How Well Does A Barrel Stove Work?

Welcome! Today we are testing out how well our double barrel wood stove works in our 40x30 shop. The shop is uninsulated with metal siding and a metal roof. Below are a couple links to the videos of us building the stove and installing the chimney pipe.
Here is the video of us building the stove - • Ultimate Wood Stove build
Here is the video of us installing the chimney pipe - • Installing A Wood Stov...
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[@hearthemusic9095]

Thank you for taking the time to educate us how to stay warm.

[@davidzemke2549]

Truly appreciate your work. I had a wood shop above my above the garage, that created 20 years back. I had two sets of lights, the halogen light were for the winter and heated the place nicely.

[@amidwestfamily112]

Haha yeah those halogen lights get super hot for sure! Thank you for watching!

[@Greenr0]

Add a fresh outside air intake to the heater so the oxygen thirsty stove does not create negative pressure inside the shop to suck cold air in from outside. This is a common problem of all wood stoves without fresh air intake pipe. Good video with good information though.

[@amidwestfamily112]

I have been thinking of doing that, just haven't put the time into figuring out how I would do it yet. Hopefully before the heating season starts, buts that's almost here....

[@bcubed72]

As drafty as a garage with barn doors is, doubt it makes much difference. Would make much more difference in a house.

[@brianegeberg8497]

Put a large fan in the ceiling to push the heat down.....

[@amidwestfamily112]

I would like to put up a few ceiling fans, I think that would help.

[@smirking8457]

Not only is that a huge area to heat, that's also a lot of stuff/mass inside to heat as well. A bit of roof insulation would probably go a long way toward getting that place cozy. That's a really nice setup though.

[@amidwestfamily112]

Very true, it is a large area and lots off mass that needs to be heated up when we light it up. Hopefully I can get some ceiling fans and some roof insulation in before the next cold season. Thank you for watching!

[@geraldqualls7439]

My shop is 40x40 with 12 foot walls i didn't insulated it at first I had a crew come out and do spray foam insulation in ceiling and walls then covered top to bottom with 1/2 osb. It made a 400% difference.

[@amidwestfamily112]

I would love to get the building spray foamed, I just can't afford it at this time sadly.....

[@calholli]

A better tip is to split your wood even thinner.. Split it down to about 2" diameter or 2" square pieces-- and make them Longer if you can.. You can throw a couple normal logs on the bottom on each side--- but everything else needs to be about those 2" size. Cut them long so that they fill up the majority of your stove and criss cross stack each layer of them like a grid. Cut your cross sticks the right length to fit all the way across the stove. I know it seems like a lot more work, but it's really just a different way of doing it; it's not really any harder to do. I usually toss some paper or cardboard all through the layers as I stack it. Once you light this, the fire will have so much more surface area to burn and since you stacked it in a cross grid, the air can breathe all through it well and it will burn very hot. It will burn a little quicker, but it will burn much much hotter; which is what you want on those really cold days. As all those coals pile up, it will catch your two larger logs on fire at the bottom.. Then you can throw in more custom cut sticks that fully fit the length of the stove, on top of your coals; toss in a few cross sticks and lay on yet another layers of the long sticks. See the problem is, you're just throwing in a traditional sized "log" and they are too big and chunky and don't burn very fast; which is ok for burning through the night- but you're making heat here. Cut your wood so that it custom fits your stove rather than making these "traditional" style logs.. It's worth the extra effort. Then as everything is nice and hot and you have a large bed of coals: then you can throw on a few of your normal style logs and it will burn long term, rather than burning quickly. But you don't want to put in those larger logs until your stove is unbearably hot and has a lot of coals. Otherwise --- use smaller splits like I said and it will burn much hotter and faster--- I can't stress this enough: Just try it. You should be able to get that stove cherry red at the transfer tube where it first goes up into the second barrel. Do the extra work and split your logs into smaller pieces. It's so worth it on those frozen h3llscape type of winter days. :)

[@amidwestfamily112]

Well it sounds like you have a little more experience then I, I will give your advice a shot and see how it goes. Thank you for the advice and for watching!

