# leaving door open



## woodsie8 (May 17, 2008)

I remember going over to a friends home and while sitting in front of the stove, they opened the door, we got to watch the fire, roast marshmellows and enjoy the smell.  then they would close it.  Does this hurt anything?


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## fossil (May 17, 2008)

It's like operating at wide open throttle so far as combustion air's concerned.  If you have a gentle fire going, it's not going to "hurt" anything.  I certainly wouldn't leave the stove unattended with the door open...I've had embers pop out well beyond the required 18" front clearance to combustibles during reloading.  You'll figger it out as you become familiar with your insert.  Enjoy, and be careful...that's a for-real fire in there.  Rick


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## stanleyjohn (May 17, 2008)

I dont think its a problem unless the fire is going full blast.Some wood stove manufactures sell screens that can be placed in the door opening if you care to burn a not too large fire and hear the snap!crackle!pop.


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## BrotherBart (May 17, 2008)

With most stoves you can get one of the large fireplace screens and place it close in front of the stove for the occasional open burn. Mine sat unused so long that I took it to the recycle place.


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## wallis54806 (May 18, 2008)

There may be another problem, depending on your set up. I usually can not leave my stove door wide open without spilling smoke into the house. I am not sure if it is because of the stove design or my chimney set up. I get good draft with the door closed.


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## BrotherBart (May 18, 2008)

Guardguy said:
			
		

> There may be another problem, depending on your set up. I usually can not leave my stove door wide open without spilling smoke into the house. I am not sure if it is because of the stove design or my chimney set up. I get good draft with the door closed.



Yep. The design of EPA non-cat stoves are very contrary to open door burning. The combination of the front exit above the door for flue gases and the primary air coming down from the top of the door opening are a recipe for smoke escaping into the room. They are better off running as a "closed" system so they can operate as designed. When the smoke and gases traveling from the back of the firebox to the front get to the front they are going to take the path of least resistance and if the negative pressure in the house is anything greater than it is in the chimney that path becomes straight out the door into the room.


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## fossil (May 18, 2008)

Yep squared.  I sometimes get a bit of smoke out the door of the Liberty when putting in more fuel...if I don't bother to open the bypass.  If I leave the bypass (secondary air) in the "running" position (secondary burn), then there's sometimes a tendency for some smoke to come into the room when the door's open.  If I shift the bypass to the "startup" position (straight up the stovepipe), it doesn't happen, but then, of course, I'm not burning as cleanly or efficiently until I shut the door and shut the bypass.  I don't ever burn with the door open, anyway, except briefly to tend the fire.  Rick


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## Jerry_NJ (May 18, 2008)

Good information, I've got some learning to do next winter, assuming I go forward on the Quad Insert.  This will be my first EPA certified stove/insert and it is non-cat.  I'll carefully read the manual before using, I believe the 4100-I has a by-pass.  From this thread I now understand the use of the word "by-pass", as it must by-pass the normal top-down air feed that is fueling the fire under normal operating conditions.  One of the attractions of the 4100 is the "bay" 3-windowfront which promises to give a good view of the fire with the door closed.


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## fossil (May 18, 2008)

Jerry_NJ said:
			
		

> ...I'll carefully read the manual before using...



Jerry, that's the very best thing you can do...well, the second very best after making sure your installation is safe.  How are those foxes doing?  Don't let 'em anywhere near Athens, Ohio, 'cause Mike'll shoot 'em!  Rick


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## Jerry_NJ (May 18, 2008)

fossil,

Yes, we "love" the foxes here, they eat mice and rats (we do have numbers of American White Footed Mice out here in the country, happily no English house mouse), and from the broken egg shell on our lower meadow it appears they eat Canada Goose eggs, and we'd do well with fewer Geese.

I now remember the chicks we saw in Agway last week that my wife commented would not be compatible with the Red Fox population (I've never see a Gray Fox hereabouts), the chicks were Ginny Hens.  We do see them some times, while riding our (peddle) bikes, on country property, out in the open and running free.  So, if the fox eats them, many escape, or, perhaps there are no foxes in those neighborhoods.

I do subscribe to the US Second Amendment (not a member of the NRA, however), and have a few firearms around the house, but not for foxes or even ground hogs since I instituted the high-voltage wire around my vegetable garden.


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## savageactor7 (May 19, 2008)

I wouldn't think leaving the door open to roast marshmallows would be any big deal. Just try and time it so you don't have a raging fire ...the only perceptible change would be that smoke would come out of your chimney since it won't have a chance to re-burn. Go ahead and enjoy your stove that way and make some pop corn too...have fun life is short.


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