First Fire In New Stove Guidelines Please

Congratulations Kimberly

 

Sweet!

 

It's not uncommon to need the door cracked when starting a cold stove, especially in warmer weather. As the chimney warms up, the draft will increase and allow the door to be closed. Way too soon think the chimney is lacking.

 

I see. I used it because I knew it was the driest I have, except for the red oak and that is in the woods.

 

Looks good to me

 

The reason I was questioning was the manual states the stove requires 15 feet of chimney; I don;t have that. Although they did not state how to measure that 15 feet. Including the tee section; and excluding the distance between the top of the stove and the thimble, I have 10 feet.

 

Yes, but even after the fire was really burning, shutting the door smoldered the fire. Warmer weather or colder? It is around 27F today. The chimney could not have been any warmer than 27F for sure. The manual stated to let the stove cool down before building the next break-in fires. However, I am unsure to proceed now.

 

The chimney height is measured from the stove top or the floor, to the cap, depending on the stove manufacturer. Sounds like your chimney is about 15' total height from the floor.

 

They don't say in the manual so I will send them an email and ask them to specify.

 

I would do just that, let the stove cool then try it again.
Also, don't run the clothes dryer or bathroom exhaust fans when building a fire. They pull a vacuum on the house which kills the draft.

 

If your chimney is a little shorter than recommend, it may still draw fine. Some short chimneys do.
When you close the door, the fire will die down (some) immediately. As long as it continues to burn, the stove and chimney will continue to heat up and increase the draft. Which should increase the flames. From a cold stove it takes awhile (20 min?) to get everything warmed up and well established. With practice, it goes faster.

 

Kimberly, the elbow and T effectively reduce the overall height by at least 2-3'.
The Englander 30NC flue is measured from the floor the stove sits on, but I don't know about the Madison.

 

I have not hooked up to outside air; I would need to buy the kit for that. Does having an outside air hookup make a difference?

 

OK, then that does mean I am too short.

 

I am going to build another small fire. Maybe I should do a video of the burn; can I attach a mov file that can be downloaded and played?

 

Yes, an outside air kit (OAK) will lessen the effects of the vacuum. Just avoid the vacuum for now (while lighting the stove).

 

It's common for the first few fires to be harder to establish as you're curing the firebrick. A decent ashbed helps in some stoves as well. Which you'll have soon enough.

 

You'll need to create an account on Youtube or somewhere that hosts vids, load the video there, then link it here.
Oh, and the manual for the "01" version of your stove (I haven't found the "02" yet) shows this:

"We require a minimum chimney height of 15.0 ft. Chimney systems shorter than this
may not create the amount of draft which is required to operate this wood burning unit."

 

Key words "May not"....