Pedal to the metal, maximizing output --- dealing with the cold weather

[Green Energy]

Ok, it is time to put the pedal to the metal. Coldest weather of the winter this weekend. So I want MAX output.

What are your tips to keep the stove as hot as possible?

I'm burning a secondary burn tube non cat stove.

Pack the firebox with good oak, not too big until its time to go to bed

So I can add wood every three hours

Keep the air level 1/4 to 1/2 open

One thing I need to watch is that if I go with the above strategy and shorten the cycle, I start building up coals.

What is the best way to balance these issues to achieve continuous max output?

 

[HotCoals]

Less coals when you let her rip and keep feeding her and give her lots of air on the way down.
I finally kicked mine up some..might only get a 8 hour burn off of this load..lol.

 

[Dakotas Dad]

Generally during the day, when temps are more "mild", 16F for a high here today (40 is the Avg norm) low last night was 4F, about the same for tonight, I try to burn up any major coals then, so at night when it's this cold and I too am reloading every 3 1/2 hours or so, the coals can't/won't get to bad.. I run a little more air at night also, since I know I am going to be up to reload, rather than getting to a "coals in the morning" point..

 

[webby3650]

I used to deal with that until...I bought a Blaze King. ;-P No, the Oslo is a great stove. To reduce the coal build-up, just leave the air a bit more open, even though it kills some efficiency.

 

[BrotherBart]

Doing a coal burn down at 400 degrees as I type. Getting ready for that sixty pounds of oak going in the 30 to try to ward off that nine degrees tonight in this barn. Actually letting the house cool off some because when I light off that night burn it is gonna get real hot downstairs for a while.

Looks like a two beer night for baby sitting it till it settles down.

 

[remkel]

Trying to run the Vigilant a little hotter today, but the air control on the back keeps shutting on me....guess I could put something to block it from closing all the way, but I would be concerned about possibly overfiring her. If it was upstairs I might try it, but with the stove in the basement I think I will just suffer the cooler temps over the next couple of days.

 

[par0thead151]

running it with air more open, and not packing the firebox while im around to tend to it.
i find this burns down coals faster and allows more wood to be packed in before bed.

 

[HotCoals]

I used to deal with that until...I bought a Blaze King. ;-P No, the Oslo is a great stove. To reduce the coal build-up, just leave the air a bit more open, even though it kills some efficiency.

I can go 3 weeks easy before taking maybe 2-3 gallons worth of ash out..gota love it!

 

[Dix]

Doing a coal burn down at 400 degrees as I type. Getting ready for that sixty pounds of oak going in the 30 to try to ward off that nine degrees tonight in this barn. Actually letting the house cool off some because when I light off that night burn it is gonna get real hot downstairs for a while.

Looks like a two beer night for baby sitting it till it settles down.

Just threw a piece of pine in to bring down the coals before the reload for the night, got my splits & rounds ready to go for the reload. The main house will be good to go, the Dixette clogged her chimney before the snow, guess what she's doing tomorrow after sleeping under an extra blanket this evening? She'll have a buddy.

Kid won't listen, blew 1/3 of a cord of NICE cherry splits that needed 2 months at best to be ready, but noooo, we don't listen. We got a cord of mixed hardwoods for $100 off of Craigs list, wetter than a soggy diaper, but for $100, it's not worth it for us to process, so into the stash it goes. She put some near the stove, and expected to burn it. It's not my DNA, I swear.

Vent over.

One more round outside for the Murph, and we hunker down. 15F here now, going down to -10 at least here in Icey Hollow tonight, way colder over the weekend.

Under Armour rules

 

[BrowningBAR]

Ok, it is time to put the pedal to the metal. Coldest weather of the winter this weekend. So I want MAX output.

What are your tips to keep the stove as hot as possible?

I'm burning a secondary burn tube non cat stove.

Pack the firebox with good oak, not too big until its time to go to bed

So I can add wood every three hours

Keep the air level 1/4 to 1/2 open

One thing I need to watch is that if I go with the above strategy and shorten the cycle, I start building up coals.

What is the best way to balance these issues to achieve continuous max output?

Not sure what to tell you. It's 12 degrees and dropping to the low single digits with windchill at about -4.

The Vigilant is cruising at 400 and the room is at 79 degrees.
The Heritage is at 500 and the room is at 76 degrees.
The intrepid is at 380 and the room is at 70 degrees.

I could get the Heritage room above 80 if I wanted to even in single digit weather unless the wind picks up. I can get the Vigilant room above 90 degrees no matter how cold it gets here as long as I have the other stoves going.

 

[BrotherBart]

Just threw a piece of pine in to bring down the coals before the reload for the night, got my splits & rounds ready to go for the reload. The main house will be good to go, the Dixette clogged her chimney before the snow, guess what she's doing tomorrow after sleeping under an extra blanket this evening? She'll have a buddy.

