Why is bad to use a grate on floor of NC-30,NC-13 ?

[SmokeyCity]

Occasionally Im tempted to put a small grade in the NC-13 because I can't load my splits in N/S which is more conducive to air flow thru the splits.

I also know the manuals don't recommend it.

Would it be *bad* to do it ? or does the manufacturer just believe it is of no real benefit ?

 

[BrotherBart]

Why not do what the manufacturer told you to do in the manual. Cut a 1 to 2 inch trough in the center of the coal/ash bed from front to back to promote better airflow under the wood.

It works.

 

[LLigetfa]

Do what lots of folks do... place a bottom row of splits E/W and then go N/S on top of them. After it builds up with ashes and coals, you can just go N/S.

 

[North of 60]

Occasionally Im tempted to put a small grade in the NC-13 because I can't load my splits in N/S which is more conducive to air flow thru the splits.

I also know the manuals don't recommend it.

Would it be *bad* to do it ? or does the manufacturer just believe it is of no real benefit ?

What are you getting your stove temps up to already? If you cant achive the 500+ then something else is wrong.

 

[Huntindog1]

If you get it burning right and the air shut down very little burning should happen on the bottom, most of the burning should be the secondaries up at the top.

 

[fossil]

Grate = decreasing useable firebox volume and significantly altering the manufacturer's very carefully designed airflow. Englander says no grate (as do most all EPA stove makers I know of), so I've never even thought about putting any sort of grate in either of my stoves. Rick

 

[Jags]

I think you will also find that you will introduce TOO much air and find the stove difficult to control if not outright over firing it. Controlled combustion air is a design built into the unit. You would be making a major change to the design.

 

[SmokeyCity]

Do what lots of folks do... place a bottom row of splits E/W and then go N/S on top of them. After it builds up with ashes and coals, you can just go N/S.

My NC-13 is shallow front to back. I guess I will cut a pile of 10 inch short splits and use them for N/S F/B on the bottom. That way the air injector goes between the shorts front to back. Then lay my 16"rs on top E/W.

Hate to scrap dead cold ashes out because without a lot of heat in the stove - the dust does not suck back into the stove and up the chimney while scraping. That's why I need a workaround to get good flow even with a deep layer of cold ash.

Just have to cut shorts for a N/S -F/B bottom row. It's a little more work but It'll work.

 

[DanCorcoran]

That's exactly what I do with my Shelburne: one small split at each side of the firebox N-S, then all the rest E-W on top of them. It provides great (grate?) airflow beneath the E-W splits.

 

[LLigetfa]

If you need zipper air blasting N/S splits, I suspect the wood is less than ideal.

 

[DanCorcoran]

I'm not sure who you are responding to, LLigetfa. My splits are all E-W, except the bottom two, same as OP.

 

[LLigetfa]

I'm not sure who you are responding to, LLigetfa. My splits are all E-W, except the bottom two, same as OP.

I inferred that the OP said he wanted to go N/S but the bottom is too shallow for them to fit.

I can't load my splits in N/S which is more conducive to air flow thru the splits.

I proposed a bottom layer E/W to get up to the point where N/S would fit. I don't endorse creating an air tunnel under the wood for zipper air. That's almost like opening an ashpan door to give a fire more air which usually indicates less than ideal wood.

 

[SlyFerret]

I have never been able to burn my 30 E/W. I can never get a good enough coal bed established or keep my stove hot enough without overheating my house.

The downside to an oversized stove... lots of cold starts.

-SF

 

[DanCorcoran]

I'm not sure who you are responding to, LLigetfa. My splits are all E-W, except the bottom two, same as OP.

I inferred that the OP said he wanted to go N/S but the bottom is too shallow for them to fit.

I can't load my splits in N/S which is more conducive to air flow thru the splits.

I proposed a bottom layer E/W to get up to the point where N/S would fit. I don't endorse creating an air tunnel under the wood for zipper air. That's almost like opening an ashpan door to give a fire more air which usually indicates less than ideal wood.

OP said this in a post above: "My NC-13 is shallow front to back." Same thing with my Shelburne. It'll take 18-20" E-W, but only 10-12" N-S. That's why we both need to load E-W for most splits.

 

[ddddddden]

Similar firebox size and shape here. I do the same thing, but usually with just 1 N-S split on the bottom because I don't have that many 10". If it's too long to go N-S, then it goes diagonal. No zipper air, but the burn does get going better when air can circulate underneath the load. Yeah yeah, if I had perfect wood, I wouldn't even need matches. . .maybe someday, but with the wood I have, this is what works.

 

[LLigetfa]

Many stoves need shorter splits to load N/S than to load E/W. That is pretty much a given. I don't need an education in that.

The dimensions of the firebox on most stoves are less at the bottom of the firebox than higher up. A split that won't fit N/S in the bottom may fit N/S once you get up above the zipper air/door lip. Many people take advantage of that additional space to load N/S above the door lip. That was what I was proposing and must have been missed based on responses.

Most stove manufacturers say not to use andirons or grates to elevate the wood so as to allow airflow under it. Now, many people found a loophole whereas they elevate their E/W wood using "wooden" andirons (short splits N/S at the bottom). Some folk take it a step further by loading all the wood N/S to get more air to flow between the splits.