Kinda new to wood stoves, just wondering everyone’s technique for burning their wood stoves. I understand every wood stove is different. I have a Heartstone GM 60 venting into a inside taricotta chimney. Its a soap stone stove. I find I really have to get the stove hot and have a blazing fire going for a few minutes 10-15 sometimes more before I can engage the cat and start cutting back on the air. So it stays burning nicely. I don’t like seeing a struggling fire. I feel like that will cause creosote build up. all my firewood is 18% moisture or less I find any closer to 20% is to wet. I wont even attempt to burn 22%+ Do you all get every reload burning hot and bright before you cut it back? Any pointers or experience would be great. This is my second year burning.
This is only my second year season as well. I have to do the same in my Absolute Steel. I think you have to do it with most cat stoves...get most of the load ablaze so that it sustains after throwing the cat. And you can't make too many air changes at once, or too quick. All this especially when first lighting a stove. Also, I've always heard that you need to bring the temp up on the stone stoves slowly so you don't shock the stone. Reloading on a nice bed of hot coals is a bit different, since the stove (and cat) is already warm/hot and the load gets going faster. I don't get to load on big coals very much due to my setup and timing. I'm sure long time burners will be chiming in soon....
Cats usually require 500 degrees to work. On our soapstone stove we have a stove thermometer placed in center on top and also watch the flue temp (single wall) and want that to be around 400 degrees. When these 2 requirements are met, the cat is engaged and the draft set low. On reloads it depends on the situation. If the stovetop temp is well over 300 degrees with lots of coals and maybe still a little wood we would then engage the cat right away. Otherwise we would wait around 10 minutes before engaging the cat. Regardless, always pay attention to the temp of stovetop and flue. I hope this helps. It has worked well for us and we are on the 17th year with this stove (Woodstock Fireview).
When I was burning cat stoves most of the time after engaging I would burn on high for a bit before turning the air down to my desired setting. This helps make sure the cat is lit off and prevent stalling.
If you have a way to do it, would it be possible to get your stove to cruise, then take temperatures from your normal places (please list them) as well as the front, both sides, and rear of the stove? I just want to see some numbers for comparison on your stove to see how the rest of the stone correlates to the stove top and stove pipe. You might also give me house sq ft, as well as OAT and IAT’s. This information would be useful to see how well your stove would work in my house. It would be much appreciated if you have an IR temperature gun and can provide this information. Thank you!
Something I've never done. The reasoning is I have a horizontal flue so with the temp gauge on top it will no doubt show heat before a vertical flue. So when I engage the flue temp is already 400-500 and I don't want it higher. I will usually turn the draft to 1 then dial it lower a bit later.
I have not forgotten your request. I suspect I either have to tear this house apart to find my IR gun or realize I loaned it and it did not return. If worse comes to worse, I'll just buy a new one.
These wood stoves sure are interesting. When I put the wood in especially in the morning on coals I need to get it really hot so it will stay burning. A few times Ive had the stack thermometer in the red but usually its well into the green before the cat is half way into the burn zone. I find if I engage the cat to early when the fire is roaring the fire doesn’t keep burning or it does but no hot enough for the secondary to ignite. I almost feel like with these new cat stoves 20% moisture is no longer the rule. Under 18 is needed under 16 is where the fire really gets going. Most of my wood is 18-20% some times i pick up a heavy one that one gets thrown aside.
Yeah, I usually go make a cup of coffee or tea and them come back and tone it down to where it needs to be. Neither of my stoves are cat stoves and Virginia is not going to run out of coal for a very long time.
