Loaded at 10pm and just got home around 12:30 (only worked 5 hrs today). So 14.5 hrs later. But normally I get home around 4-5pm and it's still just as good. Here is what it looks like before I stir the ashes. Here is after... And if I let the coals sit with the air open for a few minutes, it's even better. But mama is on the way back from taking our daughter to gymnastics class and we'll be heading out to eat ND shop shortly. And here is a couple minutes later. No matches needed
Same here on both accounts. Wood needs to be dry!!! And the control rod spring (sometimes it's closed more and sometimes open more, depends on the load).
LoL!! Once you get through the long pieces you'll be a contender !! That looks like a pretty big firebox!
I usually burn with the air set as you describe during the day. Overnight, I am afraid it will get too hot that way, so I close it right up.
With your new stove it's understandable... but you'll get to the point of trusting it and your adjustments... you'll get there..
So, on the 2nd photo, you will get those long burns with it burning that well? And the air is set about at the lip of the ash tray? My softwoods must be quite different. If I leave the air wide open for a few minutes, it will get burning pretty well. Then I work it closed in a couple of steps, and soon I will see glowing at the bottom mostly in front of the doghouse, and dancing blue-orange secondaries above it all. There is little to no tongue of flame from the botton to the top. That way I get a well-controlled overnight burn, but there may be some smoke (I cannot see it because it is dark). If I open the air a little more, thereby getting brighter flames (and probably cleaner burn), I really think it is going to get quite hot with all that wood in there, and burn up the wood too quick. Maybe I need to use bigger splits?
Oh it's hot. I should have let the coal bed burn down some more. Stove top is around 900° and flue temps are 700°. But with a big load and a big bed? That's normal. After 5 years I have become accustomed to seeing 800°-900°. If it's one thing this stove does well at? It's put up with a lot of abuse! To answer your 1st question. Yes. It will burn well and is currently. Because of the large bed (and secondaries within minutes), it only continued to get hotter. And very quickly. I'd normally wait but I thought we were going to bed and the wife wanted to watch a movie after our daughter went to bed.
DexterDay , that looks a little like the load I just put in. Almost all Red Maple. Currently running about 530 deg. Sorry about the crappy pic.
Stove top is still around 900°. Flue dropped a little but I closed the primary a little more. Almost all of the lower pieces are still solid (except the 2 that the doghouse blow through. That gap between them is vital for me to have a good burn. You want that hot air blowing between splits and hitting where the secondary air comes in and gets preheated) and the right side is always the last to burn in my stove.