Living Room Remodel

[rcarnes]

Just remodeld the living room where the Alaska wood stove sit. Added insulation, drywall, hard wood floors and a 54” ceiling fan. I notice now that I cannot shut my key damper in the pipe fully closed. My stack temp will drop from about 350 to 200 and will not climb much higher than that. This is on a full load of seasoned Rock Oak. My question is does adding the insulation as well as having a ceiling fan running, in reverse, affect how the stove burn now? Living room used to be in the high 70’s to low 80’s. Now I’m in the mid 90’s and even hit 100!

Also, on my stove I have two dampers on the door. Do I get my stack temp up to 350 or 400 then start closing them slowly to get an over night burn then close the key damper? Or do I get the stack temp to 350 or 400 degree, close the key damper and wait for the stack temp to come back up then start closing the door dampers?

Thanks for your help!

 

[shawneyboy]

Pics would definately help. The stove, make,model, year ? Also, how tall and what size and construction is the chimney ? Also important. Is this a Cat or non-cat or even an older non EPA reg stove?

Side note : I have a damper on stovepipe, as do many others here, it never gets used. Thats not to say that there isn't a use for them, just that I have no need to use it. I do not have a over draft situation.

Oh and the remodel changed not how your stove burns but how much heat and the speed at which the heat was lost. That would account for the incresase in temps. Well that and perhaps last year, before the remodel, your wood was not fully seasoned and this year it is ??

Welcome to the Forum

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum Dr Woodhead and congratulations on the remodel.

It sounds like you are doing fine. If that is an old stove, typically if my memory banks are working, we used to close the damper part way before we'd close the draft openings on the door. Sometimes we would not do anything with the door draft, but I'm talking a really old stove so yours might be different. And we never closed the damper in the flue completely.

Also, make sure the fan is blowing up rather than down.


Whoops. One more thing. Do not think that your maple and oak will season at the same time. Wood will not season until it is split. Maple typically needs a year from the time it is split while oak typically needs 3 years to season properly.

 

[rcarnes]

Pics would definately help. The stove, make,model, year ? Also, how tall and what size and construction is the chimney ? Also important. Is this a Cat or non-cat or even an older non EPA reg stove?

Side note : I have a damper on stovepipe, as do many others here, it never gets used. Thats not to say that there isn't a use for them, just that I have no need to use it. I do not have a over draft situation.

Oh and the remodel changed not how your stove burns but how much heat and the speed at which the heat was lost. That would account for the incresase in temps. Well that and perhaps last year, before the remodel, your wood was not fully seasoned and this year it is ??

Welcome to the Forum

The stove is a early, early 80's Alaska wood stove...Klondike Ike model. Single door with 2 dampers on the door, 6" flu and a key damper in the pipe. Chimney is a triple wall s/s. Stove is basically a heavy steel box, with a smoke shelf in the back, on top, and I lined that with fire brick. Definatly a non-EPA stove BUT a great stove to heat our home with! Low 20's outside this morning and a nice, toasty 89 in the living room! Mid 70'2 the rest of the house

 

[rcarnes]

Welcome to the forum Dr Woodhead and congratulations on the remodel.

It sounds like you are doing fine. If that is an old stove, typically if my memory banks are working, we used to close the damper part way before we'd close the draft openings on the door. Sometimes we would not do anything with the door draft, but I'm talking a really old stove so yours might be different. And we never closed the damper in the flue completely.

Also, make sure the fan is blowing up rather than down.


Whoops. One more thing. Do not think that your maple and oak will season at the same time. Wood will not season until it is split. Maple typically needs a year from the time it is split while oak typically needs 3 years to season properly.

Hello Sir,

Stove in a late 70's early, early 80's Alaska Stove...Klondike Ike Model...single door, 2 dampers on the door, 6" flu and a key damper in the pipe.

I can load the stove at 9:00pm, get at 4:30am and have a hot bed of coals to get her going again. This 7 1/2" hrs is with the key damper closed 1/2 way and the dampers on the door closed till they are open about an 1/8". Stack tep cruises around 300-315 and the stove temp is a steady 400. If I close the key damper all the way shut stack drops to about 200 and stays there. Very frustrating as I used to be able to do that last year and the temp would climb back up after about 1/2 hour.

Fan is on medium and blowing up so this make a huge difference in the rest of the house as far as circulating the heat around.

My wood is all dead rock oak..very little maple...some hickory but 99% os rock oak. Very well seasoned!

Any advise is greatly appreciated!


Enjoy your day and God Bless!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Dr, it sounds like you are doing just fine. Just remember that the biggest factor in burning wood is to give the wood plenty of time to dry. That means split and stacked out in the wind. We always like to stay a minimum of 2 years ahead and 3 is better yet. Anything over that is gravy.