very basic how- to?

[frobuster]

I have an old monkey wards "Franklin" stove. I gotter a little hot last night and closed the doors trying to choke er down some. I don't know if that was the best thing to do or not. Also, what is the best way to "save" the fire for sleeping, going out?

I know most of y'all are running some much more complex systems, but our lill smokey is pretty and warm enough, if not efficient.

PS I do not have a chimney type of damper or anything, just doors with vents and a flue with two notches.

 

[begreen]

There really isn't a safe way to run this stove without being present. It is not that controllable. Use it like a fireplace and don't feed it for overnight or going out.

I am also wondering if the Franklin is installed safely. Does it at least have a flue pipe on it going up the chimney?

 

[frobuster]

I knew that was going to be a lttle bit painfully; thank you for a straight answer. Yes we have a double wall chimney vertical off the stove to three feet above our flat roof.

 

[begreen]

Good that it has a proper flue. The good news is that you are set up for a replacement stove that will give you what you want: safe burning, good heat, and peace of mind. With the tax credit, this could happen for under $400.

http://www.overstockstoves.com/50tvl17--epa-certified-noncatalytic-wood-stove--1250171200.html

 

[SteveKG]

I agree that not being right there beside the stove, much advice is difficult. However, I also agree that you do not want to crank this thing up and go to bed. If you are going to use it during the time you are awake and can monitor, go for it. Plenty of folks run older stoves like this. As you gain experience, maybe you will want to keep it going a while longer at bed time. But basically, I would not want to. As long as you have safe clearance and/or heat shields or whatever to protect walls/floor/ceilings you are likely ok, though again I say that without benefit of being there to look at it.

I have experience, some, with only one Franklin-type stove, up in a 150 yr.-old cottage that's been in my mother's family for well over a century. We often close the [solid iron] doors on it when we are heading off to bed and it is no problem, even if the fire is cranked. There is plenty of air going in with the doors closed on ours, both through an adjustable vent below the doors and a little bit through the seams in the doors, which are not quite air tight. This stove's been used for, I don't really know, probably a hundred yr. or so, but in any case, a very long time, safely.

 

[frobuster]

That is exactly what we have; and yes 36" 100% fireproof materials. Let me ask this then, people on here seem to still be running vintage (higher quality, sealed) stoves, in layman's terms how do you typically run them?

 

[Todd]

You might get a little more control if you install a pipe damper.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum frobuster.

I agree with Todd. I really do not think a Franklin type stove should be run without a pipe damper. It will simply give you a bit more control. I also understand that in your area you don't burn the amount of wood that most folks on this forum will burn. Still, you will be amazed by how much heat you can get from a log in a good stove vs. the Franklin so if you ever decide to upgrade, you will be happy.

I also wonder about that chimney. 3 feet above a flat roof. Is this a single story or two story home? If single story, that is a mighty short chimney so that thing probably needs the big draft that the Franklin gives (whether you want all that draft or not).

Good luck.

 

[frobuster]

Yup, 3 feet off the single story, flat roof. How does the fact that the Franklin's use air and the outside height of the chimney coincide?