How to run a grandma bear

[DirtyhawaiianMD]

Yes they do cool it to much they are horrible creosote factories

Hmmm

Guess that goes back to what I stated in the earlier thread.

Making sure I am a good woodstove owner and clean my flue and magic heat since they are a creosote factories.

Well just the magic heat is.

 

[Todd67]

Hmmm

Guess that goes back to what I stated in the earlier thread.

Making sure I am a good woodstove owner and clean my flue and magic heat since they are a creosote factories.

Well just the magic heat is.

What I learned recently is that the flue gases should be above 250 degrees when they leave the top of your chimney. Anything below 250 and those gases start to form creosote.

 

[bholler]

Hmmm

Guess that goes back to what I stated in the earlier thread.

Making sure I am a good woodstove owner and clean my flue and magic heat since they are a creosote factories.

Well just the magic heat is.

Or you could be a good wood stove owner and run a good setup properly. That would allow you to clean once a year.

 

[Don H]

When I was heating the house with a Mama I only cleaned the flue at the end of the heating season, and even then it wasn't real dirty. Chimney is masonry with a 7X7 clay flue liner about 30' tall. Several years ago we converted to geothermal so now the stove is just used for a back-up.

 

[DirtyhawaiianMD]

There's nothing wrong with keeping the chimney at 8" to match the glue size.

When I first started heating with my Mama Bear I was trying to keep my single wall pipe above 250 all the time. But I have learned over the years that that is not as important as everyone makes it out to be, as long as you reach 400-500 every time you load the stove. Then we close the draft caps down to 1/4 or 1/2 turn. Our stove pipe thermometer goes back to the "cruising" temp until it's time to load the stove again.

This only works with properly seasoned wood. With greener wood you will need the draft caps opened more, and the temperature higher.

View attachment 238047

Today I got a 12hr burn put the wood in at 5am with a small bed of coals. Got her up and going I did the air adjustment like you stated. Didnt close the flue damper and once temp got up to 350 400 I closed the intake on the doors. Then reopened bout 3/8 it held 400 till I left at 6. The wife doesn't mess with it other than checking temp for me but was good when she left by 7 still 400. Came home at 5pm with a small bed of coals again not really glowing but enough that I didnt have to restart just blew air across them and added small kinlin till it started back up.

Pretty awesome

 

[DirtyhawaiianMD]

Get rid of the magic heat.

So I am taking your opinion to thought I do see what you are saying I would hate if I did have a chimney/ flue fire. Which I pray I dont but it may happen after this season though only so I can see how much creosote I have this year and also it does heat the basement very fast which then heats the upstairs because I have my A/H fan on low and just circulate on the t stat. So I'm constantly moving air around the house.

 

[Todd67]

Today I got a 12hr burn put the wood in at 5am with a small bed of coals. Got her up and going I did the air adjustment like you stated. Didnt close the flue damper and once temp got up to 350 400 I closed the intake on the doors. Then reopened bout 3/8 it held 400 till I left at 6. The wife doesn't mess with it other than checking temp for me but was good when she left by 7 still 400. Came home at 5pm with a small bed of coals again not really glowing but enough that I didnt have to restart just blew air across them and added small kinlin till it started back up.

Pretty awesome

I'm glad you got a long burn time out of it, that's awesome!

The type & quality of wood makes a huge difference, as well as outside temperature and other factors. The mixed wood I'm burning now is only good for 7-8 hours. I have coals that are good enough to get a new load of wood going, so that's good.