[@shaundamcrae3525]

I thought it performed well. I'm glad you got it finished! Stay warm!

[@amidwestfamily112]

I believe it did well for the condition of the shop, and what the weather was like. I just need to try to get some of the gaps sealed up and get the stove dialed in.

[@DeeHermanson]

Barrel stoves are great!! My Grandpa always had one going on leech lake in the super cold Minnesota 🥶 winters. Soo awesome

[@amidwestfamily112]

They are great! I just need to figure out the best way to run this one, and get the building sealed up better.

[@samkaplitz9036]

Neato!I use mine weekly in winter time.Your stove looks great!

[@BuildItFixItDIY]

Thanks for the test results. The temp was better than I expected, given the characteristics. 20° is my minimum temp where I find myself able to work without gloves so you should be able to get work done on warmer and less windy days than the day you recorded. I am hoping to get a wintertime heated area in a portion of my 32 x 48‘ uninsulated shed as well but planned on hanging plastic on the bottom of the rafters and perhaps side walls, making a bit of an enclosed envelope. One just has to watch the air quality and not make it a complete bubble.

[@amidwestfamily112]

The plastic would be good idea to try and keep the heat lower. As other people have stated, I need to get some fans in the upper area to blow some of the heat down. But it is definitely a good idea to keep an eye on the air quality.

[@roberttaylor8261]

I built many of these stoves in the 80s! Your garage is going to be raining condensation if have snow on roof! My garage has celotex an tarpaper above metal an celotex on walls. My stove is 36” long 30” gas line pipe! With 7-3” flues with a 12” partition air box on back with Squarel cage blower on back! It will heat 28x40 garage to 70* in winter when 10-20* out with 12” snow on roof!

[@PaulSlade1]

Brilliant! Thx a million😊

[@amidwestfamily112]

Thank you for watching!

[@lindayoung3783]

It is a huge area to heat, but just sitting by the stove is so relaxing.

[@amidwestfamily112]

Yes it is, just something about the crackling of the fire is soothing.

[@rodneywoids309]

Great video Happy New Year

[@amidwestfamily112]

Thank you, happy new year to you!

[@outdoorstudios2022]

Hello Greg, thanks for sharing.

[@amidwestfamily112]

Hello, thank you for watching!

[@davidpotter9462]

I made my stove out of a sandblasting tank, shortened it eight inches, and welded a semi truck tailpipe to to top and out a metal plate I made to the outside. I made a rack on top out of an old bed rail. I just got the hat on the outside pipe, it looks like a stainless steel covered wagon. Just got it on there before the snow. I used a barrel stove door kit on mine with two gaskets. I found some barbecue paint cheap, and painted it high heat white. I make skillet cornbread on it. My last one was an old gas water heater that I cut in half, and made a new end for. I use it in warmer weather to distill water and other things.

[@amidwestfamily112]

That sounds like a really nice setup you have. I still have some tinkering to do with it, but she works good so far! Thank you for watching!

[@outdoorstudios2022]

Hello Greg and family Happy New Year!

[@amidwestfamily112]

Happy new year!

[@thoughtzbytreee]

Thanks!

[@amidwestfamily112]

Thank you so much for the donation!

[@vincentmiller8679]

I think this is fantastic. If I understood correctly, you went from around -5 to 28 degrees. That is a big increase.

[@amidwestfamily112]

Yes, we were able to go from -3 to 28 degrees inside the building with the outside temperature at -12 with a windchill factor of -35/-40. Whenever we can get the building sealed up better I think it will do much better. Thank you for watching!

[@TheDrivewayEngineer]

I appreciate the video. My shop is the same size, in Michigan, and uninsulated as well. And I'm simply not going to spend 5,000 to insulate it either. I currently heat with a diesel torpedo, which does the job, and I use drain oil to run it. I also considered oil feeding one of these or a pellet stove, a good thought. For now I think I'll stick to the topredo though lol.

