DS Stove Heat

10-20deg. outside temps!---If I have my DS1600 running 500deg. (#4 on dial), I burn a hopper full (25+lbs) in a 12hr period. That is measured behind hopper door in center, it is 25-50deg. cooler at corner of stove. I have stove in my basement (unfinished 1100sqft) and upstairs is 1500sqft, it is 1-2 deg. warmer upstairs. You need good air flow! When outside temp is 30deg. ,I run stove at 375-400deg. on 3-3 1/2 on dial.

Any fireplace in basement? How about a laundry schute? Dumb waiter? Duct work leading to attic? Anything else acting as a chimney, sucking the heat out of house? Is your stove pipe shoved too far into chimney? I wouldn't think so with 500* stove body. But HEY, we're running out of ideas. With 500* stove body, and cool stove pipe, we know the heat should be radiating into the room. Where does it go from there?

oliver power wrote:Any fireplace in basement? How about a laundry schute? Dumb waiter? Duct work leading to attic? Anything else acting as a chimney, sucking the heat out of house? Is your stove pipe shoved too far into chimney? I wouldn't think so with 500* stove body. But HEY, we're running out of ideas. With 500* stove body, and cool stove pipe, we know the heat should be radiating into the room. Where does it go from there?

Yep especially since he stated that when it was warmer, he couldn't hardly stay in the room?

Thanks for all the ideas. I'm pretty sure ashes aren't the problem. When I shake it down I've been making sure I go until I can see an orange glow from underneath, so I think I'm good there. I'm pretty confident that my damper is operating correctly and the stove seems to be firing consistently. I'm more and more convinced its not the furnace but a loss of heat through the house. The house isn't freezing or anything, but burning a consistent 500 to 550 degrees its just holding 70, which is fine now but could put me in trouble on those colder nights that are coming.

The stove is located in the basement right next to the steps that lead to my first floor. My basement doesn't have a door going directly outside, you have to go down from the first floor. For an older house, I don't think it's that drafty down there. No coal chutes or anything like that, just three small windows that are in fairly good shape. I know the first floor of my house is well insulated, as I just remodeled it over the summer and was sure to insulate it well. However, I have not gotten to the upstairs yet so it is still outdated and more importantly, uninsulated. The stairs that lead from the first floor to the second floor are right above the stairs that go from the first floor to the basement. After reading what everyone has said, I'm wondering if the heat isn't getting sucked right up the stairs and out the uninsulated upstairs and out the ridge rent on the roof? As I said, it's a cape cod house so there is a small space between my upstairs ceilings and the peek of the roof and I know there is no insulation there. I may try insulating under the stairs that go to the second story to try and keep the heat on the first floor and allow it to radiate upstairs through the ceiling. Not sure if it will solve the proble but I think it's worth a shot until I get to remodeling the upstairs this summer and can get it properly insulated.

bucksnort wrote: its not the furnace but a loss of heat through the house.

I know the first floor of my house is well insulated, as I just remodeled it over the summer and was sure to insulate it well. However, I have not gotten to the upstairs yet so it is still outdated and more importantly, uninsulated. The stairs that lead from the first floor to the second floor are right above the stairs that go from the first floor to the basement. After reading what everyone has said, I'm wondering if the heat isn't getting sucked right up the stairs and out the uninsulated upstairs and out the ridge rent on the roof? As I said, it's a cape cod house so there is a small space between my upstairs ceilings and the peek of the roof and I know there is no insulation there. I may try insulating under the stairs that go to the second story to try and keep the heat on the first floor and allow it to radiate upstairs through the ceiling. Not sure if it will solve the proble but I think it's worth a shot until I get to remodeling the upstairs this summer and can get it properly insulated.

I think you just answered your own question, good luck.

If it is acceptable to the other half for a day or two try blocking off the uninsulated 2nd floor stairs with a plastic barrier to see if that makes a difference, this weekend may be a good time to try it since you may be around the house to make adjustments. It may make a huge difference if your in fact loosing all the heat to that floor.
Just a thought.

how much coal did you burn...
The #4 in this leaky old cottage...
will easily eat 80-120 lbs when the wid kicks up and the temps drop...
But it will maintain 72* when it is bad out...
The basement sucks up a good portion of the stove heat if you are too close to the foundation...

I'm using between one and a half to two 5 gallon buckets of coal a day.

So the DS is only doing alittle better than the small hitzer which is rated at 60,000 btu and you now have a 130,000 btu. You may not have had to spend money on buying another stove if you could have worked out the circulation and insulation problem and may have burned less coal in the Hitzer.

Well two problems with the smaller hitzer. One, I wasn't able to maintain the burn times I needed with it because I would have to run it pretty hot to keep up with the house. I'm gone some days for 12 to 14 hours between work and school. Also, while the DS is keeping the house 70 with the circulation issues, the hitzer would only have the house at 60 or less. I just think it wasn't enough stove either way.

bucksnort wrote:Well two problems with the smaller hitzer. One, I wasn't able to maintain the burn times I needed with it because I would have to run it pretty hot to keep up with the house. I'm gone some days for 12 to 14 hours between work and school. Also, while the DS is keeping the house 70 with the circulation issues, the hitzer would only have the house at 60 or less. I just think it wasn't enough stove either way.

You did the right thing upgrading the size of the stove. When you add the basement to your sq. footage, the 30 was too small to be a whole house heater.

SteveZee wrote:

bucksnort wrote:Well two problems with the smaller hitzer. One, I wasn't able to maintain the burn times I needed with it because I would have to run it pretty hot to keep up with the house. I'm gone some days for 12 to 14 hours between work and school. Also, while the DS is keeping the house 70 with the circulation issues, the hitzer would only have the house at 60 or less. I just think it wasn't enough stove either way.

You did the right thing upgrading the size of the stove. When you add the basement to your sq. footage, the 30 was too small to be a whole house heater.

Agree........... And if he bought a stove in the 95,000 - 100,000 BTU range, he wouldn't be maintaining the fire box of a 130,000 BTU stove. Once insulated, he may have just the opposite problem. And that's going to be over heating in warmer spring and fall months.

Is your basement wall exposed above grade outside?? Some basements have 3' or more of exposed masonry above the ground.. This exposed basement wall is a huge heat loss. The portion of a basement wall that is below grade and below frost level will be in dirt that is normally around 55*, which is a LOT warmer than ambient air above ground..

Just insulating the upper 4' of basement wall with 1" or 2" foam boards will make a huge difference in heat loss..

Also, google 'green it foam' or Tiger foam' these are DIY foam kits like a huge 'great stuff' can, I used this foam to seal all my basement sills and end joists from infiltration. Expensive but VERY effective.

Greg L

Greg, That's a really good observation. I never thought about that. That could be the culprit. It's a huge heat loser if left uninsulated. Around here you'll see everything from pink foam board to plastic sheeting, to bales of hay around that exposed sill area. My house had wooden covers that go all the way round. They actually work well after it snows them in a bit.

LsFarm wrote:... DIY foam kits like a huge 'great stuff' can ...

I heard a guy on the radio this morning say that the individual cans give you much more coverage per dollar than the big foam kits. My problem with the little cans is that the foam comes out like those pressurized cans of whipped cream, so it's very hard to a get neat, smooth layer of foam. Does anybody make a small can that come out more like spray paint?