brad wilton
Feeling the Heat
Might be that when you shut down air it closes completly, my stove has to be left about a 1/4" open other wise fire dies.
Help please, before i freeze to death
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electrathon
Minister of Fire
I have bit my lip on that one. It was the first thing I noticed when I saw the picture. There is so much else done wrong, unsafe, I kind of figured a roof leak would be minor.
jatoxico
Minister of Fire
Examples of my stove sucks at this time of year abound:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/controlling-my-new-englander-madison.147371/#post-1988173
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/controlling-my-new-englander-madison.147371/#post-1988173
electrathon
Minister of Fire
The flashing is nailed down on top of the shingles instead of being slipped under. The flashing should only on top of the bottom row. If is easier and faster to do it the way it is, but is prone to leaking. To correct it he will likely need to pull shingles and re-roof the section around the flashing.
Funny, the add for excel chimney (this site seems to love adds) is directly above what I am typing, it shows the flashing properly.
Yea people can't seem to read... they can comment, but can't read.
I did exactly what the instructions said, whine to them.
you know I'm starting to doubt joining this forum was the right thing to do...
*edit- never mind, not gonna let some idiots ruin it for me. thanks for your help people who are actually trying to help
I don't think the flashing is bad i would have tucked it under more courses yeah but as long as it is up past the slits in that course it should be fine. But honestly i as a pro am not willing to help you figure out the problems with your stove until you acknowledge and have a plan to address the very serious safety issues with your install. I am sorry if that bothers you but according to my professional code of ethics that is what i have to do. Safety comes first then performance.
Wildo
Minister of Fire
If you dive in head first you need to learn how to swim really quickly. If you dip your toes and wade in slowly you can learn at your own pace--confusedshush.
Everyone is trying to help you keep your head above water. You have a multitude of issues going on and nobody here wants you to learn the hard way.
This forum is the best resource I have found for woodburning. Do I agree with everyone on here all of the time ? HELL NO Does everyone agree with me all of the time? HELL NO
The advice is sound and it is also opinionated, I would respect it less if it wasn't opinionated because that shows our passion for this way of life.
Unless the perceived code violations of the install are directly related to the stove performance, then I see no need to continue harping on about it, after a couple mentions it needs no further emphasis. Clearly it is a new install, and there are likely multiple measures that could be taken to bring it into code without substantial change to the setup. While it may be outside of code it has been well assembled with good materials, and the real-world safety risk under careful operation is extremely low. The OP has come with some legitimate concerns about the way the stove is operating and is looking for insight into what may be happening and how it might be solved. I think it best serves the interests of the forum to stay on this topic instead of repeatedly diverting to what is essentially a conversation-ending conclusion.
They are in no way whatsoever very low they are in fact pretty high. And i for one am not willing to ignore those very serious risks. If it was 1/2" or even 1" to close i might look past it but this is way to close. It is not well assembled at all it does not meet the clearance requirements. And there are no perceived code violations there are several very clear ones
thank you pdxdave. I really appreciate your kind words as well as your attempt to help set this thread back on track. I realize there are some "passionate" opinions on here, and those are welcome, but the constant nitpicking and blatant insults as if I threw together some hack job are unfortunately getting to me. Commenting on my install and how shabby it is when you haven't even bothered to read that the PICTURES ARE BEFORE I FINISHED just shows how idiotic some people are. I don't appreciate that kind of presence on my thread. If youre not here to be friendly and offer help and advice, then please, find someone else to troll. I have some code issues yes, trust me I know, I've been told over and over and over and over about them... apparently to the point some think I don't deserve help until corrected well who cares! Don't help. I'll either meet some nice people who want to help (80% of you reading this) Or I won't... but I really don't care to hear any more of their garbage. ok, That's it, I'm done venting. I kept it PG, and I'm ready to move forward. Again thanks so deeply for all of you that are offering friendly advice, and especially to those of you who stand in defense of at least my intentions!! You are the ONLY reason I am still a part of this site!!
I really don't see anyone harping on you. They are stating fact. You have a serious fire hazard issue the way the stove is shown in the picture. Clearance is way too close, and floor protection is inadequate.. Even with the proper clearances, you would be amazed how hot walls will get. To the point where you can't even hold your hand on it sometimes. And that's with proper clearances. I think the reason some people are riding you is because it appears, (may not be the case), that you have no intention of fixing the serious fire hazard you have, and they are concerned.
Really? Were on page 4 of people telling me the same thing over and over and over... Thats not harping to you? I really dont care anymore. this is my last post acknowleding ANYONE about clearences, codes, or any other subject that doesnt have anything to do with my lack of sustainability.
I tested some wood. Some 12%, some 18%, some 25%, some more, some less... All from the same batch! Some of the oldest, blackest, crackediest pieces once split will say 30%, while some fresher looking pieces say 11%. If these readings are accurate there is NO WAY anyone can pick out wood by eye!
You know ive been around people with stoves alot in the past. To them its just open a door, throw in a piece, forget about it... To me its much much more complicated, and getting close to not worth the trouble. good thing im not a quitter (yet)
I tested some wood. Some 12%, some 18%, some 25%, some more, some less... All from the same batch! Some of the oldest, blackest, crackediest pieces once split will say 30%, while some fresher looking pieces say 11%. If these readings are accurate there is NO WAY anyone can pick out wood by eye!
