Hitzer 354 Burning statistics 2020/2021

So far this year in my Hitzer 354...

I started burning at 3pm on January 4, 2020. Today is March 2, 2021. By my math that is 57 days burning, or 1368hrs burned.

I bought 100 bags, 40 lbs each bag. As of 3pm today I have used 35.5 bags of 100.

That’s 1.038 lbs/hr burned by my math. Not bad at all for a box stove.

Except for about 2 weeks of real cold weather it seems to me like winter has been mild. Still, I am impressed with our usage per hour with this stove.

I really wish I had a coal sifter because with the hard shaking I’ve had to do I’ve managed to still waste some coal...enough that I think it would make a difference in determining a more accurate lbs/hr rate.

Would be nice to compare lbs/hr burn rates from users of Hitzer 254 stoves, which I think might serve me better.

Hoytman wrote: ↑

Tue. Mar. 02, 2021 5:32 pm

Would be nice to compare lbs/hr burn rates from users of Hitzer 254 stoves, which I think might serve me better.

Their heat loads won't be the same as yours.

Where the 254 would shine is in mild weather. It would allow you to keep the fire a little more lively, and probably have a higher stack temperature in mild weather to promote good draft (when the 354 would be idling). I don't know if it would save you any coal though.

Wow, by my ciphering that's only about 9,550 output BTUH on average. Is that your only home heating source?

For comparison, I calculated our homes average "heating only" output demand at ~24,082 BTUH across the entire month of Feb 2021.

lsayre wrote: ↑

Wed. Mar. 03, 2021 10:47 am

Wow, by my ciphering that's only about 9,550 output BTUH on average. Is that your only home heating source?

For comparison, I calculated our homes average "heating only" output demand at ~24,082 BTUH across the entire month of Feb 2021.

Yes, Larry. It has been since the first day of burning. Furnace has not been on once. The only help is from the clothes dryer. Just in the last two weeks finally talked the wife into putting up the drying rack in front of the stove.

The walls of our home are not that well insulated being built in 1954. My grandpa added some attic insulation nearly 20 years ago, but I'm not sure how much. We also have some large windows but we keep curtains closed at night time.

For comparison, when it is below 15F when our furnace runs, when we used it in previous years, it would cycle on and off literally every 15 minutes. That is, it would only remain off for 15 minutes before running much longer than 15 minutes.

Needless to say we are loving the nut coal.

Larry, I am curious about something. How did you arrive at your numbers? I would have assumed 12,500 btu’s per hour since that is roughly 1 pound of coal I am burning per hour.

Hoytman wrote: ↑

Wed. Mar. 03, 2021 12:12 pm

Larry, I am curious about something. How did you arrive at your numbers? I would have assumed 12,500 btu’s per hour since that is roughly 1 pound of coal I am burning per hour.

I ballparked it, but in effect I roughly assumed 12,300 input BTU's per pound, and 77.5% efficiency as stove output.

12,300 x 0.775 = 9,533 BTUH output

Ok. Thanks.

I will say this about the stove idling more in this warmer weather, the ash is much finer in the ash pan and less crunchy stuff too. Since being in the mid 60's this week I am only tending/shaking once a day. It is taking much longer to rev the fire at tending time and I've decided to get it going harder than I normally do when it is colder out. Don't really seem to need to rev it that hard when running in colder temps because it stays lit easier. Have to help it some now when I tend and that is ok with me. So far, one match this year.

Rob R. wrote: ↑

Wed. Mar. 03, 2021 10:46 am

Where the 254 would shine is in mild weather. It would allow you to keep the fire a little more lively, and probably have a higher stack temperature in mild weather to promote good draft (when the 354 would be idling). I don't know if it would save you any coal though.

I agree Rob R.. Just what you said.

Rob R. wrote: ↑

Wed. Mar. 03, 2021 10:46 am

Where the 254 would shine is in mild weather. It would allow you to keep the fire a little more lively, and probably have a higher stack temperature in mild weather to promote good draft (when the 354 would be idling). I don't know if it would save you any coal though.

This is the same thing Dean at Hitzer said to me the other day when I gave him the numbers...that he was thoroughly impressed with...yet assumed (correctly I might add) my draft was lower than suggested. He was fine with that knowing I have enough interest to be running a manometer.

Stove is out for the year. I made it to the one match club. Stove completely cold by 3pm today.

Unless we get a cold snap of length I will not relight the coal. I might burn a few wood fires and to take the chill off, but maybe not. Have an electric faux wood stove that can likely handle it as well if need be.

Burned January 4 to April 4.

Burned 2166 hrs.

Burned 1880 lbs total...or 47 50lb bags. Just 3 bags shy of a ton. That’s assuming the weight listed in the bags. I did find some bags heavier, but then my scale broke, so next year I’ll try for a more accurate count.

Interesting tidbit...
From March 2 the to April 4 I only burned 11.5 bags of coal. If my math is correct, that’s .58lbs/hr. Wow!!!


Just 47 bags of a 50 bag/ton total.
I came up with .86795 lbs/hr total burned for my winter season. I am impressed.

That’s running low with the windows open some these last few weeks.

Funny your 354 went out today. My 254 hasn't kicked up all day. I don't think it will make the night. Will most likely fire it back up though, due to dampness.

oliver power wrote: ↑

Sun. Apr. 04, 2021 9:41 pm

Funny your 354 went out today. My 254 hasn't kicked up all day. I don't think it will make the night. Will most likely fire it back up though, due to dampness.

Not sure I understand what you mean by “kicked up”.

Never gave any thought to dampness though. Of course, I’m not totally done with the stove yet either. I knew we had warm weather in the 70’s coming so I let it burn down real low trying to not open more bags that aren’t necessary. Expecting about two weeks worth of warm weather. Thought I’d clean it out tomorrow and put my bricks over the grates for some wood burning if the temps dip without warning. I’ve been wanting to see how it burns wood anyway.

Does your stoves burn all the coal completely at end of the season? Mine has some left in the bottom, but I knew it was going out and planned to let it get real low, which it did. I could have easily kept it going, but since the weather is changing I thought no time like the present. I’ve been adding some every day to maintain the low level and the stat was keeping it right there in the money even without a deep bed of coal. There’s not much I burned coal sitting on top of my grates. Maybe a hod full, if that.

Going to vacuum out all the ash in the grates and the ash pan area. Do I need to vacuum/brush the inside steel walls yet before I burn wood? Probably should I suppose. Just hate to have to super clean it twice before seasons end.

I let it go out because this warm weather coming in and the stove at 170 (IR gun below the stat in the back) the stove was just still putting off too much heat even with windows open. No sense in trying to run it much lower than that. Was riding the line with it as it was. I might could get it to 150, but that would be pushing it. Besides, mano was riding at -.01 and sometimes -.005 even more to 70+F OAT’s, which isn’t bad at all. I didn’t expect my chimney to allow me to run that low. Does make me wonder if a matching 7” liner would allow me to run lower stove temp with slightly higher draft???

Hey, can a moderator add “Hitzer 354” to the front of the thread title, please?

It’ll probably help folks searching for 354 stove information.