[@amidwestfamily112]

I have thought about doing an oil drip just haven't looked through stuff to see what I would need to get to do it yet. Thanks for watching!

[@NEUWRIGHT]

Spray in some foam and call it a day! Nice work broseph.

[@amidwestfamily112]

I would love to do that, but that isn't anywhere close in my budget haha maybe someday! Thanks for watching!

[@99.9percent9]

Run an external air supply to feed the fire cold air from outside try to create positive heat pressure by doing so. Maybe use a damper plate to control the burn rate. Fire bricks blocked around the base would heat up and slowly radiate heat after fire dies down. Insulate roof first as heat rises. Stay warm

[@amidwestfamily112]

I have thought of running a air feeder line from outside, I do have fire brick inside the burn chamber along the bottom and up the sides a little. I plan on insulating it someday, and put some fans up in the ceiling to push the heat down. Thank you for watching!

[@daleferber2096]

spray foam the underside of the roof and the inside of the gable ends I did that in my pole barn and framed up the walls and added 6 inches of fiber glass under OSB sheathing It made huge difference otherwise on 0 degree day you are never going to get any warmer than the inside of refrigerator

[@amidwestfamily112]

Someday that is my plan, insulation osb and ceiling fans.

[@stevenbell721]

Enclose the fan with a shroud to maximize your heated air movement. But that did great 👍 to get 30 degrees out of it, with an unsealed shop.

[@amidwestfamily112]

If I don't keep an eye on the temp gauge the fan will take to much heat and the chimney will go cold. But that was my original plan to do.

[@carrievornkahl6442]

That's a huge room to warm up

[@amidwestfamily112]

There is alot of space and objects to heat up when it's that cold. We just need to get the building sealed up better.

[@thoughtzbytreee]

Family man of many talents. Did you build the shop yourself?

[@amidwestfamily112]

I wouldn't go that far haha! No, the buildings were already on the property when we purchased it thank you for watching!

[@CrackerFL]

Sooo it actually heated the building almost 30° If you could make a cone in back so fan would blow more directly into the tubes!

[@michaelbard420]

I’ve just built myself something similar and have burned 20 days or so out of the last month. I’ve already had some creosote building up in the flu and had to burn it off the other day. Mine runs at around 400 degrees maybe 450 right off the second barrel but after 45 minutes of my blower being on, that same spot reads 250 or less. So I end up burning colder then intended. I’m installing a thermometer to shut the blower on and off. For air intake I have the vents on the door plus the big 2.5 inch hole both full open. Damper full open. If I throttle damper even a bit, It cools down. Woods dry and bottom barrels usually half full. Feeding every hour. Thing eats wood. Heats my shop to 70 though when it’s 25 outside. Im curious how yours is working out for you and what temperatures you run? Have you encountered the same issues I’m having with creasote?

[@amidwestfamily112]

The stove I built is about the same, if I don't keep alot of flames going the chimney will get to cold. I seem to battle the turning the fan on and off and trying to keep the fire at a good level. I have temporarily plugged some of the heat exchanger tubes to try and not remove too much heat from the exhaust. I have not looked in the chimney so I don't know what the inside looks like. I usually have the vents open on the door and the door open a couple inches with the 2.5 inch bung open with the flue open all the way. If you find the right combination please let us know!

[@user-tx9yu8mp7y]

Ceiling fan and put at minimum some R11 insulation on the ceiling. It doesn’t have to be perfect but it’ll raise your temp 20+ degrees. Mine doesn’t sweat either in the summer because I have some openings but it’ll make a big difference

[@user-tx9yu8mp7y]

Oh and at the bottom of the sheet metal I filled the big V gaps with expanding foam for the drafts

[@amidwestfamily112]

I plan on insulating it someday and putting ceiling fans up would definitely help year round. If you foamed the bottom of the tin how does your roof breath?

