Optimum Pipe Temp.

I'm new to operating a coal stove, ans new to this house. I'm trying to figure out a range of temps that my stove should be operating at safely for the the maximum heat into the house. The stove is located down stairs inb the family room and the back bedrooms still seem cold. There are no floor registers back in that area of the house. I want to make sure I'm operating the stove efficiently before I start making ventilation changes to the house. I have been running the stove with the MPD closed and the draft screws open about a turn and a half and the pipe temp is staying right around 300 degrees. Is this a good operating temp or can I be running it a little hotter? The nights have been in the 20's here but dipping to the teens. I did notice Saturday night we had a small fan running in the family room blowing air towards the stairway to the main living floor and the back rooms were in the 70's. Maybe I could just use some more air movement in the house to get the heat where it needs to be. Any info from you all would be great. Thanks.

Have you tried moving the thermometer to the stove body itself and getting a reading? That is the limiting factor since the stove will be warmer than the pipe.

As you discovered, often a fan will help distribute the warm air throughout distance rooms.

Hello,
Me too, very new in coal stove club. However already got experience and burned through the back plate maid of cast iron. At first I was not able to get the draw to appropriate level. Then I tried to keep exhaust temp between 300 -500 as it is indicated on gauge. That gauge says if it is lower 300 then it starts creosote formation, if it is higher 500 then it is over burning. The stove by it self was burning at 280 and was not willing to get higher. I've decide that my chimney is not big enough and fixed the thermo-regulator fixed open. Obviously I got the result of 450-500 but at same time my back plate burned through and lower hopper got traces of overheating. Now I let the thermo-regulator do its job but still in doubt about creosote, about optimal exhaust temperature. And alredy looking for a peace to replace FB 10-75-174 back plate. If any one has any opinion please shere it.
Thank you,
Artem

Artemii90 wrote:Hello,
Me too, very new in coal stove club. However already got experience and burned through the back plate maid of cast iron. At first I was not able to get the draw to appropriate level. Then I tried to keep exhaust temp between 300 -500 as it is indicated on gauge. That gauge says if it is lower 300 then it starts creosote formation, if it is higher 500 then it is over burning. Now I let the thermo-regulator do its job but still in doubt about creosote, about optimal exhaust temperature.

STOP! NO CREOSOTE BURNING COAL! You are reading a dial thermometer manufactored for wood burning, you can use it for temp. not for creosote info! Do you have any C O detectors? Slow down and start reading threads on burning coal, in the top right corner do a search for burning coal in your type of stove and read them all.

With coal there is no creosote issue..
Burning coal is much different than wood.
A coal fire likes combustion air to come in under it.
All you need to know is here on the forum
Feel free to ask questions!

QUOTE- I have been running the stove with the MPD closed and the draft screws open about a turn and a half and the pipe temp is staying right around 300 degrees

If your pipe temp is 300, your stove temp is probably close to peak performance. I as well have my MPD dampner closed 90% and because of that I get a high stove pipe temp, witch is good, gives off good heat. Like others say, your stove pipe should not be near 500deg, your stove would be much hotter yet!

Nittany Valley Son wrote:I'm new to operating a coal stove, ans new to this house. I'm trying to figure out a range of temps that my stove should be operating at safely for the the maximum heat into the house. The stove is located down stairs inb the family room and the back bedrooms still seem cold. There are no floor registers back in that area of the house. I want to make sure I'm operating the stove efficiently before I start making ventilation changes to the house. I have been running the stove with the MPD closed and the draft screws open about a turn and a half and the pipe temp is staying right around 300 degrees. Is this a good operating temp or can I be running it a little hotter? The nights have been in the 20's here but dipping to the teens. I did notice Saturday night we had a small fan running in the family room blowing air towards the stairway to the main living floor and the back rooms were in the 70's. Maybe I could just use some more air movement in the house to get the heat where it needs to be. Any info from you all would be great. Thanks.

I have no experience with your specific stove - however coal stoves in general do not run that hot as measured at the black pipe.
Did you check with the manufacturer ? They should be able to tell you what to expect for temps.
I have a old hand fed coal stove (Chubby) and it generally runs in the neighborhood of 120-150F as measured at the black pipe - about 6ft from floor. The stove top temps would normally be around 350-500F.
Coal is way more efficient than wood burning - and therefore you should see lower temps at the flu than a comparable wood fire.
If I was seeing 300F at the black pipe I'd guess my Chubby would be running > 750F and that is really not what it was meant to run at.
Please note coal stoves - like wood stoves and pellet stoves - are room heaters or so called space heaters. They are generally not meant to heat your entire house because you will likley end up over-firing it to compensate for the furthest cold rooms.
I researched Baker stoves a few years ago - they are bullet proof. That doesnt mean I would want to run the stove at 1000F to heat the whole house.
And at that rate your coal consumption level would be very high.
I started a post several days ago - titled Chubby logging. Maybe check out the temps at pipe and stove to see what I am experiencing. I am trying to run my stove at the most consistent level possible - say 350-400F which would maximize stove tending and ash removal / coal consumption yet still throw off consistent heat for as long as possible.

When my stoker is firing for a while the stove temp will be around 650* and the pipe temp will be around 300*.

When it is idling the stove temp is about 300* and the flue temp is about 110*.

The stove temp is measured with a magnetic thermometer on the top front corner of the side, the flue temp is measured with a probe thermometer about 2' up the pipe before the baro.

I think the temp differential depends on a couple factors, one being the stove design where the exhaust port is located. if it is on top then the flue will be hotter, if it is low on the back of the stove then the flue temp will be lower. Also depends on draft, if you have a very high draft coming through the stove then the heat is chased up the chimney rather than staying in the stove - my baro helps with that.

I have a probe thermometer in the exhaust flue, just below the baro damper on my Yukon Eagle furnace. I like to run my flue exhaust temperature between 400-600degF, depending on how cold the outside temps are. Most of the time 500degF flue temp seems to be the happy range for this particular furnace, so I suppose what is "right" for anybody's stove or furnace is what makes sense and works well for that unit.

This is my second year using coal and with a large chubby, all stoves and chimneys react differently. I have my stove dialed in now with mpd closed and bottom damper at a 1/4" open and i range from 450-500 stove temp. 90% of the time my stack temp at the thimble is 100-115 and before my draft-o-stat 150-200. she will climb to 300 when i am reloading. The chub is in a unfinished side of basement its a cape and approx 650-sq. ft. I did install a fan that gets installed in the upper corner doorway to draw the heat from the stove side to the other side of basement. Since i did that the basement maintains 70 instead of as low as 55 without the stove. Made a big difference. It also helped get heat up the stairway to the first floor and i picked up few degrees. All i can say is my furnace has not run since december 25. Moving air is the key. You will eventually pick these things up as you go along.It took me a while but am figuring it out. This forum is very informative and the members here are great. Bliz

Artemii90 wrote:Hello,
Me too, very new in coal stove club. However already got experience and burned through the back plate maid of cast iron. At first I was not able to get the draw to appropriate level. Then I tried to keep exhaust temp between 300 -500 as it is indicated on gauge. That gauge says if it is lower 300 then it starts creosote formation, if it is higher 500 then it is over burning. The stove by it self was burning at 280 and was not willing to get higher. I've decide that my chimney is not big enough and fixed the thermo-regulator fixed open. Obviously I got the result of 450-500 but at same time my back plate burned through and lower hopper got traces of overheating. Now I let the thermo-regulator do its job but still in doubt about creosote, about optimal exhaust temperature. And alredy looking for a peace to replace FB 10-75-174 back plate. If any one has any opinion please shere it.
Thank you,
Artem

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