Firebox reduction Hitzer 50-93

I fired up the stove last October and a few times during the 2011 / 20122 winter. I travel a lot so a continuous fire is out of the scheme of things. Yes I use many matches throughout the season.
The wife was not very happy about the over abundance of heat, she and the dog were panting. Windowstats were in her opinion not a viable option yet. There is a learning curve here.
So I went to the brick yard and purchased (8) 2 1/2 x 4 x 8 fire brick for $9.60. Into the fire box, just sitting on the grates, no cement, placing 2, laying down on each side (left and right side), 1 in the front right and 1 front left, 2 standing on end dead center front.
Fired it up. Success. The house is very warm, not hot, and no windows open yet. As the sun hits windows will open.
So reducing the fire box by 640 cubic inches seems to be going in the correct direction. I know you like pics but I will follow up later.
After 13 hours the stack is 150F 36" above the stove, 186F front top corner. MPD closed, ash door slide closed, bimetallic t'stat closed, Maek II water column 0" Baro open 1".
Weather calm 54F with NE wind 2 mph.

I should try that in my saey. Basically burning to keep the house warm at night now. The wife says, lets just turn the furnace on for now. Yea right, at 4 bucks a gallon for fuel oil, she can just be hot during the day. I can idle the saey down till it is almost not burning in the day and itis still too hot. I will give this a shot.

How do you shake down the fire with bricks on the grates?

Hopefully John disconnected the 2 grate connecting rod so only the front grate will function one cotter pin does the trick--maybe 2 if you want to take the connecting rod completely out depending on what works for ya

I tried this last year with my Hitzer.... my stove did not like it ... but I have a hopper system and is a different stove.

My experiment just ended up with a pockets full of ash on the non-bricked side .. even with vigorous shaking.

Smoker858 wrote:The wife was not very happy about the over abundance of heat, she and the dog were panting.

Sure that was from the stove and not the new neighbor who moved in?

Qball wrote:How do you shake down the fire with bricks on the grates?

That was going to be my question. Thanks for asking.



Kevin

No pulled pin so when I shake down the bricks move accordingly.

John, explain that one in english??

I can speak "New Joisey" so I offer a translation....

the cotter pin in the rod that moves the grates together was not removed so when he shook down the ashes, both sets of grates moved including the one with the bricks sitting on them.

Your welcome.

Thanx 07, it's early.

Still sipping coal. Top front right corner 200F and at pipe through wall after baro 115F. Baro open 1" Manometer at 0" wc. Sliding door open accordingly. All is good. Thanks for the NJ translation. Yes all the grates shake and the brick I used to reduce the firebox simply move with the grate.