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Re: Making Room for Surdiac Gotha 513

Posted: Mon. Feb. 22, 2016 10:43 pm
by franco b
ElCamMan515 wrote:And the waiting game begins.

I made a trial screen out of some 13 gauge steel mesh. Loaded the stove up with some nut/pea mix and set mpd to 2/3 closed stove dial on 2 to get stove going. I am sure some people will say the screen will not last, I agree it may not last, but it is a trial.

Tim
That looks overfull to me and there is danger of going beyond the side fire pot castings. Unless it is already at the lowest setting I agree with Joe to put it there.

Re: Making Room for Surdiac Gotha 513

Posted: Tue. Feb. 23, 2016 7:01 am
by ElCamMan515
Unfortunately in the chaos of life last night I totally forgot to lower the hopper... the next three days are forcast to be in the upper 40s so I have no issue letting it go out and moving the hopper like I should of last night. Here are some quick pictures of the firebox this morning. I did find 2 spare back furnace paddles and put them on top of the existing ones on the back fire box and leaned the tops against the hopper to protect the back of the stove. I will get a better picture once stove is shut back down. they look like this
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Thanks for everyone's input.

Tim

Re: Making Room for Surdiac Gotha 513

Posted: Tue. Feb. 23, 2016 4:27 pm
by joeq
Man! That's a lot of heat in that puppy :D If you're still burning, see how long it'll go Tim, before you drop it down. Looks to be pretty well contained.

Re: Making Room for Surdiac Gotha 513

Posted: Tue. Feb. 23, 2016 4:43 pm
by ElCamMan515
Spoke to my wife who just got home from work. Stove is very much alive. I riddled the stove at 6:00am and stove was set to 1 on the dial and MPD 2/3 closed. Stove still running strong with 300 degree temps on heat exchanger. I told my wife not to touch it and see how long it goes. I will get home from work around 7pm so we will see if it is still alive then.

I was pondering today I may have some more of those "paddles" in the spare parts bin and if I do, ill see if I can fit them on the side of the fire box for more protection to the sides of the fire box.

Re: Making Room for Surdiac Gotha 513

Posted: Tue. Feb. 23, 2016 7:44 pm
by ElCamMan515
Evening Everyone,

Got home at 7pm from work to a live fire.
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Got a 13 hour burn! riddled the stove and going to let it burn out so I can move the hopper down tomorrow evening after work.

Tim

Re: Making Room for Surdiac Gotha 513

Posted: Sun. Feb. 28, 2016 9:17 pm
by ElCamMan515
Good evening everyone,

Over the past few days I've been busy transforming a spare bedroom into a nursery so I haven't had time to work on the Surdiac until today. I attempted to move the modified hopper to the lower position, but the sides had spread a little so it wouldn't sit on the pegs on side of hopper correctly. So with some persuading from the grinder I got it to fit. I have relit the stove, and it's all loaded for the night.

Tim

Re: Making Room for Surdiac Gotha 513

Posted: Wed. Mar. 02, 2016 12:18 pm
by Belgianburner
Tim, I take it you had no problem sliding the hoppers in and out? Mine must have been warped at the top.
My two stoves look identical, but the hoppers are completely different, as are the heat exchangers. The older one has a rare "bell" shaped hopper (wider at bottom) that sits much lower and is fixed in place. This one has the ports on the back; the other's are on the sides.

As for the factory mesh screens, should they be on the inside to protect the glass? Never understood that, but I took mine off for aesthetics also.

Re: Making Room for Surdiac Gotha 513

Posted: Wed. Mar. 02, 2016 12:36 pm
by ElCamMan515
BB - I had no issues taking the hoppers in/out. Getting the front and rear fire baskets are harder to get in the stove than the hopper...

Short and sweet update -- Been getting 12 hour burns easily now with the modified hopper at same settings; dial on .05-.75 and mpd shut 2/3. I've been tending the stove at 6am and 6pm since Sunday night with no issues. Hopper will be around 1/2 to just above 1/2 full. Stove is putting out slightly more heat also; as heat exchanger will be around 315 to 320 degrees compared to 300 degrees with other hopper. I will be shutting down the stove Friday as I am leaving for a weeks vacation out of town and no one will be home to tend the stove.

