learned lots--would like verification

Thanks in advance of any feed back I can get. Trying to hone my technique on T5 which I have been using since April installation. Free standing, Straight up pipe 10' single wall. N/S loading. Read quite a number of threads/posts going back to 2-3 years and would like to be sure I have some things correct. Would love quick answers to the following bunch of questions.

1. Secondaries kick in when stove/box is hot enough and air is turned down when wood charred but still burning.

2. No smoke from chimney means secondaries are working.

3. Pipe temperature (on magnetic external) goes up faster than stove at beginning of burn (more so from cold start), when pipe temp reduces more heat is staying in stove.

4. Flue temp will shoot up even on small sticks and paper so Stove temp probably better indicator of heat management that flue temp.

5. If flue temp shoots up to 650 for a short time, this is not a big problem--

6. ONE MORE--on N/S loading front of splits get more air--what techniques work to get front and back of splits to char fairly evenly---I assume plenty of small starting stuff to rear of box.

KaptJaq said:

Yes to all.

On burning evenly, all modern stoves have some sort of EPA air supply. On mine the air enters via the bottom front at all times (EPA supply). It also enters at the top front when the air supply is open and via the secondary air tubes. So, if I loaded N/S it will burn from front to back. The most even burn I get is when I load E/W. Once the splits are off-gassing and I shut down the air, between the secondary air and the EPA air they burn from the top down and front to back. The bottom back split is usually the last to burn and what I start the next fire with.

KaptJaq

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thanks for responding do quickly. I do not process my own wood so currently I only have option of N/S as my splits are too long for the other way--box is only 15 1/2" side to side.

begreen said:

Yep, you are doing fine. The only error is with N/S burning. You want the fire to slowly burn from front to back, not all at once. That is what extends the burn.

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puzzled--don't you have to wait for splits to be charred before closing down air? Otherwise causes smoldering?

Did you change your avatar for winter?

begreen said:

Yes, in general, but you need to judge here. You will close down the air slower on a colder restart than on a warm restart. When the stove is warm on a reload I can close it down much quicker, sometimes in one step.

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Yes acurtally--I have been doing reloads on red hot coals spread even--seems to get everything evenly charred and I do think I close down more quickly---will have to do some experimenting but hopefully with minimal smoke spillage and heat loss because we are having a mild spell right now----sounds like on cold starts, closing air down slowly in steps once stove is very hot will get secondaries going and allow back end of splits to get charred---I am always afraid of wasting heat going up the chimney waiting for the splits to be ready to reduce air--takes so long on cold start.

Thanks for the help