Ideal Steel Season #2 Tips, Tricks, and Improvements.

My IS had a huge hiccup this morning at 5am. This is the first time I've seen it backpuff like this and lift the top lid. Anyone else have this happen?
The stove 'burped" about 20 mins after a reload.

I'm also contemplating how to use oak in the deep of winter this year. I talked to a few folks at the open house about the long coaling period of oak and not getting enough heat from it.

On a side note, it's amazing how many WS IS threads that are on the site since orders were being taken, this stove has a great following on this forum.

 

Yeah but mine only did that (back-puffed) 'cause the operator opened the ash pan door to kick- start a fresh load of splits on a mostly dead bed of coals..... My experience is that the I.S. is seriously tough to get to back- puff under any kind of normal usage.

Of course, that couples directly with the fact that the I.S. makes burning coals down seriously difficult. Very little bottom air in this stove and that is both the problem and the benefit IMO.

I still think the I.S. suffers from small primaries but am now tinkering with the idea of opening up the bottom air- feeding holes in the front and [inside angle steel] part of the stove. Maybe even making the outside hole adjustable via a moving cover.

Not saying the I.S. is a bad stove in any way, just saying that it could use a tweak to help burn through the coals on the second half of a hardwood burn. For those of us trying to heat 100% with a woodstove, mixing softwoods in with the hardwood, putting small splits in the coals to burn the down and things like that are just not practical; we need a stove that we can stuff full of wood and have it keep putting out the BTU's without any kind of crutch or coaxing. As I have said before, a judicious, small amount of bottom draft seems to really help with this problem; it would be great (no pun intended with the 'grate' drafting) if that supply could be set to open, say, 4 to 6 hours after the stove was loaded and set for a long burn.

Brian

 

I would like to see an air control that varies the input sort of like the switching of an 02 sensor in a car. Open- close- open- close the whole way through the burn. The rich/lean pulses might even out the burn time. Just a random thought.

 

I've been getting a small amount of smoke but it hasn't been all that cold and my chimney is 2 foot short of the minimum. If you have cold weather and or a correct chimney there must be a weird reason why you are getting smoke spillage.

 

Speaking of pulses I've got a video of crazy secondary pulses. It was even making loud woooosh sounds to accompany it. I'll post tomorrow.

 

One of the reasons is stack effect in my house from the Woodstove being in the basement. I also have ducts in the ceiling upstairs. Recipe for disaster. This creates negative pressure in the basement. I'm looking into installing an oak. It does usually go away with colder weather. Either way that is one huge loading door.

 

When I'm home, and am not going to reload, I'll leave the door cracked open with the little handle catch provided and let the coals burn down better.

 

Here is a video of the weird secondaries the other evening. It was around 39 degrees and there really wasn't any wind. I had just engaged the cat and lowered the air to around 40%. Note the pulsing. With each pulse you could hear a whoosh sound. Anyone know the cause?

 

I never saw that. It looks like the draft hit just the right pulse frequency. I doubt it is anything to worry about. I find 39 degrees still warm to establish a real good draft.

 

Wow the new season already has 10 pages in this thread. I got some catching up to do.

Just wanted to check in quick though. The IS is still sitting on a pallet in the garage. Had some trouble locating real brick for a simple hearth extension for it. Finally picked up some last weekend, and now getting ready to build the hearth. Hopefully another week or so and the stove will be in! It's going to take the better part of a day just to clean out the room though got a whole mess of kids toys to pick up, a sectional that is like 30 foot long to move, and then the 8' long aquarium behind it to move (500+ pounds empty weight) then the sectional to go back. And then to figure out how to get the stove from the garage to the hearth solo... and without the use of my dead loader tractor. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment, err I mean I like a challenge.

 

Is it possible you have leaking stove pipe joints causing the noise?

 

I turned the air down a little and it immediately went away. I've had about 15 fires so far and it hasn't happened before or since. Only 1 fire since though. The whoosh was coming from the fireplace.

 

Looks like it was starving for air. might try opening a door or window if you don't have an OAK. just a thought!

 

Not sure why I can't edit, but its supposed to say firebox, not fireplace.

 

Looks like a weak draft or air supply. I mentioned leaking stove pipe joints because you could be leaking some of your suction somewhere making inconsistent draft. Kind of like using a straw with a hole in it.

 

My house is definitely not tight. Its about average. I could use a little more draft. I've gotta get 2 more feet of class A to meet minimum spec.

 

I'd "guess" that has something to do with the air in the rest of the house, not the stove. I know you said your hosue is not tight, but... it almost looks like a VERY tight house, with something opening up momentarily to allow air to come in, like a dryer air vent with a flap over it that is pulsating open and closed... or same on a bathroom exhaust fan or kitchen exhaust fan?? Did you have an oil burner on, or any exhaust fan vents in the house with flaps over them.... ??

 

Gas furnace in the basement.

Range hood with fan and ducting thru the roof.

Bathroom fan ducting thru the roof.

The dryer is in the same room as the stove behind fold out doors. I don't think the damper is not functioning but I'll check it out.

Both have dampers that don't let air in both on the appliance and on the vents on the roof. I know because I installed them.

I mean it's possible but I've personally tested all my windows last year with a smoke pencil because the house felt drafty. Plenty of air infiltration that way. I've only air sealed around 3 windows in the master bedroom which is the furthest room from the stove. Did that when I redid the bedroom.

Unfortunately it hasn't been cold enough yet to try to recreate this situation. That was the first time I loaded the stove up above 40% full. I've had about 14 other fires without ever seeing that.

The pulsing is rhythmic. It wasn't random. I opened up the air to 100% for a few seconds and then back down to around 40% and it didn't happen again.

 

Brand new telescopic double wall pipe from stove to ceiling support box, then 8 foot of 1 years old class a from excel. They are top of the line. Granted I would have bought something a little more inexpensive if I'd known better but the local stove shop is in one of the most affluent areas so they don't do anything cheap. I did install it myself and they inspected it after.

 

Does anyone else have whisps of smoke with their IS it's definitely not thick billowing smoke Dragon smoke but hazey smoke none the less. The cat is engaged and burning well at 1100 degrees according to the probe. Not all that concerned just something new I noticed tonight as I pulled in the driveway