Which method is more fuel efficent?

[MagdalenaP]

When starting a fire in the morning, which is better?

Method 1: Leaving the door open an inch, and letting the fire quickly get to 400 (flue temp) before shutting the door, then air...OR,
Method 2: Closing the door as soon as the flame will stay, and then start shutting down the air, after about 30 min or so (aka, much slower method than above)?

I'm thinking method 1 has a lot of hot air going up the flue, and burning away the wood too fast, but then method 2 isn't producing heat as fast when the door is closed...thoughts?

 

[bholler]

When starting a fire in the morning, which is better?

Method 1: Leaving the door open an inch, and letting the fire quickly get to 400 (flue temp) before shutting the door, then air...OR,
Method 2: Closing the door as soon as the flame will stay, and then start shutting down the air, after about an hour or so (aka, much slower method than above)?

I'm thinking method 1 has a lot of hot air going up the flue, and burning away the wood too fast, but then method 2 isn't producing heat as fast when the door is closed...thoughts?

It takes an hour for your stove to get to temp????

 

[Sawset]

A lingering flue temp below 250-300f at startup will create wet creosote condensing and draining back down the pipes in a surprising hurry. I would say get those temps up asap. My stove vents out from the top and back, and the intake is bottom back. I know, because if I let it, creosote can drain from the vent pipe down and out the back within 15min. Had it happen twice. Learned my lesson. It's not hard to avoid.

 

[MagdalenaP]

It takes an hour for your stove to get to temp????

Edited, I don't know...never watched the clock, let's say anywhere from 15 - 30 ish then

 

[Ctwoodtick]

I like to leave door just ajar for flame to get going, but this does not take long at all. I then close and latch door for the duration. Definitely not a time to get distracted when door ajar. In no time, you could damage stove/chimney if you space out.

 

[EbS-P]

I think if you define efficiency as heat to room divided by heat up the stack then method 2 wins but it has its down sides. The stove operates most efficiently (burning all the available fuel ie smoke) when it is at a higher temp. So in reality there is the most efficient heating burn rate. It’s kind of like jets they are much more fuel efficient at high altitudes but a really steep climb is wasteful. So they do the math and know the most efficient climb rate given their cruising altitude.

short answer probably somewhere in between the two methods. Do you light top down? I highly recommend it. I think it is very efficient

evan

 

[MagdalenaP]

Do you light top down? I highly recommend it. I think it is very efficient

evan

Thank you for the info. Actually, I have tried a couple of times, seemed to work great...going to continue this method. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Woody Stover]

Method 2: Closing the door as soon as the flame will stay, and then start shutting down the air, after about 30 min or so (aka, much slower method than above)?

Do you light top down? I highly recommend it. I think it is very efficient

Yep, I would experiment with top-down starts if your wood is very dry. It concentrates heat in the top re-burn section of the stove and may allow you to get faster secondaries and subsequent air shut-down.

 

[Woody Stover]

You may already be burning 24/7 up there. In that case, after you burn the coals down, shove them to the back and start a top-down in the front/top of the box.

 

[MagdalenaP]

You may already be burning 24/7 up there. In that case, after you burn the coals down, shove them to the back and start a top-down in the front/top of the box.

I've never heard of pushing them to the back, always to the front to get it to re-light faster. Can you explain why to the back?

 

[Woody Stover]

I've never heard of pushing them to the back, always to the front to get it to re-light faster. Can you explain why to the back?

If your wood is dry, you don't have to burn in the load all that much, like it will if you load everything on top of coals. Yes, if you pull the coals forward, you can approximate a top-down start and the heat will go up along the glass to the top. That works better if you load E-W to contain the fire in the front. If you load N-S and shove the coals back, then you can do a top-down better, with not as much of the load lighting as fast. I'm not sure how long you've been burning the new Drolet, but there sure are a lot of different ways to burn any stove. That's half the fun.

 

[bholler]

I've never heard of pushing them to the back, always to the front to get it to re-light faster. Can you explain why to the back?

This is the first I have heard of it as well I always spread the coals out with more in the front and would never bother lighting a fire on top of wood that was ontop of a hot coal bed.