fireview question???

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yamgrizz700

New Member
Dec 25, 2009
63
new hampshire
I was just watching the stove burn, as i always do and was wondering if this seems right. I have the secondary burn going on and the stove has been running for about a hour or so and i was noticing that that the cat was glowing very bright for the first 1/2 hour then went dim (which i know is somewhat normal since that cat doesn't have to glow to be working) the strange things is when it died down the cat that is the secondary burn was floating towards the back and not going towards the front where the cat is??i hear the bypass click in but could it not be closing all the way or not tight?? or is does this sound normal.
thanks.
 
I think it's normal, I get the same thing going in my stove and I think it just depends on the load and how it effects the fire box air flow. If you see a continuous flame going up through the bypass plate you may need a new gasket. After about an hour my cat doesn't seem to glow as much when first engaged and I also notice less glowing when there is more flame in the box.
 
as always thanks todd for the info. i have another question,How much of a difference does DRY wood make in this stove? most of the time i hover at 450 maybe get up to 500. will this be solved with DRY wood?
 
Its working put OK, Somedays i think i have it figured out and others i am about ready to pull my hair out( and i don't have much) and my wife is going to shoot me if i cant get this to heat my house on a regular basis, lately i cant get this thing over 450 maybe 500, i have cut my splits down pretty small, i am just a little unsure of what i am doing. when i look inside the fire box i have reddish coals and the temp is about 400 which isnt bad for having it run on about 4or 5 small splits that i feed her maybe 3 hours ago, but it never got past 450, will dry wood solve this? this week if i ever get out of work in time i am going to go to woodstock stove co.( i live about 20 mins from there shop and pretty much drive by there everyday) and they said they would give mew some kiln dried wood to try. that will tell the story.
 
You should have no problem getting the stove up over 500 with dry wood. How long has it been split and stacked? If the wood is less than dry try leaving the bypass open longer before engaging the cat and try higher air settings above #1. My first year I burned 6 month old mixed hardwood and had problems, but now I burn 2-3 year old wood and the stove cranks.
 
the wood is oak and maple, i got it from a wood guy but didn't know much when i got it (log length for a year and then split it about a week before i got it) i got it in mid dec and then stacked it in my basement and keep a fan on it to try to dry it out even more. its not WET but its not DRY, the wood is showing signs of drying but i know its not ideal. I am working on getting wood for next year, but in order to convince my wife the stove is worth the investment i need to know if good Dry wood will make a difference or if its something i am doing wrong?
 
I reread some of your old posts and I bet your problem is a combination of that 6x11 chimney and your wood supply. I think you will just have to burn a little hotter with the larger chimney. With a larger diameter chimney the flue gases will expand and slow down creating less pull so the fire won't get as hot. If you were to reline that with a 5.5 or 6" liner I bet you a cord of wood it will be like difference between night and day. I have the same sized chimney and burned with and with out liner, SO much better with.
 
Next year i am going to get a liner, i was hopeing to get two 6" liners down that chimney so i could put a wood stove in the basement in the future, anyways thanks for the help todd and i will take you up on that cord of wood ;-)
 
by hotter do you mean leave the bypass open for longer? like say maybe 300/350? or higher? and maybe try the air at 1.25 or there around about? i know its hard to tell and i need to try things since every house is different but a guide line or suggestions?.
Thanks again to you and all the other people on this site, with out this site i would be in or close to divorce court by know :bug:
 
It's hard to say without knowing what your wood is like but I would wait 10-20 minutes before engaging depending on what kind of coal bed you reload on and just make sure the wood isn't sizzling. You may have to start out full blast til it takes off and reduce air down til there is still good flame and wood is good and charred. After engaging the cat leave it at 1.25 or more and see what happens. My #1 could be your #2 with your wood and chimney, don't be afraid to give it more air to keep those flue gases hot.

Many of us have struggled our first seasons with wet wood or poor drafting chimneys. Don't get discouraged, it will get better.
 
i am not sure if i should have the flames going and hitting the cat and if how long should i have the flames going? I wish they had a woodstove 101 close :p kinda like a hands on job training( just like when i took oil burner training) that would help out people who are hands on like myself. i will try what you said tonight.
 
Yeah, I wish WS would come out with a video on stove ops, it would help out many people. I pretty much always have some flame when I engage at #1, you may want a little more air with your set up to keep the flame going. Maybe if you call Woodstock they can set up some kind of training session for you and walk you through it? I've done it on the phone a few times but if you live so close you could get some good hands on training.
 
Well i have had one of them come out to my house in the begging(he lives right down the road from my house) really nice guy, our little girls go to preschool together, any ways he said the set up was good i had good draft(it was 45 °F plus out and starting from a cold stove) But know that i am GETTING into the stove and have had more seat time with it, so to speak i think i need a little more tutoring on the fine adjustments, when it gets colder i think i will see if he can stop by again( have a beer and give me a refiner course) thanks todd i really do appreciate your help.
 