You know ive been around people with stoves alot in the past. To them its just open a door, throw in a piece, forget about it... To me its much much more complicated, and getting close to not worth the trouble. good thing im not a quitter (yet)
Well, with that, you confirmed my suspicions. You don't have any intent of correcting anything. And you may not acknowledge us here, but you can acknowledge the fire company, the insurance company, and the police, when your house burns down.
Bigsby
Burning Hunk
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. 
I think everyone has missed one of the elephants in the room-
The flue pipe damper. I see this install has a key damper in the stovepipe. These have no purpose in an EPA certified stove install except as a potential tool for limiting a chimney fire or runaway fire (both might be controlled by covering the Outdoor Air Kit inlet though).
Keep that pipe damper in the FULLY OPEN position at all times, or consider removing it. Just the tiny bit of turbulence it adds to an otherwise "straight run" might reduce your effective chimney draft.
As for the video, anyone experienced can say that wood simply doesn't change its burn state all that fast. You're going back and forth with that damper as if it should make a difference... It won't. Make a change to the stove's primary air damper (that's most likely what that is btw and it's the only "damper" control you should have) and wait 5-10 minutes before making judgment about what changes have occurred with the fire.
Lastly, EPA certified non-catalytic stoves work in part by having an insulated baffle up above the burn tubes that partly involve themselves in the fire- not chemically, but thermally. When that baffle, and the stainless burn tubes get super hot, they radiate intense heat downwards back onto the burning wood to help it sustain a clean burn and prevent it from smoldering. Double-check the baffle install and make sure the insulation blanket looks OK. To work in concert with this design, "the best defense is a good offense" comes to mind- when starting your fire be sure to burn something on top of the wood load that will burn fast & hot to get the baffle superheated as quickly as possible.
The common way to do this is called a "top-down" fire, and as a new owner of an EPA certified non-catalytic stove myself, I can vouch for its effectiveness.
The flue pipe damper. I see this install has a key damper in the stovepipe. These have no purpose in an EPA certified stove install except as a potential tool for limiting a chimney fire or runaway fire (both might be controlled by covering the Outdoor Air Kit inlet though).
Keep that pipe damper in the FULLY OPEN position at all times, or consider removing it. Just the tiny bit of turbulence it adds to an otherwise "straight run" might reduce your effective chimney draft.
As for the video, anyone experienced can say that wood simply doesn't change its burn state all that fast. You're going back and forth with that damper as if it should make a difference... It won't. Make a change to the stove's primary air damper (that's most likely what that is btw and it's the only "damper" control you should have) and wait 5-10 minutes before making judgment about what changes have occurred with the fire.
Lastly, EPA certified non-catalytic stoves work in part by having an insulated baffle up above the burn tubes that partly involve themselves in the fire- not chemically, but thermally. When that baffle, and the stainless burn tubes get super hot, they radiate intense heat downwards back onto the burning wood to help it sustain a clean burn and prevent it from smoldering. Double-check the baffle install and make sure the insulation blanket looks OK. To work in concert with this design, "the best defense is a good offense" comes to mind- when starting your fire be sure to burn something on top of the wood load that will burn fast & hot to get the baffle superheated as quickly as possible.
The common way to do this is called a "top-down" fire, and as a new owner of an EPA certified non-catalytic stove myself, I can vouch for its effectiveness.
Another "strategy" for preheating the baffle early on is to prefer making your kindling pile "high" rather than "wide" - while you don't want it TOUCHING the baffle (they're sometimes quite fragile) it is true that having burning wood in very close proximity to the baffle heats it up hotter than any flame could.
That is ridiculous. Where did he say he doesn't intend to correct those issues?
The way many of you are speaking towards him is extremely condescending and immature. If I were a new poster I'd probably not be coming back. I'd suggest speaking to people on the forum as you would in person- that means to make points and move on with the conversation, not continually harrass over something that has already been acknowledged.
As I'm not experienced enough for the woodstove problem, my .02 cents is to suggest putting a dab of roof caulking on each nail head so snow/water will not rust out nail and penetrate roof causing a leak.
Folks look at the pic in the first post in the thread. It is under the shingles and he caulked the nail heads.
Oh and another tip- Every time you open the door, you're cooling down at least part of the firebox. When I light a fire I get the splits, kindling and tinder (newspaper + a quarter "supercedar" firestarter) ready, squirt some firestarter gel on the tinder, light it off and close the door right away. Primary air damper open fully. Don't touch the door handle. Let it burn and see how it goes. You're trying to charge up a thermal battery here (baffle + firebricks) to make it to the "promised land" of fancy pretty non-catalytic clean burning and don't want to sabotage yourself by introducing a rush of comparatively cold air by opening the door.
Kingdoc
New Member
Maybe it's just me but it seemed like his air control moved very easy and was very quiet. most of the time moving an air control sounds like a brick on a cheese grater. Could it be that his air control rod came lose from the metal plate that chokes off the air supply and it is now stuck in the closed position?
That's why we usually recommend to new members to dry their own wood. When it has been sitting for 2 to 3 years split and stacked in a sunny and windy spot, raised from the ground and top-covered it is almost surely below 20%. Testing a few pieces is then often enough to tell how dry the rest is.
The wood you got may have been sitting in a big heap somewhere with the outer pieces now being dry while anything inside still wet. Maybe get a helper and start splitting everything again. Have him/her measure the moisture content and throw the wood in piles of below and above 20% moisture. Then re-stack for the next winter what needs to dry further. Supplement the dry wood with compressed wood logs like Envi-blocks or Bio Bricks. Pallets are also an option: Often free and dry but a PITA to cut up and avoid painted to chemically treated ones.
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