burn time

BrotherBart said:

All depending on how much heat it takes to keep the place warm. Just like with your Progress, if ya have to keep it cranking to heat the joint the "burn times" go down. Sometimes low and slow just don't get it done.

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I thought he said 1000 sf, unless his house is a sieve that should be enough stove. I think the stove he has should be enough but maybe it'll take some time to get it dialed in.

BrotherBart said:

If it is 1,000 sq. ft. and he has coals in the morning in the 30 then he seriously would be more happy if he put a roof on top of that house.

All I see is that he doesn't like not having flames all night. Ain't happening with a wood stove.

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LOL, maybe that his problem, he didn't mention anything about the house having a roof.

weatherguy said:

LOL, maybe that his problem, he didn't mention anything about the house having a roof.

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That would explain why he is only heating the downstairs... but I think our sense of humor is getting roofless here.

As for getting up to load a stove, I have a friend who has found his small firebox getting easier to tolerate as he gets older... the short burn times have now aligned perfectly with the shorter bladder times.

it seems everyones definition of burn time is different. my lopi freedom has a 3cu ft box. when i pack it as full as i can with oak i have active secondarys anywhere between 2 to 4 hours depending on my air setting and how windy it is outside.. then i get lazy flames coming off the wood for 1 to 3 hours. the stove will cruise any were from 450 to 700 degrees throwing a ton of heat. the coaling stage seems to last another hour or three and i reload when the top is at around 300 or so. i try to reload before the fan shuts off.
it seems i get anywhere from a 4 to 10 hour burn time. there are way too many variables to come up with an exact burn time, even though the manufacturer says 12 hour burn time.
split size, outside temp, wind speed, temp at reload, type of wood are a few of the things that can change the burn time a lot.
i pack the stove, turn it down as low as i can and still get a clean burn and hopefully its an easy relight in the morning. most of the time it is, and sometimes its not.
not much help, am i

when we were heating our 1500sf home with the 2.3 cf tube stove (2.3 was probably being generous) we would prepare for a cold night by staying on top of reloads the day before.

This usually meant having the house about 76f when we loaded the stove at bed time.

We would wake 7 or 8 hours later to a warm house and repeat as necessary.

KindredSpiritzz said:

is that stove top temp or stove pipe temp? Hottest my Australs been is 500 stove top and 400 18 inches up the pipe. I'd freak out if i ever saw 750 anywhere

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I was referring to stove top temps on my previous stove (Timberwolf 2200), but I've had the Austral cruising up to 725 on the stove top as well when I first started running it (running the blower generally brought it back down to 650 or so...). My goal since I started shutting down the air earlier has been to try and run it 'tween 550-600F max on the stove top so I don't burn through the wood too fast......

750 is not all that crazy if the stack is cooler and you need the heat. The species of wood has a great deal to do with the heat possibly a particular tree it is not a standardized fuel that every piece is the same. I have run across loads that burned very hot and secondary's lit for hours and some that never really take of yet moisture reads the same even after a re-split to double check.

Part of running the stove for optimal burn time is to think simpler, Look at all the new non cat stoves on the market - they all have the same thing in common, (1) air adjustment then secondary burn tubes (which have there predetermined air inlet size) the point is no matter what stove you have (non cat) cold stove start - kindling and smaller pieces, get the stove hot with the air adjuster all the way open, as soon as that stove get hot *cranking hot load it up with larger pieces, let those pieces catch on fire then close the air down (all the way down to partial works because everyone has a different strength draft due to climate, geography and chimney heights) once the air is low the secondary should kick in and the wood should burn slower, the unburned smoke should get cycled through the stove and reburned through the secondary tubes. When you get the stove to operate like this the stove is running at maximum design, now to burn times, everyone will always have different burn times. We all live in different parts of the country and we have different wood species, I live in NJ where maple and oak is king, the guy who lives in Wyoming probably has lodge pole pine as king, they both burn hot but the oak is much more dense than the lodge pole, so the oak wins on longevity by default, its not the stove. To me and like what other members have said, burn time is useable heat, not full flames, this is where the larger firebox guy's when (NC30's verse my Country Hearth 2500) both stoves when loaded throw heat, mine gets cooler quicker than my buddies because my firebox is smaller, and also I load east west with 20" logs against the flow of draft, he can load north south with 20" logs with the flow of draft, optimizing maximum heat even in the cool stage, where my loading style is like a dam.

Cockshutt said:

I'm getting 6-7 hrs out of a 1.9ft box using maple. To get that length of burn, my stove has to be super hot before my last reload.

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I think that is another factor that varies from person to person. If you reload a 650 degree stove vs a 400 degree stove.

