tim1 said:
Hey inferno, if you load the stove for the evening, set the control on say medium, will the ebt keep the fire blazing till it gets to coals, or will it throttle it gently thru the burn on medium. Trying to understand the extended burn. Thanks Tim
First off, there has been many discussions on EBT. I suggest, forget about the EBT.
Its in there yes, does it truly do much. I simply do not know.
You do not need secondary going the entire time from load to coals.
With my set up at least, whatever the size load, I get it going good at full air, then if I think about it, I set the air to about 50% maybe slightly less, let it burn another 5 or ten minutes, then the air is all the way down.
Each set up has different characteristics. Having 27' of liner, I must cut it all the way down or it will go nuclear.
If I don't need as much heat, I cut the air back sooner at a lower temp, and load less fuel.
The only time mine is set at medium is towards the end of the burn if I want to burn down the coals faster, or at the beginning when I am cutting it back from full to get the stove up to temp.
I personally never run long at any setting other than all the way low, again with the exception of burning coals down.
I will get secondaries from full flamage to when I start cutting air back, then all the way to low. May get them for 20 mins, or for a few hours.
Secondaries IMO are merely the volatile gases burning off. Once they are gone I may have glowing splits, or glowing with some lazy flames. Sometimes glowing with a flare of lazy flames from time to time.
As long as what is coming out of the stack is clear, and the temp rises and levels off, its all a good burn.
Still getting my burns to optimal. Each year into the 6th season it gets better, and I get more knowledgeable of what the stove can do and can't do.
IMO, you can't have secondaries all the way to coal stage. Once the nasties burn off, the secondaries are gone. This does not mean it is not heating, or not burning properly once they are gone.
All the baffle does is slow down the path of the exhaust gases, keeping more heat in the stove to be distributed to the home, rather than straight up the flue. And, they also burn off the nasties that would also normally go up the stack as 1/2r unburnt gases/smoke.
I originally thought extended burn added and reduced air to the burn to extend the burn and regulate the burn. From what others have experimented with, the EBT does not kick in until very high temps.
All I know, is I load the insert, throttle the air to eventually all the way low, walk away and enjoy the heat for 8-14 hrs or so depending on the weather & temp outside. I out of curiosity do check the thermo once in a while. Usually at the starting stage and secondary stage. After the gasses burn off, it steadies out and just cruises along, fairly steady for several hours, then slowly declines in temp. 8 hours later, I load again, and repeat.
On milder days, it is one load at nigh before bed, usually requiring relight, sometimes there are coals to get it going again, at 24 hours later, usually not. Last few weeks was 2x a day. At Bed and mid day. Just to hold temps inside and keep coals for the next evening load. At 20's even low 30's here nowhere now, I just load 3x a day every 8 hrs. on schedule near same times each day.
When I go on the road, I can load about an hour before leaving, come home 8 or 10 hours later, and reload.
At 2666sf, I am glad I chose this size. Wide open floor plan works wonder also, with a nicely located ceiling fan and 3 story cathedral ceiling and open loft with steps on the other end of the house. Nice convection loop.
At single digits ot below with wind chills, I sometimes wish I had an even larger stove. I will be installing the NC30 sooner or later. And with 2 large fireboxes, I will prolly be wearing nothing all winter. Not sure how the addition will work with the main house in circulating the additional heat.
Sorry got to rambling.
Bottom line... Whatever size you think you need, you need the next size larger. Bigger can be loaded less, yet packed for those colder than a witches Teet nights. Smaller can be packed so much, and that is all your getting. If it falls short, your F'd.
Don't base you decision on EBT, Its more hype than anything. And most stoves have their own version of that BS.
Decide based on size and heating needs, and house set up! If it is in a secluded room, it any stove will cook you, and it won't get around the house as well. This can be bettered with placement of ceiling fans, box fans etc.
Remember, these are "space" heaters, some of us just got lucky with the floor plan we have. To truly heat a whole house with one stove, is a very lucky and fortunate thing.
Research, and research more, keep asking any questions you have, and do NOT rush in!
There are several posts each year with owners wishing they had gone larger, and spent the cash and are not getting the heat they expected. I see more complaining of too small a stove and missing the needs, than I do of those withing they had a smaller stove.
Sorry for the rambling.
