I decided to do a pallet burn test.
The pallets I get are quite robust with 3 x 3ft bits of 4 x 2, plus a row of 3 x 1/2 on top.
Broken down, one pallet gives 9 x 1ft x 4x2 and a whole load of kindling:
One foot lengths are about the maximum that can be put into the stove, and the bed of coals was about 1/2 inch thick.
On top of this was laid 4 bits of 6" x 3 x 1/2 N/S (sort of super kindling), and above this was laid two one foot lengths E/W.
Flue pipe temp at loading was 275f, and dropped to 255f whilst the door was open (interesting in itself).
The air was dialled up enough to get the bottom layer of N/S superkindling to take off, and the flames quickly spread to the top.
Within 5 minutes the flue pipe temp was up to 275f, and within 10 minutes it was climbing towards 350f.
As it passed 350f (14 minutes), a big secondary burn kicked in, the air was dialled back a little, to slow the temp climb, but not to stop it there.
At 20 minutes, the flue pipe temp passed 400f, and the air was dialled right back, and the preheated inlet tubes under the baffle were cut back by half.
At 30 minutes, flue pipe temp reached 450f, and held this for an hour!
At one hour 45 minutes, the flue pipe temp had dropped back to 420f, and looked like this, no real secondary burn:
The fire was still giving off stacks of heat, but the fluepipe temp was now dropping slowly, until 2 hours 15 minutes when it dropped to 340f.
At 2 hours 30 minutes, the coals were starting to glow less, and the flue pipe temp had dropped to 320f, and I knew it was time to look at reloading, at which time the coals looked like this:
Having reloaded and thought about this, I'm keen to try this again with other woods, if I can find splits the same size, as a comparison..........
Partly because of the experience I'll gain in longer burns, partly because I'm curious to see comparative burn times, but mainly because it's a great way to spend a miserable rainy afternoon ;-)
The pallets I get are quite robust with 3 x 3ft bits of 4 x 2, plus a row of 3 x 1/2 on top.
Broken down, one pallet gives 9 x 1ft x 4x2 and a whole load of kindling:
One foot lengths are about the maximum that can be put into the stove, and the bed of coals was about 1/2 inch thick.
On top of this was laid 4 bits of 6" x 3 x 1/2 N/S (sort of super kindling), and above this was laid two one foot lengths E/W.
Flue pipe temp at loading was 275f, and dropped to 255f whilst the door was open (interesting in itself).
The air was dialled up enough to get the bottom layer of N/S superkindling to take off, and the flames quickly spread to the top.
Within 5 minutes the flue pipe temp was up to 275f, and within 10 minutes it was climbing towards 350f.
As it passed 350f (14 minutes), a big secondary burn kicked in, the air was dialled back a little, to slow the temp climb, but not to stop it there.
At 20 minutes, the flue pipe temp passed 400f, and the air was dialled right back, and the preheated inlet tubes under the baffle were cut back by half.
At 30 minutes, flue pipe temp reached 450f, and held this for an hour!
At one hour 45 minutes, the flue pipe temp had dropped back to 420f, and looked like this, no real secondary burn:
The fire was still giving off stacks of heat, but the fluepipe temp was now dropping slowly, until 2 hours 15 minutes when it dropped to 340f.
At 2 hours 30 minutes, the coals were starting to glow less, and the flue pipe temp had dropped to 320f, and I knew it was time to look at reloading, at which time the coals looked like this:
Having reloaded and thought about this, I'm keen to try this again with other woods, if I can find splits the same size, as a comparison..........
Partly because of the experience I'll gain in longer burns, partly because I'm curious to see comparative burn times, but mainly because it's a great way to spend a miserable rainy afternoon ;-)
