Am I doing this right
- Thread starter agonyzhou
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Air control is almost certainly your problem. I have about 36ft of combined height with my chimney, and with the exception of startup rarely run my stove over 1/2 open on the damper, and usually under 1/3 open. I personally don't believe I could run a stove safely on this height of chimney without some form of damper. I'd go from an overfire condition at the start, to the draft sucking the heat from the stove later in the burn.
I do see your model of stove has a startup air button, but unless there was some kind of thermostatic control built into the stove I'd think draft control would still be an issue.
I do see your model of stove has a startup air button, but unless there was some kind of thermostatic control built into the stove I'd think draft control would still be an issue.
Got it. 3 cubic feet of seasoned hardwood should be somewhere around 80 pounds. Now I have some idea of wood consumption for typical usage.
likely over 2 cubic foot worth, never really figured it out by weight or volume just use less dense wood for warmer temps and the heavy weights ( Oak, Lucust, Hickory, Hard maple, Beech)for the cold times. Had a couple days of 30 below zero last year- 70+ inside on just wood stove. Think it was a round 67 back in the bedroom. Since that slammer install back in the early 80's and now lots of education acquired. My present home uses LPG for the furnace and hot water heater. That first winter was brutal on my wallet like apx $1600.00 in propane Sept- April. Last season was just a bit over $700 but the stove was not completely installed & running until the end of Nov. 2018. This year so far the only time the furnace has run is when I ran it for a couples hours to check operation. It is set for 65F. Even in the single digits we had a few weeks back it was still around 67-69 when I got home and i did not notice the furnace running at that point. By the end of this season the cost of the stove and associated parts will be paid back and maybe even a bit ahead- depending of course on Mother Nature, based on that first season worth of LPG. I would have to do a bunch of digging to find the gallon amount used
My typical useage means absolutely nothing about what your typical useage should be
How do you think I am fitting 4x the wood in a roughly 3 cubic foot stove than you do in a 2.3 cubic foot one. It doesn't make sense
I could fit more. The reason I only putting in 20 pounds is because:
1, my firewood is the fluffy softwood, like popler? I am actually not very sure
2, the size does not match very well with the stove. I am putting many piece diagonally which is not very space efficient.
3, being conservative.
so 8 pound per hour is not a crazy usage. Given that I have a 3000+ ft house, an insert that is smaller and less efficient than a stand alone stove, worse wood and too much draft; I can't reasonlly think to heat the house with it alone. So the plan will be just burn as hard as possible when I am at home, let it run down at night and take as much as possible a load off my furnace. The only question is is it safe to do so. The blower on it is quite powerful though, at the highest setting I think is more than 100 cfm. will it really overheat? What is the worst scenario for an overfire? I can get some kilin dried bundles from the supermarket, buckets of sand, fire extinguishers etc. and try to load the baby up and watch it carefully.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
Maybe start a new thread with your stove model in the title to get more responses with other Montpellier users. I find odd and scary that your stove doesn’t have a primary air control
Grizzerbear
Minister of Fire
Burning your house down. Wether or not this is likely....i cant say because ive never seen a insert without any air control lever and have no idea how yours is suppose to operate in thst manner. Im not bashing your stove choice or trying to insult. Its just odd that there isnt any air control at all.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
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That's is a montpellier I, discontinued. The Montpellier II is a new model which is also EPA 2020 ready.
Don't get me wrong, I don't want to burn my house down as much as you do. This is precisely why I want to create a near over fire situation so if chit really happen I will not panic and know what to do. What I want to know are:
1, from the fuel point of view, what is the worst possible way to create an over fire? Stuff the stove full with small split kiln dried hardwood?
2, what are the earlier symptom of an over fire? how high a temperature is too high?
3, what are the possible remedies for an overfire? Open the gate and throw a wet towel in? Throw a bucket of sand in? get a shop-vac and suck as hard as possible at the front to create negative air pressure to slow or reverse some draft?
I would call the dealer that sold you this and tell them you cannot control the stove. Ask them how to safely run the stove
I am burning 20 pound of eco brick now. First thing I noticed is the brick took a much longer time to catch on. I think this is mainly due to smaller surface area from its regular and larger shape. They have been burning for 1.5 hour now, still going strong. I think the flame should continue for an hour. Temperature is stablizing, door frame top 450F. somewhat higher than I have achieved with my wood. I think heat output is also somewhat higher. And it definitely will last longer.
Grizzerbear
Minister of Fire
Agonyzhou i downloaded your owners manual out of curiosity and as from what i gathered your air control is a dial like you said. From what i can make of manual it either is on a timer or is thermostaticaly controlled. If thermostatic i wouldnt think it would be to bad as it would b adjusting intake by temp. If just by time this could be bad because if your wood isnt primo in terms of moisture it might b cutting air too soon. I didnt read through the entire manual so it might state what it actually is. In any case i would get some known dry wood or bio blocks for that matter. I wouldnt even load it up just load it about the same as the loads you have been as a measure. If the stove gives you better heat output for a longer duration then the wood you have been using isnt quite ready.
They have the same manual I have. For me I don't really want to control the stove as long as it give me heat; and most likely I need all the heat it can give. And technically ther is air control (the button) so it is just have a very narrow range of controllability. Safety of cause is of paramount importance, and since the only variable is the amount and type of fuel, I want to find out the safe threshold of overfire, and keep a margin from it. Obviously it depends on my draft and installation so I don't think they can give me a straight answer. It may very well be I cannot over fire this stove with reasonable fuel, who knows?
The button control is a timer, I can even hear its ticking. There is no thermostaticaly controlled air. The only thermostaticaly thing is the blower's snapdisk.
Ask them how you are supposed to control the stove so that you can safely use it. If this truly is a fixed burn rate stove the only way it can work safely is with a set draft level. I would ask them if they measured your draft to see if it was within spec.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
I'd heard of the bucket of sand, but not the wet towel or shop vac..good thinking, if you came up with those.
I mentioned in your other thread, I would put in a flue damper, with a rod coming out the face of the surround. Not many folks would abide that look, however..
Denser wood will give you longer burns but it'll take a while to get some of that stuff dry..couple years split and stacked, at least.
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