The new Jotul 400 Castine has been installed. It's in a masonry fireplace -- fully lined and capped.
Now all we need is some cold weather.
Now all we need is some cold weather.
New Castine
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Still waiting for cold weather to arrive, but we've managed to burn our three break in fires!
Here it is:
Here it is:
Very classy. It looks great. I'm a little concerned that the brass hood is going to trap a lot of heat. Did the damper get sealed?
Hey, thats a real nice stove. Looks like the one I'm getting. Hurry up and light it and let me know how it goes. Beautiful sight.
BeGreen said:
The brass doesn't seem to trap heat. There's a gap between it and the brick.
We had a fire last night and one a couple days ago. It wasn't that cold outside, but it heated up the room quickly. According to my IR thermometer, the stovetop gets to 500F to 600F. Interestingly, it is consistently about 100F hotter in the center of the stovetop than in the corners. The brick behind the stove gets to about 100F. The brick adjacent to the stove gets to about 115F. I will check the temperature of the brass piece next time.
There is an available short leg kit, which would give two inches more clearance above the stove if we end up thinking it's necessary. We could also use a small fan to blow cool air under the stove to get more heat to circulate out into the room.
The liner is sealed at the top, but we left it open at the damper end, on the theory that it will help keep the liner warmer -- the brick chimney is outside on three sides, and not all that tall. It seems to drought OK though. Overall it seems to burn wood better than the downdraft stove did in our other house (with a much taller double wall chimney). If we end up thinking we're losing too much heat up the chimney, then we can seal it at the bottom and pour insulation into it. It doesn't really get that cold here though -- our winter is pretty much like what most people consider shoulder season -- so wasting some heat up the chimney won't bother me too much, especially if it helps the chimney work better.
I'd at least stuff the damper area with Roxul or Kaowool. I don't think you will have an issue with the liner temp at all with a clean straight up install. This is an entirely different stove than the downdraft. As it gets colder outside it will actually draft better. Without sealing up that lower area a whole lot of heat is going up that flue instead of staying inside the house. It's just heating outdoors.
Thanks! I'll consider the Roxul. I think I want to use it a few times the way it is to get a baseline. I have also thought about just fabricating a metal plate to close off the whole smoke chamber. That would still allow radiant heat, but it would stop convection.
Can the Roxul touch the liner?
Can the Roxul touch the liner?
Nice stove....you're going to love it.
Yup, there is a big temp difference on the top temps, depending on where you take a reading. Jotul recommends that you take it on the corners, for that reason I think. Better to overestimate temps than UNDERestimate, naturally.
I'd second the idea of sealing it at the damper end. Keeping your liner warm is not going to help your draft, and actually works against it. Those are good btu's radiating into the chimney and raising the ambient temp of the universe....be stingy!
The Castine is a great cruising stove. I can have a nice, hot bed of coals at 7:00 a.m. if I burn all night the night before, loading it and damping it down at around 10:0 p.m. In all but the coldest weather, I essentially heat the 2,000 sq' upstairs of my house in Birmingham with it. My gas/heating bill for the last 30 days was about $23, and I have a gas range. I won't get away with that very much longer as the real Southern winter is starting to close in, as you probably know, but I enjoy it while it lasts. Yesterday's 30's and all day rain made me wish I was at home, stoking and dozing, let me tell you.
Burn safe, and let us know how it goes.
Yup, there is a big temp difference on the top temps, depending on where you take a reading. Jotul recommends that you take it on the corners, for that reason I think. Better to overestimate temps than UNDERestimate, naturally.
I'd second the idea of sealing it at the damper end. Keeping your liner warm is not going to help your draft, and actually works against it. Those are good btu's radiating into the chimney and raising the ambient temp of the universe....be stingy!
The Castine is a great cruising stove. I can have a nice, hot bed of coals at 7:00 a.m. if I burn all night the night before, loading it and damping it down at around 10:0 p.m. In all but the coldest weather, I essentially heat the 2,000 sq' upstairs of my house in Birmingham with it. My gas/heating bill for the last 30 days was about $23, and I have a gas range. I won't get away with that very much longer as the real Southern winter is starting to close in, as you probably know, but I enjoy it while it lasts. Yesterday's 30's and all day rain made me wish I was at home, stoking and dozing, let me tell you.
