I've a 25 year old Vermont Castings Resolute Acclaim cast iron model and recently installed an additional new Hearthstone Mansfield soapstone model. Can I use the same burning practice with the new EPA non-catalytic as with my old stove?
Here's how the Resolute Acclaim works, in a nutshell: It has a rear chamber that is separated by an iron or steel divider from the front firebox. The flue collar is at the top of the rear chamber. From top to bottom, the divider does not quite reach the floor of the firebox, leaving an inch or two open across the width of the firebox. At the top of the divider is a damper that can be opened or closed from the outside. When the damper is open, the smoke flows into the top of the rear chamber and straight up the flue pipe. After building up a bed of coals that covers the opening at the bottom of the divider, I close the damper, forcing the smoke to exit downward, through the live red coals for secondary combustion, under the divider and into the rear chamber, then up the flue. The rear chamber is filled with a refractory material with vertical channels. The refractory material becomes very hot, providing tertiary combustion. That's it. Apparently the current Vermont Castings operation still makes Resolute Acclaim stoves on the same design, although I am not certain of that.
My practice with the old stove has been to build up a heavy bed of coals, get the gasses passing through the secondary and tertiary combustion, stoke the firebox with cord wood, then crank down the air intake. Essentially, that bakes the cord wood. There is very little or no flame and no smouldering or smoke or creosote. The effect on the cord wood must be something like making charcoal, although not exactly because the cord wood in time turns to live red coals. This produces a very long burn.
OK, the new EPA stove is designed entirely differently. But I have been able to build a heavy bed of coals, stoke it full of cord wood, turn the flue damper down about 7/8 and close the air intake (at least as far as the EPA allows air intakes to be closed). The effect is nearly the same as with the old stove. With very little flame the cord wood bakes down into live red coals and takes the stove up to 600 degrees. Then, I repeat the process. I've been able to use this method to get the longest burn time in the 300-600 degree range and get the most out of my cord wood.
I use dry cord wood. I move the cord wood from my wood shed to a one-cord wood box in my basement, which allows it to dry roughly to a moisture range of less than 10 or 12 percent. Sometimes it gets too dry.
I've not read for a long time of anybody recommending an oxygen deprived method to cook off cord wood. I think it used to be common. Any comments are welcome. Wood burning is an art and a constant learning experience.
Here's how the Resolute Acclaim works, in a nutshell: It has a rear chamber that is separated by an iron or steel divider from the front firebox. The flue collar is at the top of the rear chamber. From top to bottom, the divider does not quite reach the floor of the firebox, leaving an inch or two open across the width of the firebox. At the top of the divider is a damper that can be opened or closed from the outside. When the damper is open, the smoke flows into the top of the rear chamber and straight up the flue pipe. After building up a bed of coals that covers the opening at the bottom of the divider, I close the damper, forcing the smoke to exit downward, through the live red coals for secondary combustion, under the divider and into the rear chamber, then up the flue. The rear chamber is filled with a refractory material with vertical channels. The refractory material becomes very hot, providing tertiary combustion. That's it. Apparently the current Vermont Castings operation still makes Resolute Acclaim stoves on the same design, although I am not certain of that.
My practice with the old stove has been to build up a heavy bed of coals, get the gasses passing through the secondary and tertiary combustion, stoke the firebox with cord wood, then crank down the air intake. Essentially, that bakes the cord wood. There is very little or no flame and no smouldering or smoke or creosote. The effect on the cord wood must be something like making charcoal, although not exactly because the cord wood in time turns to live red coals. This produces a very long burn.
OK, the new EPA stove is designed entirely differently. But I have been able to build a heavy bed of coals, stoke it full of cord wood, turn the flue damper down about 7/8 and close the air intake (at least as far as the EPA allows air intakes to be closed). The effect is nearly the same as with the old stove. With very little flame the cord wood bakes down into live red coals and takes the stove up to 600 degrees. Then, I repeat the process. I've been able to use this method to get the longest burn time in the 300-600 degree range and get the most out of my cord wood.
I use dry cord wood. I move the cord wood from my wood shed to a one-cord wood box in my basement, which allows it to dry roughly to a moisture range of less than 10 or 12 percent. Sometimes it gets too dry.
I've not read for a long time of anybody recommending an oxygen deprived method to cook off cord wood. I think it used to be common. Any comments are welcome. Wood burning is an art and a constant learning experience.
600f is the max you want to see on the top center stone so I would not target that as a cruising temp or you may spike higher and hurt something.
Burn Time, what you are doing with the damper is adding a second control to what is normally a single control stove and it is cool that you are making it work for you. I added a damper to the snouts of my tees but it has not been cold enough here yet to do anything but have a long running big fire. With my damper being where it is, it will be hard to play enough to dial it in like you have but I may try if one of our colder spells fall on a weekend or a time when I am off from work. I mainly put the damper in so I could dial the draft back when it gets really cold and dry here and for some emergency overfire insurance.