So far on colder nights I have reloaded a 500-550 degree stove at 10pm and had a 225 - 275 degree stove with a nice glowing bed of coals (not the rake it around and find a few, but the three or 4 the size of your fist) at 5:30 without stuffing the firebox full (and I am burning softwoods now). I can't wait to see what burn times I am getting with oak.

kennyp2339 said:

Part of running the stove for optimal burn time is to think simpler, Look at all the new non cat stoves on the market - they all have the same thing in common, (1) air adjustment then secondary burn tubes (which have there predetermined air inlet size) the point is no matter what stove you have (non cat) cold stove start - kindling and smaller pieces, get the stove hot with the air adjuster all the way open, as soon as that stove get hot *cranking hot load it up with larger pieces, let those pieces catch on fire then close the air down (all the way down to partial works because everyone has a different strength draft due to climate, geography and chimney heights) once the air is low the secondary should kick in and the wood should burn slower, the unburned smoke should get cycled through the stove and reburned through the secondary tubes. When you get the stove to operate like this the stove is running at maximum design, now to burn times, everyone will always have different burn times. We all live in different parts of the country and we have different wood species, I live in NJ where maple and oak is king, the guy who lives in Wyoming probably has lodge pole pine as king, they both burn hot but the oak is much more dense than the lodge pole, so the oak wins on longevity by default, its not the stove. To me and like what other members have said, burn time is useable heat, not full flames, this is where the larger firebox guy's when (NC30's verse my Country Hearth 2500) both stoves when loaded throw heat, mine gets cooler quicker than my buddies because my firebox is smaller, and also I load east west with 20" logs against the flow of draft, he can load north south with 20" logs with the flow of draft, optimizing maximum heat even in the cool stage, where my loading style is like a dam.

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Damn, I have read a lot here but this one is the BEST ! This explanation took the ball out of the park for me . I have been trying to understand how these stoves &insets work & your explanation is fantastic.
Thank you

kennyp2339 said:

Part of running the stove for optimal burn time is to think simpler, Look at all the new non cat stoves on the market - they all have the same thing in common, (1) air adjustment then secondary burn tubes (which have there predetermined air inlet size) the point is no matter what stove you have (non cat) cold stove start - kindling and smaller pieces, get the stove hot with the air adjuster all the way open, as soon as that stove get hot *cranking hot load it up with larger pieces, let those pieces catch on fire then close the air down (all the way down to partial works because everyone has a different strength draft due to climate, geography and chimney heights) once the air is low the secondary should kick in and the wood should burn slower, the unburned smoke should get cycled through the stove and reburned through the secondary tubes. When you get the stove to operate like this the stove is running at maximum design, now to burn times, everyone will always have different burn times. We all live in different parts of the country and we have different wood species, I live in NJ where maple and oak is king, the guy who lives in Wyoming probably has lodge pole pine as king, they both burn hot but the oak is much more dense than the lodge pole, so the oak wins on longevity by default, its not the stove. To me and like what other members have said, burn time is useable heat, not full flames, this is where the larger firebox guy's when (NC30's verse my Country Hearth 2500) both stoves when loaded throw heat, mine gets cooler quicker than my buddies because my firebox is smaller, and also I load east west with 20" logs against the flow of draft, he can load north south with 20" logs with th

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Thank you for simplifying this........I can't believe what "burning wood" has come down to sometimes.

My house was built 1925, Bought it 3 years ago and had to gut it ( Vandalized bank foreclosure) so all exterior walls are insulated R-13, roof is insulated with thick batts, 1/2" drywall everywhere with stone/concrete/brick basement walls....
Replaced windows as I could afford (33 total windows in this house) I got the second level done 9 windows up there so the second level holds the heat well. The first level is/was drafty as the old doors and windows dont seal well. This past weekend I caulked the exterior of every window to seal out any drafts from every nook and cranny there was ( cant see light around the sashes inside anymore ) and used weather stripping around the doors to seal them til I can replace them as well. I left one window un-sealed in the sunroom with the wood burner just in case I need to open it, I know its not safe and agaisnt code to seal the windows but glass breaks easy enough. I plan to replace all the windows next spring anyways, just didnt get to them this year.
I have an electric furnace and it ran me $300+ a month last year just to keep the house comfortable, this year I plan to burn wood as the primary heat to cut heating costs. Since the stove is in a central location, heat will flow up the staircase through the first level and keep the second level warm as well as radiate through the ceilings.... I am hoping to install a wood furnace by next winter as the main source of heat to tie into the main ductwork and convert to a better effeciency wood stove just to relax and watch the fire.
Hopefully with the sealing of the windows, I wont have a heavy draft and will help cut my heating bill this year along with the wood stove, although I know for each window it causes a temp drop of about 1 degree per half hour per window (old style glass stashes) so replacement insulated windows should help more with that next year.

nyny said:

also, on the days it wasn't too cold, when i had a giant box of coals, i'd just open the door and open the air all the way then go to work or shopping. when i got home the coals would be down to a reasonable level.

