Hot Coals and a Full Load of Wood............

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Huntindog1

Minister of Fire
Dec 6, 2011
1,879
South Central Indiana
So tell me why doesn't these stoves take off with this scenario.

If I fill it up I pack it tight maybe thats the issue.

My current load of wood I brought in tested dry enough.

It eventually catches and fires up but it takes a while to get the heat up.

My best luck is always not fill up the last East West row closest to the front and use small kindling that will light off fast on the hot coals and burns hot and fast heating up the stove much quicker to the point I get secondaries. But then I loose having a fully loaded stove.

I have noticed its got alot to do with how much heat is built up in the stove as how fast things will fire back up.

I almost think throwing just kindling on then let it burn wide open hot and fast to heat everything up and then load the stove up while the heat is at a higher level.

Now here is the double edge sword you need to fill the box up to reduce the open area so as things heat up quickly in a smaller space and is easier to maintain that heat in a smaller space but what if that leaves you no room to throw some kindling on the coals , the big pices dont get the heat back up in the stove very fast, seems like it takes 30 to 40 minutes.

Lastly I have seen on videos that people load space between splits in the stoves for alot of air flow rather than pack it tight you dont get as much wood in the stove but if you can get those bigger splits burning better and get the heat built up in the stove .

I use my pipe damper as my stove once its going good works best with the pipe damper about 3/4 closed. I think I have plenty of draw.
 
Hot coals and a Full Load of Wood should equal a very Large Fire, Very Fast, that can be Very Scary. ("A time to pause and reflect"- BB)

May differ some stove to stove. How are you checking the M/C levels of your wood? Seasoned wood should light off fast.

Burning in cycles is most common. Although the colder it gets, the faster people reload.

What stove top temps are you reloading at? By Hot coals? Do you mean a Full Bed of coals? Whats the M/C of your wood? Did you buy it, or C/S/S yourself?
 
Dexter,

Thanks for the reply.

The wood I am using right now is good wood , split like in 4 to 5 inch splits most are square. I am using a general brand moisture meter from lowes. When I first got the meter about a month ago my wood was around 22% but some was 20%. The current load of wood I brought in, about 3 wheel barrel loads, has been sitting next to the stove for a few days. This wood all is testing 20% or less.

By hot coals I mean enough to cover the entire bottom of the stove 2 inches or more. The stove top temp is usually a little over 200 as is the stove pipe about 12" up.

I can get the stove going quicker with kindling but I just think with hot coals I should only have to put splits on and it should fire up on its own. Then you got the crack the door thing to let in more air , I see more burning but all your heat is going up the flue and not building heat in the stove. Seems like I need that heat in the stove not in the flue. Its the kindling that will let me burn hot and fast with the door closed so not all the heat is going up the flue.
 
Alot depends on the primary air design. I know that mine is an outlet in the front bottom part of the stove and it is eay to block off if loading E/W. But generally speaking if I don't block off the air it has no issue starting. I have heard (and it has seemed to hold true) that if placing wood on a bed of hot coals it should start within 90 sec. if your wood is dry enough.
 
Are you resplitting a piece of wood and checking the M/C on the inside? Or just sticking it in the outside?

2" bed of coals should light off.pretty fast. IMO
 
Yea just load so you have some air flow under the wood. Whatever it takes. Sounds like you pack it too tight against the coals.
 
When I rake my coals forward for reload, I place the next load of wood all N/S, but leave about a 1/4-1/2 inch of space between splits to let air move through the load - this seems to let the load catch faster and still allows for a lot of wood in the firebox. Cheers!
 
Dexter, I will split one and check it tonight.

Woodmiser, Thanks I will make sure I open things up a little.

rwhite, I think I sometimes get wood too close to the primary air inlet , as I try and make an opening up the middle thru the coals so air can flow but I think the air inlet needs to be open a little from up on top of it also as sometimes when trying this full load of wood approach I get wood on top of the dog house primary air even tho its got a channel underneath dug thru the coals.
 
NH wood, my stove will only take a 14 inch split north south so I usually load east west unless I go cut a bunch of my splits in half.

when you rake coals forward is your coal bed still level or does those north south splits tilt down toward the back of the stove where you have pulled the coals forward?
 
I'm only on my second year of burning, so I'm far from an expert...

