# Wonderwood questions. Never thought I would be here



## adschreifels (Nov 21, 2018)

Hi everyone, my name is Alex and I purchased a home two years ago, and it came with a wonderwood stove. The chimney is roughly 15 feet, straight up from the stove, with a 90 degree bend at the stove back. It is a 6 in single wall pipe in 3 sections. The previous owner said they used the stove to heat because the electric here costs too dang much. Well I didn’t trust the stove because I never had one as a kid, no one had one in the extended family either. I have always wanted one tho. Last weekend I tested it out to see if it was in decent shape, I unhooked it brought it outside to see if it leaked anywhere. She ran great, heated up my bbq put quite nicely. I wanted to replace the stove piping anyway because it is old and seems brittle. 

Here starts my questions. I will be using this wonderwood for this season(we can’t afford 500 a month to heat this season again). Is there anything I NEED to know before I use it?

What is the Max temp I should bring it to?
Do I need a damper in the flue above the stove and if so what height do I need it at?
How do I figure out what chimney I have? (If that makes sense)
Once I figure out this chimney set up and it works proplerly I am eyeballing either a Englander 13nc or a 30, will this current set up work with those stoves?

Any info will be appreciated I have a 2 year old and the safety issue is all I’m thinking about.


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## brenndatomu (Nov 21, 2018)

Max temp...700, 800* MAX!
Damper in pipe, yes, for sure.
Need pics of chimney...


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## adschreifels (Nov 21, 2018)

Do you need pics of the part of the chimney in the attic? Or the roof?


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## brenndatomu (Nov 21, 2018)

Either way I would guess...you said you needed help to ID what type it is, right?
Is it metal or masonry?


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## adschreifels (Nov 21, 2018)

Metal definitely. I’ll grab some pictures tomorrow in the am, I understand this question has more than likely been asked a bunch but I still thank you all for the help.


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## redktmrider (Nov 21, 2018)

adschreifels said:


> Any info will be appreciated I have a 2 year old and the safety issue is all I’m thinking about



Do you have seasoned firewood?  Burning wet wood is the one mistake new wood burners make most often. Wet wood doesn't put out much heat and leads to rapid creosote buildup in the chimney system. Seasoned firewood has a moisture content of around 20% when measured at room temperature of the face of a fresh split piece of wood. If you do not  have seasoned firewood, begin looking for bio bricks or some other processed wood product for this season and buy wood now to start seasoning it for next year.


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## adschreifels (Nov 21, 2018)

I have a substantial amount of wood, well for a city boy who moved to the middle of nowhere. I am also going to buy a few cords. I have had some split and stacked for a little over a year now. Also once I purchase a wood moisture tester thing (sorry I’m new) I’ll make sure I use it right. Safety is my main concern because it’s just me my wife and my two year old, I’ll spend the money to make sure I’m not lighting a bomb in my house. 


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## adschreifels (Nov 22, 2018)

This is what I could get, chimney looks good in my novice opinion. I’m getting a brush and stuff to clean it tomorrow and I’ll be putting new pipe to the ceiling. I was just going to use single wall pipe unless you guys think I should use double. Where should I put my thermometer on the stove? Or should I just have it in the flue pipe?


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## brenndatomu (Nov 22, 2018)

Looks like class A pipe. Good.
Single wall should be fine as long as you have 18" (iirc) clearance to combustibles. Doublewall might allow a lil better draft, and stay a little cleaner, but that stove should waste enough heat up the stack to not really need it.
I'd put a mag type thermometer on the stove top and a probe type in the pipe a foot or two above the stove, but below the damper...but that's me, you could do one or the other.


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## mellow (Nov 29, 2018)

My 2cents if you are really after a safe install, have a certified sweep come and check it out before using it for the first time.  

https://web.csia.org/search
https://www.nficertified.org/public/


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## adschreifels (Dec 12, 2018)

Ok so I had a buddies dad come and inspect my chimney for free he was a certified inspector in the past. He said it was good, I purchased some wood and replaced the pipe to the chimney in the ceiling. Got the stove to around 500 and burned cured the new pipe, which smoked out my house and set fire alarms off. I have been going up into the attic to check on the ceiling and watching my chimney outside and everything looks good. No smoke from the chimney just the wavy heated air. Is it normal for me to be more anxious than when on a deployment? Haha


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## adschreifels (Dec 12, 2018)

House is toasty tho, I’m not sure how to keep the temps at 400-500, it eats wood far too fast. I know I can’t heat over night with it. So I don’t know how to properly load this thing, it’s obviously a side loader. If I stack a few logs in it to get it to the top of the firebrick it SHOOTS to 600 and higher, even if I crank down the air. And how am I supposed to use the damper? I have had it halfway closed this entire time, except when loading of course.