[@andrewkennedy3859]

this is great, i saw this and pool heater videos have convection water currents and water pump with coil around fire barrel, well just put the coil on top of the stove or burn barrel, integrate something like half a dozen car radiations that can take the heat, just put them directly on top of the flames, in the middle of the flames, something like car radiators with tons of surface area, hit with fan, would turn up the efficiency of the wood burner a lot, need the best heat exchangers possible on the way out the chimney catch the temperature heat before it is lost, probably limit to putting heat catchers on top way out the chimney, and also can create jet burn barrel whatever want to call it, has no smoke, clean burning, probably love more air in the combustion chamber, become hotter have no smoke clean burning, or cleaner burning,

[@amidwestfamily112]

I have been researching a rocket stove style stove for our house but haven't done anything for it yet. The radiator set up would probably work well, can't say I thought of that. Thanks for watching!

[@andrewkennedy3859]

Yes this is great, i would suggest looking at videos for wood stoves that have some chimney heat recovery witch i think is an improvement, and there are some videos of wood fuel used for pool heating, i was looking at these DIY videos, i got thinking some one needs to just start puttting the heat exchanger for these stoves in direct contact with the flames, i think 95% heat is lost wasted, my imagination thinking up the surface area, had 5 car radiator looking objests red hot, with fan hitting it would be really great at transferring heat from wood stove, i use clothes lines indoors year round works fine, think Eskimo freezer is free, needs to be looked at for huge grocery stores, running a heat pump with banked snow/ice for AC work very good, vice versa, bank up heat from summer in sand silo, doozy, ban federal state tax with holding for 16 months, money is locked up no interest, min get 5% high yeild savings, or T bonds, don't know how that stuff works, stock market, have big cliff to go off, learning hike, if every wood stove doubled efficiency be great, can burn tires clean burning, hot heat, recycling old tires, no smoke. @@amidwestfamily112

[@zzetterberg]

start by taking air from outside to the burner. so you don't have to suck in cold air. check the wood stove, they take air from the outside, then build up a space around the burner and fill it with sand. so you cook a lot of energy that spreads when the fire is out. and spots in the ceiling that push the heat down.

[@amidwestfamily112]

I have thought of doing a outside air intake for it and for the time being try to put some ceiling fans in to push the heat back down. The bottom barrel has sand and fire brick in it to help retain some heat.

[@matthewconnor5483]

Could stack up brick around it and then fill the space with sand. Would be several hundred pounds of mass. Would give a more even heat and potentially a hotter, cleaner burn.

[@johnbutler5208]

Hard to overcome those kind of temps

[@amidwestfamily112]

A better sealed building and some insulation would make a huge difference I think. Thank you for watching!

[@johnbutler5208]

With those Temps you might have to make two stoves.

[@amidwestfamily112]

@@johnbutler5208 if I could get it insulated and the holes sealed up with a couple fans in the ceiling I think we would be good 👍

[@KPHVAC]

Seal that shop up and put in some good insulation! It's the best upgrade you can do.

[@amidwestfamily112]

Both of those are on my wish list to get done someday haha!

[@Newbgainer]

Spray foam the roof and it will make a difference. Had mine done and my inside temp went up like 7°. Putting up foam board 1 sheet as I I can afford it.

[@amidwestfamily112]

Yes that would be nice, hopefully I can slowly start getting some foam boards and get the walls and stuff started.

[@ryanrich9186]

Ever wonder why they put fan shrouds in cars? This is a perfect example of the lack of that concept. The fan on the back, GREAT idea and I'm totally going to use that, but the air it's moving is minimally effecting the heat transfer... much of the heat is still going right out the pipe instead of being wicked away through the air pipes. Think about using a scrap piece of tin or something to shroud the fan to the back of the barrel, force more air movement through those pipes.

[@amidwestfamily112]

I have thought of putting a shroud around the fan during the build process, but wanted to see how well everything worked before I bought a piece of steel to make one. As it turns out the current way it is set up the fan wicks away almost too much heat without a shroud. The stack temp drops considerably when the fan is on low I have not ran the fan on medium or high yet. If I can figure out a way to keep the stack temperature high enough to keep the creosote low, keep a good draft and leave the fan on, I would consider putting a shroud on it.

