I use the same method of pointing the gun under the air vent at the flue collar. I'll have to try the stove top from under but theres not much room on the kodiak. I've been seeing much better burns this year with seasoned maple and cherry compared to the not so great oak and maple I had last year. Luckily I'm starting to get ahead on wood for future winters.
Enviro Wood Stoves
- Thread starter illini81
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
NoGoodAtScreenNames
Feeling the Heat
I’m not sure of the angle you can get with the Kodiak or Venice but here’s how it looks on the Boston. I have a probe thermometer you can see under the convective jacket (held in place with the piece of copper pipe).
That’s where I’d point my IR before I had the probe.
![[Hearth.com] Enviro Wood Stoves](/talk/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fuploads.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F20191125%2F91450a00f027e661b2efe730907e4d2d.jpg&hash=54d00ffe50492ef8f3cfd270847bc990 "[Hearth.com] Enviro Wood Stoves")
That’s where I’d point my IR before I had the probe.
NoGoodAtScreenNames
Feeling the Heat
I have two Auber thermometers.
The one you see here on the stovetop is attached to an AT200 and is my primary high temp alarm.
One is on the collar which I linked to a Plug and play PID that runs the fan and is a backup alarm.
Both use the washer style thermocouple.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have the 1700 venice and have been looking at the auber so I can stop messing with the IR gun. Was wondering if the magnetic temp probe would fit under the jacket because I couldn't think of a way to attach the washer style thermocouple, I'll have to steal your really simple solution to that problem.
You have a thread or more info on how you did the PID and have it run the fan? Can it control fan speed, or just the on/off?
Depends on how large the coal bed is, the wood species, thickness of splits and how dry the wood is. If if the coal bed is substantial and hot then as short as time as is possible without smoldering the fire. With dry doug fir on a hot coal bed I have had to close down the air in as little as a minute or two.
Sounds like the wood might not be fully seasoned. What species wood and how long was it seasoned after being split and stacked?
Where is the stove temp being measured?
Where is the stove temp being measured?
Poorly seasoned wood is a pain in the butt to deal with. You can try mixing it with some known dry wood. This could be construction framing cutoffs, pallets cut down, or add a couple good compressed sawdust logs or bricks.
Watch your flue for creosote buildup. Damp wood cools down the flue gases.
Watch your flue for creosote buildup. Damp wood cools down the flue gases.
Yes. With good dry wood, incrementally could be over the course of 5 minutes or less and in just 2 increments. With less seasoned oak it could take 10 or 15 minutes.
I reload after 8-10 hours and sometimes have to leave the air open for 15-20 minutes then start closing it down after that with maybe a 1/3 of the fire box coal bed. All depends how much coals I have. My wood currently is maple and cherry 18% or so. I was in your boat last year. I'm getting much better and hotter burns with seasoned wood in my 2nd year
NoGoodAtScreenNames
Feeling the Heat
When you load on the coals are you taking them forward and if so are you taking them all the way to the front?
You want the front of the new logs to catch and have the flame get pushed backwards on to the fresh wood. I find if the coals are further back it can have a harder time.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You want the front of the new logs to catch and have the flame get pushed backwards on to the fresh wood. I find if the coals are further back it can have a harder time.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
NoGoodAtScreenNames
Feeling the Heat
I originally got it in order to have a second hi temp alarm in case the stove didn’t react to the actions someone took after the first alarm. Well actually if the person muted the alarm and then didn’t do anything (there’s a story behind that one - I’ll just say it wasn’t me).
I have the flue collar sensor attached to the PID controller. I use it in “cool” mode. I’m controlling the fan to cool off the stove. I could also use it to measure the room temp and turn it higher or lower based on that - but I haven’t tried that out.
I have it set to cool off / run the fan when the temperature is above 350F. If it dips below 350 then the fan will the shut off. There’s a setting to keep the controller from firing on / off quickly. So once it’s dips below it stays off until the temp rises again above 400F. Then it turns back on until it goes below 350 again.
I chose 350 because that seemed the point where lazy flames turned into just bright coals. If the flame goes out, the fan will go off. This retains more heat, which improves the draft which reignites the flames.
I can be more aggressive with the fan being on higher and choking the air down in the beginning. As the fire comes off the peak too little air and too much fan can slow the draft and shoulder it a little. This eliminates the fan at lower temps. I also don’t have to remember to turn the fan back on after loading the stove.
