Pine Burners

[black smoke signals]

Hey? Read my signature please then tell me approximately how long is your burn overnight average time at 6000ft just curious Thanks

 

[HisTreeNut]

Welcome to the Forums! ! !
I hope this helps a bit as I am just shy of 3000' in Eastern Pineaphobia country...Western NC.
That being said, I have a Buck 94NC and is a non-cat stove. Having it loaded with pine & the air dialed almost all the way back, I see 4-6 hours before a reload with a decent bed of coals. Hardwoods like oak with the air all the back, I see 6-8 hours before a reload.
Hope that helps a bit...

 

[rwhite]

4-6 depending on species. Lodgepole seemed to get a bit longer burn times then ponderosa.

 

[kennyp2339]

I see a BK Princess insert, depending on split size you should be in the 10 - 14 hr range. As an owner of a BK princess free stander I see many people make mistakes with burns. These stoves are designed to be the most boring stoves out there, once you get a roaring fire you should be able to turn the t-stat down so that the flames go away and the load in the box just smolders (this is were you get the long burn times) the cat then reburns the smoke and due to the cat placement in the stove the heat the cat generates gets transferred to the stove top.
If your burning and you have flames the whole time / clean window then your burn times are going to be like any other stove..significantly lower than what advertised here.
The main thing is to find your happy medium by testing / playing with the stoves t-stat, find your spot where you get good heat, no flame show (or little show) and the cat stays in the active range. This may take a few loads to do

 

[St. Coemgen]

I do not have this stove.

But.....

For the record: I never burn over night.

House insulation keeps the day generated heat in fine. A new fire is started in the morning if needed. And a new fire is not always needed n the morning -- may not be needed until the afternoon. The house is well insulated. Insulation pays back its investment in time, then it is just like money in the bank regarding heating costs.

 

[kennyp2339]

Agreed with the insulation, my next place will be very insulated with good windows and all, at my age of 31 I'm much more of a green energy person than I was in my early 20's

 

[branchburner]

With my stoves, I expect my burn times w/ eastern white pine have generally been about half as long as with hardwoods, because even though the burn starts out good and hot there is not much to the coaling stage... the stuff just turns to ash pretty quickly.
Pine has served me very well this month, and is the bulk of what I've been burning to take the edge of the cooler days and nights.

 

[black smoke signals]

If your burning and you have flames the whole time / clean window then your burn times are going to be like any other stove..significantly lower than what advertised here.
The main thing is to find your happy medium by testing / playing with the stoves t-stat, find your spot where you get good heat, no flame show (or little show) and the cat stays in the active range. This may take a few loads to do[/QUOTE]
Kenny thanks for the reply's and all other too! Will this insert TOS temp 500 while turning t-stat down to low and the cat is active at the gauge window cracked and flame then goes out (not sure correct word to use} build up of smoke that ignites inside the box with a boom? Old slammer did this scared us when it did. Sometimes I look up at the cat and it doesn't glow but other times it will glow bright is this operator error?

 

[black smoke signals]

I visited the dealers showroom floor they have a princess stove with a hot fire going with tall flames t-stat set to 2.This is where he leaves the setting for an all day burn. I know why now (flames sell) When I purchased the insert I was sold by the heat output of the princess and the expert advise he had. After reading Kennyp post I know I need to turn the t-stat lower to get my long burn time. When turning t-stat down to a smolder setting 3-4 (FLAMES OUT) I did see small flames igniting before the smoke enters the cat and the cat glowing red hot (hot coals small load 2 splits of red oak) does this sound correct? I just want to load it up set it and walk away for a few or hit the sack with out worry!

 

[black smoke signals]

I going to add to this 3-4 setting flames out TOS 550 look up at cat glowing red(temp of cat at the extreme right and climbing) Now do I TURN the t-stat down to prevent over fire or go polish my hot-rods?

 

[kennyp2339]

Go polish those hot rods, the idea is to find your sweat spot, no flames or a few secondary flames are were you want to be, your cat prob will be in the 2 -4 o'clock at first since its new and considered over active, once the cat starts to settle you'll see the cat hang any where from 10 to 2 o'clock. Again these stoves are to be considered the most boring stoves out there, faint glowing fire box (if you have clean glass) to a fully covered black glass, active cat during all of this is how you know your doing it right, if you need more heat simply turn the t-stat up for more air, nothing is wrong if you need more heat and you got flames in the firebox

 

[black smoke signals]

Thanks again Kenny!

 

[kennyp2339]

That's the load I just put in there fully charred, no flame, air setting about 2 o'clock

 

[black smoke signals]

Well now learning to burn more with less air thanks to this forum! ? Do I load the fire box up past the fire brick inside to insert.? Stove cruising TOS 550 Combustion dial temp at 3 oclock and raising to almost the black area of the dial. This time I have Red Oak burning and did a top down fire then turning slowly till coals are bright very little flame.I did activate combustor just as the dial said Fans too.Insert working great excellent heat but.How do I control the catalytic dial to the safe zone It seems this temp keeps climbing. Does opening up the draft till I get flame then open up the combustor till cat temp goes to the safe zone or go out and polish my hot rods lol

 

[kennyp2339]

Your not going to control the needle to the safe zone due to it being an over active cat, no worries with that either as long as you have the T stat set and you have no flames to small flames in the fire box, over time the cat will break in and settle.
Nice to see your enjoying the insert, cheers to long warm burn times

 

[black smoke signals]

Thanks again Kenny