First Fire in new stove

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My insert manual states that it will burn hotter when fully open, hotter and faster, shutting it down will make it last longer...

That is not quite correct and an oversimplification of how modern stoves work. Some stove manuals are better than others at explaining this. There is a balance between a long hot burn and a bright flaming fire. Running with the primary air open wide will make for a cooler fire in the firebox and a much hotter flue because that is where the secondary burn will be trying to happen. This can be bad for the connector pipe if it is staying over it's sustained ULC S641 temperature rating. For better stovetop heat you want the secondary burn concentrated in the stove itself.
 
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When you start closing down the primary air supply the draft starts pulling more air through the secondary manifold. This draws heated air into the bloom of hot wood gases coming off the splits. This super heats the fire and raises the stove top temperature. This reburn of the wood gases is a large part of the reason why modern stoves are much more efficient.
Is this increasing stove efficiency, temperature and reducing emission because it's pulling incompletely combusted material back into the fire? Sort of analogous to an EGR system in an automotive engine?
 
When you start closing down the primary air supply the draft starts pulling more air through the secondary manifold. This draws heated air into the bloom of hot wood gases coming off the splits. This super heats the fire and raises the stove top temperature. This reburn of the wood gases is a large part of the reason why modern stoves are much more efficient.

More on the topic here:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/whats-the-point-of-secondary-air.24782/
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/physics-of-secondary-combustion.110215/
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/lopi-answer-secondary-burn-tube-function.105266/
Begreen while you are at it, please explain my situation, it seems to be the opposite, no?
 
Sorry didn't see your response...
 
Sorry didn't see your response...
My insert gives off secondaries quite often, I don't feel that I have an issue with that.
The manual also states that in very cold outsides temperatures, it may be necessary to run the insert fully opened and the fan on high for longer periods of time..... That said, I have heard others on here say that running the fan will actually cool the fire..... So that adds to more confusion....thanks
 
Running it wide open on many stoves will definitely over fire the stove.
Big mistake to push a stove to run balls to the wall and damaging it in the process.
 
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I often have ONE split in there on the hot bed of coals, I don't think that is over firing it....
 
This is a picture of 1 split with secondaries....

image.jpg
 
We can't describe nor envision every possible way there is to burn wood here. Most people do not burn one split at a time except to burn down the coal bed. Or in your case, a big split that is on a couple sleepers on a hot coal bed. That's not what's being discussed here.

This is turning into a thread hijack. Post a new thread with questions please.
 
I'd save the wood. It's too warm right now in LI to need a fire.

You are right, I think I will wait till it's colder outside. I just want to make sure I get the paint smell out of the house before the windows are shut. Do you think I could have done any damage to the bricks or steel or baffle with that first hot fire. They both are fine. No cracks or stress cracks in ether. They are white in color and clean. I had the air all the way opened most of the time. I think working on the secondary burns like you were talking about that I have to get going.The next fire I will try for the long burns and to see how i can get it to burn most efficient.
 
Hey Treemoss,

I think you're fine. If it were me I'd just light a couple more quick hot fires, getting increasingly hotter with each fire. Do this with a stove top thermometer so you can better gauge what you're doing. With new stoves usually each time you hit a new high temp you smell the paint. Congrats on the new stove! I love the way those Napoleons roll those secondaries. I had the 1101 insert and the light show was incredible.
 
You are right, I think I will wait till it's colder outside. I just want to make sure I get the paint smell out of the house before the windows are shut. Do you think I could have done any damage to the bricks or steel or baffle with that first hot fire. They both are fine. No cracks or stress cracks in ether. They are white in color and clean. I had the air all the way opened most of the time. I think working on the secondary burns like you were talking about that I have to get going.The next fire I will try for the long burns and to see how i can get it to burn most efficient.
It's a tough stove. You're probably fine.
 
I was always under the impression that "break-in" fires weren't needed (or at least weren't as critical) in a plate steel stove. I understand that with cast stoves, as they are several pieces that fit together and sealed with stove cement, that break-in fires allow the sealant to flow into all the nooks and crannies without flowing too fast as in a normal burn. Hence the number of small start up/cool down cycles.

However, I suppose a small start up fire to drive the moisture out of the fire bricks may be beneficial, but beyond that I'm not so sure. But then again, small break-in fires wouldn't harm anything and always following the manufacturers directions wouldn't hurt either.
 
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