Thanks again for everyone's insight and suggestions.

Tim

Re: Making Room for Surdiac Gotha 513

Posted: Wed. Mar. 02, 2016 5:37 pm
by joeq
ElCamMan515 wrote:BB - I had no issues taking the hoppers in/out. Getting the front and rear fire baskets are harder to get in the stove than the hopper...

Short and sweet update -- Been getting 12 hour burns easily now with the modified hopper at same settings; dial on .05-.75 and mpd shut 2/3. I've been tending the stove at 6am and 6pm since Sunday night with no issues. Hopper will be around 1/2 to just above 1/2 full. Stove is putting out slightly more heat also; as heat exchanger will be around 315 to 320 degrees compared to 300 degrees with other hopper. I will be shutting down the stove Friday as I am leaving for a weeks vacation out of town and no one will be home to tend the stove.

Thanks again for everyone's insight and suggestions.

Tim
Heck Tim , let it burn on low. Maybe you'll return and it'll be recoverable. All it takes in that stove is 3 1/2 orange embers, and you're off and running.:D

Re: Making Room for Surdiac Gotha 513

Posted: Wed. Mar. 02, 2016 6:11 pm
by ElCamMan515
I wish it would last all week Joe, but with temps forcasted to be nearly 70 next week there is no need for it to run and would probably lose draft at those OATs.

If it gets chilly again after arriving back home as you know it only takes 30-45 minutes to light with match light charcoal and load stove up.

Right now OATs are 20 with a real feel of 8 and house is a toasty 75 degrees 8-) Tonight we may see temps dip below 0 with the wind chill, ill open the Surdiac up a little and let it stretch its legs.

Tim

Re: Making Room for Surdiac Gotha 513

Posted: Sun. May. 22, 2016 9:24 pm
by ElCamMan515
This evening was officially the end of the heating season for the Surdiac. After using it for 1 season, I am very impressed by the 'little' Surdaic. It kept the house very warm. I failed to update the thread during the shoulder months of April and May; the Surdiac was the only heat in the house as of April 20th as I unhooked the Koker Lite in the basement. When temps dropped below freezing a few weeks ago the Surdiac just shook it off and kept the house around 72 degrees with ease. As many of you who were following my thread know, the stove was installed as a supplement heat source, but after learning the Surdiac characteristics, the Surdiac was and is able to heat my 2000+ sq ft home with ease. I have to thank Joe (joeq) for the knowledge he passed on through his thread.

See you all in a few months!

Tim

Re: Making Room for Surdiac Gotha 513

Posted: Sat. Sep. 24, 2016 6:41 pm
by ElCamMan515
Hello everyone,

Hope you all had a great summer.

Time has come to light up the Surdiac for the 2016-2017 heating season.
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Happy and safe heating.

Tim

Re: Making Room for Surdiac Gotha 513

Posted: Sun. Sep. 25, 2016 9:52 am
by confedsailor
I just now saw your hopper mod. That's really getting her to sing! I hopefully won't be using Calcifer quite as much this coming season. Tomorrow I start the Chappee boiler tie in . I'm a little nervous to be honest, but I'm going slow and careful.

Re: Making Room for Surdiac Gotha 513

Posted: Sun. Sep. 25, 2016 11:14 am
by joeq
Green with envy Tim, that's how I feel right now. Are you the 1st to light off this season, or are there other members post that I missed? It was a tad chilly here in southern NE last nite, and the house was a bit "brisk" this morning, but the days are still almost 70°. I still haven't purchased my coal yet.
Hey Tim, did you put the extra (gold) plates and medallions back on the stove? It looks good, being back to normal. And that pile of burning rocks, looks like a very tall hopper. I forgot if you posted that mod. Happy heating! :)
PS, "Keep that new baby warm!"

Re: Making Room for Surdiac Gotha 513

Posted: Sun. Sep. 25, 2016 11:25 am
by Sopwith
ElCamMan515 wrote:Hello everyone,

Hope you all had a great summer.

Time has come to light up the Surdiac for the 2016-2017 heating season.
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Happy and safe heating.

Tim
I fired my surdiac up also , its been going from 5pm last night and still humming along. we have one more cold night tonight then a warm up.