Help noob with draft problem!

[smitty81]

I don't think that i am getting the full potiental out of my stove, Its a Pacific Super 27. I get the fire going and put some more wood in the stove. I have to leave the air control on high to get it to heat properly. I usually can't get it much higher than 500 degrees (what my pipe therm says) and thats with it all the way open. It takes about 15 minutes or longer sometimes to really get it going. The secondaries burn after it gets rolling but when I back the air control down, they die. Also have been getting back draft from the pipe putting ton's of smoke into my house but thats only sometimes and only when its first starting.

I think its due to low draft problems but I am a noob so any advice would be appreciated.

Also, my wood it well seasoned, I know that for a fact. I'm not to sure about what kind of wood it is exactly though.

thanks!

 

[begreen]

Well, I am going to assume that you're not experiencing this right now, correct? This sounds like weak draft. Describe the entire flue setup in detail on this stove from stovetop to the sky so that we see what you are seeing.

 

[Danno77]

Weak draft could do it. I'm interested in your firewood, too. Got any pictures of it, so we can ID it? How are you SURE it's seasoned without having an ID on it? Do you have a Moisture meter or something?

 

[pen]

Here is a great thread I recommend you check out with a bunch of info for you.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/65174/

Also, if this is a problem with a new instal (as in you are having this problem right now trying to get a burn going and not relaying what happened last winter) then the problem could simply be that it is too warm and draft is reduced because of the high outdoor temps.

pen

 

[certified106]

Very interested in how you know the wood is well seasoned. How long has it been cut, split, and stacked? If in fact your wood is well seasoned then it sounds like you may have a weak draft situation with your current setup. Can you describe your chimney setup in detail as it would help people on here to determine if anything stands out as wrong with the way it is installed.

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

The first thing to check is to make sure the chimney is clean and, especially, the spark arrestor in the cap. Most complaints I've heard about smoking stoves are from the cap being clogged. Make sure you are burning dry, seasoned wood. That means split and stacked for 1-2 years, depending on the type of wood and area of the country. Make sure your chimney is tall enough. At least 3 feet out of roof and 2 feet higher than anything within 10 feet. Also min height recommended for your stove from the manual. You may have a down draft problem, which is cold air sinking in the chimney before it heats up from the fire. Not a good time of year to check this but in the Winter, before you light a fire, open the door of the stove and hold a smoking piece of paper in front. If the smoke blows back at you instead of getting sucked into the stove then you have a down draft and you need to get a lot of heat up the chimney quickly to reverse the draft. Do this by lighting a lot of newspaper all at once. Hopefully this helps but you're probably going to need to wait for Fall to check the draft.

 

[smitty81]

Pictures arn't the best but you will get the general idea.

 

[Todd]

Looks like your wood is dead Elm. That one split your holding looks pretty large, are they all that size? Maybe split them in half and see what happens. Save a few large ones for over night burns.

I think a 500 stove pipe temp is pretty high, once cruising along it should be in the 300-400 range. Leaving the air wide open will just send the heat up the stack. Try cutting back after 15-30 minutes. What kind of stove temps do you see?

 

[smitty81]

the woold has been cut split and settings for at least a year it has a hollow sound when you drop it on the concrete not a thud. it maybe cottonwood but I'm not for certain just to clarify things I am not trying to start a fire now this happen during the last winter if it is a draft problem what can I do to increase the draft sorry for the bad spelling this is from my phone

 

[woodgeek]

Um, the temp versus air function is U-shaped. My stove runs hotter with the air at half than if it was wide open.

 

[smitty81]

Looks like your wood is dead Elm. That one split your holding looks pretty large, are they all that size? Maybe split them in half and see what happens. Save a few large ones for over night burns.

I think a 500 stove pipe temp is pretty high, once cruising along it should be in the 300-400 range. Leaving the air wide open will just send the heat up the stack. Try cutting back after 15-30 minutes. What kind of stove temps do you see?

I will try to split the wood smaller and see if that helps also the whole temperature thing confuses me I know I'm not supposed to leave it on high but when I lower the air control my room temp drops s lot and then i have nothing to push to the rest of the house. is the theory just supposed to be slow and steady heat if I do lower the control my secondaries go out all the time also I don't know what the actual temp of the stove it is

 

[Danno77]

I'm trying to go off of pictures, so forgive me, but it seems like it's about 6ft to the ceiling and another three feet above. A total of about ten feet from the stove top. If those numbers are right, then your chimney is too short by like 5 feet (or whatever the manual states for your stove)

 

[oldspark]

How many feet is that chimney (did not see it in other posts), my summit did not have a top end (stove temp) last winter due to the chimney (I hope) and I had high flue temps on startup and reload but never any smoke in the house. To me it sure sounds like a weak draft.

