Cold Stove Manometer Reading

 
fpappal
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Post by fpappal » Sat. Feb. 27, 2021 8:50 pm

Hello,
I hooked my Dwyer manometer up to my Hitzer 30-95 with manual damper today. The stove has never been used, I am hoping to fire it up next weekend. With the rubber hose hooked up to the Low port on the manometer it was reading +.03. It was very windy today, I have a masonry chimney and stove is in the basement. The wind has now died down and looking at the manometer it is now reading -.01. My question is would you attempt to start a fire with a manometer of -.01? Will the warm air of a fire bring me back into the positive or will I just fill my basement with smoke? I am going to keep an eye on the readings for the next week. My house is brand new ranch and very tight.


 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Sat. Feb. 27, 2021 9:06 pm

Why don’t you loosely crumple a sheet of newspaper and light it off and see what reading does.

 
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oliver power
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Post by oliver power » Sat. Feb. 27, 2021 9:14 pm

I'd do as McGiever said. The 30-95 is not as efficient as the 50-95. The 30-95 lets a little more heat up the chimney, which is great for low drafting chimneys. I think you'll be just fine. Just keep an eye on it. Remember, the 30-95 is also natural draft. If the chimney is not drafting, no air will be pulled up through the coal fire. No air = no fire.

 
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Post by Hoytman » Sat. Feb. 27, 2021 9:26 pm

Oliver, would you cate to elaborate on your statement as to why the smaller stove isn’t as efficient and lets more heat up the chimney?

 
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oliver power
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Post by oliver power » Sat. Feb. 27, 2021 10:15 pm

Hoytman wrote:
Sat. Feb. 27, 2021 9:26 pm
Oliver, would you cate to elaborate on your statement as to why the smaller stove isn’t as efficient and lets more heat up the chimney?
When I use to run the 50-93, and the 30-95 at the same time, both stoves took the same amount of coal at tending time. The 50-93 felt like it was putting out twice the heat of the 30-95. The 30-95 was loosing more heat up the chimney. Both Great stoves.

 
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Post by Hoytman » Sat. Feb. 27, 2021 10:45 pm

Was it losing more heat up the chimney or simply not putting out as much heat due to its smaller physical size?

I suppose the reason why I ask that is because I don’t want to run into a similar issues should I make the decision to switch to a 254 when I can simply open a window and loose heat that way and maintain not having to run a stove too hard even in below zero weather.

 
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oliver power
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Post by oliver power » Sat. Feb. 27, 2021 11:06 pm

Hoytman wrote:
Sat. Feb. 27, 2021 10:45 pm
Was it losing more heat up the chimney or simply not putting out as much heat due to its smaller physical size?

I suppose the reason why I ask that is because I don’t want to run into a similar issues should I make the decision to switch to a 254 when I can simply open a window and loose heat that way and maintain not having to run a stove too hard even in below zero weather.
If burning the same amount of coal every day, then you have the same amount of BTU'h. The 50-93 puts it out in the living space. Where is the 30-95 putting it? There is only one place it is going, and that's up the chimney. As far as heat output goes, the 50-93 shines on the high end, where as the 30-95 shines on the low end. I find the 254 to be very efficient. I tend it every 24 hours. And that's on about 30 - 35 pounds of coal. Most stoves this time of year is every 12 hours.


 
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Post by waytomany?s » Sun. Feb. 28, 2021 7:05 am

fpappal wrote:
Sat. Feb. 27, 2021 8:50 pm
Hello,
I hooked my Dwyer manometer up to my Hitzer 30-95 with manual damper today. The stove has never been used, I am hoping to fire it up next weekend. With the rubber hose hooked up to the Low port on the manometer it was reading +.03. It was very windy today, I have a masonry chimney and stove is in the basement. The wind has now died down and looking at the manometer it is now reading -.01. My question is would you attempt to start a fire with a manometer of -.01? Will the warm air of a fire bring me back into the positive or will I just fill my basement with smoke? I am going to keep an eye on the readings for the next week. My house is brand new ranch and very tight.
When you say bring it positive, how do you have mani hooked up? Most have it set up to read on the negative side because it's larger and easier to read. If you have .01 with no fire and you're set up to read negative side you're golden. I'm fairly certain(without having read the manual) that you adjust your barometer when running an established fire. :yes:

 
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Post by waytomany?s » Sun. Feb. 28, 2021 7:13 am

2 things after reading post again after some coffee.
Never been used-as in brand new? Paint will need to cure. Gonna stink a lot. Several small fires with increased temps as you go.

Basement install with that small of a stove-are you intending to heat only the basement? I'm not trying to be discouraging, just curious as to intent. Basement size, configuration, ability of heat to go where you want it, will determine if you're supplementing heat or making all of it.

 
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Post by coaledsweat » Sun. Feb. 28, 2021 7:38 am

You never want to see a positive draft, it should be a negative number. You are measuring the difference between the air pressure in the room the appliance is in versus the stovepipe pressure which is exhausting your combustion gases. A positive reading would indicate exhaust gases would be making their way into the room. That number you see will go way up once there's a fire.

 
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Post by HandFire » Sun. Feb. 28, 2021 9:38 am

Fpappal: when you hooked to the low port of the Dwyer the larger black scale readings become negative and the small red scale becomes postive in function. Am I correct in saying that you are reading it as labeled but not as it is reading hooked to the low port?

 
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Post by Hoytman » Sun. Feb. 28, 2021 1:43 pm

Guys...you will simplify this for people with the Dwyer Mark II model 25 if you tell them to hook it up so it is registering values on the right side of the zero with a fire going. If it ever goes left of the zero with a fire then you have a draft reversal and get ready for the CO detectors to go off.

 
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Post by buffalo bob » Sun. Feb. 28, 2021 2:57 pm

McGiever wrote:
Sat. Feb. 27, 2021 9:06 pm
Why don’t you loosely crumple a sheet of newspaper and light it off and see what reading does.
dirro

 
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Post by HandFire » Sun. Feb. 28, 2021 3:29 pm

Hoytman wrote:
Sun. Feb. 28, 2021 1:43 pm
Guys...you will simplify this for people with the Dwyer Mark II model 25 if you tell them to hook it up so it is registering values on the right side of the zero with a fire going. If it ever goes left of the zero with a fire then you have a draft reversal and get ready for the CO detectors to go off.
Good point but having a basic understanding of how draft works and how it affects the operation of your stove is essential to burning coal efficiently. Asking questions is good as the OP is doing because he is trying to not only get it right but understand why it is right. Getting something done is good but understanding it is even better.

 
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Post by fpappal » Sun. Feb. 28, 2021 9:08 pm

Sorry for the slow response. I dropped my phone on Wednesday and have been using a flip phone. I am actually really liking this digital detox as they say. Pretty sure I am just going to keep the flip phone.

I bought my stove from a dealer two years ago. It was used for one season by the original owner. Since then it has been sitting in my barn as I was building a house. The stove was purchased primarily as an emergency heat source. However now that I am in my house the basement is a little on the cool so I may start using this phone for some added heat for my basement. 2000 sq ft. My plan was to learn/practice with the 30-95 and eventually move up to a larger one. For what I need, I may find the 30-95 works well.

As far as my manometer goes. I am hooked up to the Low port. The gauge has been reading almost always to the right of zero, which are the black numbers, which the scale says is positive. Mainly .01 or .02. One time I saw it at -.01 which was last night. Am I correct in thinking that a positive reading (to the right of zero) indicates air is leaving my basement and going up the chimney? Or do I have that backwards and it means air is coming down the chimney and into my basement? I guess all I need to do is light a match and see where the smoke goes.

Thanks for all the responses. My goal is to try and light a fire this weekend.


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