New Jotul F400 installation questions

[Noah]

So for those who have burned with this stove what is the best way to run it? I read all this talk about secondary burn and it's not even mentioned in the stove manuel, heck the operating instructions are only a small paragraph of the whole book.

Begreen, I know you have heated with one for a while, got any tips for me?

 

[begreen]

The Castine is pretty easy to run. You've hit on the number one best practice - dry wood. It does not like to burn unseasoned wood. Other than that, it burns quite conventionally. Start up with a nice small hot fire, leave the door ajar about 1/4". Then add the big sticks and close the door, but leave the air at full open. Start throttling down the air when the splits are getting fully charred. I usually backed off the air control to the point where it barely supported secondary combustion. At that point, the flames are bluish and at times, wraith-like. The Castine puts on an excellent light show when the secondaries fire off. With good wood, it should run at about 450-650 on the stove top depending on the load size, wood, and air setting.

 

[Noah]

How will I know when the secondaries are burning? I think I saw one at the stove shop doing this, do flames shoot out of the holes in the top baffle?

I had it up to a steady 400 last night with just a small fire burning. After I got it going it burned with no problem although I did dirty the glass up quite a bit. What's the best way to keep it clean, I'm guessing a hotter fire?

When I started the fire I closed the door right away and left the air control open, maybe that's why it was off to such a slow start and was so smokey.

 

[begreen]

Here's a video:

 

[shinyhaid]

I'm too lazy to read all of the replies but here is what my 400 looks like. It is a little beyond recommended clearances and the stovepipe runs into the T. The chimney is inside the house and runs up behind our faux fireplace. And it works well and has very little creosote.

 

[begreen]

Smokey starts are usually the way the glass gets browned up. It will burn off with the first real full hot fire. Or you can clean it off and try again with your second break-in fire. But don't try to go for the gold until the stove is broken in by the book.

Nice install shineyhaid! Welcome.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Nice install! I like the extra hearth area for the wood cradle!

 

[Noah]

My stove was used previously for one season at someone's cabin so it has been burned in before and shouldn't require the break in procedure, although I was taking it easy since it was the first time I have used it. I don't think I'll be burning in it much more until it gets a little colder outside. I was up until 1 AM because it was too hot in the back bedroom for me to sleep. My wife on the other hand was out like a rock and covered in blankets, how can women to do that?

The secondary burn looks pretty neat, there is more fire on the top than at the bottom. What is required to achieve this?

Nice looking install shineyhaid. It looks like your chimney was quite a bit more complicated than mine.

 

[Noah]

Nice install! I like the extra hearth area for the wood cradle!

Thanks, I'm really glad I added that little extension, it filled the space in the middle of the wall much better that way. I have also had my eye on one of those hearth centers that Pilgrim sells because it would fit there perfectly and match the stove better. They are a little pricey though and my local dealer doesn't keep one in stock so I would have to order it site un seen and I hate doing that.

 

[begreen]

The secondary burn looks pretty neat, there is more fire on the top than at the bottom. What is required to achieve this?

That's correct. Secondary combustion occurs at the secondary air feed which is at the top of the stove. All it requires is heat, the stove top should be at least at 400 and unburnt gases coming off of the wood. Sounds like you were almost there last night.

 

[eightpilot]

Here's how my olso turned out...

 

[begreen]

Nice show and tell day here at Hearth.com. The Oslo looks beautiful. Will there be a proper hearth extension going in soon? Hearth rugs are not the same thing and will not pass inspection.

 

[eightpilot]

Oh yeah. I am going to work on building one this fall before I fire this beast up. I just threw the rug in there for the pic... 8

 

[Noah]

Oh yeah. I am going to work on building one this fall before I fire this beast up. I just threw the rug in there for the pic... 8

You are far more patient than I.

 

[shinyhaid]

Oh man! I'm jealous! A fire in July! Never happen in Georgia!

 

[Noah]

Oh man! I'm jealous! A fire in July! Never happen in Georgia!

I burned again last night because it was 48 outside but I think my wood isn't seasoned enough. I really need to get it in a different location and I'm running out of days. I can't build my woodshed like I want right now but I think I can at least get the foundation in, stack the wood on it, and build the shed around the wood later.

 

[shinyhaid]

I was trying to handsplit some elm yesterday. 90 degrees (F), 90% humidity. Probably lost 10 pounds of water weight. Decided it could wait until January!