Magic Heat box

Hey Everyone, thanks for the answers to my posting!. In one of the other postings someone complained of paying $2000 for a stove and getting a 50cent manual, and I would like to agree with him! the manual that I got with my Leisure line stove was four pages!. I have learned more about operating a stove more from this forum than the manual so thank you!.
My question is I would like to purchase a magic box heat exchanger (anybody have one ?,like/dislike?)for my coal stove. I have done some searching and found one. the specs they provide say the box should be 18" from the top of the stove. how critical is this? if I install it the way my stove is, the box itself will be at about 15 1/2 inches from the top of the stove.plus I would like to duct the air coming from the box to a vent in the floor to the upstairs that is about five feet in front of the box. I have tried e-mailing the company with no response. will it burn the unit up? thanks in advance for any help!

Hello Dave, I have used a Magic Heat in a wood system and they work pretty good. I think one would work better in a coal system than with wood because of no creosote with coal, only some ash.

You will need to use the Magic Heat's scraper every couple of days to keep the ash from building up on the heat-exchanger tubes. So if you make a duct in front of the Magic Heat, you will need to put a door in the duct for access to the scraper knob.

The fan in the Magic heat is thermostaticly controlled, [I don't know the temp setting] so you need to check to see if your stack temps are high enough to net you extra heat from the Magic Heat. I think you will need 300* stack temps at least to be effective. Most coal stoves have pretty low stack or flue temperatures, [pretty efficent] so you need to check your flue temps before you spend the $$.

The fan in the Magic heat is kind of noisy, at least on the one I had. Just beware. I mounted my Magic heat only 10" above a hot burning wood stove, so I don't think 15" is going to be an issue for you.

Hope this helps, Greg L [LsFarm]

Dave, I would be very hesitant using a Magic Heat in most cases. Your typical Leisure Line/Alaska design is quite efficient with a low stack temperature. The magic heat will lower the temp. to very low levels possibly causing draft problems such as reversals, which could cause Carbon Monoxide levels in your home at hazardous levels. there are "primitive" top vent stoves where you could use one without danger, but I don't think Leisure Line is one of them. If you have a rear or bottom vent, definately do not use one. The Magic Heat was desigined many years ago for use on non air tight wood stoves and barrel stoves. These units would typically have stack temps of 700 degrees plus.

My harman stoker is top vented bu the flue gases actually enter at the bottom of the stove then go out thru the top..When my stoker is putting out 650 degrees my flue temp about 2 feet from the stove is under 250 degrees.
The new stoves are way more effeicent then the stoves in the past.I think if u use something like that you will end up creating problems

Thanks for the answers everyone, I talked to the person who sold it to me. He said pretty much what you'all said. the flu temps run to low because its such an effeciant stove, said I would be wasting my money.

I've discussed heat reclaimers in another thread. I have to agree if the flue temperature isn't hot enough there's no reason to have one. All I would say is the more I have my stoker turned up the hotter the flue gets. Those that have their stokers turned up the highest due to larger homes or poor insulation might benefit the most.

I thought about using a reclaimer....but had done some research and thought twice about it....only time it would be useful was during a real cold spell..teens and below.... where your stove was pushing the max BTU...and flue gas would be hotter....

During normal winter weather 20-30's or 40's it would lower flue gas temps and reduce draft...

Al