owb efficiency help

[mjs97]

i built a owb last year and after one year of use was thinking of adding a baffle to help suck up heat. i noticed i was losing heat out stack with the way mine is setup. flue exits out back of stove and then 90's up to sky 8 ft.

the flue is not in waterjacket. would change if i did it again. where gases make change is direction i notice really builds heat. so i know i am losing heat out stack. thinking of inserting a alumium baffle in flue area that runs horizontally. have water circulating thur the baffle and then back to stove. with the water circulating the alum. should suck up the heat from the gases and transfer it to the water circulating. confusing to expain. baffle would come in from end of flue cleanout so i wouldn't be messing with waterjacket. i would put a seperate pump on second zone and just have it circulate out of stove thur baffle and back in stove. don't mess with zone loop.

what do you think,
matt

 

[mjs97]

i don't think it will interfere with draft if i keep baffle small enough. also though of extending jacket so flue was in water, but it would take a lot of welding and such and might fight leaks. with baffle i could just unhook and throw it away if it doesn;t work. what are temps of gases exiting flue anyone know?

matt

 

[stonykill]

a cheap thing to try is reducing the top of the stack to 6 or even 4 inches with an adaptor/reducer. The smoke will stay in your stove longer that way. A few here have tried that with good results.

 

[MS-310]

a cheap thing to try is reducing the top of the stack to 6 or even 4 inches with an adaptor/reducer. The smoke will stay in your stove longer that way. A few here have tried that with good results.

+1

It works

 

[mjs97]

the alum. should stay cool with water flowing thur it. would copper be better. my stove is natural draft so reducing flue size would it still draft enough? right now my flue is 6x8.

matt

 

[MS-310]

I would try the flue.....But would never try the any thing but mild steel or cast steel or boiler plate for the HX....