If you look at my other thread you will see that I don't listen either. To me. But the family room is really nice and warm right now. Fortunately the lamp is still needed for light.

 

[webby3650]

I used to deal with that until...I bought a Blaze King. ;-P No, the Oslo is a great stove. To reduce the coal build-up, just leave the air a bit more open, even though it kills some efficiency.

I can go 3 weeks easy before taking maybe 2-3 gallons worth of ash out..gota love it!

Life is good! :coolsmile:

 

[Hankjones]

Newbie here... burning down coals and getting ready for my night burn.... Actually pretty excited since it is the coldest night for me so far. Finally busted out my red oak that's been sitting around for this special day, mixing it with some mulberry and seeing how long I can get it to heat the house before the heat pump kicks in at 68F. Hoping i'll make it till 4am.

 

[SlyFerret]

I'm lucky enough to have a house that is really easy to heat.

My problem usually isn't coal build up, but rather having to wait until there are hardly any coals left before relighting in order to not make the house too hot.

I love it when the weather turns this cold because I can finally let my stove stretch its legs a little bit.

-SF

 

[Dix]

Newbie here... burning down coals and getting ready for my night burn.... Actually pretty excited since it is the coldest night for me so far. Finally busted out my red oak that's been sitting around for this special day, mixing it with some mulberry and seeing how long I can get it to heat the house before the heat pump kicks in at 68F. Hoping i'll make it till 4am.

Good luck, Hank

Welcome to the addiction

 

[Dix]

Just threw a piece of pine in to bring down the coals before the reload for the night, got my splits & rounds ready to go for the reload. The main house will be good to go, the Dixette clogged her chimney before the snow, guess what she's doing tomorrow after sleeping under an extra blanket this evening? She'll have a buddy.

If you look at my other thread you will see that I don't listen either. To me. But the family room is really nice and warm right now. Fortunately the lamp is still needed for light.

Yeah, but you ain't the Dixette, putting another quilt on her bed this evening. Dumb, I haven't put 4 years into this project for nothing. I do know what I'm talking about these days.

BB, they make solar charged lights

 

[Hankjones]

Newbie here... burning down coals and getting ready for my night burn.... Actually pretty excited since it is the coldest night for me so far. Finally busted out my red oak that's been sitting around for this special day, mixing it with some mulberry and seeing how long I can get it to heat the house before the heat pump kicks in at 68F. Hoping i'll make it till 4am.

Good luck, Hank

Welcome to the addiction

Thanks! Is it an addiction if I can't go to sleep because I'm too busy watching my fire?

 

[Green Energy]

One other trick that I am learning for the overnight load -

1. clear out the coals in the back
2. put a large split or round in the back
3. pile the coals on the sides of the spilt
4. put in the lower tier, middle split
5. pile more coals on top and in between those two splits
6. most of the coals are now stashed around on top of those spilts
7. pack the rest of the stove

get the stove up to 500 F and button her up for the night -

 

[NH_Wood]

When it gets this cold, I want to load the stove 4 times per day, rather than 3. After the off-gassing is over, I open the air 3/4 to full and start to burn down the coals - even if the stove is still 400-450*. I'll rake the coals into a central pile twice to burn them down faster. My aim is to be able to reload before the house temp drops below 70*. Seems to be working well so far. Cheers!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Ok, it is time to put the pedal to the metal. Coldest weather of the winter this weekend. So I want MAX output.

What are your tips to keep the stove as hot as possible?

I'm burning a secondary burn tube non cat stove.

Pack the firebox with good oak, not too big until its time to go to bed

So I can add wood every three hours

Keep the air level 1/4 to 1/2 open

One thing I need to watch is that if I go with the above strategy and shorten the cycle, I start building up coals.

What is the best way to balance these issues to achieve continuous max output?

What we do is BEFORE the burn gets down to all coals, we open the draft full and that usually takes care of the problem. If we misjudge towards night, then we'll add a split onto the fire and still leave the draft full open. This will almost always burn the coals down to where we want them for the overnight fill up.

 

[snowleopard]

Everybody's situation is a little different. We have to look at, not only is it the coldest day yet, but what does winter have in store for us, and what does the woodpile look like.

Around here, it's been hanging around -20, plus or minus 5 all day, outside. Keeping it at 70 upstairs/downstairs all day. Will probably get up in the night to check my fire. All I have to burn is poplar of one varient or another, so I will pick my densest wood, larger splits to try to overnight it.

I've got eight more weeks to go, at least, where it could be this cold or colder, and another month after that where it's been known to get near this cold (unusual, though). I've got about two cords of poplar and 100 gallons usable of heating oil. New boiler due to go in sometime in the next week or two. Trying to get by without a fuel purchase this winter, so I can't get too profligate with the wood even on a cool night.

So how many of you checked your smoke detectors today?