Am I crazy

[NickW]

You may be close to your ideal position depending on how cold out it is. I would personally lean toward using the air control on the stove mostly; meaning open the damper a little at a time and get to where you can fully close the air control. Note that the colder it is outside the better the draft, so get the damper set on the coldest days you're likely to have and be aware that when it's less cold out you might have to let the primary open 1/8-1/4.

The bigger the vent, the more air will move; so the biggest you can manage without being too inconvenient.

 

[Cliff2448]

Thanks for the help. I went with a 10x10 opening right now ill see how it works out. I can make it. Longer if need be its just a laundry room.

 

[bholler]

Alright last night I loaded up went to bed and let things cool down over night around 730 I opened things up to check gaskets etc and to clean out my ash pan. I found to loose clips on the glass left door where i was seeing that sporadic flame movement so i tightened them up and fired the stove up. That sporadic flame movement is now gone I can have the pipe damper fully closed. I now have to add primary air to get a nice burn maybe 1/4 of the way is this the correct way to operate with a over draft issue or should i keep the primary closed and open pipe damper to adjust. Also i honestly believe my only option to get heat up stairs is via a floor register it will go from my dinning room which is where my stove is located up thru to my laundry room which is right off my bedroom. The door always stays open. What size would you suggest i make this register to actually have a shot at moving enough air. Im not worried about noise. Im going to open it up today see what it does it things work out ill get what I need to make it have have a fusible link. Etc

Dont worry about the look of the fire. Run the stove by pipe temps. Start with it around 250. Once you get that down adjust to fit your btu needs

 

[Cliff2448]

Dont worry about the look of the fire. Run the stove by pipe temps. Start with it around 250. Once you get that down adjust to fit your btu needs

Adjust primary? So keep damper closed as far as i can then adjust btu out put by the primary so im basically pre setting the draft to what it needs to be and then running it as if it didnt have a pipe damper correct

 

[bholler]

Adjust primary? So keep damper closed as far as i can then adjust btu out put by the primary so im basically pre setting the draft to what it needs to be and then running it as if it didnt have a pipe damper correct

Well the best solution would be to adjust the damper to match the specified draft. But without a manometer you will just need to figure out what combination gives you the proper pipe temps with the highest stove top temps.

 

[Cliff2448]

Well the best solution would be to adjust the damper to match the specified draft. But without a manometer you will just need to figure out what combination gives you the proper pipe temps with the highest stove top temps.

Okay thank you

 

[Cliff2448]

Honestly Im at my wits end with it. Running with the flue pipe surface temp down to 250-300 isnt working out its coaled the stove up. Im currently running it wide open with some pine scraps to get things back in check. I do not know what to do at this point ive been burning wood most of my life and have never had these issues. I guess its another night of oil because its cold out single digits and this stove is flat out unreliable okay im done throwing my temper tantrum.

 

[bholler]

Honestly Im at my wits end with it. Running with the flue pipe surface temp down to 250-300 isnt working out its coaled the stove up. Im currently running it wide open with some pine scraps to get things back in check. I do not know what to do at this point ive been burning wood most of my life and have never had these issues. I guess its another night of oil because its cold out single digits and this stove is flat out unreliable okay im done throwing my temper tantrum.

What do you mean it has coaled the stove up?

 

[Cliff2448]

What do you mean it has coaled the stove up?

Large chunks of hot coal has built up to the depth of probably 6 inches. So it limits the amount of wood on the next load but stove temp has fallen to 280ish

 

[bholler]

Large chunks of hot coal has built up to the depth of probably 6 inches. So it limits the amount of wood on the next load but stove temp has fallen to 280ish

What moisture content is your wood at and how are you testing it? I know you have probably answered that already but I don't feel like reading through everything again

 

[Cliff2448]

Oak is right around 15 on a interior reading fresh split.

 

[bholler]

Oak is right around 15 on a interior reading fresh split.

Ok that shouldn't be the issue. How long of a burn did you get?

 

[NickW]

That should be some sweet burning stuff... I haven't burned much oak recently, but I remember a post last year talking about oak sometimes being just a touch sluggish yet at 18-19% and 16% being where it really started to burn awesome.

 

[Cliff2448]

Thats why im getting so frustrated with it. I know the stove has the capability to keep this house at 65 at 10 degrees outside I have a good fuel source stacked it in my wood shed in march so it has literally not even had a drop of rain on it in almost a year and 5.5 hours and I was ready to reload. My wood is at 20 inch average i may need to go up to 22 and a thicker split. Im also wondering If this thermometer is junk and im Cutting off to early. And stealing to much draft with the pipe damper. My temp gun isnt with me at home either of coarse.

 

[NickW]

I wonder if you're waiting too long to start shutting it down? I'm shutting down faster and farther this year than last with an extra year of seasoning in my piles.

A burn cycle includes start up, cruising with secondary's, and coaling. An 8 hour burn cycle is not 8 hours of secondaries. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but roughly only half(?) a burn cycle, maybe a little more is high BTU output with secondary's.

If I needed max BTU'S out of my NC30 full time I'd be reloading 4-5 hours after a hardwood load, every other load would be a softwood load to burn down the coals, and reload again with hardwood after 2 hours.

Last year I was lamenting not putting in a catalytic stove as the BK guys were talking about 16-24 hour burn cycles; but after conversations here found my BTU needs would not allow me to crank it way down low and slow for the long cycles. High BTU needs negate much of the benefits of a catalyst. High BTU needs also shorten burn times.

 

[Cliff2448]

Been monkeying around trying different combos and I can get 575 to 600 out of the stove easily now. Im still around 5.5 to 6hrs for burn time which i really think comes down to going to longer slightly bigger splits. Now if i can only get the heat out of my damn stove room.and into the rest of the house. Every doorway I have is a header on a load bearing wall