wrote: ↑
Sun. Jan. 10, 2021 2:16 am
baro set to start opening at -.07. If and when the wind starts ripping, the single baro is barely enough to control it.

If you set it to open around -.03 or -.04 it will control the fire much more easily.

hank2 · Post by **hank2** » Sun. Jan. 10, 2021 11:37 pm

Lightning wrote: ↑
Sun. Jan. 10, 2021 9:03 am
If you set it to open around -.03 or -.04 it will control the fire much more easily.

Yes, I'm sure it would better control a bad wind situation. It's a fairly rare problem at my house as I have some hills on my north and south sides and I'm low. When the winds are coming out of just the wrong direction it can be a problem. My DS circulator needs the -.05 to -.06 to really get serious with heat output. Like maintain body temp of 400 or more. I do want to install a manual damper along with the baro next piping work.