I purchased a Buck FS-21 last year. I had some health issues and didn't really get into playing with it much last season. This year I have started to play with the damper. Inlet damper: If I have it near or fully open, I get a lot of heat, but it is very thirsty and very little secondary burn. If I throttle back to 1/2 way, I seem to give a lot of heat, no smoke and s good secondary burn. In fact I think I get more heat out at a 1/2 open setting. Is this what you would expect from an secondary burn stove? The last couple of days it has been in the mid to lower 40s. Just cold enough that a fire feels good but not cold enough to require a lot of heat output. I have been running perhaps 80% to 90% closed on the inlet damper. Wood is lasting longer and it is keeping the house warm. I do have some smoke and the window tends to fog over at this setting. Should I be concerned about the smoke and creosote build up at this setting? Burning shoulder wood at this time that is mainly Ash and running 19.5 to 21.5 on my meter. My main wood is well seasoned averaging 17%. When fed the good stuff it will drive me out with the temps we are having.
You are on the right track. Keep in mind with a higher volume of air (damper open) more cold air is coming in and cooling the stove. Close the damper and box heat goes up increasing off gassing for the secondaries....... It's a learning curve but your on the right track.
As far as creosote goes, 80-90% setting should be ok. Just get a good sweep schedule and follow it. Here in central pa I do once at Christmas and again after the heating season ends...
I think you’re getting it done based on your (really smart) observations. A little fine tuning as you get to know your setup and you’re golden. I always liked those stoves but you don’t see many people on here with them. Pics?
I run a Buck 81. I got much better results with an inline flue damper installed on top of the stove. I can run the inlet damper a bit more open and the outlet damper slows the heat loss up the chimney. Agree with bobdog2o02 about too much airflow not being as good. Insert or freestanding install? Are you running a blower on that? Unfortunately if a blower is an option, it seems that you're better off getting one as the air channel ends up acting as an insulation layer reducing radiant heat without a blower running. JMHO.
I had the chimney swept when installed last year and again before this year began. The sweep said it didn't really need it swept. The old stove would of had it pretty dirty. I contributed it to the new stove and better wood. It has the blower option installed. My observations are telling me that it likes around a 50% setting for optimum heat and burn. Will have to fine tune. Last year there were installation problems the 1st 2 months of the season. They got it fixed in Jan. after I complained about the stove. I then went into the hospital for major surgery. My poor wife had to tote the wood. All I felt like doing was watch the fire after being released. Healed up now and getting into finding out what she likes.
EPA stoves are a little different to run as you have already noticed. Once the firebox is up to operating temp (500-600* stove top temp) you will actually get the most heat out of it by cutting the air down as you have noticed...you will have to play with it a little to find out what your minimum settings will be, cut it back slowly, not all at once. Cutting back 25% every couple minutes works good for most stoves. The dryer the wood and the colder it is outside the lower you can set it. If the fire dies then just open it back up until it re-establishes, then cut it down slowly again. Over time you will find out what your normal minimum settings are. If you can get the fire to shift from mostly on the bottom, to mostly on the top, you are doing it right
You’re talking about coals to secondaries correct? Normally at night its me throwing one or two log in and letting it be, depending on the log, I just give it a little air. Then Id rather just go to bed. Seems to do just fine, the heat in the house is quite mild on wake up. So I know I sealed up my doors well!
With the el dorado (epa) in the basement, I had too much draft.....masonry chimney through a two story house with above attic. I installed a flue damper just as stuckinthemuck mentioned and the results were much better for heat output and less fuel consumption May be something to keep in mind in the future months....
Before the coals stage, right after a re-load. Get the wood burning and then slowly cut the air back until most of the fire is up by the baffle and only a little fire down on the wood.
Ok I was seeing more control with the smoky restart but the wood was dry enough to just light pretty well. I noticed my stove seems to give it too much air on certain woods. Others its not so bad. Again hardwoods react better.
As long as you're getting it burning first, and then gradually cutting the air back 80-90%, you're doing it right. A stove top thermometer will help you to know what's happening.
Its mostly me cutting it down in quarters. So i grabbed some soapstone and marked this out. See here. Just after I took this I tuned it from 75%open to 25%open but we know that’s not true. Just my air engagement is pretty flexible as I am able to slow this down but UP TO A POINT. A 1/2 loaded stove brings it up past a comfortable temp. Its a weird thing but I don’t feel like Im breaking any rules, just gear-wise this might be ok. It doesn’t last long though. Just flexing.
