How to burn a fireplace insert to get ash instead of black coal?

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Bassmantweed

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Nov 22, 2013
103
Avon, CT
I have a Large Lopi Flush Insert Hybrid wood Fireplace insert and i am having some troubles.

I am a long time wood stove burner and never had these problems as the air usually comes in from the bottom (at least on the stoves I ran) and there was nothing left over after a burn but ash.

With the Lopi the air intake comes in in the center front of the stove about 2" above the firebrick. In the morning i always have a bunch of black coal, even when the air supply is all the way open. i turn them over and try to distribute them to burn but is a bit of a pain.

My wood is PLENTY dry measuring from 15 -20%.

Is this just the nature of the beast with inserts as the air never gets under the fire?
 
sorry - wrong forum. Moderator please move to appropriate.
 
I've had alot of coaling the past few days, but I know it's because I am pushing the stoves.
 
When you run a stove hot for long periods of time it seems that the coals don't tend to burn all the way out and new wood is being added into the firebox on top of these. When it is warmer out you can allow for the embers to burn down more before fillingthe bbox again.

Also how dry is the wood newer stove like wood that is 22% or less water content so if your wood is higher than that I find you end up with more charcoal then ash
 
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Bassmantweed said:
A liner. Not sure what a slammer install is?
Click to expand...

A slammer install is an insert or stove situated in a chimney with a few , if any, short feet of pipe feeding into the chimney. IE, no liner.
 
We've had really cold weather and the stove has to be kept hotter to keep the house warm. This often means reloading before the coal bed has been converted to ash. This can cause the coal bed to build up.


Bassmantweed said:
Is this just the nature of the beast with inserts as the air never gets under the fire?
Click to expand...

Neither one of my stoves has air injected under the wood. Both stoves have air that comes in from the front and neither one has a coaling issue so I doubt that is the issue.


How tall is your chimney/liner and what diameter is it?

How deep is your ash bed? I used to run a coal/wood stove that could inject the air under the wood. The wood was held up on grates that allowed the ash to fall below. Is this what you are familiar with?
 
vasten said:
When you run a stove hot for long periods of time it seems that the coals don't tend to burn all the way out and new wood is being added into the firebox on top of these. When it is warmer out you can allow for the embers to burn down more before fillingthe bbox again.
Click to expand...
Bassmantweed said:
H


How does pushing the stove make coaling occur?
Click to expand...

What Bass said.

When it's freaking freezing, and you are pushing the stove for max output, you are going to get coaling.
 
One of the beauties of a deep firebox like the 30-NC. You can drag a huge coal bed to the front with room for half a stove load E/W behind it that is as much wood as a smaller stove packed to the door. Of course setting yourself afire reaching over that coal bed to load it is a real possibility.
 
BrotherBart said:
One of the beauties of a deep firebox like the 30-NC. You can drag a huge coal bed to the front with room for half a stove load E/W behind it that is as much wood as a smaller stove packed to the door. Of course setting yourself afire reaching over that coal bed to load it is a real possibility.
Click to expand...

Do not wear Under Armour while attempting this !!
 
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Another beauty of that deep firebox is it will hold 6 gallons of ash before it dawns on you to clean the thing out!


I tend to stir the coals to drop the ash to the bottom. The larger coals stay on the surface. This will lower the volume of coals in the firebox and bring the combustible material to the top. I then flatten them out to an even layer and then carve a channel in front of the doghouse. I then load normally.

This works for me, but I don't know if it will work for other setups.

For the Century I pull the coals to the front, carve the channel and then load with splits. I don't have a doghouse on the Century, but the channel allows air to the back to help burn the coals down.
 
What I have found that works well (while keeping temps up) is to pile the coals near the front then toss on a couple small maple splits. Open the air up and let 'em burn down....

I can usually have a rather large pile of coals burned down within an hour or two while maintaining temps of 400+. After that, I load it up as I normally do.
 
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