We've been up and running with this stove for roughly six weeks. There's definitely been a learning curve, but I feel good about the stove at this point. We've had some fairly chilly weather since the first of December. The first week we had the stove, we had some cold and windy days and the stove operator struggled to keep up. I was initially overly concerned about overfiring the stove until I learned what it will do. I feel like I've got a pretty good handle on it now. The other thing that was obvious was how horribly uninsulated this place was. That problem has been solved. We're adding a 768 square foot addition to this house (two floors) and part of the job for the guys who are doing it was blowing some insulation into my walls. That has made a big difference, as has tearing off the old enlosed and unheated back porch. I just have plywood covering my back doors and windows, but that's a whole lot better than the drafts I had. I'm now able to keep my thermometer in my foyer at betwen 71 and 75 degrees regardless of outside conditions. I've learned to let the stove burn down to around 375 or 400 with the air all the way open, burning my coals down as much as possible, then raking my coals forward before refilling the stove. I then start closing the air down between 500 and 550, and completely closing it at around 600. I think I've got a pretty good handle on things at this point. My wood may not be perfect, as I have a lot of oak that's been seasoned around 18 months, but it's doing all right. Thanks to everyone for their assistance and advice, Jags especially passed along a lot of good information for me.
Now I'm pondering a second stove in my new family room!
Now I'm pondering a second stove in my new family room!
