Cold = more draft = more wood/choked down?

[thinkxingu]

Hi All,
Hope you're having a good burning season! Quick question I would like confirmation on but can't seem to find: these last two weeks have been cooold here in NH, and it seems like I'm burning through loads much more quickly. I know draft increases in relation to outside temp, so does that mean I'll need to choke the stove down more than normal to compensate and slow the burn rate?

Thanks!

S

 

[pen]

It can mean that.

Was your house too warm? Was your stove overheating? If not, then you had it set where it needed to be.

pen

 

[BobUrban]

Short answer, "yes"

The normal air intake should be in relation to burn rate and heat output instead of some arbitrary point or mark on your slide, push rod or dial(or whatever your stove uses for air regulation) If that changes withh outside temps and flu draw then back it off.

 

[rijim]

What have the stovetop and stack temps been doing? Using these will probably give you the best info to decide how to adjust your air control.

 

[thinkxingu]

The stovetop temps are normal, it's just that the loads aren't lasting as long. Essentially, the secondaries weren't firing as much as the wood was straight burning.

I just choked it down a bit more than normal (temps are usually fairly level) and it seems to be working. It would make sense to me that if lower outside temps increase draft, then I would have to compensate with air control.

S

 

[rijim]

I have to shut down air more than usual when in tens or below; the only time I don't get good secondaries is if moisture content of my wood isn't ideal. Had this problem last week when I got to the bottom of a stack where the ends of splits have been more exposed to moisture (covered with a tarp). So if you have a gage, check the moisture content.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Do you have fewer coals than normal? If so, you can probably close that stove down a bit more.

Matt

 

[Beardog]

The stovetop temps are normal, it's just that the loads aren't lasting as long. Essentially, the secondaries weren't firing as much as the wood was straight burning.

I just choked it down a bit more than normal (temps are usually fairly level) and it seems to be working. It would make sense to me that if lower outside temps increase draft, then I would have to compensate with air control.

S

I'm getting the same thing in CT. Im thinking it's the cold creating a much stronger draft at -2 than 20 degrees.

 

[Slow1]

I clearly get a stronger draft and shorter burn times, but then again - when it is cold I need more heat so I'm not dissatisfied. I have taken to judging by the look of the fire and stove temps rather than the actual air setting. Although with the PH it is more along the line of when to close it fully down really... but I'm sure the concept applies to other designs.

 

[Ashful]

I'm sort of seeing the same thing as the OP. I run both stoves at the same setting pretty much all the time, "fully shut" overnight and workdays, and maybe 10% open when I'm home. It's a self-regulating system in that the "fully shut" point on both stoves runs around 400F when it's warm (weaker draft), and 550F when it's cold (stronger draft).

(Side point, but I say "fully shut", because my stove on the short chimney never actually gets FULLY shut.)

The primary difference, in terms of its effect on me, is how much wood I cram thru the stoves. In normal winter weather, I probably load 2 cu.ft. of wood in each stove 3x per day, and always have a warm stove and coals for a relight. In blistering cold weather, I find I have to stuff the box much fuller on each reload, to keep the stove from running out of fuel and going dead cold before the next scheduled reload.

My longest load of the day is typically 11.5 hours. I've gone thru more than 3/4 cord of wood in the last 8 days, way above my previous average.