hey guys, first posting on here and looking for some wisdom. I recently installed a Osburn 2400 insert into my fireplace. There was an existing 8" stainless liner in there and I didnt have the extra $$ for the recommended 6" liner so I installed it with a 6"-8" adapter. My chimney is within my house and about 30 feet tall. Im concerned as I start burning this year that the draft on my stove is too high but I dont know how to test the draft. This year I'm burning mostly maple and a good overnight load is only running about 4 hours max. I thought about installing a key damper until I can get the correct liner. But end of the day Im not sure if thats a good idea, our stove burns 24/7 all winter so making sure its running correctly makes a big difference on the amount of wood we burn and Im just not sure the best solution. Thanks guys
Welcome to the club coldcreature! Calling Well Seasoned, brenndatomu, double-d.... I would think a key damper would work until you can get a 6" ss liner installed. However I am fairly inexperienced in these issues so I would take my advice with some caution. Someone will be along shortly with more experience and be able to advise you better. I think you'll like that Osburn. I have a 2200 freestanding and so far it works great. I heat from my basement which is a challenge. It will be interesting to see how it does when the real cold sets in.
Welcome coldcreature ! Yeah I bet that 8" is gonna drive you nuts...worth a try though, might be fine. I would bet it will have high draft until you damper it down, then it will fall on its face and you'll have low draft. This is due to the extra volume of the 8", almost double that of a 6" (50 sq inches vs 27) it is hard for a stove meant to run on a 6" to keep the flue warm once things are in "cruise" mode. Any idea if the 8" is insulated? That would help if it was.
Thanks guys. The current liner is not insulated. That was actually my concern that dampening the flue would not allow enough heat up to keep the draft going. So far I love the insert, the floor of my fireplace isnt raised above the rest of the floor so I think the stove sits a bit low, but thats not really the stoves fault. We heat from our living room, I live in a 1870's farm house so between the drafty windows, high ceilings, and small doorways moving heat is tough. Im not sure the stove will be able to heat the whole house when the temps really drop but we're gonna try.
First off, welcome aboard coldcreature . Can you tell us how you're using the insert? 4 hours max doesn't seem too bad for that size, but what exactly do you mean by that. Is that from light off to the stove temp not heating the house, or where you no longer have flame? Are you filling the stove, and with what? Length of burn can vary quite a bit depending on the wood you burn. Sorry for all the questions, but details matter. So, this suggests you may be running the stove with a lot of flame? Big, drafty, possibly not well insulated........... More info please.
The 4 hours starts at loading wood into the hot stove and ends at there still being enough coals to not need to use a lighter to get it going again. This year most of my wood is red maple and I pack it in as tight as I can. I let the wood get going and the reburn tubes light, then I close the intake all the way down. I dont feel like the stove is doing necessarily bad, I just fell like with my flue not being correct, it could probably be better.
Ok, I was thinking of a smaller Osburn. That's a pretty big firebox, virtually the same as the 30-NC. When I'm burning Red Maple, I can fully load the box and burn it down in about that same time frame, and the coals continue to keep this little place warm for at least another couple hours. You'll be fighting those drafty windows, etc., even with a large firebox. I'd consider insulation and windows ASAP, as money allows. I'm sure some others on here will chime in as they see this thread.
Yea windows are high on our list, I have 26 windows that 140ish years old so they are pretty significant source of cold air, lol. Thanks again all for helping out.
The large pipe actually reduces draft, rather than increases. But it is a long chimney, which tends to increase draft. I am betting that the net result will be a weak draft, especially on low burns. But I am neither a gambler nor a stove expert, so who knows? Give it a good try, and see what happens.
Welcome to the club, coldcreature . I think your gonna like it here. Can you shut doors to rooms you don't use? 2nd floor?
Hey TurboDiesel. We do shut doors as much as possible and I also put the plastic film over our windows, that helps. I may try to do a couple of the really bad ones over the winter.
Welcome, coldcreature. You certainly came to the right place. Great bunch of people with lots of knowledge and experience.
bushpilot is correct, if the liner is larger than the stove outlet, then you will get a slower draft, but the tall chimney will help increase the draft. I'd try if for a season, and see how it works for you.
