Cooking!!!!!!!!!!!!

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bartlett920

New Member
Feb 15, 2008
125
Fort Scott Kansas

I recently installed a Century 2000sq.ft stove and have been running it with too short of a chimney due to ice on the roof keeping me from adding the last section, today I added the last section and started a fire with four 2to3 inch diameter logs and it is cooking me out!!! I shut the air control down and closed the damper in the pipe and it still has a really good secondary burn going. I dont want to open it all the way up and get the pipe too hot or should I open it????
 
new stove?? I think there is a break in period
 
either black single wall 24 gague or stainless is rated 1200 deg F , but I dont know what your chimney is rated for. Basically, set the primary intake air down to its lowest setting.

At this setting it will still let some combustion air in because that is the way all secondary burn stoves are designed. They are not airtight but always let some reduced amt of primary & secondary air in to the stove so as not to snarfell down the stove to a smoke producing smolder. As to the smoke stack damper plate, I think 1/8 th to 1/4 th closed from full open should be ok. Set it & watch it & see how you like it.

Adding a longer chimney section will increase your draft (maybe as much as double
your draft) so your stove will burn much more energetically & you will have to learn the new ways of your stove all over again.

Putting my money where my mouth is, & I am glad I did, BTW, I bought two magnetic stove thermometers from the hardware store. $15.oo each+tax , but the best $32.oo I ever spent.

One is placed 18 inch approx. above the stovetop , & also above the stove pipe damper; but the measurement is taken from the stove top. Not a big deal if it is 20in or 22 in.

The other is centered in the hottest part of the top of your stove.

You know you have a good secondary burn going when your stove top is 600, 700,800 deg
while your stack temp is only 300 to 450deg.

The thermometers tell you exactly what your stove is doing & experience of your stoves burning chacheristics will tell you the rest.

I dont like stack temps over 700, but 700 dont bother me the least bit on MY 1/4 in steel stove top.

I cant tell you not to worry about it because every set up is different. But don't panic, experiment with your set up & its opperation, while watching it like a hawk, until you relearn the new ways of your stove & are comfortable with it.

Don't trust it until you are comfortable with it. This means that it has been ok in the past at these temps so, it should be ok in the future with these temps, assuming nothing breaks down or detereates from its present condition.

Check the condition of your stove , stove pipes & chimney every summer & give them a good clean out. Look for creasole deposits & rust spots/rust out, cracked chimney tiles & that sort of stuff during the summer when it is easier to fix.

A thinness in the stove pipe from rust means it should be replaced (just the thin section) the rest MAY be OK or you may find another thin or rusty spot. If you find this, replace the section befor the next heating season starts. You will be glad that you did because you will have avoided a lot of trouble.

good luck with your quest for the perfect fire.
 
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