New used Hitzer 30-95 with pic

Congrats on your 50-93. We purchased a used 50-93 for the same price last year and was our first time using coal. WOW were we surprised by using coal!! Thanks for the paint ideas. We will be painting ours this year. I'm currently redoing the insulation that goes around the glass. I found ours leaking air around the glass, thus feeding oxygen into the fire during strong winds/updrafts. Im also going to use black heat gel to fill in each of the air hole vents because even with the slider closed, I found that air was still getting pulled in. I never used the front air vents but rather let the auto damper in the back control my fire. Now my firebox will be even more air tight. My air-damper on the pipe worked out well during strong winds.

Here is a picture from last year showing my pipe.

Enjoy your stove

Looks nice.
I took the door glass out when I painted it. I noticed that it looked like the insulation at the edge of the glass was not as tight as it should have been and it looked like it had slid over a little. I repositioned everything and refit it so it seems much more air tight but I will keep an eye on that. If you reseal the glass so that it is not leaking you may need the holes in the ash door? I dunno. In another post I lit my boiler today to burn in the paint and try my first coal fire. The paint did not smoke too bad but it is a bit smelly. Here is mine with the damper installed.

I'm not sure about the Hitzer's but i know on my Harman sf250 it only has a seal on the sides of the glass, the top and bottom are open (air wash) it to help keep the glass clean. you mint want to give Hitzer or your dealer a call to find out before you seal the hole thing up.

Mine had fiberglass insulation that sort of folds over the edge of the glass all the way around. A metal plate attaches across just the top and the bottom parts of the glass. The plate overlaps the insulation and presses it against the glass and also the frame. The sides don't have any pressure holding the insulation or the glass into the frame-just a snug fit from the insulation held by the stiffness of the glass. I imagine with a decent draft that air can be sucked in somewhat. I wonder how tight the glass fits with everything all brand new.

Rex wrote:Congrats on your 50-93. We purchased a used 50-93 for the same price last year and was our first time using coal. WOW were we surprised by using coal!! Thanks for the paint ideas. We will be painting ours this year. I'm currently redoing the insulation that goes around the glass. I found ours leaking air around the glass, thus feeding oxygen into the fire during strong winds/updrafts. Im also going to use black heat gel to fill in each of the air hole vents because even with the slider closed, I found that air was still getting pulled in. I never used the front air vents but rather let the auto damper in the back control my fire. Now my firebox will be even more air tight. My air-damper on the pipe worked out well during strong winds.

Here is a picture from last year showing my pipe.

Enjoy your stove

You must get some massive heat storage from all that brickwork. Must be a couple of days of heat in there.

You should not have very much if any air being pulled past the gasket on the glass.. If your barometric damper is set to .05-.07" then it will keep the draft or vacuum in the stove body at that amount, and any leakage past the glass would be minimal and should not have any effect on the fire.. unless the gasket is completly missing on the glass and it has an 1/8" gap all around the glass.. which is not what you describe..

The rough markings on the slide-weight adjustment on your barometric damper will get you in 'the ballpark' for your draft setting.. A manometer is needed to set it more accurately.

Greg L.

Bobs86GN wrote:Mine had fiberglass insulation that sort of folds over the edge of the glass all the way around. A metal plate attaches across just the top and the bottom parts of the glass. The plate overlaps the insulation and presses it against the glass and also the frame. The sides don't have any pressure holding the insulation or the glass into the frame-just a snug fit from the insulation held by the stiffness of the glass. I imagine with a decent draft that air can be sucked in somewhat. I wonder how tight the glass fits with everything all brand new.

My glass did slide a bit from side to side. I purchased the new window insulation, screws and the two bars from Hitzer and I had to re-tap new holes after breaking out the old rusty screws, but after painting the door, I'll get back with you on how much tighter the glass fits.

Bobs86GN wrote:

Rex wrote:Congrats on your 50-93. We purchased a used 50-93 for the same price last year and was our first time using coal. WOW were we surprised by using coal!! Thanks for the paint ideas. We will be painting ours this year. I'm currently redoing the insulation that goes around the glass. I found ours leaking air around the glass, thus feeding oxygen into the fire during strong winds/updrafts. Im also going to use black heat gel to fill in each of the air hole vents because even with the slider closed, I found that air was still getting pulled in. I never used the front air vents but rather let the auto damper in the back control my fire. Now my firebox will be even more air tight. My air-damper on the pipe worked out well during strong winds.

Here is a picture from last year showing my pipe.

Enjoy your stove

You must get some massive heat storage from all that brickwork. Must be a couple of days of heat in there.

Yes the wall does store the heat nicely. I get about 3 days heat from the walls after the fire goes out!!

Razzler wrote:I'm not sure about the Hitzer's but i know on my Harman sf250 it only has a seal on the sides of the glass, the top and bottom are open (air wash) it to help keep the glass clean. you mint want to give Hitzer or your dealer a call to find out before you seal the hole thing up.

l'm not too concerned by not having the front air vent holes. I found them to be more of an issue than useful thus going to fill them up with the black heat gel and paint over. I never used the front air vents and there were many times when the back air damper was completely closed yet the temps on the stove got hotter and hotter during updrafts or strong winds. Im looking for a more air tight system and hope this will help.

I haven't read the whole thread, however air "over the fire", such as around the glass, would typically reduce the heat of the stove, due to the situation reducing the draft "through the coal". Your overheat condition during strong draft conditions, should be caused by leakage "below the fire".

Some of the old boilers, used to have slides in the upper door to dampen the fire down, as did the old kitchen stoves. Another trick on the old kitchen stoves, was to "tip the lids", allowing air over the fire, for night time dampening down.

Rex wrote:l'm not too concerned by not having the front air vent holes. I found them to be more of an issue than useful thus going to fill them up with the black heat gel and paint over. I never used the front air vents and there were many times when the back air damper was completely closed yet the temps on the stove got hotter and hotter during updrafts or strong winds. Im looking for a more air tight system and hope this will help.

Rex,
Sounds like your barometric damper isn't working right. Did you set it with a manometer? You shouldn't have any big heat rise if you have all the damper shut. On my stove i can put the fire out by closing the damper tite even with the air wash around the glass.

Rex,
Sounds like your barometric damper isn't working right. Did you set it with a manometer? You shouldn't have any big heat rise if you have all the damper shut. On my stove i can put the fire out by closing the damper tite even with the air wash around the glass.

Even with the damper shut the air comes in through the vent holes at the bottom of stove. I will be sealing these off to better seal up the stove...

I just installed the new window insulation and the glass fits tight and doesn't move. I had to re-tap the screws and place high temp anti-lock gel to the threads so hopefully next time the screws will be easier to remove.