I mentioned above about my latest experiment that was, slamming my MPD shut, B4 bed. I'm still doing it, and altho the "quality" of the fire seems a little erratic still in the mornings, I do think it's an improvement. Also, the trimmed bottom of the hopper, gives another "fat" inch to the exposed coal bed, and if nothing more, puts on a nicer show with the blue ladies.I still haven't shut the stove down for de-ashing, so it's not surprising it's cooling down in the wee hours of the morning, but it does definitely hold the ash on the grates longer. Is that a good thing? Is it insulating the bed, and holding some heat? Not sure. The other morning, with absolutely no changes in anything (compared to previous nights), before bed, I awoke to a fairly healthy coal bed, and still making about 300* on the heat exchanger. Why was it better? You got me.
It's gunna be in the teens again tonite, and the Mrs. wants to work in the back room, which is the farthest from the stove, so I need to crank it up to about "2" on the T-knob, which is "hot" on this stove. Have a couple magnetic thermometers on both sides of the stove pipe exit, on the back of the heat exchanger. On setting 1-1,1/2 the back temps will read about 400-450, and has hit 500* after clearing the ash. When I check the actual cast iron firebox, with my IR gun above the heat exchanger, it'll read 650 and over, so I know this thing is making some heat. So with some strategically placed fans, maybe I can warm that room over 60*. it's currently 32 outside, and 58 in that room.