Robert, as Todd says, let your fire burn a while longer so you can burn off more moisture before you engage the cat. Also, you will get the really high stove top temps when there is no flame as that gives the cat the most smoke to burn up. The more flame, the less smoke, the less the cat has to do.

But it sounds like your problem might be a slight draft problem and a large wood problem. With dry wood, you will see a dramatic difference. From what you described, your wood just isn't ready but if it is what you have, you'll just have to work around it. If that is where you are going to get your wood next year, buy it now so it will be ready by next fall.
 
Wendell, i dont plan on getting my wood from that source, i plan on finding a reliable and been in business for a while kind a person and do plan on getting my wood green asap and seasoning it my self. i don't wont these problems again, i have tried to turn the air down and just have some coals(red) and that nice secondary burn but the temp starts to drop within 1/2 hour to 45 mins and so i turn the air back up and then the temps stay steady maybe go up but not much. not sure why? should i wait longer? right know i have loaded for the night i have a active fire but its still popping some so i will wait a little while until thats done "popping"then engage the cat and set the air to 1.25 or so.And yes this is all the wood i have.only about 1 3/4 cords left
 
It is not normal to get those temperature drops, they should actually go up when there is less flame. Again, I think it is your wood. Don't think that a different seller is going to give you any better wood. This topic has been discussed many times over in the Woodshed but firewood sellers just aren't going to sell you properly seasoned wood. I like to have maple cut split and stacked for 18 months and oak for 2-3 years so you can see why you are having troubles. So, whoever you are going to get your wood from, get it now so you don't have these troubles again next year.
 
Thats all that i have available is mostly oak maple and birch and of course pine, how about ash? if i got that now would that be good for next year? what would you suggest? kiln dryed is $$$$$$$$$$$$$ out of my price range."like they say the early bird gets the worm" for once i would like to be the early bird. Anyway i can speed up my seasoning of what i have? or like the wife says "maybe we should stop burning the stove and let the wood dry. i have a hard time with that one since for one the wood was free( a gift) and two i love to burn things and its great to finally have a wood stove. i never knew it would be this involved. i thought "seasoned" wood would be good to go. and know i am stuck so to speak. hands in the air not sire what direction to tale, wait or burn what i have and deal with it???
 
wood1 said:
Wendell, i dont plan on getting my wood from that source, i plan on finding a reliable and been in business for a while kind a person and do plan on getting my wood green asap and seasoning it my self. i don't wont these problems again, i have tried to turn the air down and just have some coals(red) and that nice secondary burn but the temp starts to drop within 1/2 hour to 45 mins and so i turn the air back up and then the temps stay steady maybe go up but not much. not sure why? should i wait longer? right know i have loaded for the night i have a active fire but its still popping some so i will wait a little while until thats done "popping"then engage the cat and set the air to 1.25 or so.And yes this is all the wood i have.only about 1 3/4 cords left

Leave it at 1.25 and see what happens. I bet your temps will climb up above 500. If it looks like it's shooting up to 700 reduce the air.
 
Ash would be a much better choice for next fall. Get it C/S/S now and you will be good to go.

If you are getting heat now I would probably keep burning but it is going to be your choice. Might want to go with the wife's suggestion and keep a happy household. ;-)
 
wood1 said:
Thats all that i have available is mostly oak maple and birch and of course pine, how about ash? if i got that now would that be good for next year? what would you suggest? kiln dryed is $$$$$$$$$$$$$ out of my price range."like they say the early bird gets the worm" for once i would like to be the early bird. Anyway i can speed up my seasoning of what i have? or like the wife says "maybe we should stop burning the stove and let the wood dry. i have a hard time with that one since for one the wood was free( a gift) and two i love to burn things and its great to finally have a wood stove. i never knew it would be this involved. i thought "seasoned" wood would be good to go. and know i am stuck so to speak. hands in the air not sire what direction to tale, wait or burn what i have and deal with it???

If you can get Ash I bet it will be ready next year, it is one of the least moisture firewood out there.
 
right now i am getting heat from the stove(and some days i am not sure anything will please the household :cheese: )so i have the stove set at 1ish a little below and have some flames they are licking the cat and the cat is GLOWING and the stove top is reaching 550 and seems to be climbing. Is this ok to have the flames licking or kissing the cat? there raging by any means, or should i try turning the air down a little? or just leave it? and i will search out some ash for next year. thanks guys
 
Leave it there, the flames licking the cat is fine. You just don't want a steady flame sucking up through it.
 
ok maybe that's half my problem too when the flames would start getting to crazy i would turn the air down to maybe .75 or there around about and then falling temps would sure to follow, right know after maybe 1 hour or so since reload i have the draft handle even with the 1(i turned it down the flames where scaring me a bit) i don't wont to kill the cat, and the temps are still climbing, up to 575 right now. With a nice red lazy flame and some really red coals. hows that sound??
 
one more question, So if i wanted to go to bed should i leave the draft where its at or turn it down some. if i leave it at where it is will i still have coals in the am? i get up at 530 in the am. so can be to work for 7am
 
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