Help Am I Set up Right?

wilder11354 · Post by **wilder11354** » Mon. Jan. 05, 2015 6:32 pm

Well Keystonepe...hows it going? shall we take no news as good news?

steamshovel · Post by **steamshovel** » Mon. Jan. 05, 2015 8:41 pm

Keystonepe wrote:1900 stone farm house remodeled and insulated.... I bought a DS 1600 hand fire coal. I put it in the basement. Goes approximately 35-40 ft up to end of chimney 6in flu for first 6 or so feet then into 8x8 clay. No chimney cap. I put baro on this year it helped out on windy days. Average 8-10 hrs on 40#. So I'm burning 80-120 day. Usually fill morning, evening and before bed. Today 20 degree day house is 64. Stove at 550-600. Exhaust is 300-350. How do I make this better total sq ft of house heated is about 2100 3 floors.....I use nut and stove coal

those DS stoves eat a lot of coal, big firebox. I'd try to get the heat upstairs. cut square holes in the floor with grates that you can open/close. large rooms one floor vent in each corner. smaller rooms 2 vents per room. these registers will have slider vents to close them in the summer or when it's hot enough upstairs in the winter. sort of like a venetian blind effect but flat on the floor. all the older homes had them if they had coal furnaces with hot air ducting to rooms upstairs.
I'd also nix the baro, and try an mpd instead, close it 1/2 way and see if the coal mileage gets better, and/or the heating improves. coal stove in the basement means burning it harder to get the heat upstairs, or venting it upstairs.
last resort, maybe move the stove upstairs to living room next year. guaranteed it will heat better.

Keystonepe · Post by **Keystonepe** » Mon. Jan. 05, 2015 9:51 pm

Hey guys sorry for delay Baro set at 3-4. Mpd closed the whole way. I now nixed throwing in 40# at a time. With the remainder of stove coal I was averaging probably 60# a day basement was warm...1st floor 70 second floor 67ish..... Just got nut again and a ir thermometer. Gonna dial the old girl in. Got behind today panda house dropped to 61. Started my layers about 30 min ago once I get established gonna get her set...... You guys rock keep the info coming........my previous 2 ton was blew up the flu!!!!!!! Pic to follow!!!!!

Keystonepe · Post by **Keystonepe** » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 7:39 pm

I'm starting to think that this ds circulator is junk!!!!!! Top of stove is about 480. Just no radiant heat I can hold my hand 6 in off top and not fry...... I was just at my buddies house next to a baker burning wood and could feel it from 8 feet away

wilder11354 · Post by **wilder11354** » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 7:55 pm

i just rest my baro draft to about 4>5. Last night with all the wind I set it lower 2>3 or so, so wind didn't draft heat out of boiler. In this colder weather I want a bit more draft to make coal burn a little harder. Also my under fire "manually set" IDLE draft I have about 3/16>1/4" inch, boiler stat up to 180* as soon as colder temps pass will narrow manual idle draft back to 1/8", and lighten the baro back down to 3, and turn boiler aquastat back to 170*.. I am up to about 60>75# coal a day with these current temps, feeding half in morning, half at night 12hours between feedings and shakes.
But during normal days temp/wind wise(20*> 40*) I leave setting alone.

Post by **Rob R.** » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 7:57 pm

A circulating stove trades radiant heat for increased amounts of heat via convection in the room.

Keystonepe · Post by **Keystonepe** » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 8:06 pm

And I understand. I guess I'm just not accepting I remodeled my house re insulated and was sold a stove that I'm told will sweat me out......then I read guys have old drafty houses with smaller stoves getting 75 degree homes. My house is 66 right now...... I'm not saving a thing using this coal stove!!! Sorry for my rant.....I just don't get it....... I changed to nut coal and just doesn't seem the same I'm even using the hopper

Post by **Rob R.** » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 8:13 pm

Well, it won't make you feel any better...but I had the same experience trying to heat a big home with a wood stove and later a coal stove in the basement. If the stove was on your first floor you'd probably have a warm house and a frozen cellar, which isn't much fun either.

Keystonepe wrote:I'm not saving a thing using this coal stove!!!

How did you heat the house previously?

Keystonepe · Post by **Keystonepe** » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 8:30 pm

Old oil forced air torn out....in this house

Post by **Rob R.** » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 9:20 pm

Have you tried coal from a different source?

