Glass Only Get Dirty At End Of Overnight Load

[Backwoods Savage]

Turbocruiser, you should also realize that many times simply opening the draft a tiny bit will help to keep that stovetop temperature down. It sound odd but when you consider opening the firebox door allows more cooler air into the stove, well, giving a bit more draft will do the same thing only on a smaller scale.

I also agree with BeGreen. It is time for you to look at the top of the page, why up and find, "Your Control Panel." Click on that and it will bring up the control panel which will list several things you can do and one of them is to eidt your signature. This is how most folks get the information at the bottom of their posts. If you edit that, then when you post everyone can see what stove you are talking about. For example, look at BeGreen's signature line and you will see what stove he is burning. He has also added a couple of his favorite quotes.

 

[Jags]

Not only larger splits, but limit your criss-crossing pattern. That is too much air gap and will cause massive outgassing all at once. Stack your wood in to allow a small air gap underneath going N-S for startup purposes, then stack the stuff in.

 

[firefighterjake]

I rarely have this problem . . . unless a split rolls up against the glass and doesn't allow the air wash to do its thing.

There is some fly ash that I get on the glass . . . but no real mess.

I can and routinely do cut back the air all the way . . . with no problems . . . good secondaries and clean glass in the morning. That said, I suspect a good draft, good wood and running the temps right before cutting back the air makes a big difference.

 

[mecreature]

closing mine down all the way will leave some dirty glass.
let it roar and try to keep some flame going glass is much cleaner..

I was laughing at your new found process and those climbing temps...

 

[Battenkiller]

There is nothing inherently wrong with your method, but there is another method that I think might work better for you AND reduce the amount of wood your consuming AND create more heat. You might want to try this, it is commonly referred to as the "batch" method:

Lay down your kindling and a FULL load of firewood (some people will start a small kindling fire, allow to burn down and then load a complete load).

Light fire with full air open. Allow time for wood to start to char. Allow stove top to come up to 500 or so degrees (this can be adjusted to fit your stove/system). Shut air to 50%. Allow another 50-100F increase in stove top temp. Close air to cruise settings. This will be different for all stoves, but probably somewhere around 5 - 20% open on the primary air setting.

Allow this load to burn back down to coaling stage. Your stove top will start to cool down. Reload stove with FULL loads when at coaling stage or when more heat is desired.

Give it a shot.

Jags

I am in basic agreement with what you are saying, but some folks interpret a "full load" as packing as much wood in there as humanly possible. I think a lot of new burners have to learn how to strategically fill their stoves so as to allow good air flow inside the box. It's all about mixing. Secondary air don't do chit if it ain't hitting all the smoke particles in there. I have seen tons of videos on YouTube (and some of them were posted here) that show spectacular secondaries, but a lot of smoke in there as well that is pretty obvious to me is gonna make it up and out the stack without combining with oxygen.

 

[Battenkiller]

Not only larger splits, but limit your criss-crossing pattern. That is too much air gap and will cause massive outgassing all at once. Stack your wood in to allow a small air gap underneath going N-S for startup purposes, then stack the stuff in.

:lol:

I shoulda read this post before sending off the other one. I guess I'm in disagreement with you after all. %-P

 

[Jags]

I guess I'm in disagreement with you after all. %-P

I'm always up for a lesson, BK.

 

[turbocruiser]

I wanted to wait through a few more fires prior to posting to this thread again...

First as far as pictures of our stove and setup, I promise I'm working on it, I'm working on it ... because I had to convert a chase which originally went from the floor to the ceiling into an alcove on the bottom and a chase on the top I had all sorts of construction and clutter that I had to complete, prep and paint before posting up pics. Actually I'd like to ask the mods if I can perhaps open a thread and lock a thread for a few minutes while I add all the text and all the pictures too but again I am working on it folks.

Meanwhile I am getting more and more frustrated as I go through this learning curve; since my last post here I have tried several separate variations on how long I leave the air control at 100%, then how long I leave it at 50% and whether I go to approximately 10% or 5% or 0% and it seems that no matter what whenever I have a full firebox I cannot maintain the temps below 800 to 850! I keep watching it climb and climb and then always resort to opening the door (as you all taught me and as I absolutely appreciate so much) to cool things off.

