Production Woodstock IS

Quick update on the backwards method: I like it a lot and it works really well, at least for me, my firewood and my stove setup.

Rake all the coals to the back of the stove and bank them at a fairly steep angle. I use a regular, full length garden hoe for this as it makes it easier and faster, and keeps me away from the radiant heat while doing it. Then pack the stove as full as I can, loading E/W. Open the draft, bypass and perhaps a bit of air from underneath (just a tad now.... ) and the fresh splits will catch quite quickly. As the flue temp. comes up, set the draft to 5/8 and wait for the flue to again reach the target temp. (I normally use about 625F), then close the bypass and re-open the draft. The cat lights immediately and the flue temp. again drops; when the flue temp. starts to climb again set the draft for the burn you want and the stove will run very steadily for a long time. This whole thing only takes about 15 minutes and is by far the fastest way I have found to get a fresh load of fire wood engaged in this stove.

During this last cold snap, I have been loading at 9:30 and getting up to find the house around 72, 74F in the morning with lots of coals left to re-start the next fire.

Brian

 

You piling the coals as high as you can hight and width of the back wall. Are you leaving any on the rest of the floor?

 

Yep, as high as they will stay. None on the floor, the goal is actually to start the fire in the back / top of the stove. I would guess that the angle of the coals is maybe 45 degrees, or perhaps a tad more (vertical). The first large split goes in on the stove floor, and I push it up against the coals to hold them in place. Then just load the stove until I cannot get another split in there.

Brian

 

Does this seem to encourage more secondary activity? I noticed that back when I had half a stove full of ash and coals, the stove reloaded A LOT easier. Since my major cleanup it seems a bit more sluggish.

 

Yes. The coals under the wood in the back of the stove start it gassing pretty quickly, and those gasses mix with secondary air to start the secondaries very quickly. The secondaries themselves then turn into little 'jets' of fire, which gets the top / rear splits involved in the fire very quickly.

The I.S. has relatively small primary air supply and large secondaries. So layering the coals in the front, piling splits on top of them and opening the draft fully just is not very effective because there is little primary air, and a lot of that does not make it all the way down to the coals, never mind under them. But the back of the stove is much more shallow, the secondaries are introduced there and in the end, this stove really burns well in a 'top down' fire. Usually to build a top down fire, the large splits are loaded, then small splits and finally kindling and something to start the fire. But in the I.S., all the coals can be on the bottom of the stove and yet in just a few minutes, the secondaries will be burning so hot and well that they actually bore little holes in any size split. The short version is that I am finding this stove has some particular things it responds to very well but they are not conventional or obvious. Or at least it was not obvious to me

As we enter spring shoulder season when we are not burning 24 /7, I plan on trying to light new fires at the top / rear of the stove and seeing if the secondaries will kick that process along faster. Again, not the normal way to run a woodstove but I think it just may be the best way to go with an I.S.

Brian

 

Wanted to share this with the extended IS family. Going to repost in correct thread but wanted to be sure everyone here see's it.

 

My favorite part about pushing the coals to the back for loading is that it seems to stop smoke spillage.

It makes sense. You throw wood on coals it will instantly smolder and smoke. Push the coals to the back and build a wall up to it and you are creating a bit of a barrier for the smoke.

 

Brian, this new method of reloading with the coals pushed to the back, does this eliminate time at the end of a burn to burn down any coals?

 

I think loading east and west seems to burn more completely when you start the fire out with coals to the back. It gets more primary air underneath the splits. I had a very successful run last night doing this (with no added air).

I actually am starting to like this better than North and South loading. Thanks for the tip BDF.

 

I do not know- I burning them down another way (at the same time the wood is burning) so I do not end up with a big pile of coals at the end of the burn. ??

Brian

 

How are your graphs looking Brian?
Is it showing a more even burn?

 

Excellent question! I am ashamed to say that I have not even looked since doing the stove mod. (hangs head in shame). Will take a look this morning though.

I do know the stove is putting out more heat overnight through because the water pot on top is empty in the morning and that never happened before.

Will look at graphs and post something later.

Brian

 

Does anyone know if their free shipping promo is like their early order program? I think it was a $250 refundable deposit?

I can put $250 down right now, but I'm not 100% sure if this is the stove I want in my next house (because I haven't found one yet. It will certainly happen before July, though.) Hate to miss out on a good promotion.

I guess I could just call and ask.

 

I don't know about the refundable deposit. But early order price PLUS free shipping? That seems like a good deal.

 

That's a great deal. It wouldn't have done much for me as it only cost me $110 to ship, but for the right person it would be significant. As far as the prices going up, I have my doubts..... they are always "on sale".

 

I think it's up to $250 on shipping to a dock, meaning no liftgate service.

But yes, a great deal all the way around.

Their sale prices are perpetual. The shipping deals are occasional.

 

For those on the west coast who considered these stoves but held off due to shipping costs, this is one great deal.

 

This is last night's graph. It has two flaws: the first is that the firebox thermocouple is failing (again) and that is why it cuts in and out. The second is that I happened to be walking by the stove at 4:30 AM or so and bumped the draft to 1/2 open; this can be seen on the graph where the stove pipe temp. increases above the stove top temp. due to more air going through the stove.

That said, note the stove top temp. between, say, midnight and 4:30 AM: a more even burn with flatter stove top temps. due to the introduction of a little bit of air under the grate to directly engage the coals.

And by the way, it was 6F this morning outside, the inside was 73F.



Now to get a tougher thermocouple for the firebox!

Brian

 

It looks like the cat had a long plataeu in this graph. You can't complain with those results

 

How are you keeping the stove top temps so low?