Making Room for Surdiac Gotha 513

Shortening the hopper should give a deeper bed of coal for longer burns, but you may have to place something across the front to prevent coal from spilling out.

The "new" hopper is going to be the only slightly higher than the one that is in the stove now. The plan is to be able to use a nut/pea mix when needed.

Tim

The 2 times I chopped it, I used one of my worn-out 7 1/4" circular saws, with a mason wheel on it. It cut it easily. But if you have the opportunity to get it chopped and widened, more power to you. Jump on that. I can't wait to hear results with nut/pea. Good luck Tim.

If I get the hopper back tomorrow night, I plan on swapping it out hopefully before the weekend as it is calling for frigid temps. If not, ill just turn the Surdiac up. Since 1/30/16, dial has been set on 0.5 and heat exchanger has not gotten over 300 degrees, but house has been a toasty warm. The dining room thermo where stove sits has read between 80-83 since 1/30. The Koker Lite in the basement makes very short heat calls if any in a 24 hour period.

Stay warm everyone, winter is coming this weekend!

Tim

ElCamMan515 wrote:If I get the hopper back tomorrow night, I plan on swapping it out hopefully before the weekend as it is calling for frigid temps. If not, ill just turn the Surdiac up. Since 1/30/16, dial has been set on 0.5 and heat exchanger has not gotten over 300 degrees, but house has been a toasty warm. The dining room thermo where stove sits has read between 80-83 since 1/30. The Koker Lite in the basement makes very short heat calls if any in a 24 hour period.

Stay warm everyone, winter is coming this weekend!

Tim

Show off! You're killing me Tim!

This weekend the low temps made the Surdiac and K-lite work. Surdiac has been running on 3.5-4 on the dial and has been a constant 300-400 degrees on the heat exchanger; K-lite has been running all out, but both together the house has been a constant 70+ degrees even when temps reached -30 degrees over night last night.
Stay warm everyone!

Tim

That's impressive Tim. Have you had any success with the other hopper modification?

I should have the hopper tonight, and will be swapping it out this weekend. I'll update once the swap is complete

Tim

This sight never gets old.... Post Shake Down Blues

I agree Tim. But you got to get that screen off there, so you'll have a better view.
Just put a hook or a scribe on the loose side, and give it a yank. Or a big flat blade screwdriver on the edge and twist. It's not engaged too far.

I'll take the screen off before next tending later tonight and see if I can get some better pictures.

On a side note I got the spare hopper back tonight. The shop didn't spread the opening wider as they feared it would crack the cast iron, but they did manage to cut off the distorted parts. If weather stays in the 30s to 40s this weekend I'll swap it into the stove. I forgot to take some before pictures, but see below for the after pictures.

I made need to add something to the front of firebox so coals don't spill out front door, but I'll know for sure once I get install it.

Oh yeah, that'll give you a bigger burning bed of coals. (Say that, 3 times fast ) You still may be OK in the front. Fingers crossed.

Took the metal screen off prior to shake down and snapped this picture after setting the stove for the night.

Now that temps are back above freezing I'll set stove to .5 on the dial and see if I can get 10hr burns again.

Tim

Now there's a picture, we all know and love. "Nice".

joeq wrote:Now there's a picture, we all know and love. "Nice".

I like the looks of that stove, don't know why everybody loves to hate it.