Last year I burned wood that was around 20%.
It burned okay, but was sometimes slow to start.

This year, I'm burning 10-12% wood.
It takes right off, no hesitation.
I have some 20% wood in the racks outside, waiting for next year, now and then I'll grab one and put it in the stove on a good bed of coals/flame, and it just doesn't burn very well.

With my dry wood, I have an inferno going inside the stove within 5 minutes each morning after allowing the fire to go out (stove is in my shop).
I can get the stack temps up to 500 or so (internal) within 20 minutes, full load or just a few pieces.
The intake air must be adjusted down though, to keep the heat from going up the flue.


Rob
 
48rob, thats some good info too know, thanks
 
Huntindog1 said:
Dexter, I will split one and check it tonight.

Woodmiser, Thanks I will make sure I open things up a little.

rwhite, I think I sometimes get wood too close to the primary air inlet , as I try and make an opening up the middle thru the coals so air can flow but I think the air inlet needs to be open a little from up on top of it also as sometimes when trying this full load of wood approach I get wood on top of the dog house primary air even tho its got a channel underneath dug thru the coals.

Sounds like you have been checking it on the outside and I suspect when you split it and check the center you are going to be in the 23-27 percent range which will be the root of your problem. You are having to use the initial heat to boil off the water in the wood before you can use the heat to raise the temp of your stove appreciably. As someone here so wisely said "Water don't burn".

+1 to what 48rob said. I'm in exactly the same situation although I've been burning a lot longer but just got my Buck last year so before that it was open the doors, shove it in and open it up full blast. Dryer wood this year, what a world of difference. Stick with it. It's NOT the stove.
 
The inside of the splits will tell the true M/C of the wood. The outside will give a false reading.

Make sure the pins on the General are buried. I have the same unit and get a bad for reading (lower #) unless buried.

Also, if you buy your wood, its best to buy it a year in advance. Because wood sellers split it right before you get it. Even though they say its "seasoned".

Wood sellers (not all/some are reputable) think wood seasons overnight and being wet helps it burn longer (its Wet, of course it will burn/smoke/smolder longer)

If you cut your wood? When was it Cut/Split/Stacked?
 
Just got back into wood burning after a 6 year layoff. Had some wood I cut but burnt it already in an older stove of mine before buying the new stove.

With this new wood stove, I've been burning bought wood that is one year seasoned. With testing it as is when I bought it , tested around 22%. Plus alot of it is white and red oak.

I suspect your exactly right that once I split it again and then test the moisture it will have a higher moisture content.
 
If you're re-loading at 200 stove top you might want to try loading a little sooner at 250. As far as the kindling goes, I don't even use it anymore - what I do if the coal bed isn't that hot (like first thing in the morning) I throw two fire starters in at the front after loading up the stove. I've been using the Rutland ones from Home Depot but Super Cedars work better. This gets the coals hot again and gets the temp up quick inside the stove. Same idea as kindling without taking any room away from the wood.
 
In my stove (which is pretty small), I rake the coals to the front and close the door with the air wide open for a couple of minutes to get them really glowing, then put a bigger split behind the coals and smaller splits on top of the coals and the bigger split. It usually lights right off.
 
Albert,

Good idea as the stove seems to take off on its own if there is something that will increase the heat quickly, as its like the coals then liven up and things take off nicely.

Since we are thinking the wood may need to be a little dryer this year I may just need use something like that as a booster at start up off coals.
 
Huntindog1 said:
Albert,

Good idea as the stove seems to take off on its own if there is something that will increase the heat quickly, as its like the coals then liven up and things take off nicely.

Since we are thinking the wood may need to be a little dryer this year I may just need use something like that as a booster at start up off coals.
If you could find some eco-bricks or the like ,they would help get you through also..could burn them only or mix in with your wood.
 
Huntindog1 said:
Just got back into wood burning after a 6 year layoff. Had some wood I cut but burnt it already in an older stove of mine before buying the new stove.

With this new wood stove, I've been burning bought wood that is one year seasoned. With testing it as is when I bought it , tested around 22%. Plus alot of it is white and red oak.

I suspect your exactly right that once I split it again and then test the moisture it will have a higher moisture content.

