Osburn 2400 help!!

[kravvelocity]

Hello all,

This is my first full year heating with wood. We got this insert last year bud didn't have dry enough wood to run so this is my first year running it. I have read as many posts as I could before posting. I am running into the same prob lot of people post about. Build up of coals. It really feels like all I am doing is baby sitting this stove all day trying to manage the coal and im not getting great heat out of it. I am only able to hold it around 300-400 degrees. I have read people open the door to cook them down but by then my stove is down to 200 and them I am playing catch up with the stove and house cooling off.

My big question is how do you keep this stove pumping good heat while keeping the coals down. I do rack them forward then add wood to the top. I added a pic. Stove temp is just over 300 in the pic. This has been going since 5am trying to get the house warmed up. My house is 1900 sq ft. I don't expect the whole house to be 75 but its only 68 in the room with the stove.

Thanks for any help!!

 

[bholler]

Do you have an insulated block off plate above the stove?

 

[kravvelocity]

No, the installer stuff the area around the pipe with insulation at the bottom and top. No metal tho

 

[bholler]

No, the installer stuff the area around the pipe with insulation at the bottom and top. No metal tho

Well that's better than nothing but still not great. I am assuming no insulated liner then either?

 

[bholler]

Also explain to us how you are running the stove.

 

[kravvelocity]

Well that's better than nothing but still not great. I am assuming no insulated liner then either?

That I could not tell you. I asked for him to but in what ever would be best for the stove. This was a friend of family whole does this for living. So I was just trusting him to do the job right.

 

[kravvelocity]

I was trying to load 2-3 pieces of wood. Get a good flame going then turn to lowest setting till they were almost done. Doing that would leave me with mound of coals. So today I have been loading a few pieces of wood the pretty much running on almost 1/2 to wide open all day.

 

[kravvelocity]

by 1/2 to wide open I and judging by how far the air control moves. When i reload the stove is only around 300

 

[bholler]

by 1/2 to wide open I and judging by how far the air control moves. When i reload the stove is only around 300

Loading a few pieces at a time and running more air will make the coaling worse. Stuff the box full get it up to temp then shut back and let it alone. Once it is down to coals if need be open the air up then to burn them down and get more heat

 

[kravvelocity]

tell me if loading wrong.

I rake the coals flat then I put a layer left to right. Then I do a layer on top front to back. Is this good way or should I be doing it different? I try to do different directions to allow air flow between.

 

[bholler]

tell me if loading wrong.

I rake the coals flat then I put a layer left to right. Then I do a layer on top front to back. Is this good way or should I be doing it different? I try to do different directions to allow air flow between.

Loading that way will make the wood burn faster. That will give you more heat faster but will reduce burn times and increase coaling. Plus it means you can fit less wood than just stuffing it in front to back

 

[kravvelocity]

That answers my other question of how to get longer burn times. I was only getting about 5 hours the way i was doing it. I will fill it up and give it a go.

Thanks!! I'll check back later. Hopefully I won't have to make this a boat anchor after all! HAHA

 

[kravvelocity]

After this was done burning I was left with a huge pile of coals.

 

[bholler]

After this was done burning I was left with a huge pile of coals.

What moisture content is your wood at?

 

[brenndatomu]

What kind of wood?

 

[kravvelocity]

mixture of ash 15% and looks like osage orange 16-20%

 

[blacktail]

Where is your thermometer on the stove?

 

[ABMax24]

Do you have an air inlet on the bottom front of the stove in the center below the door? My Osburn does, and if I let the ashes build up like your appears to be air stops coming out of that and I get a lot more coals.

 

[kennyp2339]

How long is the chimney run? Do you have excessive draft? I had the same issues with coaling when I moved my stove from the first floor to the basement (i was getting cooked out of the house) once I moved the stove downstairs i noticed almost an immediate coaling issue, same wood, same type of burning, just way more coals. I measured my draft and found I have a very strong pull, installed a key damper to slow things down and the result was less coals, longer burns and easier stove control. The draft was literally sucking the heat out of the stoves firebox, striping the fuel and not letting it burn fully.

 

[Trey1979]

Im having the same problem but my wood is at 28% i load up at 10 pm and wake up with a ton of coals and 20hrs later i can still light off a load at 7pm the next night without a match

 

[kravvelocity]

Where is your thermometer on the stove?

on the top right in the middle

 

[kravvelocity]

Do you have an air inlet on the bottom front of the stove in the center below the door? My Osburn does, and if I let the ashes build up like your appears to be air stops coming out of that and I get a lot more coals.

yes it does. i do try to keep the coal off that so air can go through. I did notice my fire burns better when that isnt blocked

 

[kravvelocity]

Im having the same problem but my wood is at 28% i load up at 10 pm and wake up with a ton of coals and 20hrs later i can still light off a load at 7pm the next night without a match

last year my wood was 20-35% and it wouldn't burn unless it was on high. the wood wouldn't burn very good so I gave up and let it dry out.

 

[kravvelocity]

How long is the chimney run? Do you have excessive draft? I had the same issues with coaling when I moved my stove from the first floor to the basement (i was getting cooked out of the house) once I moved the stove downstairs i noticed almost an immediate coaling issue, same wood, same type of burning, just way more coals. I measured my draft and found I have a very strong pull, installed a key damper to slow things down and the result was less coals, longer burns and easier stove control. The draft was literally sucking the heat out of the stoves firebox, striping the fuel and not letting it burn fully.

The stove is on the first floor. not a very long run. 1 story house so i would say 15-20 feet. I am not sure how to tell if i have excessive draft.

 

[kravvelocity]

What kind of wood?

I ran a load of just ash last night and it did have bit less coals than using the orange wood. Looks like the orange wood coals a bit more. I have read that its a very hard wood.