Wood Stove questions, etc.

[Fire Goddess]

So, I've been milling around your site and have been able to find answers to most of my pellet stove questions but have some wood stove questions. I only have experience with coal stoves but we recently bought a house with a Federal Airtight wood stove and I am not sure if I have the hang of it. A friend of mine with a VC airtight gave me a few lessons based on his stove but...eh.

First off, how much wood do you all burn in a day? Our house is 3100sf. I am running it at around 300-600 degrees (stovepipe and stove top temps) and its pretty nice in the house. (We have a Big E furnace, but it is in the basement and found that it is really great at heating the basement ARG. We will be moving it in the spring) The stove did not convey with its manual so I am sort of just winging it. Am I burning too hot? Not hot enough? Should the vent to the chimney be open and when? What about the air vents on the stove? Right now I only open the one on the ash pan door, below the fire. I keep the one on the side/load door shut as well as the one near the cat. convert. ...what to do? We moved in November and certianly do not have enough wood (2 cords) so I am trying to burn efficiently as possible as I am not sure when and if we are even going to be able to FIND someone to bring us more wood.

Well, any advice/guideance would be MUCh appreciated.
TIA

 

[webbie]

Try to get the manual - it is available and may even be somewhere on the VC/Dutchwest site. There are many different models of Federal Airtight, so try and let us know the model number.
Can you do a basic ID using this:
http://www.discountstove.com/cdwidguide.html

Does the unit have a probe thermometer in the top which inserts into the cat converter? A separate and removable ground cast plate on the top in the center?

Let us know.

 

[Fire Goddess]

Ahhh...it looks like the second one WITH the air vent thing above the door.
It does have a thermometer on top, built in with a removeable plate...but we question the acuracy of the thermometer. I have one of the magnetic ones right next to it and they don't read the same...though I know the insert has a probe going in the cat...at least I think that's what it does...

 

[Fire Goddess]

Webmaster...just an update...
I did find a manual for a stove that looks just like mine and downloaded it. Read it and think I am now more confident in using my stove. I was not using it exactly right and now that I *know* I did find it ran better and used less wood today as opposed t days in the past. Thanks for your help! I will keep reading as I am hoping to tackle my pellet stove issues next...