Am I doing Something Wrong

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Goater32

Goater32

New Member
Sep 26, 2012
26
Madison WI
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Need some help here. I read through most of the new to burning threads, but can't seem to find an answer to my question/maybe problem. I get the fire started and up to temp then start cutting back air everything seems to be going fairly well. Then when I get a little past half closed on the air control i lose my flames on the out side of the firebox, and have 5 or 6 flames shooting up the middle where the air is coming in, is this normal or how can I fix this problem. The wood I have is mixed hardwoods outside moisture readingis around 14% or so and the inside moisture seems to very by piece anywhere from the 14% up to the highest I found at 22%. The fire burns great win the center but all the logs not in the air flow basically turn black with no flame then when I go to reload 6 or so hours they just fall apart and are coals. Just want to make sure I am not screwing anything up. Thank you.
 
What stove do you have ? On my stove when you get down past half the flames crawl over the surface of the wood then start to float on the bottoms of the tube.

Pete
 
What stove are you burning in Goater?

Sounds like not seasoned wood, but I could be wrong.

Adding your stove to your signature line will help, as well as your location.

Welcome to the forums, in case I missed you you previously !
 
What do you consider "up to temperature?" Sounds like it is not hot enough before your cutting back or your cutting back too quickly between steps. Sounds like your seeing all secondary and no primary. You need to give it more air. Just thinking out loud here. Weak draft, too short chimney? Just a few thoughts.
 
In the picture I'm burning 2 + year old Cherry, the stovetop temp topped out at 650 with the air shut down.

We usually char down the wood for 15 - 25 minutes on a cold start. What temps (Pipe & Stovetop) are you getting up to before shutting it down?
 

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The draft I believe is good it is a shorter chimney 15ft and it could be that I am cutting back the air to quickly and not letting the wood on not in the main air flow establish enough. Just concerned about it getting away from me and not being able to control it. Up to temp is still a little in flux. Had a magnetic therm on the front window trim and would start cutting it back at around 450. I picked up a infared therm yesterday and have been finding the manetic therm is a little off, plus with the infared i can get a temp on the top of the fireplace through the grates
 
Well I picked up a bundle of wood for the gas station and it burned basically the same as my wood, which makes me wonder if I am cutting air too soon and not getting the flames established enough. I guess I am over thinking this, with 6 decent splits I can get a good burn overnight and wake up with plenty of hot coals and the glass is mostly clean except the bottom corners.
 
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What are the temps on top when you are getting under your 50% air settings?? And is this with any fan running or not?
 
After my fresh load really begins a totally roaring burn and the stove top and flue temps begin to climb near "too hot", I start cranking back the primary air in steps. It takes maybe 20-30 minutes to dial it back to almost closed. When it is almost closed, I have no primaries, and all secondaries at the top.

This continues for hours, with the secondaries eventually dying out and the wood just glowing. The stove is still putting out a lot of heat at this point. Depending on how much intense heat I need, I'll either let it continue coaling, or will put on fresh splits.

As far as I'm concerned, if I can see primaries, I haven't yet reached optimal burning.
 
Front of the fireplace on the trim of the door is right around 600 give or take and the top of the fireplace through the grate (louvers) reads anywhere from 580 to 480. Just tried the top down method starting tonight and worked pretty slick
 
Well you might not have a problem at all, maybe that's just how she burns. Do ya have smoke out the chimney?

My Jotul at times will only have flames at the very top coming out the burn tubes and the splits are just in there looking black and dark with no flame.

Other times there may be some flame at the sides or front....it depends on outside weather conditions, amount of draft I have open, type of wood, and also, how the splits are laid in the firebox.

I don't go by how the fire looks, I go by the stove top temps....
 
I agree with others, this may be what your stove / chimney / draft does. I think we all have seen what you describe for the first few reloads. If the wood is a bit wet and / or you are not getting a rippin first few reloads, the inside of the stove will not get hot enough, draft will be week and you won't develop a red hot a bed of coals. That how I run mine, with a bed of coals that will lite off anything i throw in there.
 
xman23 said:
I agree with others, this may be what your stove / chimney / draft does. I think we all have seen what you describe for the first few reloads. If the wood is a bit wet and / or you are not getting a rippin first few reloads, the inside of the stove will not get hot enough, draft will be week and you won't develop a red hot a bed of coals. That how I run mine, with a bed of coals that will lite off anything i throw in there.
Click to expand...

I agree you need to get a good bed of coals built up.
 
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