Why Is 4.5 on My Biometallic Thermostat...

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I'm On Fire
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Post by I'm On Fire » Tue. Jan. 11, 2011 10:36 pm

700*?

Yeah, the DS goes to 700* when I turn the knob to 4.5. But 4.25 is only 550*. Its chilly here this evening, and snowing and I thought I'd try and get a little more heat out of her so I turned the knob from 4 (500*) to 4.5 and watched the stove bypass 600* and go to 700*. This is actually the second time it's done this at that setting.

Does it have something to do with the balls on the chain? I counted them it is latched on the 6th ball. Set from DS themselves. I haven't changed any settings.

I'm paranoid to go above 600*. Mainly because the manual that came with the stove says not to.

I'm not entirely sure how long the stove was idling at 700* I fell asleep in my recliner while watching "The Green Hornet" on SyFy. But the stack temp was 200* and nothing was glowing red so I'm assuming I was safe. The last thing I do recall is my wife saying, "Wow. The other stove never had that many pretty blue flames." to which I thought nothing of because it was cute.

On the plus side, I am scraping the bottom of the barrel and just put a bunch of fines in the stove to knock the heat out of it. :D

If I'm safe then I'm not going to worry about running the stove at 4.5. But if I'm not safe what do I need to do to keep the stove from going to 700* (I honestly like the heat but don't want to damage my heaty machine)?

 
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Post by Coalfire » Tue. Jan. 11, 2011 10:39 pm

How are you measuring? magnetic thermometer?

Lengthen the chain one notch and see what that does, then you might have to go to 5 to get 600 degrees

 
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Post by I'm On Fire » Tue. Jan. 11, 2011 10:41 pm

Yes, its on the top of the stove a few inches past the hopper door. Its in the same place as yours.

My laser only goes to 600* then I get an error. Which means I'm over.

Is the 600* thing a "suggested" temp set by the manufacturer? What's the highest you've ever run yours?

 
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Post by CapeCoaler » Wed. Jan. 12, 2011 12:46 am

There is a lag with the bi-metalic...
The temps rise up when the dial is turned higher...
Then slowly fall...
As it closes down...
Was the air door still open or did it close...
Make sure nothing is binding up the door or chain...
The magnetic thermo may be reading lower than the laser...
Have never been past 600* myself...
I keep the MPD closed...


 
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Post by I'm On Fire » Wed. Jan. 12, 2011 8:48 am

MPD is closed all the time too.

The air door was open at the 4.5 setting. I moved the chain to 5 notches last night but on the highest setting it never moved past 460*. So this morning I put it back to the 6th notch. Then set it to 4.5 and again it shot up past 600*. The air door is still open but I noticed it is going down.

I'm guessing this is normal operation?

I took the laser to the top of the stove near the gauge and it reads 538*. I'm thinking I'm going to maybe move my gauge back a little more. Maybe its reading higher than it really is.

EDIT

Ok, I just checked it again at the 4.5 setting. Cape, I think you are right. It ramps it up then slowly goes back down. The stove is now sitting at 590*. Like I said, I'm paranoid. Maybe it is fine.

 
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Post by CapeCoaler » Wed. Jan. 12, 2011 11:50 am

Better to be 'noid than sorry...
I measure the temps on the front above the glass door...
The top will spike when more air is introduced to the fire...
The front not so much...
That top spot would be the hottest...
With more variation in temps...
The side is better less variation...
That is why the bi-metatic is there...

 
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Post by I'm On Fire » Wed. Jan. 12, 2011 11:59 am

Yeah, my gauge is on the top of the stove. Maybe I'll go out today and pick up a few more gauges and put one on the front above the door. If I look at the gauge on the top then in through the door it seems like it is right above the baffle so it's probably measuring exhaust temps?

Like I said, I'm not messing with the balls anymore. I'm just going to leave it. I'd rather be warm then cold.

Oh, and I changed my avatar. Not sure if you guys can see the blue flames or not. But they are there. Either way, a pic of a coal fire is better than a Cowboy Coal fire.

 
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Post by I'm On Fire » Wed. Jan. 12, 2011 4:10 pm

Ok, so I went to the local stove shop by my house and picked up a third gauge for the front of the stove.

Top of the stove is 530*, stack temp is 180* and the new gauge at the front of the stove just above the door reads 380* draft is .06"wc, MPD closed. This is with the thermostat set on notch 6 and 4.5. The house is 74* outside temps are 28* with a western wind at 16 mph which makes actual temp 13*.

Do these numbers seem right? Acceptable?

Do I relocate the gauge from the top of the stove to the side perhaps? I feel like it is measuring the exhaust temps as they leave the stove because it is right above the baffle just behind the hopper door.

I guess ultimately my question is, at what point do you begin to "ignore" temps? I mean, seems to me that some of them are just unnecessary. If I shouldn't worry about what the top of the stove's temp is should I not have the gauge there?


 
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Post by Coalfire » Wed. Jan. 12, 2011 4:19 pm

DS says to measure stove temp on top behind hopper, I called them to verify this. I don't think it will hurt if it goes over 600 at times on the top as long as it is not for sustained periods.

 
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Post by crazy4coal » Wed. Jan. 12, 2011 5:44 pm

It's not good to mess with your balls!

 
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Post by I'm On Fire » Wed. Jan. 12, 2011 6:55 pm

LOL that's not what the wifey says!!

Did your dad get that Chubby set up? Hows it working out for him? BTW, I found some more parts for it. Next time I'm at the yard I'll bring 'em down.

 
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Post by CapeCoaler » Wed. Jan. 12, 2011 10:03 pm

Make sure the thermo's are in sync...
Put them next to each other on the stove and see if they match in temp...
The thermo that reads 415* on the front read 425* on the top...
215* on the stack 115* after the baro...
The outlet height on your stove is 'custom'...
Is the stove still the same factory height...
Could be the reason the temps are so different...

 
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Post by I'm On Fire » Thu. Jan. 13, 2011 8:32 am

Yes, the stove is still the same "factory" size. The only thing DS did was cut the legs 3" shorter. So instead of 4" legs and a 37" tall stove I have 1" legs and a 33" tall stove.

I'll move all my gauges around tonight to check their "calibration".

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