How Hot Is Too Hot?

I searched for this subject and found two. Neither addressed my question as it applies to my situation.
I bought my Hitzer gravity fed hopper model 30-95 in mid february 2008. Last night was the first time I have heated with this stove with the outside temps below zero*F. When I went to bed last night the living room was about 74*. When I got up it was 65* with an outside temp of -4*. So, the first thing I wanted to do was generate more heat than I currently had the stove set for. I adjusted the thermostat from the 8 setting up to 9 and turned the blower reostat up a little too. That worked just fine at -4*. And that need for more heat brought to mind the question of how hot can I adjust the stove to burn? I would like to heat the Living room to 74* at -20*F outside temp, which we do see here most every winter. Outside of a meltdown or having the stove glow chery red, how will I know if I am generating too much heat for the stove's health?

Do you have a stove temp. thermometer? Put one on the stove and the pipe and monitor it. Then you know where it's running under normal conditions.

I know some people run stoves around 300-450+, my stoker gets to 450+ on the sides with no problems. Smells hot, but cranks out the heat....

[quote="WNY"]Do you have a stove temp. thermometer? Put one on the stove and the pipe and monitor it. ]

I have a magnetic stove pipe surface thermometer. It runs about 150* to 200* most of the time. I don't have a thermometer on the stove. I will put my pipe thermometer on the stove and pick up another one for the pipe the next time I get to town. Thanks. This gives me a starting point to know how much more heat I can crank out and still be safe.

That seems about right for the pipe, I know the hand fired ones might run a bit hotter, but my pipe INSIDE (with a probe) runs about 220-250 when cranking after the Baro just before the chimney breech.
The stove sides will run about 375-450+ when cranking. Idle about 200-250.

Thanks again Dave, that is just what I needed to know. I put the thermometer on the side of the stove after my last post and it now reads 390*, living room at 72 and oudtside is 6*. So I can go a little hotter, but doesn't look like it will heat the house to 72* when it is -20* outside. My Jotul woodstove would heat the house at 0* but no colder. It was rated for 35K BTU. The Hitzer is rated for 45K. So maybe I will be able to heat the whole house to -10* before I have to supplement with kerosene or electric (or just put on more clothes). I can live with that. However if coal burns more efficiently when burned slowly, I should probably have bought the Hitzer (about 90K BTU) 50-93 huh?

I actually have a similar problem...can't seem to get my stove hot enough. Stack temp at the max setting is only 200* and the warmest I've gotten things is about 68* when it was 30-35 out. Concerns me that I'm blowing all the heat up the chimney. I mean, my 1908 Glenwood puts out lots more heat.

I should mention - we're running a Franco-Belge Normandie Gravity-fed Hopper Stove. I'm using both a Barometric and an in-pipe dampner. Stove runs well...just not too hot....

I guess I should say I'm not trying to hijack the thread, but I think I've done what many here have suggested...Baro Dampner...maybe one in-line...drafting chimney...etc. Always concerned about overfiring, but just not sure this is firing hot enough?

I have what sound like the same experience as sonofasailor. I am running a Franco Belge (model unclear but this post has picture of plate on back New Stove Firing Hot ). Even when running wide open the temp of the top plate does not go over 375.

If this is the same model as yours do you have any instrctions? I bought it used and it came with nothing but dust.

sonofasailor wrote:I actually have a similar problem...can't seem to get my stove hot enough. Stack temp at the max setting is only 200* and the warmest I've gotten things is about 68* when it was 30-35 out. Concerns me that I'm blowing all the heat up the chimney. I mean, my 1908 Glenwood puts out lots more heat.

I should mention - we're running a Franco-Belge Normandie Gravity-fed Hopper Stove. I'm using both a Barometric and an in-pipe dampner. Stove runs well...just not too hot....

I guess I should say I'm not trying to hijack the thread, but I think I've done what many here have suggested...Baro Dampner...maybe one in-line...drafting chimney...etc. Always concerned about overfiring, but just not sure this is firing hot enough?

Franco Belge stoves will never have a very hot top plate because the hopper full of coal insulates it, plus the smoke outlets are low and to the sides.

Heat exchange is to the sides and back. If you lean over the stove you will feel the heat rising from the back. These are convection stoves so will not throw off a lot of radiant heat such as you felt with your Glenwood, but they will distribute the heat much better.

These are very efficient stoves and do not have excessive stack temperatures, so leave the manual damper open. The stove should never be run at the max. setting. I suspect your draft is poor as these stoves, because they are so efficient, require a small chimney in order to sustain enough heat to maintain strong draft. I have seen one run so hot it began to melt the Pyrex glass. You could try chestnut coal to get a hotter fire.

Richard

i have my hitzer 50-93 side temp at 500 degrees when its been in the single digits. thats the highest I had the side temp. I run over night with it at 500 deg. and when I wake up its about 400 deg. or so. almost 3000 sq ft well insulated home. when I go to bed its 72 when I wake up its 68. not bad for a stove in the basement heating the whole house. it does burn about 50lbs of coal overnight.