How Should a Secondary Fire behave?

[soupy1957]

I've noticed over the last few years, that when my "secondaries" kick in, they don't always show visible flame all the way across the tubes and in both tubes, simultaneously.

The tubes are clear and clean, and the damper is out enough to stimulate the secondary response.

Should I expect the secondaries to be fully involved, all the way across, both tubes, at the same time, or is the erratic nature of them, normal?

Just wondering................

-Soupy1957

 

[shawneyboy]

Sometimes erratic, sometimes fully engulfed, sometimes back tubes, sometimes front tubes, sometimes erratic on the front tubes only, sometimes erratic on the back tubes only, you get the picture.

Shawn

 

[ScotO]

I've noticed over the last few years, that when my "secondaries" kick in, they don't always show visible flame all the way across the tubes and in both tubes, simultaneously.

The tubes are clear and clean, and the damper is out enough to stimulate the secondary response.

Should I expect the secondaries to be fully involved, all the way across, both tubes, at the same time, or is the erratic nature of them, normal?

Just wondering................

-Soupy1957

Shawn's right.....I think it mostly has to do with where the hot gasses are in relation to the pinholes in the tubes....if a section of those tubes is lit up, there is accumulated hot gas present in that area of the stove......remember it has to be superheated gas to light up on the secondaries......sometimes, when the tubes all light up, you know yer cookin at optimum conditions!

 

[Stax]

Shawn...I'm brand new to woodburning. I've run about 10 fires so far with my Lopi Declaration, non-cat stove. I've got a decent small fire going right now. My temps are around 450. I've got a decent flam, with charcoaling splits that are making a crinkling sound when the door is opened. I'm about 1.5 hours in from a cold stove. I don't see any flames emitting from the burn tubes. I can't say that I've witnessed these yet. What's your take?

 

[ScotO]

Shawn...I'm brand new to woodburning. I've run about 10 fires so far with my Lopi Declaration, non-cat stove. I've got a decent small fire going right now. My temps are around 450. I've got a decent flam, with charcoaling splits that are making a crinkling sound when the door is opened. I'm about 1.5 hours in from a cold stove. I don't see any flames emitting from the burn tubes. I can't say that I've witnessed these yet. What's your take?

are you measuring that temp from your pipe above the stove or the stove itself? You gotta get her hotter than that to get those secondaries goin....up between 550 to 650....FIRST you need to look in this forum for others that own that stove, find out their opinions....I know my Napoleon 1900P won't light the secondaries til it gets pretty hot in there, that's when the refractory effect allows the secondaries to work....

 

[Stax]

Scott, thanks for the info. Good to know.

 

[ScotO]

Scott, thanks for the info. Good to know.

no problem brother, you'll get it figured out, we all go through the learning curve esp. when you upgrade or change stoves.....and you gotta remember there are so many factors that come into play with heating with wood....another thing, if the wood is not dry enough, you will have trouble gettin the secondaries to light up too, because of the moisture you are putting out of the less than dry wood.....keep us posted on yer findings, all will be good.....

 

[Stax]

The wood is well seasoned (2 years) ash and swamp maple. I just pmed two Declaration owners.

 

[ScotO]

The wood is well seasoned (2 years) ash and swamp maple. I just pmed two Declaration owners.

Thats the best thing you can do, and I am sure they will be more than willing to share some tips with ya.....

 

[ScotO]

I know I have probably 25 cord of wood split, stacked and top covered out back.....the stuff I am burning this year has been seasoning for over 2 yrs, but with all this rain we've had in central PA, I STILL have some of that wood sizzling a little, due to the outrageous humidity we've had here in central PA....I've already made up my mind, I am definately building a nice woodshed next summer.....lol....

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Scotty, it is good to hear you have that much wood on hand. You'll do fine with that. The woodshed is nice so long as the wood is already dry when you put it in there. It is still best dried outside in the wind. For a top covering we use old galvanized roofing and it works great. For sure 100 times better than a tarp.

 

[ScotO]

Scotty, it is good to hear you have that much wood on hand. You'll do fine with that. The woodshed is nice so long as the wood is already dry when you put it in there. It is still best dried outside in the wind. For a top covering we use old galvanized roofing and it works great. For sure 100 times better than a tarp.

Dennis, I am going all out on this thing....lol....I got some small, 3.5 amp turbine fans that really move the air, I plan on installing them in strategic places in that shed to divert the hotter air during really warm summer days throughout the woodshed to help speed up the process a little....they will only run when the temps get really warm, and kick back off when the temps go down (gonna try to wire them with a thermodisc or a timer)...anyway, the wood will be stacked outside, with a top cover of rubber, for the first year.....then it will enter the shed where it will be used that followin season.....I have a plan, just need the time to execute it....lol.....I plan on using the steel roof, probably in dark brown as to suck in some of that summer sun to help the wood along....the sides will be black rubber roof covered, all on hinges, so I can open them up on breezy days, close them up on rainy days.....if it all works out I will def. post some pics.....til then I will just dream about it...lol....

 

[CTYank]

Shawn...I'm brand new to woodburning. I've run about 10 fires so far with my Lopi Declaration, non-cat stove. I've got a decent small fire going right now. My temps are around 450. I've got a decent flam, with charcoaling splits that are making a crinkling sound when the door is opened. I'm about 1.5 hours in from a cold stove. I don't see any flames emitting from the burn tubes. I can't say that I've witnessed these yet. What's your take?

are you measuring that temp from your pipe above the stove or the stove itself? You gotta get her hotter than that to get those secondaries goin....up between 550 to 650....FIRST you need to look in this forum for others that own that stove, find out their opinions....I know my Napoleon 1900P won't light the secondaries til it gets pretty hot in there, that's when the refractory effect allows the secondaries to work....