 

[smitty81]

I'm gonna try some different would this yearz it's gonna be mostly ash and It will be seasond. but if in fact I do have a draft problem what are my options. they make a draft kit to pull air in from the outside of the house will that work good for me

 

[Danno77]

Add some chimney length above the roof.

 

[smitty81]

I'm trying to go off of pictures, so forgive me, but it seems like it's about 6ft to the ceiling and another three feet above. A total of a bout ten feet from the stove top. If those numbers are right, then your chimney is too short by like 5 feet (or whatever the manual states for your stove)

well that's what I was wondering I had a guy that does the all the time com install everything for me I asked him about the heights but he said the heights would be fine. if I put 1 more section of pipe on the roof will that increase my draft

 

[Danno77]

I'm trying to go off of pictures, so forgive me, but it seems like it's about 6ft to the ceiling and another three feet above. A total of a bout ten feet from the stove top. If those numbers are right, then your chimney is too short by like 5 feet (or whatever the manual states for your stove)

well that's what I was wondering I had a guy that does the all the time com install everything for me I asked him about the heights but he said the heights would be fine. if I put 1 more section of pipe on the roof will that increase my draft

Most likely that would help. I haven't checked the manual, maybe someone else will chime in on requirements.

 

[oldspark]

15 feet is the min., to me it sounds like your wood is fine.

 

[certified106]

Sounds like your flue is to short. Definitely listen to OldSpark as he fought draft problems last year with his chimney and has great first hand experience. If I remember correctly he was complaining of the same thing and said he couldn't get his stove top temps up where they should have been.

 

[smitty81]

Should i go 24"or48"longer

 

[oldspark]

Should i go 24"or48"longer

Well 15 is the min. (with the stove pipe) and more is better (up to a point) so with your short chimney I would go at least 48", that may not even be enough to do what you want. The 48 inch is more bang for your buck also.

 

[begreen]

36" . It will need a roof brace too.

I was curious about the space. Is it always heated so that you are starting the fire when it is say 60F? Or is this space unheated and the fire being started at a cold temp, like freezing or below?

For some guidance on how to start and run the stove, here's a nice video. Choose the bottom one titled: Efficient Wood Stove Operation.

http://www.woodheat.org/wood-heat-videos.html

You'll note that once the fire is going well, the air is not reduced all the way, but just to the point where the flames get lazy and kind of waft over the wood. That will encourage stronger secondary combustion. At that point the fire will start to pick up speed again and may need the air reduced, slightly once again. But not to the point of snuffing out the fire. You should see the flue temp decline and the stove top temp increase. With good wood the stove top should run about 550-650F and the flue temp about 3-400F once you are in a steady secondary burn.

 

[smitty81]

36" . It will need a roof brace too.

I was curious about the space. Is it always heated so that you are starting the fire when it is say 60F? Or is this space unheated and the fire being started at a cold temp, like freezing or below?

For some guidance on how to start and run the stove, here's a nice video. Choose the bottom one titled: Efficient Wood Stove Operation.

http://www.woodheat.org/wood-heat-videos.html

You'll note that once the fire is going well, the air is not reduced all the way, but just to the point where the flames get lazy and kind of waft over the wood. That will encourage stronger secondary combustion. At that point the fire will start to pick up speed again and may need the air reduced, slightly once again. But not to the point of snuffing out the fire. You should see the flue temp decline and the stove top temp increase. With good wood the stove top should run about 550-650F and the flue temp about 3-400F once you are in a steady secondary burn.

how much is a dang roof brace and ur sure i have to have one? this turning out to be a lot more than i thought. the room never dropped below the fifty's it's usually in the sixty's

 

[oldspark]

I believe around 45 bucks or so, you have to have the roof brace if the chimney sticks out over 5 ft, you have to spend money to save money(and be safe)!

 

[Todd]

How long have you had the stove? You may just need a little more experience with it, could be operating it wrong? Before you add chimney section measure the height, if it's short stick a piece of stove pipe up there temporarily to see if it makes a difference before spending money on new chimney sections.