# Old wood stove problems.



## Reed067 (Jan 6, 2018)

Greetings!

Guess you all can tell I'm new around these parts so onto my dilemma.

My wife and I bought an old farm house last March, it came with a old woodstove it' says Ranger on it haven't been able to ANY information on it. Someone said they are now called Acorn stoves not sure if that's true or not. It's old but it does have a fan on it on the back  Low, high and auto and on the front. It does NOT have a damper on it, it does have a vent on the front of it with a dial that says low and high on the front of it. While there is no fan I'm assuming that it's a air vent that brings air into the stove. The stove won't burn all night IF we get two hours we count ourselves lucky. We seem to get the best burn time with the door open and not running the fan. We plan to replace it at some point but for now we have other things to get done it's VERY cold this winter as much as the East coast is. So without having to use the base board heaters or the electric heaters and jacking up the electric bill, this is our means of efficient heat.

Thanks in advance!


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## begreen (Jan 6, 2018)

The stove should not need to have the door open to run. Check the wood to make sure it's fully seasoned. Check the chimney to make sure there is not plugging up.


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## Reed067 (Jan 6, 2018)

begreen said:


> The stove should not need to have the door open to run. Check the wood to make sure it's fully seasoned. Check the chimney to make sure there is not plugging up.



The wood is seasoned the previous owner said that she had the chimney cleaned out every year will need to have it checked. I wonder if not having a damper could be part of the problem.


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## begreen (Jan 7, 2018)

Can you post some pictures of the stove and installation?


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## Reed067 (Jan 9, 2018)

begreen said:


> Can you post some pictures of the stove and installation?




I can have to be this weekend though having some problems with the camera phone.

I will say this we took the grate OUT and it ran better so much better that we ran it for 24 hours straight. Had to put more wood in it of course, but he heated the house up nicely. Shut the door and turn the fan on auto.  We did nothing that he had to leave the door on it open until it got hot before we could close it.


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## HomeinPA (Jan 9, 2018)

Reed067 said:


> The wood is seasoned the previous owner said that she had the chimney cleaned out every year will need to have it checked. I wonder if not having a damper could be part of the problem.



Not that previous homeowners ever stretch the truth!

It also depends what your definition of "cleaned" is. I'd get the chimney inspected for starters.

Pictures would help....and google the stove for a manual. You might get lucky.


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## Reed067 (Jan 11, 2018)

HomeinPA said:


> Not that previous homeowners ever stretch the truth!
> 
> It also depends what your definition of "cleaned" is. I'd get the chimney inspected for starters.
> 
> Pictures would help....and google the stove for a manual. You might get lucky.





HomeinPA said:


> Not that previous homeowners ever stretch the truth!
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Just going off the information that I have. Here are the pictures finally had time to load them up.

The switch on the back say Low, high and auto. He have took the grate out and it burns MUCH better and hotter. Does burn longer too but it's not very efficient.


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## HomeinPA (Jan 11, 2018)

Wood stoves are not supposed to have grates in them.


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## begreen (Jan 13, 2018)

It will never be very efficient. Stove design has improved a lot in that area.


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## Simonkenton (Jan 14, 2018)

I am 30 miles west of Asheville, in Marshall.
That is an old, old stove.  An oldie but not a goodie.
Wood stoves have improved a great deal since that thing was built.  Also your install is suspect, going into that masonry flue.
You need to get somebody good out there to inspect the pipe and make sure it is a safe install.
You need to seriously consider getting a new stove. You can go over to the main wood stove forum and post the size house, size of the room etc and get recommendations for the new stove.

If your only other heat is electric I feel your pain. You must be running up a massive bill. I have been up here for 22 years and that cold spell last week was the coldest week since I have been up here. Wind chill of 5 below etc.
Last night was so cold, 12 degrees and a high wind.

Good luck and remember the new stoves demand dry wood, you need to split and stack your wood and dry it for 2 or 3 years, need to go to Lowes and get a moisture meter for 25 bucks, need the moisture at 17 percent or better.


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