Possible, but Hearthstone came out with the rerofit Spindraft air intakes for a reason. And took the stove off the market after only a few years, too.
I'll get the exhaust temps and moisture content, and post them here. How do you get stove temps?
Holy Creosote, Batman!
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I'll get the exhaust temps and moisture content, and post them here. How do you get stove temps?
EbS-P
Minister of Fire
I’m getting a cord delivered later today. Ordered from them last year so good honest company. They are a tree service and last year updated their equipment so they can print 16” consistently. Also put everything through a tumbler. They have about a 1,000 cords of new stuff split between late summer and Fall of 2022. I’m getting some of the last 20 cords left from summer/Fall of 2021. Since in piles the oak will need time in my stacks but for the most part depending on the species in the mix will be ready by November even though I plan on letting it season for a few years. Want 3 years rotation. Sure it is seasoned by definition of the processor, but is it dry enough to 20% and under is what I look for. I do re-split some of my oak smaller so ready in less than 3 years.
Are you suggesting everything was fine with my wood stove for 4 cords, and only started sooting up on the last cord?
I completely disagree with this premise.
One thing I think everyone is failing to understand here, is that it is simply impossible to run this wood stove hot. All it is capable of, is a slow, smoky burn. Puts itself out a lot of the time.
Why?
Because the thing is starving for air!
The only way to keep a fire going, is to crack the ash door open about 1/2", so that there's some air.
Reading about the air starvation issues is what led me to Hearthstone's retrofit, the manual spindrafts, for the ash door.
The retro fit is not a retrofit it's part of a coal conversion.
Again we can't help you all that much without more data
That not what I’m saying at all. I’m saying that the air intake is not your limiting factor.
Let me give you an example. Can you breathe through a McDonalds straw? How? It’s so much smaller than your mouth. You’re just increasing the velocity of the air. Your stove will do the same.
Check your wood.
When you burn wet wood, the heat from the fire is used to boil off the water. This leaves you with, “a slow Smokey burn that puts itself out a lot of the time.”
I've never heard that about being part of a coal conversion.
Here is the Technical Data Sheet, instruction manual to install the Spin Drafts. States it is to convert an electronic to a manual; no mention about coal usage. Specifically says "Retrofit Kit / Convert an Electronic to Manual".
I'll get some numbers when the moisture meter arrives (ordered online).
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spudman99
Feeling the Heat
Simple answer. Get a new stove. That is too old and not worth the trouble.
Ok, using a new Stihl Moisture Meter, I got 6 readings from the inside of 6 pieces of wood, split immediately prior to readings. They were, highest to lowest: 18%, 17%, 16%, 15%, 13%, and 13%. I think it's safe to say it's not the wood.
I'm afraid you may be right. I'm afraid the engineering was just not up to par back in those days. Painful to hear, as I wanted this exact model and searched for a while to find it. Love the look.
I'll get some temperature readings next fire. They will likely be low, as I don't get a good hot fire unless I leave the ash door cracked, and I'm not going to do that for the test.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
I'd try to enlarge the hole and then come up with a way to manually control the air...or look for a different stove.
Since you don't have a major issue with creosote formation where the flue is protected, chances are the temperature of flue gases was just ok, until the rapid cooling of the exposed air cooled liner.
You should always be monitoring your fuel moisture content and flue gas temp anyway. Here's why;
It all starts with Hydrogen in the fuel. There is about 6% hydrogen in oven dry wood. The molecular ratio of hydrogen to water is 9. So 6%, or .06 X 9 = .54 pounds of water is created for every pound of oven dry wood burned. Moisture content of 25% would add another 1/4 pound of water for every pound of fuel in the stove.
When the flue gases drop below 250*f before exiting, the water vapor condenses on the flue walls allowing smoke particles to stick. This forms pyroligenious acid. Primarily wood alcohol and acetic acid. In liquid form, this is harmless. When allowed to bake on flue walls, this becomes the various stages of creosote.
A magnetic thermometer reads the outer surface temperature of single wall pipe, which is about 1/2 the inner flue temp. Notice the low "safe burn zone" will be about 250*f. This is actually 500* internal, assumed to cool back down to 250* before exiting. Since all venting systems cool differently, this is only a guide. Once you know the cooling of the system to the top, you can adjust airflow to maintain the minimum temperature required. This is ONLY while smoke is present, since that is the only time pyroligeneous acid is formed.
Notice the high "safe burn temperature zone" will be about 500*f. This is actually 1000* f internal, which is the high constant rated temperature of a Class A chimney.
With a newer stove, more smoke particles are consumed in the stove, making flue gas temperature less important. Manufacturers give the best placing of a thermometer on secondary burn type stoves, and catalytic stoves use an internal thermometer where the catalyst is active.
Why keep that stove? That stove would be out of my house. It's not worth keeping and why jeopardize the safety of your family? It will end up burning your house down.
SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
I saw that you got your moisture content readings on a fresh split of wood. Depending on temperature this may be a false reading. The proper procedure for accurate readings is to test a fresh split room temperature piece of wood. Otherwise your readings will be inaccurate
LOL
Luckily, it was 60F the day I checked the wood moisture content!
The manual for the Stihl meter states operating conditions from 0°C - 40°C, and RH below 85%.
That is only for the meter accuracy. There are temperatures correction tables. You’ll notice there is no correction at room temperature, so during winter it is common practice to bring a larger piece in to warm up over night. Split and test.
SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
I know it's probably frustrating for everyone to suggest that your wood is insufficiently dry, but you are describing "textbook" symptoms for poorly seasoned wood. This is exacerbated by the tall liner extension just hanging out in the wind. All of that corrugated surface area makes the liner cool very quickly, like a radiator. This is reducing the draft, which is potentially being spoiled to start by excess steam in the exhaust gases. The fact that the fire comes to life when you crack the door or otherwise allow for more air into the firebox is another indicator of insufficiently dry wood. There could be some aspects of the stove design working against you if the wood is not dry enough, I know both of my stoves will balk with marginally dry wood (22-24% MC), but otherwise have no issues.
Fireplaces are not very picky on how dry the firewood is, which is why it seems dry enough to you.