It was so simple when I was loading half loads but man o man I cannot seem to get the hang of this thing with full loads! What am I doing wrong? I cannot realistically continue to load the stove halfway. I also cannot realistically continue to sit and so anxiously supervise the stove while adjusting the air control and then waiting to open the door with full loads. And, like I've already mentioned at this time I've probably tried twenty permutations of operation but no matter what when that firebox is full it is just a matter of more or less time before I see temps that try to climb to 900! Again, what am I doing wrong or is it supposed to work this way? Thanks.

 

[firefighterjake]

I assume you've tried shutting things down earlier . . . before the temps get too high. If that doesn't work I might suggest rechecking your gaskets. It's normal for most stoves to go up in temp after you've got the secondary going and the air shut down quite a bit . . . but it almost sounds as though you just keep seeing the temps rising without plateauing . . . which would make me think the air isn't being shut down early enough or perhaps there is a leak around one of the gaskets.

 

[turbocruiser]

I assume you've tried shutting things down earlier . . . before the temps get too high. If that doesn't work I might suggest rechecking your gaskets. It's normal for most stoves to go up in temp after you've got the secondary going and the air shut down quite a bit . . . but it almost sounds as though you just keep seeing the temps rising without plateauing . . . which would make me think the air isn't being shut down early enough or perhaps there is a leak around one of the gaskets.

Thanks for the advice there Jake, as far as shutting down sooner, a couple of times I actually shut too soon (I'm referring to going from 100% to 50% which I try to do right when the wood is completely charred but before it goes to glowing coals ... that typically takes approx 15 mins at 100%) and then the fire sort of smoldered out (not really out but just smoked until I opened the air and then in thirty seconds or so ... woosh fire was back).

As far as leaking air, I'll do the dollar test but the door seems super tight and this thing is basically brand new so I'd think that if anything at all the door is still too tight, but, I will do the dollar test and report any problems.

I'm just starting to wonder whether 900 actually is alright for this stove? I mean I'm measuring at the hottest possible point which is right above the middle of the door and on the actual top of the firebox (the "stovetop" is usually around 450 to 550 but the "stovetop" here is really a floating cast steel component so I sort of ignore what the thermometer there says because it isn't completely connected to the firebox).

Thanks to this forum though, I know how to prevent the problem of overfiring but I really wish I could get to the temps I was running with half loads where it was cruising at 750, and I wish I could get to the point that I'm not so super anxious about it and so intensely supervising it. Right now an overnight burn is basically idiotic to try with a full firebox but I gotta keep going on this crazy learning curve until I get there. Thanks again for all the advice, please keep it coming. Thanks Folks!

 

[turbocruiser]

Update:

Well, along with absorbing the information that you fine folks have given here all along, today I talked with technicians at Regency and asked about this all over again. I am embarrassed about this but basically I've been measuring the temperatures in the totally wrong way and since I've so persistently pestered people here to answer all the crazy things I ask about I thought that I should share the answers that Regency told me today.

Previously when I was told from the folks at Regency that 900 F was the maximum temp I should ever allow I assumed that was with the area that I was measuring which is what Regency would call the "Discharge Area" (there are actually two front facing "Discharge Areas" on our stove with one above the door and one below the door but the one above is always hotter obviously so that's the one I pay all my attention to).

Well, and here's the bit that's beyond embarrassing, that wasn't the area that Regency was referring to instead they were referring to the stove top temperatures! All along I was trying to "ignore" the stove top becuase it basically isn't connected to the firebox at all in my mind. Well that was my main mistake; apparently the discharge area is allowed to hit temperatures above 900F and actually will have to hit those temps to get the stove top anywhere at all close to the 900 F maximum (so far the stove top has only hit 550 at the most).

Its a pretty confusing paradox that learning something simple can make me feel so stupid but that's the way it is sometimes! Anyways I am really relieved that I haven't been burning too hot this whole time.

This is the burn method that the technicians suggested I start with:
1. Load the firebox as full as I would want and start the fire.
2. Leave the air control at 100% open until the wood is completely charred and I get a good draft going (between 15 and 45 minutes depending on many of the variables that you all have already mentioned like fuel, stove pipe, chimney pipe, weather).
3. Adjust the air from 50% to 25% open until the firebox needs a new load.
4. Open the air to 100% for a few seconds, add another load and leave the air control at 100% until all the added wood is completely charred.
5. Adjust the air from 50% to 25% open again and repeat the process till whenever I want to stop the stove and then allow the stove to slowly stop with the air control at whatever I want between 25% and 0%. While the technician told me that the air control could be completely closed he also reminded me, as you all have, that the more the air control is closed the more heat the stove will see and cautioned about that. He also told me that if the stove top sees temps above 900 the best thing to do is immediately open the door to the stove so that the whole thing will cool down! Hmm where have I heard that before haha?!?

