Hey Everyone - Temps are dropping into the 20-30 degree range this week and thanks to helpful advice from forum members; I'm ready to do my initial firing of the stove. I've been reading through a lot of posts, but would appreciate any helpful suggestions on starting the fire, how to bring it up to temp properly, setting the air and temps I should run it at for good, safe fires. I've got a Condar stove top thermometer and a probe style thermometer for the double wall stove pipe. Also got a moisture meter to make sure the wood is properly seasoned. Most of my wood is 2-3 years old, so hopefully I'll be OK. Thanks again for all the help.
Getting Ready to Fire Up my New Englander NC-30
- Thread starter HarleyRCK07
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When you load it up, try and have a channel from the doghouse to the back of the stove to let the air circulate.
When you first light it, let the door stay open about an inch until the fire is going well and close it. Leave the damper open all the way until the outside of the wood is charred and has some coals. Then push it in so the end of the handle lines up with the edge of the shelf. This will get a good secondary burn going.
Here is a 30 minute video of a fellow lighting his NC30:
Happy burning!
When you first light it, let the door stay open about an inch until the fire is going well and close it. Leave the damper open all the way until the outside of the wood is charred and has some coals. Then push it in so the end of the handle lines up with the edge of the shelf. This will get a good secondary burn going.
Here is a 30 minute video of a fellow lighting his NC30:
Happy burning!
edyit
Minister of Fire
what dix said, its gonna stink bad, fire it up before it gets too cold, you're gonna want to open windows to air it out
I agree with the first response. Leave a channel open in front of the doghouse, and build a few smaller fires to burn in the paint. It'll smoke and stink for the first few fires so be ready to ventilate that room. I fired mine up three times outside before bringing it in the house and it still smelled for a while when it would get hot.
Thanks for the replies everyone. The stove is actually in my shop in the pole barn so I plan to go out today and fire it up to get some burn time. Weather is supposed to get around upper 30's to around 40 so should be good time to do it before the colder air sets in this weekend. Thanks for the video and all the helpful replies. I'm sure I'll be back with questions; hopefully all goes well.
You have all the right tools. Don’t let the probe meter go above 1000 (I like about 800) and don’t let the stove top meter get above 750 . Locate the stove top meter in the center of the little step up on top of the stove. The paint stink is no big deal.
Mine is in the shop too and I run it hard and hot only.
You can load it to the roof. It’s okay if the tubes glow. Don’t leave the throttle on 100% open too long, as soon as you can do it without changing the fire much be pushing the intake rod in towards about 50% shut or less. This will heat the stove faster and prevent melting internal parts.
After about an hour your stove top temps and internal pipe temps should match. I aim to maintain 700 and have to reload every 3-4 hours. The stove wants to run hot, not easy for me to get clean burn at lower temperatures.
Mine is in the shop too and I run it hard and hot only.
You can load it to the roof. It’s okay if the tubes glow. Don’t leave the throttle on 100% open too long, as soon as you can do it without changing the fire much be pushing the intake rod in towards about 50% shut or less. This will heat the stove faster and prevent melting internal parts.
After about an hour your stove top temps and internal pipe temps should match. I aim to maintain 700 and have to reload every 3-4 hours. The stove wants to run hot, not easy for me to get clean burn at lower temperatures.
Mike M.
Feeling the Heat
I like to burn 6-8 smaller kindling size splits 1st for about 15 or 20 minutes. Then I rake those coals forward and load the 30 all the way to the top. Shut down the air in 2 steps and good for 10-12 hours.
Sent from my SM-G900R6 using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G900R6 using Tapatalk
One last hint, most people are keeping warm homes warm. You will be trying to heat a huge cold building ASAP. Totally different application and while some things are the same, others are different.
Thanks Highbeam. Appreciate the guidance. Got to run into town first then out to the barn to fire it up.
Thanks Mike. Hope my first burns go well. Got the wood ready to go. Will follow advice and see how it goes.
Yeah, your setup and mine are pretty similar. I'm interested in seeing how it goes on warming such a large open space. I'll keep everyone posted. Thanks again.
You’ll notice, it’s all about heating that dang slab. When it and everything else is 50 degrees the air might heat up quickly but that cold slab will suck it back down as soon as the fire goes out. Once you heat the slab up you’ll find it easier to keep the space warm. It’s like getting a flywheel spinning.
I forget if you insulated and finished that shop. If not, you’re in campfire mode where the best you can do is have a warm thing to roast your buns.
I forget if you insulated and finished that shop. If not, you’re in campfire mode where the best you can do is have a warm thing to roast your buns.
Yes, it is insulated. I have about 12+ inches of blown in insulation in the ceiling and the walls are foamed (5-6") which varies in spots. The ceiling, as you can guess; is finished with metal. I haven't done the metal on the walls yet; wife wants kitchen redone first!
Holy crap! You have bare foam on the inside? Isn’t that a deadly fire trap?
I’m redoing closets as I type this. Setting backer on 2x6 t&g subfloor for tile. Old house fun.
I’m redoing closets as I type this. Setting backer on 2x6 t&g subfloor for tile. Old house fun.
Dang Highbeam, now I'm in a holding pattern until I get with the builder to make sure what I have going is safe. Thanks for bringing that up as it never crossed my mind for some reason
Now you got me worried! I didn't fire it up last night as planned. The stove sits in the corner on a hearth similar to yours. The distances from the closest part of the stove, which is the corners; to the foam is 32" on the right rear corner and 34" on the left rear corner. The stove pipe, which is double wall; the closest measurement to the foam insulation is 42". These distances far exceed the distances required in the table listed in the stove manual. I sent a text to my son-in-law who is a building contractor to check to see if there is a potential fire issue regardless. Waiting for him to text or call me back. At this point I'm not doing anything until I know it's OK. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Can't go ahead with siding the inside yet as the wife wants projects in the house completed first. Thanks
There are some very strict codes about the foam. You can’t even leave it exposed in the house in a room with no stove. Apparently it burns really well and when it does, it emits tons of nasty toxic smoke.
Sheetrock?
Sheetrock?
So do you think if I do Type X 5/8" drywall in the corner where the stove is that will suffice until such time as I can have the inside finished with metal as I planned? I did fire the stove up the other afternoon and stayed with it during the entire burn time. The stove top itself got as hot as 750 degrees. I continually checked all areas of the wall close to the stove, comparing it to other areas; and could tell no difference in temp. All areas were cool to the touch. Being my distances from the wall are greater than 32", I think using the type X drywall should get me by and be safe. Do you agree? Thanks
It's not a clearance thing, it's a flame spread and poison smoke thing. Once that foam ignites for some reason bad things happen. My shop walls are osb which isn't exactly fireproof either. Have you ever burned a chunk of foam? I'm not going to say what's okay since there isn't supposed to be any exposed foam.
MAD MARK
Feeling the Heat
If you ever accidentally drop even a small chunk of foam into a fire pit it is pretty amazing how much very black and foul smoke pours out.
I’d like to hear how his stove worked too.
I’d like to hear how his stove worked too.
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