Hopefully simplifying things- where the secondary air is discharged, you need a combustible mix of preheated air and distilled volatiles at about 1000 deg. F, and sometimes a "light" from flames below. The gas temp is the key, period.

To keep the secondaries going, you sometimes need a bit more (rather than less) than you might think, of primary air. Depends very much on the species of wood, too. Black Locust often needs a split or two of maple, ash or such mixed in to keep things flaming. Others (e.g. pine, poplar) need to have the primary throttled back pretty quick.

Should be pretty obvious before long where the boundaries are. Merry flames!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Scotty, it is good to hear you have that much wood on hand. You'll do fine with that. The woodshed is nice so long as the wood is already dry when you put it in there. It is still best dried outside in the wind. For a top covering we use old galvanized roofing and it works great. For sure 100 times better than a tarp.

Dennis, I am going all out on this thing....lol....I got some small, 3.5 amp turbine fans that really move the air, I plan on installing them in strategic places in that shed to divert the hotter air during really warm summer days throughout the woodshed to help speed up the process a little....they will only run when the temps get really warm, and kick back off when the temps go down (gonna try to wire them with a thermodisc or a timer)...anyway, the wood will be stacked outside, with a top cover of rubber, for the first year.....then it will enter the shed where it will be used that followin season.....I have a plan, just need the time to execute it....lol.....I plan on using the steel roof, probably in dark brown as to suck in some of that summer sun to help the wood along....the sides will be black rubber roof covered, all on hinges, so I can open them up on breezy days, close them up on rainy days.....if it all works out I will def. post some pics.....til then I will just dream about it...lol....

Sounds like a good plan Scotty. I've used some rubber roofing but fortunately have the galvanized which works great. Usually in October or November I'll move the winter's supply into the barn. It works out great even if it is an extra step. We also have about 5 years of wood on hand right now all stacked and split and all is covered except for what we cut last winter. That will be covered soon.

 

[Stax]

CT...insightful reply. Oh...I meant the last line of your sig.

 

[HotCoals]

A cat stoves seems way easier to use..just sayin'. lol

 

[ScotO]

Scotty, it is good to hear you have that much wood on hand. You'll do fine with that. The woodshed is nice so long as the wood is already dry when you put it in there. It is still best dried outside in the wind. For a top covering we use old galvanized roofing and it works great. For sure 100 times better than a tarp.

Dennis, I am going all out on this thing....lol....I got some small, 3.5 amp turbine fans that really move the air, I plan on installing them in strategic places in that shed to divert the hotter air during really warm summer days throughout the woodshed to help speed up the process a little....they will only run when the temps get really warm, and kick back off when the temps go down (gonna try to wire them with a thermodisc or a timer)...anyway, the wood will be stacked outside, with a top cover of rubber, for the first year.....then it will enter the shed where it will be used that followin season.....I have a plan, just need the time to execute it....lol.....I plan on using the steel roof, probably in dark brown as to suck in some of that summer sun to help the wood along....the sides will be black rubber roof covered, all on hinges, so I can open them up on breezy days, close them up on rainy days.....if it all works out I will def. post some pics.....til then I will just dream about it...lol....

Sounds like a good plan Scotty. I've used some rubber roofing but fortunately have the galvanized which works great. Usually in October or November I'll move the winter's supply into the barn. It works out great even if it is an extra step. We also have about 5 years of wood on hand right now all stacked and split and all is covered except for what we cut last winter. That will be covered soon.

sounds excellent....I have approx. two years maybe two and a half...how could I go through 25 cord in two years you say?....we make maple syrup in the spring and let me tell ya, that eats up the firewood in a hurry! I probably use almost as much wood in 4-6 weeks of the sugaring season as I do in the house the entire winter.....

 

[ScotO]

Scotty, it is good to hear you have that much wood on hand. You'll do fine with that. The woodshed is nice so long as the wood is already dry when you put it in there. It is still best dried outside in the wind. For a top covering we use old galvanized roofing and it works great. For sure 100 times better than a tarp.

Dennis, I am going all out on this thing....lol....I got some small, 3.5 amp turbine fans that really move the air, I plan on installing them in strategic places in that shed to divert the hotter air during really warm summer days throughout the woodshed to help speed up the process a little....they will only run when the temps get really warm, and kick back off when the temps go down (gonna try to wire them with a thermodisc or a timer)...anyway, the wood will be stacked outside, with a top cover of rubber, for the first year.....then it will enter the shed where it will be used that followin season.....I have a plan, just need the time to execute it....lol.....I plan on using the steel roof, probably in dark brown as to suck in some of that summer sun to help the wood along....the sides will be black rubber roof covered, all on hinges, so I can open them up on breezy days, close them up on rainy days.....if it all works out I will def. post some pics.....til then I will just dream about it...lol....

Sounds like a good plan Scotty. I've used some rubber roofing but fortunately have the galvanized which works great. Usually in October or November I'll move the winter's supply into the barn. It works out great even if it is an extra step. We also have about 5 years of wood on hand right now all stacked and split and all is covered except for what we cut last winter. That will be covered soon.

sounds excellent....I have approx. two years maybe two and a half...how could I go through 25 cord in two years you say?....we make maple syrup in the spring and let me tell ya, that eats up the firewood in a hurry! I probably use almost as much wood in 4-6 weeks of the sugaring season as I do in the house the entire winter.....