Originally I was just going for the backup alarm and I know the fan control is excessive gadgetry but I think it’s been working pretty good so far.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Im curious... how much wood do you put in your stove/insert when you first light it? What I have been doing is two medium logs on the bottom, kindling in the middle and paper on top. Then once that burns down to coal I'll add more wood. However, this first light method I have been doing doesn't give me enough heat until I reload which is about an hour to hour and a half after lighting. Should I be putting more wood in there on start up, like 4-5 logs? I think the owners manual says not to put in more than 3-4 logs at a time, but I've read on here that people fill their fireboxes up which I would assume is more than 3-4 logs.
NoGoodAtScreenNames
Feeling the Heat
I load full to the top of the bricks, which is usually 2 rows of 4 or 5 pieces with NS orientation. I might go a little above with a split but that target gives me some margin for error before overloading it.
I then put some kindling and a fire starter in the front going EW between the logs and the ridge with the air inlet. I may put some kindling on top too but I always avoid putting big stuff too close to the tubes as that can make the stove go nuclear.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
If I'm doing a cold start I fill up the firebox leaving a little space in the middle at the top for a fire starter and some kindling with a small split on top of that.
For an ice cold start I put a layer of crumpled newspaper on the bottom, layer a generous amount of kindling and splinters on next (saved from the wood delivery), then several small splits on top of that. Finally I put a single piece of paper on the very top.
I light the top paper first to get a draft going and help ensure no smoke rolls back in the house. After 10-15 seconds I light a few spots of the newspaper at the bottom near the front. I get a huge blaze in just a few minutes this way and can start adding larger splits in about 10 minutes.
I light the top paper first to get a draft going and help ensure no smoke rolls back in the house. After 10-15 seconds I light a few spots of the newspaper at the bottom near the front. I get a huge blaze in just a few minutes this way and can start adding larger splits in about 10 minutes.
So I think I've been a little conservative when starting up the stove since I'm only getting to about 350 ish stove top temp and then having to reload in 2 ish hours. Next time I'll add 4 splits and kindling and see how that works for me.
From start to reload with your methods, should it be about 4-6 hours? In other words, when starting cold with the stove full, it shouldn't have to be reloaded until the stove is around 250-300 which would be around the 4-6 hour mark depending on how big your firebox is (1200 or 1700)?
Also once everything is good and hot you start to dial down the primary air correct? At what stove temp about do you start to close down the primary air on a cold start?
From start to reload with your methods, should it be about 4-6 hours? In other words, when starting cold with the stove full, it shouldn't have to be reloaded until the stove is around 250-300 which would be around the 4-6 hour mark depending on how big your firebox is (1200 or 1700)?
Also once everything is good and hot you start to dial down the primary air correct? At what stove temp about do you start to close down the primary air on a cold start?
Reloading every 2 hours with the temp at 350? I was around 350 last night and was able to re light off the coals 9 hours later this morning. I see you live in RI. Is your wood dry? Last year I had bad wood and my burns were no where near as good as they are this year. When I cold start I push the damper in an inch after I have flame throughout the firebox and see the flue collar above 200ish. I then turn it down another inch or so when I see the temps rise and secondaries start. Then I'll turn it down probably 80-90% closed for the remainder or the burn depending how well I've packed the firebox based on sleeping or being at work. When I have more time at home sometimes I monitor it more closely, but my glass as been 90% cleaner this year and my kids room on the opposite end of the house is still 66-68 after a 9 hour burn. We'll see how that is when the night time temps really drop in the middle of the winter.
Hey Shortys, I didnt time it to a T but I think it was around 2 hours before my stove temp was around 300 and not much flames were going on then. My wood is not dry, I got it this year from above and beyond which I'm sure you have heard of being from Smithfield. Where do you get your wood from?
Last night I used wood from Lowes but I only threw in 2 or 3 small splits from the package with kindling and news paper knots. Temp got to about 450. I think only have 3 small splits burning is what limited me last night. I have 4 larger splits left from the package which I'm going to use for friday night and try to have coals in the morning for a relight on saturday. I have the boston 1200 insert by the way.
Last night I used wood from Lowes but I only threw in 2 or 3 small splits from the package with kindling and news paper knots. Temp got to about 450. I think only have 3 small splits burning is what limited me last night. I have 4 larger splits left from the package which I'm going to use for friday night and try to have coals in the morning for a relight on saturday. I have the boston 1200 insert by the way.
Similar threads
