Very Tiny Adjustments.........

[soupy1957]

Each time I work with a fire in our Avalon Rainier, I'm constantly learning how to make the fire work more and more efficiently for the house. This is our second season of burning.

One particular thing that I'm learning lately, is just how little the adjustment to the pull out damper knob, can make a BIG difference in the way the fire burns.

I guess I believed in the beginning, that it would take BIG moves of the damper to make a difference, but that's not the case,............at least with OUR stove.

Even movements as little as a 1/2 inch can be significant in the burn.

-Soupy1957

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I agree Soupy. With ours a 1/2 inch move brings on big results, at least during the main part of the burn. However, as the wood burns down we are also opening the draft more. By the time the stove get to the coal stage our draft is wide open. This helps with the problem of too many coals and a lot folks do have that problem.

 

[dave11]

I agree as well. Sometimes when I open the air just a half inch, I'm hesitant to walk away from the stove for a minute, because it can flame up from just that slight adjustment. That actually gets annoying sometimes.

I think its especially an issue for folks with a strong draft in the flue. Maybe an additional flue damper would help lessen the need to tinker. but not sure if it would be worth the trouble.

 

[soupy1957]

My goals when burning:

A) Get a quick hot start going
B) Establish a good hot bed of coals
C) Keep a slow hot burn going

-Soupy1957

 

[midwestcoast]

Funny you mention it. When I'm sitting right in front of the fire I find I screw with it too much. I'll tweek the air a tiny bit for more efficient burn or turn up the fan to move more air & it'll start to cool off, so I'll open it up again.... I get better burns when I just let it do it's thing & quit messin' around

 

[corey21]

Funny you mention it. When I'm sitting right in front of the fire I find I screw with it too much. I'll tweek the air a tiny bit for more efficient or turn up the fan to move more aire burn & it'll start to cool off, so I'll open it up again.... I get better burns when I just let it do it's thing & quit messin' around

me too.

 

[North of 60]

Funny you mention it. When I'm sitting right in front of the fire I find I screw with it too much. I'll tweek the air a tiny bit for more efficient or turn up the fan to move more aire burn & it'll start to cool off, so I'll open it up again.... I get better burns when I just let it do it's thing & quit messin' around

me too.

+2 me too.

 

[soupy1957]

I understand what you mean when you say I "screw with it too much" and try to avoid doing that. However, that being said, I'm sure you would agree that a fire DOES need to be monitored to ensure that you are not overheating your stove or out gases.

I try and get the fire established, make an air adjustment so that I'm not just sending all the heat up the chimney, and then walk away. I've given myself about half-hour intervals for checking the fire (when I'm home of course; during the working week, the wife has to decide how much she wants a fire and wants to tend it), to make sure that there is still a stable burn going on, and nothing is blocking the air feed.

"Stoking the fire" took on a whole new meaning for me, when transitioning from "outdoor campfires" to indoor heating fires." It became a more necessary part of the process. Now "stoking the fire" means not only wood position, but much more.

-Soupy1957

 

[Whitman]

I agree Soupy. With ours a 1/2 inch move brings on big results, at least during the main part of the burn. However, as the wood burns down we are also opening the draft more. By the time the stove get to the coal stage our draft is wide open. This helps with the problem of too many coals and a lot folks do have that problem.

Dennis, at what point do you disengage the combuster? Is it ok to have the setting at say a 2 or 2.5 or even a three with the combuster on? I have a keystone.