Silly EPA stove question

[Flatbedford]

I feel kinda silly asking, but I have no idea what you all are talking about sometimes. I went from a Franklin smoke dragon / wood incinerator to my Woodstock Fireview cat stove. What is the primary and secondary air and burn tubes you people speak of? Are there multiple levers? Is it complicated? What do they do? My first stove burned at 100% until it was empty and cold with no control and the Fireview has only an air control and cat bypass. How do you run theses stoves? What do the tubes and two air controls do?

 

[DAKSY]

The secondary burn tubes are not in Cat Stoves like yours.
They are in the newer Clean Burn (CB) stoves & are used in place of the Cat.
Basically, they introduce combustion air to the firebox up near the top when the primary
air intake, generally located at the lower front of the burn chamber, is shut down.
They help to burn off the particulates that would go up the flue & out the chimney...

 

[begreen]

There is only one air control on these stoves. The secondary air is not user controllable. Lots of shots of the secondary burn tubes posted here. Look at 48Rob's recent post with pictures of his new Englander stove. In general, the operation is usually simpler than with a cat stove. No bypass needed.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/63210/

 

[Fsappo]

If I bought a new stove, I would have the people I bought from come to my house for free and show me how to operate. Standard proceedure for any decent dealer to do that.

 

[thewoodlands]

I feel kinda silly asking, but I have no idea what you all are talking about sometimes. I went from a Franklin smoke dragon / wood incinerator to my Woodstock Fireview cat stove. What is the primary and secondary air and burn tubes you people speak of? Are there multiple levers? Is it complicated? What do they do? My first stove burned at 100% until it was empty and cold with no control and the Fireview has only an air control and cat bypass. How do you run theses stoves? What do the tubes and two air controls do?

FBF, this is the inside of the Liberty non-cat. Since Jags brought a good point up on the Liberty it's called a by-pass, in the picture you can see the rod going across so when you pull the handle to the right it will open up.


zap

 

[Jags]

I would like to add that some stoves have a "start up" air (such as the Isle Royale), used to introduce additional air during the cold startup phase. It is typically used for a short duration (10-15 min.) during the initial light up, and then closed completely. It takes the place of cracking the door open and is quite effective. It is a push/pull lever - in = open; out = closed.

 

[Stump_Branch]

The Secondary air tubes provide 'warm' or 'hot" air to combust the smoke and other particulates, completely right. I would say that they would be eaiser to operate then CAT stoves, simply because theres one control, thats it. I think the actual tubes themselves would be cheaper to replace too. In all I say would/think because I have never even seen a CAt stove. What I can tell you is that watching what these types of stoves do is combarable to watching a science expiriment. the fire dances over the wood, sometimes doesnt even appear to touch it. other times in the firing cycle it appears like a broiler or salmon would for cooking food (think from the top down) or like a gas grill with visible flames near the open ports. for the most part i can tell how my stove is doing by looking at those. if im at a good temp they are going if not and theres wood in the box then im dampened down to far. I am still learning with mine but must say I love it so far.

Side note would be neat if you could play with the air control on the secondaries though, give you something else to play with / tune for all the different conditions.

 

[Flatbedford]

So the secondary air is constant and the operator adjusts the primary air. More air for start up and less as the fire becomes established. The constant secondary air comes in through the burn tubes to assist secondary burn of gases in the smoke from the fire. Only one control except in the rare exception of a bypass on some units that is used to establish the fire. Thanks, now I know what you all are talking about.
No scientific explanation required.

 

[Jags]

You GOT it. Spot on.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Hey Steve, if you'd have made it to Woodstock last September we could easily have gone over this. The new stove Woodstock will introduce very soon has both the cat, like your stove and it will also have the baffles. Quite the contraption! Maybe next year you can make it. I don't know if we will but we'd like to go again. Danged long trip though, but a whole lot of great people who will let you pick their brains.

 

[Flatbedford]

I am still feeling bad about not making it up there. It was just a bad time. Way too busy with work at that time of year. I don't think things will be any different that time next year. We'll see...

 

[firefighterjake]

I still want to make the pilgrimage to Woodstock . . . maybe in 2011 . . . but only if I can see Dennis and the purple sweater vest he owns.