Fire starting: open door or open air intake?

Black Jaque Janaviac · Dec 17, 2012

I have noticed that when I'm starting my NC-30 and I leave the door open "too long" the fire will be going very well but the stovetop thermometer is reasonably cool. Normally I would have closed the door and let the fire grow with just the air intake wide open and if I don't watch it like a hawk the temperature will shoot up on me.

Does anyone else notice that the open door method seems to be more forgiving with the stove temps?

The stove I'm talking about is in the basement so I have to set a timer to check it ever 10 minutes until it gets going enough to shut the air down as far as it will go. I have forgotten to set the timer on occasion.

corey21 · Dec 17, 2012

All your heat is being sucked up and out the chimney with the door open.

wingsfan · Dec 17, 2012

We keep the door open long enough to get th fire started, maybee 5-10 minutes depending on how hot the coals are going, then we shut the door and regulate the fire with the air control.Once the fire gets going and the secondaries are firing,the air control is usually kept at about a half inch from closed. Seems to work alright for us.

herdbull · Dec 17, 2012

I really don't like leaving the door open at all when I start a new fire. I do it on occasion but only if I can baby sit the new fire. I just don't like to leave the opportunity there for something bad to happen.

I have not had any fire starting issues just lighting some kindling with the primary air all the way open, closing the door after 30 seconds (while I stand there), and adjust primary air/bigger wood as required over the next 15-20 mins or so.

DTrain · Dec 17, 2012

I start by lighting kindling and adding some bigger pieces once all the kindling is lit. Close door slowly. Primary is wide open. The fire will slow and get going again. Once it's healthy looking I add my regular size splits. Lately I've been loading with more space between splits and have had hotter fires than when I was jam packing it in. Usually at half throttle. That first fire goes quick, then I have a nice bed of coals left. Then I jam it full and it's pretty easy after that.

I'm still new and the main advice I have been given was to be patient after closing the door and let the stove breath thru the primary.

Hogwildz · Dec 17, 2012

Load, close & latch door with air all the way open, set time for 10 -20 mins depending on temp prior to loading,, ringer goes off, check temp & wood charring, reset for another 10 mins, or close air all the way down depending on temp. That is how I do it. Door open here actually cools the stove off with all the heat going straight up the stack.

Backwoods Savage · Dec 18, 2012

Naturally it is best to get the fire going without leaving the firebox door open but some folks seem to need the extra air. It is okay so long as someone stays with the stove and close that firebox door as soon as possible.

On the other hand, when you leave that firebox door open, you are letting a lot of air into the stove which naturally keeps the stove top cooler. The temperature will go up once you close the door so close it ASAP.

Sprinter · Dec 18, 2012

For me it depends completely on the quality of wood I have in there. I have a mix of quality this first year (nothing terrible, but even 25% moisture content slows things down), so sometimes the fire gets going quickly and sometimes not. With all good 20% wood and good stacking, I can close the door right away. With good wood, the stove will burn better with the door closed anyway and like Dennis said, the sooner you can close it the better.

Black Jaque Janaviac · Dec 19, 2012

Hogwildz, Your method sounds exactly like mine.

It seems that once the fire is going the only adjustment on the air control is fully closed. Anything more than that and my little magnetic thermometer will peg to 800*. I have the thermometer on the stovetop, not the fluepipe and don't see any glowing steel when that happens so I'm not overly worried.

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Fire starting: open door or open air intake?

Black Jaque Janaviac

Feeling the Heat

corey21

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wingsfan

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herdbull

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DTrain

Feeling the Heat

Hogwildz

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Backwoods Savage

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Sprinter

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Black Jaque Janaviac

Feeling the Heat

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