Looking for confirmation..

[Mark Richards]

You guys and gals that say your stove cruises along at 650 stove top temps, are you keeping your damper open a little (epa type stoves)? It seems if I get the top up to 650 I have to leave the air open 1/2 to 3/4 in order to keep it there. Is this true in your experience. I am using very dry maple splits packed about 3/4 full on a 2.3 cu in firebox Drolet Escape.

 

[pen]

Yep, same thing here.

It depends on your draft. The strength of the draft can depend on the chimney construction, location, height, size, temperature, lots of things.

But in general, it's the same thing here.

 

[Mark Richards]

Yep, same thing here.

It depends on your draft. The strength of the draft can depend on the chimney construction, location, height, size, temperature, lots of things.

But in general, it's the same thing here.

Thanks pen, I think I'm going to use alot more wood than I thought with this stove. Old house with average insulation. I'll probably use the $300 tax credit from buying the stove to help pay for some additional insulation.

 

[Sprinter]

It depends so much on the above, but also fuel quality (BTU density) and how full the stove is. For me, I usually get 600 - 650 with the air control just slightly open, maybe 1/2" off the bottom. But our stoves are different. Sounds like your experience is maybe pretty normal, although I'm a little surprised if you need to keep your air up at 3/4 on cruise. That may be worth looking into, but I'm not familiar with your stove.

Generally, as you turn the primary air down, a greater proportion goes to the secondaries and the stove should get hotter. I've always had the impression that most non-cats operated best at lower throttle levels.

 

[pen]

Do what you can with what you have.

If this is the first year with the stove, then you'll burn more wood this year than ever again (it's a trend that happens often with the learning curve).

The biggest way I have wasted wood with a new stove is by loading more frequently than i need by not knowing how much wood I need to put on the stove if the house is at X temp and the outside is X temp. I (and many) end up getting things hotter than necessary.

If you have another heat source, compromise and set the thing at your bottom line temp for the house before you get hollered at by the others in the home (55, 60, 62, 66 whatever) and err on the side of being a bit conservative with your loads late in the evening when folks will go to bed soon and first thing in the morning when they will be leaving soon. If it's warm when things are active when people are there, and the furnace needs to help a little in between but you get to stretch out your good fuel,,,, then that's the best you can do.

Or start shopping for some man made compressed fuel (eco-bricks, bio-blocks, etc) and supplement with them as not to be tempted to buying and trying to use unseasoned wood.

pen

 

[Holiday]

I have my main air supply probably 85% closed. I leave it just enough to keep the secondary burn going nicely. This results in a 600 -700 range with my stove. Are you sure the wood is good and dry?

 

[Mark Richards]

Yep the wood is really good and dry, 3 years split and stacked. I had the chance later last night to really fill the firebox full and let er rip. Whoa what a difference the packing of the wood makes. I easily got up to 625 and reduced the damper to all the way in and it kept a nice secondary burn going with a hot top for a very long time. I think I was just scared to really let it rip with a full load of wood cause my house is almost paid for!!

 

[bag of hammers]

The biggest way I have wasted wood with a new stove is by loading more frequently than i need by not knowing how much wood I need to put on the stove if the house is at X temp and the outside is X temp. I (and many) end up getting things hotter than necessary.

Guilty of that - even with a stove I've been burning for a few years. My 2nd fire this year I got it way to warm inside - patio door was open for a while. For me the start of each new season means a couple or more fires to get back in the groove.

Mark - last year I think was the first time in 2 or 3 years that I got some great secondaries and long burn times with the primary air completely off. It's not always a constant though - I dial down the primary air until I get nice secondaries / lazy flames - sometimes that's all the way down, sometimes it's a bit open, depends on the wood (primarily yellow birch and/or sugar maple), how I loaded it (nice square splits vs big uglies), etc. I'm learning that it is what it is, the stove will let me know where the sweet spot is, sometimes it will vary a bit.

 

[Sprinter]

Yep the wood is really good and dry, 3 years split and stacked. I had the chance later last night to really fill the firebox full and let er rip. Whoa what a difference the packing of the wood makes. I easily got up to 625 and reduced the damper to all the way in and it kept a nice secondary burn going with a hot top for a very long time. I think I was just scared to really let it rip with a full load of wood cause my house is almost paid for!!

That's more like it. Now you're cooking.