So, I again apologize for all my misunderstandings as I take this learning curve and if you don't mind me asking another question, what do you all think about this? Thanks.

 

[pen]

:lol:

We've all been there. Rather have this be the explanation than an actual problem. At the end of the day, I give you a lot of credit for explaining how you learned what the problem was!

One example of me being "there" was last winter. I came home from work on a frigid evening after working late to a cold stove. Started the stove up and had smoke pouring out of every orifice. W/ the conditions there should have been no problems with a draft. Pulled the wood from the stove, took it outside and I figured the cap was plugged (first winter ever with a cap and from stories on here with caps clogging I figured for sure that was it.) With a snow covered roof, in the dark, I pull out the ladder and climb up the roof. Take off the cap (which isn't plugged) and clean it. Figuring that can't be it I climb back down, go grab the cordless million candle spot light since the little light I was using wouldn't shine down the chimney, climb back up, go to look down the chimney and the damn battery is dead. Say screw it, get back off the roof, go get the rods, and proceed to climb back up on the roof and clean the chimney. Reassemble, come back into the house to disassemble the stove pipe when I realize that the stove pipe damper was in the full closed position :shut: (must have bumped it filling the steamer, wife might have decided to close it for some reason, who knows)

I could share story after story of me fixing problems that didn't exist!

At the end of the day, what matters is that things are working properly now and you are sure of it! WELL DONE!

pen

 

[turbocruiser]

:lol:

We've all been there. Rather have this be the explanation than an actual problem. At the end of the day, I give you a lot of credit for explaining how you learned what the problem was!

One example of me being "there" was last winter. I came home from work on a frigid evening after working late to a cold stove. Started the stove up and had smoke pouring out of every orifice. W/ the conditions there should have been no problems with a draft. Pulled the wood from the stove, took it outside and I figured the cap was plugged (first winter ever with a cap and from stories on here with caps clogging I figured for sure that was it.) With a snow covered roof, in the dark, I pull out the ladder and climb up the roof. Take off the cap (which isn't plugged) and clean it. Figuring that can't be it I climb back down, go grab the cordless million candle spot light since the little light I was using wouldn't shine down the chimney, climb back up, go to look down the chimney and the damn battery is dead. Say screw it, get back off the roof, go get the rods, and proceed to climb back up on the roof and clean the chimney. Reassemble, come back into the house to disassemble the stove pipe when I realize that the stove pipe damper was in the full closed position :shut: (must have bumped it filling the steamer, wife might have decided to close it for some reason, who knows)

I could share story after story of me fixing problems that didn't exist!

At the end of the day, what matters is that things are working properly now and you are sure of it! WELL DONE!

pen

Wow that was wonderful thanks so sincerely! You all are awesome. I am as I type this burning a full firebox with my air at 50% open, I've loaded three loads and have a huge pile of great glowing coals, my secondaries are shooting out flames like flamethrowers and my temps seem stable at around 850 (measured from that dang "Discharge Area" haha) and I am not worried whatsoever! Thank goodness I don't have dampers in my stove pipe cause my roof is rather steep and it is warm within the house! I've always loved to learn and you all make it most enjoyable! Thanks again for all the advice, patience and understanding.

 

[pen]

I think in time w/ more experimentation with the stove that you'll see those temps go down yet and the glass will also stay clean.

pen

 

[firefighterjake]

+1 to what Pen said . . .

We've all been there . . . and sometimes it's by sharing not only our successes, but also our mistakes and errors, that we teach others.

I.E. Why you should not start a fire and go take a shower with the air control open all the way . . . I learned from that mistake when I came out 15 minutes later and found the chimney thermo was right at the over-fire mark . . . but of course I am pretty dumb . . . took a repeat of the same mistake with a shower a week or two later for me to make that correction in how I start the fire -- now I pretty much watch the fire and watch a TV show or two in the morning before stepping away from the woodstove.