Loading the stove for bedtime

I'm pretty new to this wood burning stuff, and still trying to figure out the best way to load the stove to get through the night. It's a pretty basic stove, a Pleasant Hearth 1800.

I want to load it up for at least 4 hours, with enough coals to reload when I get up in the night. My fear is loading it up and have it run up too high on the temps while we're sleeping. I don't mind if my temps run up for brief periods on rare occasions, but I don't like the idea of it happening while we're asleep.

My current routine is to load up with 2 larger splits, on a good bed of coals, with as little space between them as I can. The picture below is just an example of loading splits, with minimum space. I think with the minimum space, it will burn slower and not turn into a runaway fire. For me it's a safety thing.

I'm wondering how others load up their stove for a bedtime burn, and what I could be doing better?

 

Every EPA stove I've had I just fill as much as possible. We call that stove tetris. Leave smaller gaps, like you are doing and turn it down. It won't burn too hot, the wood just starts off gassing and that air is what burns.
Try it when you are home for the day and see what happens before attempting an overnight if that helps.

 

My draft enters the firebox at the front, top.

As such, I rake all existing coal to the front. I place 2 splits stacked, in the back of the box. Then, two splits on the coals in the front. I make sure they catch fire before closing the damper, forcing smoke and volatile through the cat. I adjust the air damper down to about half. I go to bed.

I burn red oak overnight. Most every time, there's coals 7-8hrs later for an easy reload and reliant.

 

Shortly after I got this stove, I loaded it up and was on the edge of my seat as the temps on my thermometers ran up into the red. Loading up as much as possible is something I need to build back up to. Doing a dry run during the day is a great idea.

 

My draft enters at the top front, the door wash, and there's a small inlet from the ash tray under the stove. Leaving a channel for the bottom front would probably allow me to try your method. I too, have been adjusting the air wash down before bed.

 

I have a epa tube stove. No cat here. I simply pull the coals forward, then load it up. Tetris style when possible. Close the door, leave the air open to get it started, and then close the air valve. Gtg. Wake up in the am, do the same thing.

 

When it’s below zero, I fill my Drolet 1800 to the burn tubes. Give ‘em a good char then close it down. I sleep darn well that thing is a tank. Good enough coal bed at 6 or even 7am for a fast start.

 

I'm definitely seeing a theme here, I need to fill it tetris style, which I'm sure is packed in with minimal space between splits, get it going, low air flow, and let it go. I need to do some dry runs in the day, to get my confidence up, and trust it from there.

One of my problems is, I grew up on outdoor fires that I can constantly fidget with, that habit cannot be carried over to indoors. I need to set it and forget it, with monitoring of course! I know this is indoor wood burning 101, but I haven't had anyone to tutor me, except you guys of course, and it's appreciated.

 

The tighter you pack it the slower/longer it will burn!

 

Interesting!

 

I think I've been wasting wood. Looking forward to playing tetris friday and this weekend!

 

I'm going to start posting on that thread again, but I'll be cheating by using my dimensional lumber cutoffs I got.

 

If I understand this correctly, a little space needs to be left for air!

 

Load er up with some gaps for air and let er rip. Once it's going strong, turn it down in increments. Try something like 100% air, then 50%, then 25% with each adjustment being after the fire has built up strength. You'll develop a feel for how low you can turn it down and still burn clean.

 

Lawd, I'm sweating just thinking about it being 75 degrees in the house!

 

Window open time, here.

 

Yes, a little. How about a quarter inch at the top under the tubes? Or I could use the oak v blocks that are 4x5" stringers with v notches so that the hydraulic cylinders that are shipped on them so the cylinders don't move?

 

Backwoods Savage, Thank you for that write up, it definitely gives me more detail. Between this and the previous comments, it makes sense and I have a plan of action. I've burned enough wood, that I can understand how this works. I need to get some good pieces of wood that I can tetris together, and give it a go, possibly tomorrow. I plan on taking pics, and documenting it.

As far as my stove goes, it's pretty basic. It has great draft once it gets warmed up, it's about 18' of straight pipe. The stove doesn't have any draft settings, but I've learned to adjust my air wash's air flow. It basically slides right and left, which I can also push it tighter to the stove, or away from the stove for a little more control. You learn to work with what you've got..

Stay tuned!