Castine cold weather update

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WellSeasoned

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I have been adding wood every few hours to keep the stove at a high temp all day. I have accumulated about 5-6 inches of coals, so now that the temps outside warmed up to 20 (8 wind chill), I am raking the coals forward and leaving the air all the way open trying to burn them down. I searched past threads and found it to be the best way to do it. It seems to be working. I have to make room for a full pack for overnight. (going down to 9deg tonight w/neg digits w/wind) The stove has been performing well, but struggles when winds are blowing 35-40 all day. I have a feeling oil will kick on tonight, which is ok. Stove room holding about 72 deg, and back bedrooms are holding around low to mid 60's. So far, so good, still learning. Keep warm ya'll.
 
Sometimes it helps to put a single 2-3" split on top of the hot coals to help burn the down. That will raise the temperature a bit without going into a major outgassing bloom.
 
Ok. Took a couple hours, but coals went down maintaining good heat in the house.will give smaller splits a try. Thx
 
Backwoods, we open the draft full just before it gets down to all coals. This usually allows us to reload anywhere from 350 or below and does not get the huge coal bed to contend with. As BG stated, sometimes you can add a couple pieces of kindling or a small split to help burn up the coals but we generally do not need to do this so long as we open the draft full.
 
Backwoods Savage said:
Backwoods, we open the draft full just before it gets down to all coals. This usually allows us to reload anywhere from 350 or below and does not get the huge coal bed to contend with. As BG stated, sometimes you can add a couple pieces of kindling or a small split to help burn up the coals but we generally do not need to do this so long as we open the draft full.

ditto
 
+1 to what BeGreen and Backwoods Savage mentioned . . . both will work well in reducing the coals without a long wait or letting the temps dip down to the point where the house starts to cool off.
 
I also like to open up the door wide and let those coals radiate directly into the room, especially late at night before I reload. Inefficient....but nice.
 
Do you have a screen on the stove? I have had some wicked ember explosions, including at the coaling stage that would make me nervous running the stove (at any time) with the door wide open and no screen.
 
I do not, no. My sister has one on her Heartstone, and I swear she burns more with the door open than closed. (She also bemoans how much wood she burns...or at least my b.i.law does!) When I do leave the door open, it is when I'm standing next to it, and I don't move away without closing it. I've never had a problem, maybe because of the wood I'm burning is ultra dry and hard (red oak and hickory, down to 6% m.c.) I might also be waiting longer until the oomph has gone out of the fuel. I know what you mean about embers...sometimes when you open it too early they zip around like bottle rockets and explode like cap guns. Not good.

I would like to get a screen, and it is probably going to be on my list next season.
 
If I have the stove door open while it is burning I only leave it ajar about 1/4". That's enough to admit a lot of air into the firebox. It equals about a 21 sq in opening, yet stops those ember pops quickly.
 
Sometimes it helps to put a single 2-3" split on top of the hot coals to help burn the down. That will raise the temperature a bit without going into a major outgassing bloom.

I'm looking forward to trying this tactic this year when my castine is having trouble keeping up on the coldest days. I'm thinking 1 or 2 pine splits will help burn down the coals when they accumulate, keep the temperature way up, and leave little behind in the way of coals when it's time for a reload of hardwood.
 
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