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## brenndatomu (Dec 12, 2018)

adschreifels said:


> House is toasty tho, I’m not sure how to keep the temps at 400-500, it eats wood far too fast. I know I can’t heat over night with it. So I don’t know how to properly load this thing, it’s obviously a side loader. If I stack a few logs in it to get it to the top of the firebrick it SHOOTS to 600 and higher, even if I crank down the air. And how am I supposed to use the damper? I have had it halfway closed this entire time, except when loading of course.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Are you using the pipe damper? Sounds like you need to be...


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## adschreifels (Dec 12, 2018)

Yeah I am I have it closed I’m not 100% sure how to properly use it tho


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## adschreifels (Dec 12, 2018)

So for the entire day it hovered around 350-450 after playing around with it. And I have to say this thing is too large for the house, says it is capable of heating up to 1800 sq ft. My house is 1244, would  smaller stove say the size of an englander 13nc be more appropriate? 

The stove room was far too hot in my opinion (but I’m from MN, wife is from VA she loved it) and the bedrooms were about 65-69. So temps were good. I just don’t want to be half sweaty all day.

Sorry for posting a lot, don’t have a lot of people to talk to about this stuff.


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## brenndatomu (Dec 12, 2018)

If the house gets too hot, load less often, or less wood per load. The stove room will often be "too hot" to keep the rest of the house warm. That said, ceiling fans are your friend...and a small fan setting on the floor at the back of the house (or wherever you want more heat) blowing cold air toward the stove will help to distribute the heat about as well as anything will.
And yes, the NC13 is a good little stove and would probably do well for you...has a lot better view of the fire too!


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## mellow (Dec 13, 2018)

adschreifels said:


> My house is 1244, would smaller stove say the size of an englander 13nc be more appropriate?



It will be an upgrade on many fronts, from burning cleaner to being able to have a glass door. You will however have to burn TRUE seasoned wood to get the best performance from it.  I would recommend getting a moisture meter and testing your wood.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/wiki/determine-moisture-content-of-wood/


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## adschreifels (Dec 13, 2018)

Yes I know about the need to burn seasoned wood, I purchased a couple cords for this year and have I would say 3 stacked for next and am getting 3 more stacked currently


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## adschreifels (Dec 13, 2018)

Ok so today has gone a lot better! Keeping her right around 400, no smoking from the chimney just a clean burn. I have my damper 3/4 closed. House is toasty but not too much, the only thing I hate about this stove is I can’t monitor it from the outside. I am working towards getting the 13nc or possibly a drolet. Our house has some decent insulation and it holds the heat well. Thank you all for the info and helping my along my new adventure. I’ll more than likely be posting more questions or my observations so any additional info would be greatly appreciated.


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## wooduser (Dec 14, 2018)

As you can see,  there is a learning curve on heating with wood you need to master.  I'd concentrate on learning with what you have for a good long time before deciding that you really need to change things out.

There is a very good chance that over time you will devise methods that allow you to heat your home as efficiently as you can with what you have,  and that may prove quite satisfactory.


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## Texas123 (Dec 23, 2018)

I owned a Wonder-wood from 1997 to 2015. You have one of the best pure heaters on the market. With its construction of the outer shell for convection
you are safer from the kiddo being burned then any other stove.
I learned to build what are called top down fires with the kindling on the top of the larger logs this worked better.
I did not have a pipe damper but I adjusted the air using the thermostat on the front which is attached to the air intake. As you have learned, the higher the bi metallic thermostat is set, the hotter it burns.

If United States Stove Company had made a loading door with viewing glass, similar to the modern day EPA models, I would still be using mine.

Your Wonder-wood will serve you very well for as long as you are looking for a new stove, and as you have learned they make excellent Bar B Que cookers when outside.


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## adschreifels (Dec 23, 2018)

Ok question for you Texas, I have been keeping the air thermostat full high and just using the damper to control everything, which’s works well. Is there anyway to keep more heat inside the firebox? I saw someone put some firebricks up top, reason I’m wondering is because sometimes I want to build smaller fires and it doesn’t throw much heat with small stuff. 

Also I haven’t ran it overnight yet, what’s the best way to pack it and set it for overnight heating?

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## begreen (Dec 23, 2018)

Have you tried closing down the damper a bit, say 50% and then letting the thermostat regulate the stove?