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NYNY, You didn't actually just say that you leave your stove "door open and then leave to go to work or shopping" did you? ! That's plain stupid... I can't tell you enough not to do that. I'm shocked no one else didn't catch that and tell you to IMMEDIATELY STOP doing that. I know saying it's stupid is harsh words but a burnt down house is worse. Lots of wood (seasoned or not) will spark a lot and could (and has before) caught something in the room on fire and there goes your house. Please don't keep doing this. I'll understand if you don't like my reply but I had to say something.

Eater309 said:

NYNY, You didn't actually just say that you leave your stove "door open and then leave to go to work or shopping" did you? ! That's plain stupid... I can't tell you enough not to do that. I'm shocked no one else didn't catch that and tell you to IMMEDIATELY STOP doing that. I know saying it's stupid is harsh words but a burnt down house is worse. Lots of wood (seasoned or not) will spark a lot and could (and has before) caught something in the room on fire and there goes your house. Please don't keep doing this. I'll understand if you don't like my reply but I had to say something.

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Think he was refering to the damper.

SONOCATIVO said:

Think he was refering to the damper.

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Sono,
He did say door open and air all the way open. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

Eater309 said:

Sono,
He did say door open and air all the way open. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

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ah, I mis-read it... yes that is dangerous, I myself have problems leaving the house if there is still a fire going... never know what can happen.

Eater309 said:

Lots of wood (seasoned or not) will spark a lot and could (and has before) caught something in the room on fire and there goes your house.

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That was a good catch on your part, and I'm certainly not advocating that anyone leave the house (let alone the room) with a stove door open, but... a pile of coals does not spark a lot. In fact, I've never seen a pile of coals spark at all... not that I'd want it to be MY house going up in flames when it finally DID happen.

I've actually seen an ember jump OVER a fireplace screen that wasn't quite high enough, with a roaring fire of softwood that was popping quite a bit. But after the fire has died, as the coals turn to ash, what is left to pop and spit? So I'd judge his actions as only slightly stupid rather than seriously stupid.

But the main point I wanted to make is that there is no good reason at all to leave the door open in the first place, when burning down a coal bed... an open door actually kills the draft, so with air fully open the coals should burn down just as quickly and completely (or more so) with the door CLOSED rather than open.

Pine pops and throws sparks as well.

I consider "burn time" to be any period where I can readily restart the fire. My Lopi Freedom runs very much like the one described above, secondary flames for 3-4 hours at very best, but hours of good heat from the coals. For me the key to a long overnight burn is timing the previous load just right so that the stove top is about 350 when I want to load for the night. I waste very little wood getting back above 400, then close down the air almost fully within 15 minutes, wake up nine hours later to a room well above 60, and a fire that will light by raking coals to the front and throwing on some kindling.

I'm amazed by those that talk about removing coals, maybe some wood or stoves are worse than others, but that's a huge waste of heat. Get a coal sifter, rake/sift the coals to the front or wherever the primary air enters, and open the air fully for 20 minutes before reloading. Great blast-furnace light show, and no coals left.

TE

branchburner said:

That was a good catch on your part, and I'm certainly not advocating that anyone leave the house (let alone the room) with a stove door open, but... a pile of coals does not spark a lot. In fact, I've never seen a pile of coals spark at all... not that I'd want it to be MY house going up in flames when it finally DID happen.

I've actually seen an ember jump OVER a fireplace screen that wasn't quite high enough, with a roaring fire of softwood that was popping quite a bit. But after the fire has died, as the coals turn to ash, what is left to pop and spit? So I'd judge his actions as only slightly stupid rather than seriously stupid.

But the main point I wanted to make is that there is no good reason at all to leave the door open in the first place, when burning down a coal bed... an open door actually kills the draft, so with air fully open the coals should burn down just as quickly and completely (or more so) with the door CLOSED rather than open.

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Branch...

Yep not the stupidest thing I've heard of when it comes to wood burning. Myself, I just can't get comfortable leaving the door open without sitting and watching it.

As for a pile of coals sparking, I've been burning some mulberry lately and when I reload and stir a little (before adding wood) you should see the fireworks. Granted "he" didn't say anything about raking or moving coals around. To each their own way of burning, but I'd hate to hear about a house fire. I agree with your comment about leaving the door open and how it kills the draft.

question on wood, I have cut down a lot of trees on my property from 3 years back including 2 monster oaks recently. What are your suggestions on types of wood to burn? I know the oak is the best, but I also have these trees that seasoned, good/bad? if certain ones are bad i can rid of them.
Oak, Walnut, Apple, Steel Magnolia, Persimmon, Elm, Box wood or box elder??? I know some woods burn good others dont burn well at all. I did have one tree that burned long and hot, when finished there was barely any ash, no clue what it was but burned clean, someone told me it was probly an Ash? Just basically looking for what woods to burn and what woods to stay away from.

Here's some tree porn...lol
The 2 monster oaks that came down and my little stash

Oaks only came down due to they were damaged by lightning strikes

SONOCATIVO said:

The 2 monster oaks that came down and my little stash

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Nice looking wood corral ya got going on there!