Loading a Greenfire, Seaton Greenwood
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Trezebs13,
Thanks for the info. Greenwood sent me a black 40 gal tank that was susposed to be for an open system, I have it just laying around. I think I will try to work something up with that. So you plumb the hot water into the top of the tank, and the cold return back to the stove right? My greenwood has the new and improved mixing valves and separate circ on the back so I don't shock the stove. I don't think I have ever had it kick in. I have been loading only 2 or 3 of the largest rounds I can get in the door, Maple or Birch, and it seems to burn as long as if I load it up. Small splits and slabs burn fast and really black, maybe because of the bark? My wood was cut last Feb-Mar and stored under an open shed roof, the butts are really cracked up. It seems quite dry.
Thanks for the info. Greenwood sent me a black 40 gal tank that was susposed to be for an open system, I have it just laying around. I think I will try to work something up with that. So you plumb the hot water into the top of the tank, and the cold return back to the stove right? My greenwood has the new and improved mixing valves and separate circ on the back so I don't shock the stove. I don't think I have ever had it kick in. I have been loading only 2 or 3 of the largest rounds I can get in the door, Maple or Birch, and it seems to burn as long as if I load it up. Small splits and slabs burn fast and really black, maybe because of the bark? My wood was cut last Feb-Mar and stored under an open shed roof, the butts are really cracked up. It seems quite dry.
Yes, If you read the whole post I did do some testing on both rounds and splits. I would bet that birch would dry out quicker than a oak but still probably not at the best moisture level. But when your me that's all I got for this year. And raelly with it being at 28%-30% moisture I really get very little build up in the chimmney. Just the dripping down the sides. Which would happen with dry wood as well. But larger rounds do seem to give a longer burn time. But no matter what wood will not dry out in one season unless you put it in a kiln.
As far as plumming your tank, yes hot into the top and cold into the back of the stove. Make sure you have some sort of heat loop in it, this concept ended up working great. I'm not sure that it would have to be as long as mine, which is about 25" but I would think at least 12" so you make sure that your return water does not start heating up the water in the bottom of the tank.
As far as plumming your tank, yes hot into the top and cold into the back of the stove. Make sure you have some sort of heat loop in it, this concept ended up working great. I'm not sure that it would have to be as long as mine, which is about 25" but I would think at least 12" so you make sure that your return water does not start heating up the water in the bottom of the tank.
TRZ,
I have a Green Horizon 90K BTU unit. (It is technically a Greenfire but same manufacturer and same exact design). Anyway to answer one of your original questions - the manual says to load to the bottom of the door. I find the sweet spot for heat output is 3 large rounds. This seems to be the cleanest burn. There is no question this beast burns rounds better then splits. The reason is because splits have too much surface area and the smoke/gases exits the boiler quicker then they can burn resulting in decreased efficiency. I do have storage so my unit never idles... With this set up I never have creosote issues even when I was burning green oak the first season. In your situation without storage, a Samson controller may be the way to go. With that type of draft control, the unit might not go into 100% shutdown nearly as much, helping with the creosote issue... That is the way my Greenfire originally came from the manufacturer.
I have a Green Horizon 90K BTU unit. (It is technically a Greenfire but same manufacturer and same exact design). Anyway to answer one of your original questions - the manual says to load to the bottom of the door. I find the sweet spot for heat output is 3 large rounds. This seems to be the cleanest burn. There is no question this beast burns rounds better then splits. The reason is because splits have too much surface area and the smoke/gases exits the boiler quicker then they can burn resulting in decreased efficiency. I do have storage so my unit never idles... With this set up I never have creosote issues even when I was burning green oak the first season. In your situation without storage, a Samson controller may be the way to go. With that type of draft control, the unit might not go into 100% shutdown nearly as much, helping with the creosote issue... That is the way my Greenfire originally came from the manufacturer.
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