Ok, so like I have said before when I burn wood in my wood burner, it seems that I need to reload it about every 2 hours or so even with the damper I have installed in the chimney and cutting off 4 of the 5 primary air ports. They are not adjustable. What are you supposed to do when you reload the stove? That is where I think I'm screwing up. As of right now when I reload my stove these are the steps I take. 1. Open the chimney damper 2. Pull all the coals to the front of the stove 3. Reload with an appropriate amount of wood. If I'm going to bed, I try to pack it full. If not I will place 3-5 pieces in depending on size. 4. Wait until the fire is raging, sometimes blowing on coals to get the flames going again. 5. Close the door when the fire is raging. Watch for the secondaries to start rolling flames. Usually the fire will die down a bit. 6. Open the door and wait for the fire to rage again. 7. Repeat steps 4-6 until all the wood is completely aflame and holding.... with the door shut. 8. Close the chimney damper about half way and watch it. Total time so far can be about 5-10 minutes. Usually the secondaries are going pretty good. If not and fire is dying, open the door again and go back to steps 4-6. 9. Once the fire is hot enough to hold and roll secondaries with the door and damper shut, finally let it burn. (Damper may only be 1/2-3/4 shut.) 10. This is what it looks like when I usually leave it alone. Here is a picture of the stove fully aflame and damper shut all the way. It looks as though the air inside is on fire not the wood. Now, I have seen some videos of stoves burning with almost no flames. Should I just load it with wood and walk away? Am I wrong getting the whole thing raging before I walk away? I thought that anything other than a very hot burn created creosote. I lost...and probably working too hard. Help please!!
Steve, I think your problem is in your thinking about running the stove. It appears what you are doing is simply burning up the wood before you are ready to let the stove do what it was designed to do. One big point is your last statement about burning hot so no creosote. Burning hot is not the key to this; burning dry wood is all it takes. And if the wood is dry, you can burn low and then enjoy the heat rather than sending most of it up the chimney like it appears is happening. In answer to the above: 4. The fire does not have to be raging! It needs to be burning but after it gets started real good, then it is up to the secondaries to cause the raging fire. Don't think you have to give full draft other than when you are starting the fire. Do you use temperature gauges on the stove and flue? If not, do yourself a favor and get at least one good one and place on the flue then keep watch of it Chances are you very well may be getting that flue too hot! Most are designed to not get over 500-600. Also, always remember that when you have the drat open full, you are not getting much heat from the stove. Why? Because you are rushing that heat up through the chimney. 5 through 10. Close the door when the fire is raging? WRONG!!!! Get the fire going and then shut the door! Quit depending on getting the air through the firebox door. This is not how the stove is designed to run. Once more, make sure you are burning good dry wood. It can help if some of the starting wood is kindling wood and also some type of wood that is quick to light off and burns fairly hot. The 2 I like most are pine or soft maple and I tend to use soft maple for kindling. That is because it dries fast, is very easy to split , it lights off fast and burns hot. I will also use a good fire starter like super cedars and use 1/4 of one super cedar to get the fire started. To start the fire like I did this morning, I laid 2 splits of pine in the bottom bark down, forming a slight V. then laid 1/4 super cedar in the V and lit it. The 2 small splits on top, being careful to not snuff out the fire. Then I closed the door and waited. Of course the draft was open full. Within 10 minutes I had to turn down the draft lest the flue get too hot. Once the stove top got to 200-250, this is where you are ready to get some serious heat! I then set the draft to approximately 1/4 of the way to full. In my case we have a cat so I then close the bypass which will light the cat (In your case you would be really be starting your secondaries good.) At this point the stove top temperature will then begin raising fast and you will like it. After maybe 5 minutes or so, depending on the fire, I'll cut the draft a bit more and go to bed. Steve, I really hope this helps you and it should. Also, have you ever read the Primer on Woodburning by Backwoods Savage
What type of stove is this, is it one of those that have no control over the air entering the stove? He never says anything about controlling the primary air in his description of running the stove, I know they make stoves with no control over the air entering the stove. I assume the damper he is referring to is in the stove pipe. Confused here as always!
My routine is get it going. Immediately shut the door. Run it air control wide open for 3-5 minutes depending on what type of wood I loaded. Then shut it down. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Been trying to find his stove on the net to no avail, the emblem on his is not on the ones I have found however they still make the stoves with no draft control so assuming from what he stated he has none. Anyone familiar with this type of stove have any input? If I misunderstood this ignore me.
Yes, this stove has no control for air, not primary, not secondary. I installed a damper in the flue and also covered 4 of the 5 primary air holes. Before I did that, all wood was gone in about an hour, and there was almost no heat coming from the stove. It was all going up the chimney .
Unregulated burn unit? If this is the case (no manual primary air control). Close the door on initial sustained flame and walk away. If your wood is correctly seasoned (dry) the stove will self regulate the burn. Yaaaaaaaaaaa. Ok...... Anyway, all your door open/door closed/flame on/flame off etc. indicates (perhaps) wet wood and entirely toooo much futzing to me. Let us know if this is the type of unit your are attempting to run. The pipe damper is theoretically unnecessary and may be complicating your efforts. I still can't believe these models are being sold. Interested to hear back on this one EDIT: my post is tardy. You have a handful going on with that stove. You don't want to hear my recommendation ... Bet you can figure it out however!
My current burn. I took your advice this afternoon when I got home from work BackwoodsSavage. Its burning a heck of a lot slower but it is actually holding. And its ticking like its still getting hotter. And the secondaries are puffing. Usually when I shut the door the fire goes out then I get tons of smoke up the chimney. Thats why I do the whole door open /door closed charade. I will let you all know what happens with this. And when I need to reload.
Trade it off for a new stove if you can, they are a unique stove to say the least, they are going to burn hot to pass the EPA reg., this type of stove should not be on the market IMHO. First I heard of this type of stove several years ago I thought the guy was full of crap but then he posted the info., I was at a loss for words and that is not easy for me.
(Without reading through all the posts) Do you have one of these (key damper) in your single wall stove pipe? My drolet eldorado epa stove would burn much as you describe. Fast and load every 2 hours. I installed one of these (years ago) and it made all the difference in the world.
I believe he does have a flue damper, your Drolet had adjustable primary air control correct, his US Stove has no control what so ever other then blocking off the holes, makes it hard to adjust for the varying conditions with running a wood stove. Kinda like putting a brick on your gas pedal in your car and hanging on for the ride.
