Pic request: What's your stove (EPA non-cat) look like just before bed?

New burner, trying to figure out what my fire should look like when I'm turning it down for the night. Small flames, big flames, just coals, etc.

If you get a chance, could you folks snap a quick picture of your EPA non-cat stove just before you head to bed for the night?

Thanks!!

Um, we might have to wait a bit with this warm air here. But if you are hoping for an overnight burn, you do not want a big roaring flame.

77 degrees here in Central Ohio today... Only had the stove fired up once so far this year.

The shoulder season is always rough. It's like playing a wood burning game of "red-light green-light"!

-SF

This was the load. As soon as possible without snuffing the fire, the air would be shut off to zero. Then, as with all non-cats, you lose any ability to control the amount of flames or the stove temp as the outgassing wood provides fuel to the firebox over the next several hours. In the morning, stir the coals and find enough to restart.

Stove is my previous heritage and the wood is hardwood technically but our hardwoods are relatively soft.

You must have a really strong draft if you can shut the air down to zero and not be smoldering your non-cat! If I cut the air down that far, I lose my secondaries pretty quick. If I leave it shut down at zero overnight, I'll wake up to soot black glass on the front window of the stove.

For many people, my first thought would be that there was a leak in the stove somewhere that was impacting the ability to control the burn even with the air shut all the way back. I replaced my door gasket to improve the seal when I was experiencing trouble controlling the burn. I doubt that is the case for Highbeam though, due to the amount of experience he has with wood heat.

-SF

I cant do that with my setup i have to wait till 400 before make my air adjustment then another at 500 if i do it to soon the glass gets a little dirty.

Hi, I found a good video with a bit about overnight burns, I have tried it and it works and no black glass -



regards

Billy.

PS The bit about overnight burning is about 6 min 30 sec

Loaded to the gills

Managed to stoke a fire from coals this morning after last night's burn

Bout 39 deg tonight, here's the load, coals were raked to the front, couple bigger splits at the back, 2 slightly smaller ones in front of that and a small one on the coal bed. Fired right up, got to about 650 before it started cooling down. Worked air down to 1/4 open, sitting at about 500 stovetop right now.



Only thing is.... grabbed a flashlight to check the chimney, can see (and smell) some smoke coming out. From my extremely limited burning experience (one week), once I get up to temp, I usually can't see anything coming out of the chimney.

Am I causing a big layer of creosote in my chimney by turning the air down so low for these overnight burns? Left it pretty much the same last night but didn't check the chimney.... had a small quarter sized mark of black on my glass this morning.....

That's a funny video, albeit targeted to UK audiences. I would love to burn coal here, as its cheap, and it burns really really hot. No one sells it around here though. My brother bought a 100 pound bag of anthracite from a guy that bought a whole train car load and we melted the fireplace grates with it. Maybe if they turn the PNW into a coal export zone (as proposed) I will be able to buy and burn that stuff. I would have to get a coal burning stove though.

Thanks StihlHead,
found the technique for overnight burning works good for me, I dont burn coal though as I have so much free wood , I took the grate out of my stove so more room in the firebox. Tried some of those compressed wood blocks once just for curiosity, burned good but expensive, £5.99 for 10kg bag !.

I need this a stove with a REMOTE CONTROL

Like that since it was new. Of course, with modern EPA non-cats shutting the air control to zero is absolutely not the same as shutting off all air going into the stove. They all have leaks built into the system.

My chimney is ideal for a non-cat though. Meets the minimum height with zero bends and all internal double wall. Also good wood of the proper split size.

You can't just shut it down right away, you have to do it at a rate that maintains a flame. Always woke up to clean glass and a handful of coals within white ash.

I tried loading mine up like that this morning before heading to work and hit a new record (for me) for stovetop temp. Sure does catch fast and hot when loaded N-S. Got the top up to about 750 with blower and pedestal fan on it before it started cooling down. Left it at a 1/4 open, got home about 8-9 hours later and didn't have coals left to restart but.... no black on the glass either, so that's probably better! Stove manufacturer says that it's only an overfire when the stovetop starts glowing red, so guess I'm not there yet.

Only this is, when it gets colder out, won't it draft harder and burn hotter then? How do I pack the stove full on coals without burning a hole in the stove?