O
oldspark
Guest
If it makes you feel any better there are quite a few people who have to start fires with the door open depending on the stove, I really like that feature on the Lopi.
Pagey said:The only downside I can see to it would be that perhaps over time, with the constant high temps needed for secondary combustion in the fire box, is that the damper plate or the yoke that attaches to it might warp. I'm on my third season with the stove, and so far I can notice no difference in performance so it's clearly built well.
skidud said:I never really did. Not sure on any of those fronts. The kindling is from a tree I took down about a month ago. However, it's been dead for around three years now and the small limbs I put on cracked readily in your hands. The actual wood I'm burning is from a buddy who left it behind after camping. I know he cuts year round so it's hard to say for sure. From what little I know, I'd say it's seasoned but I'm no expert. I can definitely say it doesn't sizzle when I'm cooking it. The wood seems to be burning alright but having said that I'm also not getting my flue collar temp up past 250 degrees and I'm still seeing the same issue with not being able to close the door without the fire dwindling and struggling to burn. The instant I reopen the door though, the air rolls in and the fire dances likes it's just been given a new lease on life. I think I'll get a small pile of wood from my dad who keeps a well seasoned stack ready at all times, just to eliminate any potential of the wood being the issue. I could very well have a combination of problems causing this failure.
skidud said:I know the inner liner wasn’t at 500 because I borrowed my brothers laser thermometer and shot a beam in through a vent slot in the outer wall.
Battenkiller said:You can't do that with a "laser" thermometer. I know, I know... you can see the laser dot, but the actual area that the internal sensor covers is about 1" in diameter at the very closest you can get to the target. The dot is only a pointing aid and has absolutely nothing to do with taking temps.. Most likely, you were reading only the outer surface.
north of 60 said:Is your upper baffle board or brick pushed all the way to the back so you have about a 2.5" opening up front on top?
That was an issue with my mine. Especially after moving the stove. It was the 1400 also.
BeGreen said:This sounds like a combo of so-so wood, combined with poor draft. If outside temps are also mild, the short stack probably can't draw well enough. The best way to figure this out is to eliminate unknown variables. Take a planned approach.
1) make sure the air control is open (all the way out)
2) start a fire with dry kindling. Get some carpentry or cabinetry scraps and use them to get the stove going well
3) open a nearby window about 1" and leave the stove door cracked open about 1/2"
4) once the kindling fire is burning well, put on a couple 2x4 scraps, let them get burning well
5) then put on the splits of dry wood, allowing an air gap between them
6) once the fire is fully involved and burning strongly, close the door on the stove.
If this fails, the next thing is to make sure there are no obstructions in the flue and the cap screen is clean. If all the above fail, the stove has insufficient draft. It will need more pipe. To check this theory, get a *temporary* 3 or 4' length of inexpensive galvanized 6" heating vent pipe from the big box store. Pull the cap on the chimney, then cram the venting pipe, crimp down into the chimney. Leave the cap off and try lighting a fire with this temporary extension. If the stove lights up well, try closing the window, after the fire is fully engaged and the stovetop is over 300. If the flame dies back, it will also need an OAK.
branchburner said:I think Pagey is on the right track with flue height being your draft issue. It's hard to put all the math together without a good picture of your setup. You said you had 11' of pipe, so what is the total stack height from ground level? And it goes 2' above the peak of the roof. How high is that roof peak from the ground, and is it the highest part of your full structure or is there a higher roof peak nearby (if so, how high and how far away)?
skidud said:No, I left my pile of wood to try over to my parents but. . . . a little update from a previous post. I'm currently burning the stove (same wood as before) but went ahead and switched out the top baffles for the shorter pieces. It seems to have helped significantly. Not sure if it's a cure all but I've got the door locked shut, the damper set about 2/3 open and a fire that's burning like I had envisioned. It's certainly not a roaring fire, like it is when I crack the door, but a nice hot fire just the same. I am seeing a little difference when adjusting the damper but not much. It basically goes from decent fire to dwindling but not quite dieing. I guess I figured with the damper open, that the fire would be just as hot as if I had the door cracked, or at least get so hot that I would have it over firing, I don't see that happening with what I've got now. Maybe the better seasoned wood would help. I plan to still add the extra chimney length but still not sure if it's my problem. I wish I knew how this stove should act in ideal conditions. Never dealt with a stove that has a damper control so I don't know what kind of difference I should see between full closed and full open.
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