Don't always trust MM no matter what they say. They can be wrong as well as used wrongly. I may catch some flack from that from the MM lovers but sorry, I've seen it happen. But that statement you made about a lot of your wood being white and red oak tells a big story. Around our place we won't burn oak until it has sit out in the wind for 3 years! It simply will not burn worth a hoot before that because it is still too wet.

In addition, you say you reload at 200 degrees. During the winter we usually will reload at 300 degrees or above and most times around 350. Also, we do not always rake the coals to the front of the stove and if you are having trouble getting the new load to light off, try just spreading the coals evenly in the firebox. This is what we do most of the time and only use the coals forward for night burns. Then we place a large split or a round in the bottom rear and fill with regular splits or a combination of small and medium so we get it packed tight. As for the need for kindling when reloading, that should not have to be done at all.

You stated, "If I fill it up I pack it tight maybe thats the issue." That should not be an issue and if you want long burns then you need to pack it tight. But the number one key has always been to burn good fuel. If your wood is not right you will always be fighting with the fire. This is just one of the reasons I've always stated you need 2-3 years wood ahead at all times. If you do that you don't even need a MM because you will know your wood is good.
 
48rob said:
I'm only on my second year of burning, so I'm far from an expert...

Last year I burned wood that was around 20%.
It burned okay, but was sometimes slow to start.

This year, I'm burning 10-12% wood.
It takes right off, no hesitation.
I have some 20% wood in the racks outside, waiting for next year, now and then I'll grab one and put it in the stove on a good bed of coals/flame, and it just doesn't burn very well.

With my dry wood, I have an inferno going inside the stove within 5 minutes each morning after allowing the fire to go out (stove is in my shop).
I can get the stack temps up to 500 or so (internal) within 20 minutes, full load or just a few pieces.
The intake air must be adjusted down though, to keep the heat from going up the flue.


Rob
My 18 to20 % wood bursts into flames on coals in seconds, not sure why yours would be slow starting, I dont get it.
 
'If you do that you don’t even need a MM because you will know your wood is good'
You need to bump your stylus!
 
My 18 to 20% wood bursts into flames on coals in seconds, not sure why yours would be slow starting, I dont get it.

Not trying to be a smart *** but I'd guess it takes off slower than the 10-12% wood because the extra moisture has to be evaporated first?
I have a pretty small stove, so my bed of coals may not be as large or as hot as what your stove provides.

I know a lot of people say 20% wood is perfect for burning, and it may be for them, but in my limited experience, wood with half as much moisture content lights faster, and burns better.
If I throw a 20% piece on, it will "light" but not fast, and won't burn with the same ferocity as a drier piece (until it dries out, then it will burn well).

Rob
 
48rob said:
My 18 to 20% wood bursts into flames on coals in seconds, not sure why yours would be slow starting, I dont get it.

Not trying to be a smart *** but I'd guess it takes off slower than the 10-12% wood because the extra moisture has to be evaporated first?
I have a pretty small stove, so my bed of coals may not be as large or as hot as what your stove provides.

I know a lot of people say 20% wood is perfect for burning, and it may be for them, but in my limited experience, wood with half as much moisture content lights faster, and burns better.
If I throw a 20% piece on, it will "light" but not fast, and won't burn with the same ferocity as a drier piece (until it dries out, then it will burn well).

Rob
Now you've gone and done it, I will be checking each piece before I put it in the woodburner. :cheese:
I do think once you get to a certain point you dont gain much by getting it any dryer, not ever sure I can get it to 12% in Iowa, the lowest I have seen outside has been 15% or so, have not checked what I have in the house.
 
Now you’ve gone and done it, I will be checking each piece before I put it in the woodburner.

Well...I'll have to admit that I cheated just a little...

I checked the wood I'm burning this year (dried for about 1 year) and it was around 14-16% while in the stacks outside.
I've been listening to Dennis...so decided it should be a little drier.
I put a cord in my garage in late September, and put a box fan on it for about 1-1/2 months.

Now, it burns very well!
The humidity and moisture here in central Illinois is probably close to that of Iowa.
If I didn't bring it in and allow it to further dry, It would no doub't still be around 14-16%

Rob
 
Well I had 18% cherry that I was starting fires with and can not imagine it starting much quicker than it did, paper and a little kindling and it took right off.
 
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