[@ryanrich9186]

@@amidwestfamily112 Wait so an open fan cools it off that fast? Wow... that's unexpected... science. Most of the video, it appears you were running it with the door wide open, any hotter and I assume the barrel would start melting... do you think a baffle after the heat exchanger would make any kind of difference? Something to slow the heat from going right out the top...

[@amidwestfamily112]

@@ryanrich9186 I run the door as far open as I can before it starts letting smoke out of the door. A baffle might help, I have also thought of adding another flue pipe from the bottom barrel to the top barrel. I am still exploring and experimenting with it, so helpfully I can figure out the optimal set up!

[@ryanrich9186]

@@amidwestfamily112 make sure to content what you are trying, this is gold for people like us

[@rockman531]

Your stove is awesome! You might think about moving your thermometer. Being so close to the sheet metal siding - it's probably not giving you an accurate indoor reading. Take Care, Stay warm. Jim

[@amidwestfamily112]

That could very well be, I will look for a different spot for it next time I go down there. Thank you for watching!

[@jasonlarsen5739]

Pro tip ..take the 2" blk pipe intake to the outside with a ball valve in between for regulating. That's what I got. It's the bomb

[@amidwestfamily112]

So you think it helped alot?

[@jasonlarsen5739]

Before I had a 20' flexible drainage tube 4"adapted to 2""pipe after the same ball valve and it would just lay on the floor to about 20 foot away from the firebox and I could feel the draw. Now with it piped outside I don't feel the draw but also I know I'm not venting my warm air outside through my flu pipe. My barrel stove rips in my shop anyways I burn hedge and locust and it's not uncommon for the side walls to get close to 1,000°

[@burtvhulberthyhbn7583]

That barrel stove is your only hope. I had a single barrel stove with over 22 ft of pipe

[@amidwestfamily112]

It does a good job for the building not being sealed up or insulated!

[@burtvhulberthyhbn7583]

@@amidwestfamily112 yes you'd have to do huge amounts of insulation to mitigate all the bare steel. Spray foam maybe or if possible don't work in there in extreme weather?

[@mattmiller-iv9qz]

400/500 is a good running temp

[@amidwestfamily112]

I would agree, just keeping it there is the hard part.

[@mattmiller-iv9qz]

you need to insulate the garge or barn and try to make wind barriors out of flexable materal like rubber

[@mattmiller-iv9qz]

also put a vapor barrier

[@amidwestfamily112]

@@mattmiller-iv9qz yes insulation would help alot, it's on my list of things I would like to do hopefully I can do it sooner rather than later!

[@daleferber2096]

Use roll up doors

[@amidwestfamily112]

Roll up doors are on my wish list for sure!

[@whiteslick00]

put some ceiling fans in that will push the heat down and make a big difference !

[@amidwestfamily112]

Yes! I do need to do that, it is on my list to do. Thank you for watching!

[@calholli]

@@amidwestfamily112 I agree.. I would put in a fan before doing the garage doors. If you just climb a ladder up near you peak after burning the fire for an hour or two --- you would be shocked at how hot it is up high. Literally a 30 degree difference. All that heat rises and just stays up there. Even just pointing a strong fan up there- from the ground- would circulate some of that hot air and push it back down.

[@amidwestfamily112]

@@calholli yes that would make a big difference also

[@craiglowrey9550]

YUP, insulation is the word of the day. You're pretty much heating the outdoors, losing heat through the metal. But, that's a GREAT stove!

[@amidwestfamily112]

Thank you! Yeah hopefully we can get it insulated and vented soon!

[@kenterline64]

Using propane to start a fire..........Really?

[@patrickandkennafenwick3958]

the title of the vid is "How Well Does A Barrel Stove Work?" I don't give a shit if you plan on plugging the cracks around your door I came to see HOW IT WORKS

[@amidwestfamily112]

Enough said, thank you for watching!