Stove pipe damper/gerneral newbe questions..

Hi nojo and welcome aboard. I don't have a Trailblazer Classic so hopefully someone who does will shed more light on your burn times etc. I do have a stove pipe (probe) thermometer and stovepipe damper set up similar to yours. I use my damper also to quickly increase and maintain heat in my stove but I only start to close it when the stove pipe thermometer is getting in to the high position (600*-900*). I open it again when I see that it is getting below the 450* area. This way you maintain burn temps in your stack high enough to keep clean from creosote and still not let excess heat go up your stack as lost heat. The trick is to keep the stack temp above 400* (danger area is 900* - don't want to stay there long). Now also what is important here is that I have a probe thermometer in my stack. This gives a more accurate reading of stack temp (especially with a double wall stack like I have). So if you are using a regular magnetic outside stick on style on your stack, you can figure your stack is actually at least 100* more than what you thermometer is reading. In time you will get to know your stove better but what I find on mine is that once up and going good, I close my primary air 1/2 to 3/4 first to get a good secondary flame going. Then, if it's cold out and I have a strong draft the stack temps gets to climbing in the 800* range. So then I close my stack damper 1/4 to 1/2. This brings my stove temp up, stack temp down to like 550* and I still maintain a good secondary burn.

He neighbor :cheese:
Right from the get go I got my wood from a guy in CT and he wont go any further up north then me. Took some talking to get him to come to me and I have to pay a little extra for fuel. He is just very trustworthy and reliable (heard from a co-worker) so I have stuck with him, although I really should "try" another to compare. It's just that I have heard the horror stories. I just know that I see a "Firewood" sign all the time on 149 (right side of the road when I am headed up north from 20). I have always wanted to see what he had and prices etc but never did. Be that I never shopped around I can't be much help there.
On possible secondary burn help: If your wood isn't that great you may want to try a little trick. Try to stack your wood high (tall) in your box with smaller splits on top and as close to the secondary air tubes as possible. Getting those tubes nice and hot quickly helps get the most you can out of the secondary burns before the crap wood gives out.
Good Luck!

nojo said:

Hi guys Im new to wood burning. I've got some questions.

I have a Trailblazer Classic 1700. A ~30 ft masonry block chimney outside lined with terracotta.
I have a stove thermometer 18" up the stovepipe and a damper about 5 inches up the pipe.

I notice when I have the stove running about 350 with the air inlet at a little less than half, if I close the pipe damper most of the way the stove heats up a good 25deg. It feels hotter and maintains the temp longer. I speculate that I might have too much draw from the chimney robbing too much heat out of the stove. I also feel like closing the damper this much may cause more creosote to build up in the flue. What are your thoughts on this subject?

How long should I reasonably expect the stove to maintain temps of 400 or so without input from me? Say 3/4 stocked with decent wood.

thanks guys!
-joe

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I have the owners manual on that stove burned that stove for 15 years. I had 15 feet of outside chimney lined with single wall pipe and the block off at the bottom of fire place. I got about 4 hours + with half load of dry seasoned wood I ran my stove temp. with thomenter setting on top of stove next to flue pipe top shelf. at 350 deg. You might do the dollar bill test to see if the door gasket is sealing tight. They have a habit of being squashed down over the years then leak. no door ajustment unless you take the glass out of frame and bend the inside arm. Easer to just put new door gasket in also check the glass gasket. I only got about pint 16 onz. of flake creosote out of mine cleaned 2 times a year. You can take the center brick out of the smoke shelf and lay on your back and reach up in the pipe as far as you can and feel how much soot is it the pipe. That will give you some Idea and use a mirror by looking from the bottom of stove up threw the pipe in the day time. I can look at the stove burn average time and chimney specks in the owners manual if you want me too.

nojo said:

Thanks for the info! I see some CL adds about wood. I might stop by a local guy and get enough for a couple days and see how it burns before buying it. My brother and I just got into an argument about seasoned wood. he has a pile of wood at the family farm. Told me it was completely seasoned and cut to 16-18 lengths. But not split. So I told him its been there for a year unsplit it probably not seasoned. Which he said no way, its been there that long its completely seasoned. Is this the correct assertion that it should be split to be properly seasoned aver about 15 months?

Fake; How did you split your wood (size) and did the stove have any sort of grate on the bottom?

I find you cant really fit much in the firebox. I might just have to learn how to split and arrange the wood best.

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No grate wood goes directily on the bottom.
Some of the wood you brother has might be ok if is a softer wood. Hard woods like oak, cherry etc take longer depending how big around they are. When the stove is cold and you empty the ash from the stove, right above the stove damper at half closed door open you will see a metal ledge on the bottom where the door closes to the stove its rounded chanell. This is where the stove primary air supply air for the burn and glass cleaning air flow. right above the stove dampener is a 3/8 of inch hole in the center by the bottom of the air flow Chanel you can feel it with your fingers bent at 90 deg. or use a mirror facing you. The ash has to be pushed off to sides and pushed to words the back of the stove to work right.

I used a splitting wedge and a mall. Set your piece of wood inside of old tire on solid ground or cement slab or block give it a wack. the tire holds it for you from flying all over the place.
The bigger rounds I had my friend bring his gas powered spliter over.

My theory was if the wood is dry and seasoned and would fit in stove don't split it, you can always add a little pierces to keep it going.

You can get about 3 splits about 6 inches in diameter in the fire box. and some small pieces. Its only about 1.5 cubic feet fire box. Yes trail blazer made a smaller stove and fire box.The owners manual says to stuff the fire box full even the little voids, for long burn times. about 6-to 8 hours.

Get a hold of wryfly or do a search for Trail blazer in the hearth net. search form at the the top of this page. Read his postings. He got an over night burn. I never did.

I would get a cheap oven thermometer to place on top of stove so you know what the stove temp. is it can climb real fast to an overfire with the high chimney you have. See my avatar for my gas stove placement of thermometer. You can get them at a grocery store. cheaper than a fire place store.

If you can get free wood take it and stock pile it for future use at least you will have wood next winter.

I agree with you on the wood. The wood I get is mixed hard woods with jsut a few softer ones in the pile. The wood is always sitting for one year cut up in lengths but not split. Then it is split to your requested length and amount of splits the week you call for the delivery. I learned early to order the wood in the summer and it is good to go by that winter. I am only able to burn the soft stuff right after the splitting with no problem. The hard woods do seem to get patialy seasoned but not all the way for a good burn. Come spring I am going to build a wood shed (said that last year) but for now I leave the wood stacked and open on top of pallets. Then about a month before burn season I put a tarp over the top two layers. Works for now.

nojo said:

Coal Burner, I saw a post about your blower setup. How did that work?

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It keeps the L shape room at equal temp. at the floor level and the ciealings temp. about 3 deg. difference. Room size is about 375+ square feet 8 foot ciealings . When really cold. I used the same blower set up with my Trailer blazer wood stove. Different vent exit system from blower. Is your stove in the open or inside of a fire place? They are cheap to make. If you are interested PM me for the set up and material list and diagrams. I have a 2 blower system Front and rear part of house system or you can use one or 2 configuration. in the same room.

This is with the small gas coal stove. Its only 22000 btu input. at my altitude. ROOM temperature 80 deg. where I keep it.