Avalon Arbor

[Jim P]

um that is the one con to wood heat.

 

[Jim P]

Hey at least you got that.

 

[Turfguy]

Glad to hear you're not sleeping in the dog house tonight, Turfguy.
That stove will have no problem heating your home. It's just a matter of circulating the air. Like your doing. Blow air into the stove room from the room your trying to warm.
We've heated this 11/2 story 1800 sq. ft. home all season with about 1.2 cords of wood so far. Nobody home during the day and the house will be uppper 60's in the evenings when we get home.

Also, small and medium splits will keep your temps up with the primary air greatly reduced. With a good coal bed I can't run with primary open all the way or flue temps head up over 1000*. But then it depends on coal bed, wood size, and to some extent outdoor temps. Big wood means more air.

As far as lighting the combuster before loading, that's just a quirk of mine. When coals are deep, place on those first two splits (smaller) of the next load. They'll catch immediately. Close the damper, but keep air wide open and let those flames and heat kick into that combuster hard. It'll be glowing red in no time. Then crack damper, load remaining splits and close it up. I started this because I was burning the overnight wood load down to nothing trying to get the ever-lovin' combuster lit off- coal bed be damned.

Now, I've got to go get some coals hot . . .

It is funny though even with figuring out that i need to circulate the heat and having a stove top temp of 650 when I close the flue, I never really saw any flames coming out of those little holes in combuster. Should I have? Just wondering if I got a bad combuster on install(new this Nov.)

 

[Troutchaser]

Turfguy, you may or may not see flames shooting from those little holes in the shoe. I really only see it when things are very hot and the draft is strongest, which is early in the burn cycle.

Most often there is a thin veil of flame rising up in front of the shoe here and there. I usually can't see the large openings much, but when I can there is often some small flames coming from the coals in front of them.
If the inside of the openings is glowing to any extent, then you're burning smoke.

 

[Turfguy]

Turfguy, you may or may not see flames shooting from those little holes in the shoe. I really only see it when things are very hot and the draft is strongest, which is early in the burn cycle.

Most often there is a thin veil of flame rising up in front of the shoe here and there. I usually can't see the large openings much, but when I can there is often some small flames coming from the coals in front of them.
If the inside of the openings is glowing to any extent, then you're burning smoke.

Okay good to know, I did notice an oragen glow when looking a the combustor last nigh, thanks!

 

[Smokey Bear]

Glad to here you are getting along better with the stove