Anyone Else Using a Non-EPA stove?

[valley ranch]

Greetings, At v ranch 1 we have a Centennial wood stove purchased new in the 70's. at v ranch 2 we just installed a Nordic Eric jr that is somewhat newer.

I love the Centennial, they were made in Oregon, I installed a glass plate in the door using a cast part from another stove, other than that it is stock, still getting used to the Nordic.

 

[eclecticcottage]

We've got both, but only the EPA stove is running right now. The EPA stove is a Lopi Republic 1750. The non-epa is a cone shaped open stove...I can't think of the brand now. I attached a pic. It's in a three season porch.

 

[Damper Dan]

Thanks for the detail about operating your stove...I picked up an identical one (King Model 2007 by US Stove) from Craig's list and haven't had a chance to burn it yet. However, after I got it home I took a closer look at the upper baffle and now know what over firing in a stove can do. The baffle looks like rolling waves...this stove must have some thin steel. Not sure if the warped baffle makes this unsafe to operate...no signs of cracks or splits...any one have any thoughts on that???

The stove gets its air through slots the go across the stove right above the door, and it air washes the door. I experimented last year with a bar that i could adjust how much of those slots were exposed to control air intake, but it didnt work out like i planned, maybe due to my damper situation at the time (read below).

I actually moved the damper prior to this season. Prior the damper rod ran though the stove's cast collar and was restricted from closing more than 60% due to the mounting bolts for the collar being in the way. So i moved it up about 4" and mounted it through the stove pipe giving me the ability to close it all the way. I know last year i probably burned it a little too hot some times due to the lack of not being able to close the damper, i could just smell it. But this year ive sort of got a system down, now i dont know what the stove top and flue temps should be because no where in the manual does it say what it should be. I ran all last year without guages. I got 2 guages this year, one for the stove top and one for the flue. I just got two of the same guage, because when i ordered them online it didnt say if they were for one or the other. But after getting them it looks like they are for the flue because of a certain part of the guage says burn zone and creosote zone and over fire zone. They are magnetic so im thinking they should be close on both points.

Now what i do it leave the flue damper all the way open, and start the fire with the door opened a crack until it gets going, then i shut the door and let it go, i wait until the flue temps get right into the "Burn Zone" according to the guage which seems to be right around 250-300* (i think) by that time my stove is getting up to 400-500*. At that point i have a decent fire going and i throw a couple decent splits in, shut the door and close the flue the whole way (Now there are open spots on the damper and some space around the edges of the damper, so its not truely completely shut) Now what happens now is what i feel as a more controlled burn. After i load it and shut the flue the whole way the flames calm down nicely and look like a nice calm slow fire. The flue temps hold at the 250-300* mark and the stove top will run between 500-600*. This will cruise like this depending on the splits, maybe 2 hours, even when the wood is almost burned up, as long as there are really light almost invisable blue flames, the stove top and flue will still hold close to those temps but slowly drop off. Now all of that is based off those guages.

Now i dont know if that is where im supposed to be, but thats where it seems the stove runs good, produces some good heat, burns the longest, and constant. I feel alot better about the way im burning this year than last year. And i dont have a problem with the burn times cause we only burn for a max of 6 hrs in the evenings, and 12 hours a day on the weekends. This is due to the stove being on a finished porch that is connected to the house through our main doorway which is where our dead bolt locks are, so i cant leave that door open all night cause the outside door to get on the porch is just a storm door. So those burn times are good enough for me.

Now last year we burned from Oct 1st through basically the end of April and used about 3 cords. Now i dont care if i would go through 6 cords because what i pay for a cord of slab wood that i use greatly out-weighs the price of oil. I can burn all i want all winter for under $100 in wood. So even if i doubled that i would still be saving a boat load of money.

 

[Damper Dan]

Just sold my EPA stove (Napoleon 1400) and I'm going back to my non-EPA (Nashua).
Some older non-EPA's (like the Nashua) were very well designed, had long burn times, put off a great amount of heat and burn almost as clean.
I like secondary burning technology... but I also want heat output.

 

[Treacherous]

Greetings, At v ranch 1 we have a Centennial wood stove purchased new in the 70's. at v ranch 2 we just installed a Nordic Eric jr that is somewhat newer.

I love the Centennial, they were made in Oregon, I installed a glass plate in the door using a cast part from another stove, other than that it is stock, still getting used to the Nordic.

I replaced my old Centennial stove a few years back with my Lopi. Do you know where they were made in Oregon?

 

[Boog]

I've got an early 80's Charmaster wood/oil combo forced air furnace ..... it has a 30" firebox and a big door, but I usually don't put things longer than about 24" into her. I have my own woods, so I save a bundle on heating costs each year. I have no trouble holding a fire all day/night with a big load of the right woods.

 

[oppirs]

I replaced my old Centennial stove a few years back with my Lopi. Do you know where they were made in Oregon?

That's a cool ad, What year? My Lopi is old maybe the '70s, as they (KDI) use the word's (Asbestos)

Tag said made in Springport, MI

 

[Dune]

I have a pre-EPA stove, but it is a gassifier. Wood consumption is low. I do intend to replace it one of these years with a cat stove.
The features of the cat stove are very appealing to me.

 

[Treacherous]

That's a cool ad, What year? My Lopi is old maybe the '70s, as they (KDI) use the word's (Asbestos)

Tag said made in Springport, MI

View attachment 80279

My old stove was from '74. The ad was from late '77.

 

[Scols]

My 70's era Better N Ben stove was originally one of those slammer installations.However, on mine the surround just bolts on to 10 studs on the back of the stove so it was very easy to remove.This year in my new house I set it up as a free standing stove in a fireplace with a stainless steel chimney.Besides being safer,it drafts much better and I no longer get puffbacks even during strong winds.The stove puts out tremendous heat but I dont get burn times of more than 4 or 5 hours.

 

[jjs777_fzr]

Well mine isnt a old stove, its a new stove, just non EPA

Just want to clarify - what you have is a EPA-Exempt stove. When you say its non-epa to me it could be a pre-epa stove.
It became EPA-Exempt by meeting certain qualifications and/or was demonstrated to meet those qualifications. Most likely due to the fact you cannot choke off the air to the extent it will smolder thus emitting much more particulates into the air.

(broken link removed to http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/publications/monitoring/caa/woodstoves/exemptwood.pdf)

 

[LaBonBon]

My Kodiak is pre-EPA and works great. Keeps my two-story home toasty warm.

 

[valley ranch]

Greetings, Just got back, we were at the other place for longer than usual. Interesting to read the post you guys added to this thread. It took me a while to rember my sigh in details.
I rebuilted the area around the stove at the high desert ranch using information I found on this forum.

I'll research how to put up a avatar and other info so things don't look so blank. Good to read what you've been doing and thinking. Thanks Richard