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## adschreifels (Dec 23, 2018)

It just runs through wood, that’s the main reason I haven’t ran it overnight. And I’m nervous about a fire going while I sleep. Literally RUNS through wood like a horse in the wild. Haha


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## begreen (Dec 23, 2018)

You are running it with the thermostat wide open, right? How do you expect it work when doing this? Leaving the thermostat on high is calling for maximum heat. After closing the pipe damper down, also close the thermostat down to the desire room temp so that it can regulate the stove. Otherwise this is somewhat akin to running a car with one foot mashed down on the gas and the other on the brakes. That will burn up a lot of fuel quickly.


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## wooduser (Dec 23, 2018)

adschreifels said:


> Got the stove to around 500 and burned cured the new pipe, which smoked out my house and set fire alarms off.




Heh, heh!  THERE'S a way to build confidence among the family with a new stove!


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## adschreifels (Dec 23, 2018)

Yeah wife doesn’t really fully enjoy babysitting it and a 2 year old when I’m working but she loves being warm. 


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## brenndatomu (Dec 23, 2018)

I couldn't get mine to work worth a darn without a pipe damper on it...I was pretty green back then though too...also burning wet wood.
Y'all know they make a new EPA version of the Wonderwood? My friend has one that he just put in 2 months back...says it works great!


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## Texas123 (Dec 24, 2018)

I


adschreifels said:


> Ok question for you Texas, I have been keeping the air thermostat full high and just using the damper to control everything, which’s works well. Is there anyway to keep more heat inside the firebox? I saw someone put some firebricks up top, reason I’m wondering is because sometimes I want to build smaller fires and it doesn’t throw much heat with small stuff.
> 
> Also I haven’t ran it overnight yet, what’s the best way to pack it and set it for overnight heating?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


 I controlled the stove by the thermostat on the front. Full open to start the fire and then I turned it down to lower. You can safely fill the firebox to the top of the firebricks and then for the night, turn it down to low. I also learned if I opened the thermostat to high for a few seconds before I opened the loading door, almost no smoke will spill out. Firebricks on top of the stove to add mass, I did that too, I left a center aisle on top to find the happy medium between a stove with more mass and its heating ability.


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## brenndatomu (Dec 24, 2018)

I forgot to post the link for the new EPA Wonderwood https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...t-epa-certified-wood-burning-circulator-stove

On my old one, the intake door flapper would bounce all the time...made a lot of noise clang clang clang, especially when it was almost closed...really bad then. Anybody else's do this? (I figured its nature of the beast)


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## begreen (Dec 25, 2018)

Our Resolute's thermostatic air control flapper would do the same thing. I tamed it by placing a small magnet on the damper. That made it close positively and not flap when almost closed.


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## adschreifels (Jan 1, 2019)

All right so yesterday I went onto the roof to check how the condition of the chimney is, and to my surprise it’s fairly clean. Not large deposits or anything. Gave her a quick brush called her good. I have been getting roughly 6 hour burns (fire to nice coal bed). And then New Years happens, and the power goes out because we had HORRIBLE winds in Ohio, a tree fell on the lines up the road. So it’s the first and I have no power BUT I have heat. 


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## Ricknasty (Jan 3, 2019)

brenndatomu said:


> I forgot to post the link for the new EPA Wonderwood https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...t-epa-certified-wood-burning-circulator-stove
> 
> On my old one, the intake door flapper would bounce all the time...made a lot of noise clang clang clang, especially when it was almost closed...really bad then. Anybody else's do this? (I figured its nature of the beast)


I don't think i could ever get over how this looks. Gigantic 80s stereo system


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## Mojappa (Jan 4, 2019)

Took all the time to update stove and couldn’t at least make the outside look more modern? Lol


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## Bob Ro (Sep 13, 2022)

adschreifels said:


> Hi everyone, my name is Alex and I purchased a home two years ago, and it came with a wonderwood stove. The chimney is roughly 15 feet, straight up from the stove, with a 90 degree bend at the stove back. It is a 6 in single wall pipe in 3 sections. The previous owner said they used the stove to heat because the electric here costs too dang much. Well I didn’t trust the stove because I never had one as a kid, no one had one in the extended family either. I have always wanted one tho. Last weekend I tested it out to see if it was in decent shape, I unhooked it brought it outside to see if it leaked anywhere. She ran great, heated up my bbq put quite nicely. I wanted to replace the stove piping anyway because it is old and seems brittle.
> 
> Here starts my questions. I will be using this wonderwood for this season(we can’t afford 500 a month to heat this season again). Is there anything I NEED to know before I use it?
> 
> ...


Buy the fan that sits on top of the stove. It moves the air around but not strong enough to feel it. Powered by the heat from the stove. Just place it at the back of the stove and forget about it. About $80-100.


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