NC30 and coals

So, I know all about the "rake the coals forward and put a split on top e/w" trick.
However, it takes several shots at this to make a big enough dent to get a good load in the stove. I greatly dislike the idea of shoveling out all those nice hot coals, but when it's cold, coals ain't cuttin' it for heat.
Any other advice?
Oh, and since it's gotten cold, the OAK is acting like a little condenser and dripping water. I was concerned about this before I put it in, and it's now reality. I used some spray foam around the intake "tube", but the flex line is doing the same thing. Somebody stop the madness.
Warm air colliding with the cold material....same as the aluminum window frames.

 

I have noticed the same thing with the IS, the coals are big and they take up a lot of room. In the mornings I have been opening the air damper full and letting this take the coals down a smaller size, I get a little more heat out of them but not much. After an hour of that I load up for the next 12 hrs. I'm not sure what temps you have but I have about 66-68 in the mornings about 7 am. This morning was cooler, 64, we had some serious winds overnight. I don't like to shovel out the big coals either.

 

This is some what normal with the EPA stoves (there is a description of this on wood heat.org) when driven hard, now that I have a stove that works like its supposed to I no longer have the problem.
The house and stove need to be "as one" so the house is warm enough for the stove to cycle down to coals before a reload.
One big PITA if it does not work that way.

 

Add more insulation and close up those air leaks. Best solution for coal build up.

 

So, you guys are telling me my house is leaky?
I prefer to refer to it as "The Sieve", or "The Colander"....thank you very much.
Kinda thought so.
If the house didn't cool so quickly, the blower could pull more heat off the stove full of coals for a longer time.
Still learnin' and burnin". And insulating.
I pulled the foam strips off the attic hatch a few days ago, and when I turn on the attic light, I can see it through the gaps. Lets say it together......"Chimney effect".
Gotta' be sucking a lot of warm air out. I'll be making a cover soon.

 

Mine is not much better, 1880's balloon frame .

 

I had a

Insulated curtains an option?

 

My post was more for Dave. He is heating 1300 sq ft with a 3.5 cu ft stove. Coaling should rarely be an issue. Dave knows this. I was just gently reminding him.

 

Well, 2-3 splits later, and about 4 hrs. later, and the coal bed seems to be reduced to the point I can load more wood.
Outside is right around freezing (we're getting a warm spell for a couple days), so not as much heat required. The house is just above 72 adding one small split every 1.5 hours or so.

 

I know this is Daves thread but it made me think of my setup too.
The learning curve never ends when you read stuff here.

 

Yeah, Bbar and I have an "understanding" on our insulation woes. He seems to be getting a handle on his though.

 

I'm reading this as I take breaks between cursing and screaming in the spring room while I attempt to insulate the ceiling with batts... And cutting my self with a knife, and hitting myself in the face with a 2x4', and nearly cutting the washer hose with the staple gun, and nearly falling off a ladder.

It's like a one man production of a Three Stooges episode...

 

Sounds like my daily routine.
I now have the "wet wall" between the laundry and bathroom partly torn apart for some venting upgrades.
Doing that was NOT pretty, but when is any remod pretty at that stage? I plan to seal up anything even resembling an air leak while doing it. I hope to come out fairly unscathed.
Probably won't happen.

 

Can't help it, BrowningBar: Had a vivid picture of you with your head in the attic grabbing at bats as they swooped past, and trying to stuff them between joists for insulation...lots of air space, anyway!

 

PapaDave: I'm sure you know this, but just in case...If I have coals build up, for whatever reason, I push the largest coals to the back, run my shovel along the floor of the stove in front until the remaining coals fall of the shovel and it is piled high with light gray ash from the bottom of the stove. Rinse, repeat, until the gray ash along the entire front (My stove is a side loader, front loader you'd do this from side to side) has been removed. Then rake the large coals from the middle toward the front, and repeat the process with the middle of the stove. Once all that gray ash is removed, repeat with the back of the stove. I now have a manageable coal bed that is no more than half as deep. I add a few 1 to 2 inch branches that are good and dry and burn with the air about 1/3 open for an hour or so, and get a good stove top temp with lots of heat. Then I reload.

 

Thanks sherwood. Yep, done that. Yesterday, actually.
I really hate throwing away heat.
Should have more opportunity to get some more insulating done this winter.....I hope. Lots of projects to finish.

 

The resulting guano might provide some insulative properties.