Burn safe, and let us know how it goes.
G6 at Snook TX
Member
Ploughboy,
What is your nighttime sequence to load for the evening? How many logs, sizes, and do you immediately slam the draft control nearly shut when you set it to work? Or do you open it to, say, 50% and then close it after a few minutes. You and I have the same stove. I am still learning the finer aspects of mine.
What is your nighttime sequence to load for the evening? How many logs, sizes, and do you immediately slam the draft control nearly shut when you set it to work? Or do you open it to, say, 50% and then close it after a few minutes. You and I have the same stove. I am still learning the finer aspects of mine.
30's in Birmingham, huh? You're usually warmer, but it was in the 40's here yesterday.
The other day I experimented with the air control. If I closed it too far, or too fast, it would start smoking. In fact, for nearly an hour I had to keep the door ajar. But it was warm enough to sit outside in a short sleeve shirt, so that couldn't help the draft any! It hasn't gotten above 40F today though, so I'm itching to get home and build a fire. It's a brick house over a basement, so it can suck up some heat.
The other day I experimented with the air control. If I closed it too far, or too fast, it would start smoking. In fact, for nearly an hour I had to keep the door ajar. But it was warm enough to sit outside in a short sleeve shirt, so that couldn't help the draft any! It hasn't gotten above 40F today though, so I'm itching to get home and build a fire. It's a brick house over a basement, so it can suck up some heat.
G6: I'll usually run through about two burn cycles on an evening....3 medium oak splits that will burn for about 4 hours in the 350-600 degree range, although I generally don't let it go all the way to coals before piling more on. Before bedtime I'll load at least 3 splits, or 4 if I can get away with it. I'll set the primary air intake to juuuuuuust a crack, all at once, but that is when I've got a really hot bed of coals and I know it will catch almost immediately. If not, I will close the air down in stages....or close it and then open it up again, only to close it again. I go more by eyeball and instinct than exact temp readings, so this is a totally unscientific method. The Castine is persnickety about really dry wood, and believe me, I've tried to burn stuff that isn't.
Pyper....sure felt like 30's, as damp as it was/is, but you're probably right that it didn't get below 40. Give me single digits and dry before above freezing and damp....brrrrrr. I chuckle about folks up north wanting to boil water into the air with their stoves. Not a problem down here!
Just make sure you've got a good hot fire (typically 300 degrees +) before you throttle it back or you will fight it the whole way. My gut is that you've got some less than dry wood....any thoughts on that? Too, the draft might be hampered by the warmer outside temps and warmed liner. When it gets really cold (and it should by tomorrow) get the driest wood possible and see what it will do. Be careful though..the Castine can go nuclear on you in a heartbeat. Don't do like I did: See how much wood you can cram in it. I wound up stuffing a ball of tinfoil into the secondary intake. It was the only way I could slow that run away hoss!
Pyper....sure felt like 30's, as damp as it was/is, but you're probably right that it didn't get below 40. Give me single digits and dry before above freezing and damp....brrrrrr. I chuckle about folks up north wanting to boil water into the air with their stoves. Not a problem down here!
Just make sure you've got a good hot fire (typically 300 degrees +) before you throttle it back or you will fight it the whole way. My gut is that you've got some less than dry wood....any thoughts on that? Too, the draft might be hampered by the warmer outside temps and warmed liner. When it gets really cold (and it should by tomorrow) get the driest wood possible and see what it will do. Be careful though..the Castine can go nuclear on you in a heartbeat. Don't do like I did: See how much wood you can cram in it. I wound up stuffing a ball of tinfoil into the secondary intake. It was the only way I could slow that run away hoss!
Where is the secondary intake? I read about this stove going nuclear in a variety of threads. Our chimney is so short it might mitigate that tendency.
As far as dry wood, I have a variety. I have some that was formwork under a concrete porch for 30 years or more. Red oak at about 11% moisture. When it's actually cold I'll burn some of that. Also have a fair bit of lumber ends.
We recently moved, and at the old house I knew exactly what wood was how old, but my wife moved most of the wood and it ended up all mixed together. I'm not complaining one bit though -- that was a lot of work to do. I split some of the pieces and found 20% to 25% in what I though should be the wettest.
