Finally Installed but No Heat!!! Help!!!

 
billlindley
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Post by billlindley » Thu. Nov. 27, 2008 9:37 am

I need some help desperately. So I finally had the coal stove chimney install completed yesterday and lit the stove shortly there after, about 15 hours ago now. The stove has stayed lit and as I write this has burned thru about 40lbs of coal. I have attached a picture and per the book it is burning correctly with about 1” of dead ash on the end of the tray. I also have the air flowing full out. The stove is in the basement about 8 ft from the stairs and I assumed the heat would travel up them nicely. After 15 hours the basement hasn’t even seemed to change in temperature. The stove is hot to the touch but doesn’t seem to be offering much in the way of radiant heat.

The specifics:

Reading Stove Company – Lehigh 96RS
85,000 BTU
Heats up to 1,800 SQ Ft
New stainless steel chimney thru the house, 2 ft about roof peak.

Any Ideas?
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coalmeister
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Post by coalmeister » Thu. Nov. 27, 2008 9:48 am

I have a boiler not a stove but the heat must be going somewhere, my guess is up the chimney. Do you have a damper and is it adjusted correctly?

 
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gaw
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Post by gaw » Thu. Nov. 27, 2008 9:49 am

Are you using a barometric damper? I don't see one in the picture.

Edit: Sorry coalmeister, redundant, we replied at the same time

 
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gambler
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Post by gambler » Thu. Nov. 27, 2008 9:52 am

Bill, I don't see a barometric damper! Could all of your heat be going out that new chimney?
Are those concrete walls insulated? and even if they are insulated in the center that is a lot of inside concrete that needs to get up to temp.

edit: sorry, I am a little slow. But hey none of us saw a baro!

 
billlindley
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Post by billlindley » Thu. Nov. 27, 2008 10:15 am

Thanks for the quick response on the holiday. No baro damper, funny the chimney guy yesterday said I should be fine. I will purchase that and install and see how that works, I am hoping better. A little new hear so I understand the damper reduces the draft thus keeping more heat in the stove to radiate correct? As far as the wall they are just poured concrete but I was figuring with the sotve operating correctly over a few days they would warm with the rest of the basement allowing the heat to enter the main living space.

Starting to think by trying to save on heating this year I have only wasted $4K between the chimeny and the stove.

Thanks for replying on the holiday and have a Thanksgiving.

 
bksaun
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Post by bksaun » Thu. Nov. 27, 2008 10:26 am

One step at a time, get the baro and go from there.

Those walls keep absorbing the heat, but many of us have that problem and are able to overcome it.

Be patient, don't loose heart, there is abundant help here.

Bk

 
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CoalHeat
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Post by CoalHeat » Thu. Nov. 27, 2008 10:28 am

You need a barometric damper, get a Field Controls Model RC. Your heat and money are going up the chimney. Then buy a manometer or borrow the loaner here on the forum. Set the draft to -.04" WC with a full fire burning. You'll see the difference. :D

http://www.fieldcontrols.com/cgi-bin/ImageFolio31 ... g&img=&tt=

As far as warming up all the masonry in the cellar, yes, that is a factor, but the cellar should be very warm by now.

Amazing how many of the "professional" installers don't know about this.

Last weekend when I had the stoker shut down I noticed the walls and floor also radiate that heat once they are warmed up.


 
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coalmeister
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Post by coalmeister » Thu. Nov. 27, 2008 10:31 am

I am new at this as well and it takes weeks and sometimes months to get everything dialed in right. It just keeps getting better and better.

Not to mention oil will go back up again (when the Republics get back in, right dev? :lol: ) and then you will be saving piles of cash that the gov can then take toward the bailout :lol: :lol:

 
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gambler
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Post by gambler » Thu. Nov. 27, 2008 10:47 am

billlindley wrote:As far as the wall they are just poured concrete but I was figuring with the sotve operating correctly over a few days they would warm with the rest of the basement allowing the heat to enter the main living space
They need to be insulated. They will keep transfering the heat to the outside.
It looks like it would be fairly easy to cover those walls with blue styrofoam at a minimal cost.

 
Matthaus
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Post by Matthaus » Thu. Nov. 27, 2008 4:12 pm

The other folks are definitely on the right track with the need for a barometric damper.

Also, if I understand the RS-96 it is a radiant only stove with no Convection fan. Not exactly the hot setup for a basement install, more suited to a in living space install. Having said that, don't despair, :) you just need to arrange some kind of external fan to take the heat off the stove and get it up stairs.

As has already been said, don't give up you'll get there!. ;)

Edit, just noticed the fan in the background, you're on the right track.

 
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ErikLaurence
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Post by ErikLaurence » Thu. Nov. 27, 2008 5:00 pm

They make a convection fan for the 96c, it's well worth getting.

 
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Post by BIG BEAM » Fri. Nov. 28, 2008 3:01 pm

I don't know anything about Reading stoves but if the ash in the pics is 1" then the fire is only about 1" also.Shouldn't the hot spot be 2 or 3" long on the grate if it's cranking?
DON

 
billlindley
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Post by billlindley » Tue. Dec. 02, 2008 6:59 am

Based on the advise from nearly everyone who replied I went out a bought a baro damper (2 to be exact but that's a story for another day). Last night I installed and set the draft to .02 (manual indicates .02-.04) and lit the stove up. :D Let me tell you I am getting good at lighting these stoves since this is the 3rd light in 6 days and I haven't had much trouble. :) That is the lone silver lining. The baro has stayed open most of the time so obviously the draft was very high stealing most of me heat, I can hold my hand on the stove pipe above the baro and not lose my hand. I concluded the baro is working then, problem is as of this post I still have no radiant heat emitting from this stove. :cry: It has been on for about 12 hours now.

The stove seem slightly hotter then before the baro install but still not enough where you can even feel a little heat coming off it from more than 2 feet away. I have the air flow set to high and the feed rate just about where it should be leaving roughly 1" of ash on the end. I have attached a few more pics that show the stove and the bed of coals I have. Any Ideas? :idea:
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Current burn

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Larger view

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WNY
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Post by WNY » Tue. Dec. 02, 2008 7:24 am

Any settings, rheostat or thermostat to control the heat output?

it doesn't look like it burning very hot in the pic, maybe there should be more hot coals on the grate. Looks like it';s on idle mode.

I would have got one with a blower to at least get the heat upstairs via a duct, you will probably need more BTU to get the cellar warm enough to radiate upstairs. You will loose a bit with the walls like they have said.

 
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coalkirk
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Post by coalkirk » Tue. Dec. 02, 2008 7:31 am

Your fire is really low. I don't know anything about adjusting the feed rate on that stove but you need more fire for sure. Maybe someone with a Reading stove can add some advice on adjusting your settings.


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