Does Outside Temps Effect How Your Stove Runs?

BPatrick · Post by **BPatrick** » Wed. Oct. 30, 2013 9:04 am

When you run your stove for a while you get to know where the air settings need to be and the stove consistently runs around the same temp. Does warmer or colder temps change this. Sometimes it's 45-50 during the day and 28 overnight. This time of year you have those temp swings. I know that some stoves can be harder to keep going in really warm weather, I have that covered. Sometimes doing the exact same thing as I always do, the stove will run a little hotter or the burn time won't be as long. I wonder if I'm getting more draft on the colder nights?

Post by **Lightning** » Wed. Oct. 30, 2013 9:12 am

Absolutely. Temperatures outside directly effect the negative draft pressure in the stove which directly effects how much combustion air is coming thru the primary.

If you are seeing a huge variance in stove temperature during temp variations outside, I might consider using l barometric damper and installing a manometer to monitor draft pressure.

They are other variables too. Maybe there is more or less ash in the coal bed. Maybe there is more or less fines in the current load that's burning. But draft pressure is usually the most prominent.

BPatrick · Post by **BPatrick** » Thu. Oct. 31, 2013 9:23 am

Thanks Lee, I find that ash has a lot to do with mine as we have an old antique hand fired stove and different types of coal will run hotter/cooler in it. She loves to burn Nut coal and puts out the BTU's, and does a great job on Pea, but it doesn't run as hot with the same settings.

Post by **Lightning** » Thu. Oct. 31, 2013 9:43 am

Oh yeah, those are typical observations with smaller sized coal. It will run longer/cooler because the coal has smaller air ways for combustion air to move up thru it.

SMITTY · Post by **SMITTY** » Thu. Oct. 31, 2013 9:59 am

Yep - always had to change the dial setting on the Mark III from fall to winter. A setting that would make it idle in fall would result in 700° sides in January.

DePippo79 · Post by **DePippo79** » Thu. Oct. 31, 2013 10:57 am

BPatrick, I've noticed the same observations. Now you want to see some heat try some stove coal if you haven't already. Stove size gets the temps up quick especially Kimmels. Just mind the air. Matt

michaelanthony · Post by **michaelanthony** » Thu. Oct. 31, 2013 2:49 pm

There are more ways to skin a cat and I find by changing coal sizes, ( I buy bagged coal ) I can practically leave the stove settings alone for the most part. I have some pea size and 2 days ago I built a fire with pea and got great results 40* day time and 20*-25* at night and the house is 75-80 oh yeah and a couple window stats also. The 'nut and stove mix has become one of my favorite winter blends, like gasoline

BPatrick · Post by **BPatrick** » Thu. Oct. 31, 2013 4:47 pm

Thats exactly what I'm going to do. A few days ago we had a lot of winds and mid low 20's. I ran the stove a little hotter to keep up. I capped it off with some pea. I think mixing it all together will be the perfect blend but I have an antique stove and the grates let the small stove through. That's why I do 3/4 nut and 1/4 pea. On really mild days I do 1/4 nut and 3/4 pea, really long burn times and cruising around 350 with no window stats because the kids are roasting. It cracks me up when they complain about it being too warm. I grew up in the 70's and our house was 66 in the winter and you wore sweats everywhere.

michaelanthony · Post by **michaelanthony** » Thu. Oct. 31, 2013 8:54 pm

BPatrick wrote:Thats exactly what I'm going to do. A few days ago we had a lot of winds and mid low 20's. I ran the stove a little hotter to keep up. I capped it off with some pea. I think mixing it all together will be the perfect blend but I have an antique stove and the grates let the small stove through. That's why I do 3/4 nut and 1/4 pea. On really mild days I do 1/4 nut and 3/4 pea, really long burn times and cruising around 350 with no window stats because the kids are roasting. It cracks me up when they complain about it being too warm. I grew up in the 70's and our house was 66 in the winter and you wore sweats everywhere.

I hear you about the '70's and the layers of clothes just to be cold!

I would much rather mix the coal and even toss some ash on the coals if need be than keep messing with different settings. I figure my stoves know how to burn coal and they do their job quite well so why fudge that up by turning this, moving that, or hoping the machine don't go

just by mixing or changing the size of the fuel, the stove does it's job and I am warm.

dlj · Post by **dlj** » Sun. Nov. 03, 2013 9:07 am

BPatrick wrote:Thats exactly what I'm going to do. A few days ago we had a lot of winds and mid low 20's. I ran the stove a little hotter to keep up. I capped it off with some pea. I think mixing it all together will be the perfect blend but I have an antique stove and the grates let the small stove through. That's why I do 3/4 nut and 1/4 pea. On really mild days I do 1/4 nut and 3/4 pea, really long burn times and cruising around 350 with no window stats because the kids are roasting. It cracks me up when they complain about it being too warm. I grew up in the 70's and our house was 66 in the winter and you wore sweats everywhere.

BPatrick, Are you running anthracite out there in MI? With my old Glenwood, it doesn't like pea at all - it just gets choked up and I drop a lot of pea through the grates. I've tried nut, pea, mixed nut and pea, mixed nut and stove, mixed stove and pea, and mixed stove, nut and pea. I frankly just love stove size for the old lady. My last batch of stove size came in large and I liked that also. If I could get egg, I'd probably run that. I run down consistently to around 200 and when I'm lucky can run down as low as around 175. I think a couple times I've succeeded to run a bit lower - all with stove coal. If you can't get below 350, you should check our stove for air leaks. Of course, this all depends upon if you are anthracite or bit coal. If it's not anthracite, I have no idea what to expect...

As far as noticing a big difference from warm temps to cold temps, high winds to low winds, I notice some difference, but not very much. I have really good draft on my stove so that may account for the little difference I see compared with others.

dj

Stanb999 · Post by **Stanb999** » Fri. Nov. 08, 2013 10:11 am

Install a Baro if you get big changes. Tho, on really warm days you may need to open a window if your house is well sealed to let in make up air. Course why are you running it on really warm days.

My stove with the baro installed makes the air adjustment knob a veritable speed control. I always burn just nut.

1/16 - 1/8th turn.. Stove is warm - 120
1/8 - 1/4 the stove is 120-150
1/4 - 1/2 the stove is 150-200
3/4 is........ 250
1 full turn is 325...
I haven't needed it to go past one turn. If I did I'd get a bigger stove.