Well, here it is. A full load in the PH. I'm going to shoot for a long, slow burn. The weather seems about right for it. It is 29 out right now and is suppose to hold there all night and actually warm a couple degrees by morning. The high tomorrow is right around 40. A couple potential issue with this test burn: 1. I have to work tomorrow. So, I will monitor the load until bed and again in the morning. We'll see if we make it until I get home tomorrow. If not, I will instruct my wife to note the time she turns the stove up and/or reloads. I'll also ask her to take a picture of the coals and note the stove temp if she reloads, but she is certain to roll her eyes. 2. I sometimes get the stubborn yet faint smoke smell if I run a load turned down too far. If that happens, I will need to open the draft a little bit (and subsequently maybe a window). However, all indications are that that issue with the PH has been fixed. I just haven't upgraded yet. 3. I haven't cleaned the flyash off the window in quite a while so pictures from the front aren't going to be that great. Here is the load: 7*7.5*21.5 Sugar Maple 6*6*19 Sugar Maple 5*5*21 Sugar Maple 4*7*18 Ironwood 2 small beech rounds (for filler) 4*5*19 Sugar Maple It's pretty darn full. Here are the coals that I loaded on after an 11 hour burn on just over a half load: There were actually way more than that but I shovel some ash out of the stove for the test burn. I shoveled with the stove way hotter than I normally would, so I lost quite a few coals. Stovetop was at 240 when I loaded. House was at 68 degrees: I loaded at 6:18pm. Stay tuned.
This load took a little longer to get going than normal. But, large sugar maple splits aren't know for their instant flame! After 5 minutes: After 15 minutes, I notched the draft down about 1/3. Exterior single wall flue temp at 250: Then, at the 18 minute mark, I notched the draft down to half open. After 21 minutes, I engaged the cat with the draft still half open. Exterior flue temp was 340. Just before engaging the cat, it looked like this: Just after engaging the cat, it looked liked this:
I gave it another 5 minutes with the draft half open. The flame died out to just a little off the top of the splits and some light secondaries: I'm going to give it a few here as it's not going that great and I don't want to stall the cat.
All right, I'm settled in here. A little less 40 minutes after loading (this is way longer than normal), I'm set with the draft just a hair above closed. Stovetop at 350 and climbing. Just a touch of secondaries going. Pic coming....
This^ This is a great photo. It is showing very little flame. I am very interested in knowing how this burns. Will it maintain the low burn or will it flame up and eat into the wood? Thank you for doing this.
Seems to be going just fine. Stovetop is at 400 and just slowly rising. Minimal secondaries in the back. Cat is definitely eating the smoke.
Well, I could have definitely fit more in, but I wanted it to be a realistic full load and not a search through the stacks and assemble a jigsaw puzzle full load.
My smoke shield keeps coming loose and hanging down. Woodstock doesn't want me to remove it, but I am going to as soon as I have access to a cold stove....