McGiever · Post by **McGiever** » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 9:47 pm

The DS1600 Circulator Stove has it's heat output controlled by a bimetallic damper.

If stove is in the basement the stove will never know how cold it is on the other levels.

A coal furnace in the basement would use a t-stat on the upper level to signal for more heat.

A circulator stove heats it's surrounding area with air cycled over and over through the stove...radiant heat is not an optimized output with these.

Keystonepe · Post by **Keystonepe** » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 10:13 pm

So would a radiant stove do better

joeq · Post by **joeq** » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 11:44 pm

Keystonepe wrote:So would a radiant stove do better

Isn't that what the DS is? I know they call it a "circulator", but if it doesn't have a blower, I would call it a "radiator". your stove is twice the size of mine, and when burning correctly, has the potential to throw lots of heat when needed, and idle forever, when adjusted properly. I believe what the responders are saying is correct. Putting a free standing stove in the basement without ducting, is gunna be very difficult to get heat to the 3rd floor. You still haven't mentioned what your basement temperature is.
I believe I read your stove has the ability to hold over 100lbs of coal. If you have that thing burning hot, it should be roasting, at least in your cellar. If it's burning low, it should run for over 24 hrs W/O any attention. Your complaint is, there's no appreciable heat, and the coal is cooking 2 bags a day. (If I read that right). It doesn't add up. If you listen to all the members here, you'll get what you need, and in time will have that stove eating out of your hands. it looks like it has a lot of potential.
1st off, where are you getting your stove temps from? That DS is loaded with shielding, so maybe it's hotter than you think. My 513 has the same problem. I would take temps off the heat exchanger, (cause that's all I could access), but with my I/R gun, am able to read right on the casting, (between the shields), and it's over 100-200* hotter, (or more), compared to the heat exchanger temps.
2nd, you mentioned you had a baro and an MPD. I too get more heat out of my stove, by closing the MPD 45*. but I also recommend, you have your MPD "between" the stove and baro . (As recommended by others.) And if you really want to fine tune that thing, put in a manometer. it's tough to troubleshoot a problem, if you don't know what your draft is. The manufacturer should have a preferred draft setting, (that you can adjust, according to your needs).
Rob had mentioned moving your stove to the middle floor, but like he also mentioned, you'll end up with my problem. I can get enuff heat to warm my upstairs bedrooms, and the living area where the stove is, it's hot up high, but when the temps are in the teens and below, the floors in the living area are so cold, it's uncomfortable. (Because my unfinished basement radiates the cold through the floors above).
Once you get your stove tuned in and you learn it's operating habits, is there a way you can wrap it with some sheetmetal, and channel the heat into your existing duct- work? It should help disperse the heat better to where you want it. Sorry to eat up so much space, but I hope you don't give up the ship too early. My stove has been labeled one of the "least desirable" by an anonymous Pew poll, but after the help of this site, and some extremely dedicated and knowledgeable members, I've been able to squeeze as much as I can get out of it, and can't say I'm displeased. Hopefully you'll hang in there and learn the ropes. It takes time and patience, but will be worth it in the end. Good Luck.

Keystonepe · Post by **Keystonepe** » Wed. Jan. 07, 2015 7:37 am

I have it running...... I get my temps from a ir. and I ck them all over the stove..... I have no air ducks just open floor vents all overt house...and basement door open.....I'm understanding what guys are saying and I love the in put....I just shook the stove.....I had to replace a whole coal bucket of nut since midnight last night......outside the door is 400 top of stove 450 top near exhaust 530 exhaust 470 at mpd closed whole way. 190 after Baro Bari set 3-4 it's 14 out and 65 on first floor of my home I have just opened sixth bag since Monday night soooo. About 200# in last 60 hrs. And a cold house. I can stand next to stove with my shirt off and not burn. I Just don't feel that's real Hott compared to other stoves if you hold your hand 2 ft above my stove it doesn't feel that Hot

Post by **Lightning** » Wed. Jan. 07, 2015 9:49 am

200 pounds in 60 hours at 14 degrees outside is about right. Your stove is a stove.. You are expecting a furnace. With your current arrangement, the stove must heat the basement first before that heat will move upstairs. The basement is sucking a lot of your heat up before it can act on the space above it which is why you aren't seeing 70+ on the first floor.