You might have been in the 30s -- who knows -- the weather has been really weird this year. I think the cold front is coming down through your area before it gets to us this time around, where usually they kind of bow down and go through our area first. I agree with you about the cold/wet thing. Yuck.
As far as dry wood, I have a variety. I have some that was formwork under a concrete porch for 30 years or more. Red oak at about 11% moisture. When it's actually cold I'll burn some of that. Also have a fair bit of lumber ends.
We recently moved, and at the old house I knew exactly what wood was how old, but my wife moved most of the wood and it ended up all mixed together. I'm not complaining one bit though -- that was a lot of work to do. I split some of the pieces and found 20% to 25% in what I though should be the wettest.
You might have been in the 30s -- who knows -- the weather has been really weird this year. I think the cold front is coming down through your area before it gets to us this time around, where usually they kind of bow down and go through our area first. I agree with you about the cold/wet thing. Yuck.
A good question. The secondary air intake: Look under the stove in the back, directly under the connector pipe inlet. You'll see a round opening, oh, about 4" in diameter. That is the secondary air intake that feeds the secondary combustion chamber, it is independent of the primary air control at the front of the stove. In your manual you'll find a "blow apart" diagram of the stove parts, and you'll see the secondary intake opening on that bottom plate.
Depending on your set-up, I'd say that 11% is pushing the upper end of how wet wood can be for the Castine and have it perform effectively. I'll take it as dry as I can get it, of course, but 5-10% is what I'm usually burning. 20-25%? Save it for next year, I'd say.
The common wisdom on this board is that oak should be cut and stacked at least 2 years before burning. I say that depends on where you live. I routinely cut green oak in early April and get it to less than 10% by October. The key is how small you split it, how loose you stack it, how much sun it gets, and especially....how much air circulation. You'll probably not be able to do that in WA or MI, but it is possible here in the Heart of Dixie.
Depending on your set-up, I'd say that 11% is pushing the upper end of how wet wood can be for the Castine and have it perform effectively. I'll take it as dry as I can get it, of course, but 5-10% is what I'm usually burning. 20-25%? Save it for next year, I'd say.
The common wisdom on this board is that oak should be cut and stacked at least 2 years before burning. I say that depends on where you live. I routinely cut green oak in early April and get it to less than 10% by October. The key is how small you split it, how loose you stack it, how much sun it gets, and especially....how much air circulation. You'll probably not be able to do that in WA or MI, but it is possible here in the Heart of Dixie.
Very nice, the big brother to the F3. I wonder if that could fit in my fireplace with a short leg kit? Hmmmmm. :coolhmm:
pyper said:
I ran about 5 cords through that stove and never had it go nuclear. It got exciting a few times, but quickly responded by my opening the door. Each time this happened it was because I had rushed and put a large load of wood on a very hot and deep coal bed. I learned pretty quickly that this was a good way to waste wood and little else. Even with the worst, the stove temp never exceeded around 800F.
Note, I think the secondary intake might be in common with the primary because when experimenting I found that a large wad of aluminum foil shoved into the OAK intake successfully squelched the stove.
Correct.
All of the Castine's combustion air, primary and secondary, enters the stove though the rear round port on the bottom. The secondary air is un-metered....meaning there is always air there, however, its strength is dictated by where the primary air lever is set.
Hence, the idea of the foil ball to help stop a runaway fire. With the primary closed, combustion air is still fed to the secondary burn chamber. The foil ball in the rear inlet hole stops all air to the stove.
If the flue system has a good draft, a sheet of foil 4" square should do the same. My stove when running will pull a sheet up for a tight seal.
All of the Castine's combustion air, primary and secondary, enters the stove though the rear round port on the bottom. The secondary air is un-metered....meaning there is always air there, however, its strength is dictated by where the primary air lever is set.
Hence, the idea of the foil ball to help stop a runaway fire. With the primary closed, combustion air is still fed to the secondary burn chamber. The foil ball in the rear inlet hole stops all air to the stove.
If the flue system has a good draft, a sheet of foil 4" square should do the same. My stove when running will pull a sheet up for a tight seal.
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