Open the ash door

[Bill]

When I light my Morso 3610, I open the front doors and leave them open until the fire gets going good. But opening the front doors also allows air to go under the grate. Similar to opening the ash door, even though this stove does not have an ash door. Can you warp or burn out the grates doing this?

I have read that starting a fire with the ash door open is not recommended.

 

[begreen]

I think opening the door a bit when starting a fire, for the first 5 minutes is fine. Spacing it out and letting it run for an hour is not. Nor is forcing green wood to burn by leaving the ash pan door ajar. Most wood grates aren't designed for the continuous, intense heat that can be generated by a steady supply of air under the grate. But to get a fire going, a lot of air helps. Morso's manual endorses this:

"When the stove is cold, you should leave the door open an inch or two for the first few minutes and open the primary air
supply completely. While the doors is open, do not leave the stove unattended."

 

[babalu87]

You dont just crack the side door?

I load the stove to start from the front and then I close it , it stays that way. I re-load from the side.

Dont you have that screen for the front? The doors will be open all the way with them installed wont they?

BTW , where can one find that front screen???????

 

[Bill]

I was just curious about overheating the grates, because with the screen on and doors open, it may get a wee bit hot. Does not cover running the stove with the doors open in the manual, might be a reason for that.

This company makes screens to fit the 3610, Morso does not. 802-728-9342, I am going to order one also, my dealer didn't have one. But other Morso dealers have them on the showroom, in the stoves.

 

[begreen]

Ah, now I understand your concerns better. I didn't know about the screen. If not a Morso factory option, I would check to be sure this will not affect warranty. It may be fine, but I'd check and get it in writing if possible.

 

[Bill]

My thoughts also, but the dealers say yup you can burn it with the doors open, but it's not mentioned in the manual, but then again there are many things not mentioned in the manual.

 

[begreen]

There are a lot of things in the warranty that can exempt this modification if there is a problem.

3. Damage resulting from installation and usage other than as described in Morsø´s installation and ope­­ration instructions...
7. Damage caused by unauthorized modifications, use or repair.
11. Morsø stoves modified by the user or any companies other than Morsø are not guaranteed.

Best to write to Morso and ask:
Morso US LLC
1011 Highway 52 West - Portland TN - 37148 - USA

 

[Bill]

I just emailed Morsoe and asked them, but your right it could damage it. I better research this more. But the big questions is why do the dealers tell you that you can do this? They even sell screens that fit it like a glove.

 

[babalu87]

I think no matter what as long as you stay within parameters for chimney temps you'll be fine.

I have had mine ripping pretty good (once by accident) and everything is fine after two years of full time use. 550 is MAX for flue temp but I have touched 650 a few times with no ill affects. My readings are 36" above the stove stop on single wall pipe and Morso said that 24-36" is ideal for a chimney thermometer.

 

[begreen]

The stove can easily handle temps at 650-700 degrees. But the grate may be much hotter if a well established coal bed has a blast of air coming from underneath. Think blacksmith's forge. That's why stove manuals for Jotul, Morso et al say check the ash pan door. You need a multifuel, coal grate to stand those temps.

That said, I don't know if by using the screen the grate is going to overheat. With a lots of air coming straight at the fire, perhaps not. That's why I'd check with Morso. If they say go for it, then enjoy.

 

[DiscoInferno]

What do they make ash grates out of? My stove doesn't have one. Before I got the Ultima, I used to burn 5-6 cords a year in a builder's special prefab fireplace with the standard fireplace grate made of iron bars welded together in a cradle shape. These would inevitably get buried under coals, and with mostly unrestricted air to the base would burn completely through in a year or less. The first two I went through were maybe 3/4" thick iron bar, but the Home Cheapo stopped selling that and started selling what I think was 1/2" thick grate. Lasted one fire before it sagged to the floor. They took it back, but the guy claimed I was "burning incorrectly".

 

[Bill]

These grates look cast iron. But when you open the two front doors, it exposes the ash pans, and air can go under the grate and then up. I have Morso's USA telephone number and I am going to call them today. Might not need to order the screen.

Babalu was your side door gasket long enough to fit around the door? Mine just made it length wise, but when the door gasket sealer dried the gasket shrank about a 1/2 inch. Is that 1/4 inch gasket? Gonna have to splice in a piece. Cannot figure out why they just didn't install that at the factory.

 

[babalu87]

No issues with my gaskets at all and since I took the doors off and splooged the hinge pins with Never-seize it no longer squeals like a pig at me in the morning.

Call the Vermont number Smokey, that guy is helpful. I cant speak for the people in Tennessee, I have only spoke with the guy (Rob I think) in Vermont.

 

[Corie]

Remember though, that wood really wants to draw air at fire level. The only reason that leaving a dedicated ash pan door open creates a forge effect is because that's the largest unrestricted air inlet. Anyone with a stove that has an ash pan and a front loading door will tell ya that with both open, there is no blast furnace action because the wood fire is pulling air directly at the wood level through the open load door.

The air wants to take the path of least pressure drop to the fire, and going through the lower opening, through the coal bed and then into the fire has a significantly higher pressure drop that just going through the load door to the burning wood.

 

[Bill]

I called Morso today and they said "It was never tested to run with the doors open." no further comment on that issue. Also they told me the gasket should of ben installed on the side door and the gasket that came with the tools was for the stove pipe to top nipple. So they are going to send me the right gasket.

Think I am not going to get the screen, maybe asking for trouble.

 

[begreen]

If it's any consolation, we ordered a screen with our first Resolute and maybe used it twice in 5 years.

 

[Bill]

BeGreen that's the same thing my wife said, but I thought for those slightly cool nights where you just want to take the chill out of the air, and watch a fire, it would be nice.

 

[babalu87]

That glass aint big enough brutha?

for those slightly cool nights

Thats why I split about 2 cord of pine this winter. Too many times the house went over 80 with the Oak.

 

[Corie]

Pine is the perfect medicine for knocking the chill out of a cool night. Stove shoots up to temp very fast and then coasts down nearly as quick. At least in my case and with the pine I'm burning.


Speaking of which, found a few with carpenter ants all frozen the other week when it was still cold. Ran the whole round inside and just stuck it in the stove and opened the AC. Ants were coming alive and running all over inside that firebox. There were no survivors.

 

[Bill]

Pine has that nice snap crackle and pop to it also, unfortunately very few pine trees by me, and none over a foot tall on my property. But I do have ash and some softer woods, ones that when they dry they are as light as a feather. Just bought a book on tree identification, have many I don't have a clue what they are. Squirrels planted most of my trees 50 years ago, they did a nice job might I add.

This weekend I have to start cleaning up the mess the loggers made and start getting my wood racks toghether for next winter. I'll take my camera along take a few shots, and I'll take some of my new install also.

 

[Corie]

This weekend I have to start cleaning up the mess the loggers made and start getting my wood racks toghether for next winter. I'll take my camera along take a few shots, and I'll take some of my new install also.

You better