Year two and it's really clickin now!

[ckarotka]

Things are really burning here! I'm finally getting the hang of things. I've posted this before but this time it's true. I've been watching the fire instead of the thermos to set the stove. Let's say I'm very pleased with the results. I'm getting it to cruise around 550, 600 or so peak on pretty full loads with great burn times for the stoves size and type of wood. 5 almost 6 six hours on maple. Now it's not producing heat that whole time but can easily be restarted without kindling.

Here's a quick run down of my stove operation:

Reload temp 350-400 with the air closed from the last load. Outside temp today was around 28-32F. 18ft of pipe straight up.
I rake the coals forward then push the ones in the middle in front of the dog house to the back of the stove creating a small trench for the some air. This bit of hot coals helps the split in the back to burn fully through.

Loading E/W 1 medium to large split in the back, 1 medium split in the front bottom, 1 medium to smaller split back/top, 1 smaller softer split top/front.

I leave the door open a crack until the single wall pipe thermo reaches 300 then shut the door. In few minutes the pipe temp will start to climb it's now I'm watching the fire. I can close the air half way, within minutes I close it in half again. This makes a noticeable change to the fire pattern. I then wait till the fire begins to strengthen in intensity and close it about 1/4 more. Now I go back to the stove top thermo and it slowly rises to 525 and I close it a touch more and at 550 (about 10-15min) one more nudge and thats it. At this point the air is open about 1/4- 3/8" if I want to really stretch it out I will close it again in about 45min and she'll peak around 600 stove top if I don't she peak around 650* The pipe temps drop to around 250-300.

With a good coal base and the fact that the stove is smaller and the wood is good and dry, this whole process is taking me around 30min.

With this method I now have a fire of two medium splits of pine and 1 large split of crappenwood (Cottonwood) that's been cruising at 550 for over an hour. Base on the type of fuel to me that's great. This small load is because I loaded it at 9pm and want to reload around 1230-1am before bed.

Well that's my story, right or wrong the glass is clean, house is warm and I'm not getting up every ten minutes to check to fire.

 

[Battenkiller]

Sounds like you've reached the journeyman stage. Pretty soon you'll be dropping professorial bombs on unsuspecting newbies along with the rest of us old coots.

 

[VCBurner]

I like your thread. It gives hope to all the burners out there who have not yet mastered the art that is woodburning. I guess half the reason why we like burning wood may be the thrill of the chase for the perfect fire. When it all comes together it is like a balet of flames.

I can't wait to have my main stove in the livingroom where I can watch it a little closer and truly learn all it's little quirks.

 

[Dix]

Sounds like you've reached the journeyman stage. Pretty soon you'll be dropping professorial bombs on unsuspecting newbies along with the rest of us old coots.

I resemble that remark

 

[raybonz]

I like your thread. It gives hope to all the burners out there who have not yet mastered the art that is woodburning. I guess half the reason why we like burning wood may be the thrill of the chase for the perfect fire. When it all comes together it is like a balet of flames.

I can't wait to have my main stove in the livingroom where I can watch it a little closer and truly learn all it's little quirks.

Hi Chris just wondering how your Dutchwest is working out for you.. Does the glass stay clean on that stove?

Ray

 

[DBoon]

Hi ckarotka, I follow pretty much the same procedure with my small Lopi Answer. I'll put the softwood split on the bottom on front to relight from coals quicker. Plus, it burns pretty quickly and when it burns down the wood shifts around and I seem to get a jolt to the fire from the wood movement in the firebox. Your pipe at 18' is a little taller than mine (15'), and your firebox is bigger, so you can shut down a little earlier than me, it seems.

I found a huge difference in year 2 versus year 1, not so much that I was following a different procedure, but that the extra dryness in the wood made everything work easier and better.

 

[PapaDave]

Sounds like you've reached the journeyman stage. Pretty soon you'll be dropping professorial bombs on unsuspecting newbies along with the rest of us old coots.

I resemble that remark

Yeah, what exactly, is the age of "old cootness". Anxiously awaiting a response, because I'm either on the cusp, or I've fallen over the precipice. :ahhh:

 

[ckarotka]

Anyone that uses "Papa" in thier call sign qualifies as an ole coot ;-)

I want to add a few more things. My goal is to have the air almost shut before the stove hits 525. This leaves room for that spike in temp later in the burn. For the new guys. Don't give up. I struggled last year with "wet" wood MC of 25+%. Big difference this year with under 20% MC fuel. I've not mastered anything but it does get easier after a few seasons. I read almost every post here cuz sometimes topics change mid thread. Just learned how to "bank the stove" last night from BrotherBart, great tip.
I've also learned to be more patient. The mag thermos don't always show real time temps. When things heat up quick they have to play catchup. While watching the fire I noticed last night I'm shutting the stove down when the stove thermo says 400-450 it then slows the fire and heat output allowing the thermo to catchup and show accurate temps.

I was lazy this morning and didn't touch the stove till 9am. Last load was midnight, I could restart with some cedar scraps without a match. The house did cool off a bit. Back room was 64 stove room was 67 and about 30 outside.

 

[Green Energy]

Anyone that uses "Papa" in thier call sign qualifies as an ole coot ;-)

I want to add a few more things. My goal is to have the air almost shut before the stove hits 525. This leaves room for that spike in temp later in the burn. For the new guys. Don't give up. I struggled last year with "wet" wood MC of 25+%. Big difference this year with under 20% MC fuel. I've not mastered anything but it does get easier after a few seasons. I read almost every post here cuz sometimes topics change mid thread. Just learned how to "bank the stove" last night from BrotherBart, great tip.
I've also learned to be more patient. The mag thermos don't always show real time temps. When things heat up quick they have to play catchup. While watching the fire I noticed last night I'm shutting the stove down when the stove thermo says 400-450 it then slows the fire and heat output allowing the thermo to catchup and show accurate temps.

I was lazy this morning and didn't touch the stove till 9am. Last load was midnight, I could restart with some cedar scraps without a match. The house did cool off a bit. Back room was 64 stove room was 67 and about 30 outside.

It is amazing the difference a year makes in the seasoning of the wood and the seasoning of the operator (that uses seasoned wood). I'm also on my second year with my new EPA stove. This morning's reload I think was less than 15 minutes from loading the wood to blast furnace with primary air completely shut down and turning the fan on. Even a cold start is not much longer now.

It is going to be a different winter than last winter.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Fellas it is music to my ears when people post that in their second year things are going great. You have learned a lot since you began burning wood and now you can help others because you are fresh off the rookie stage and can easily relate to the problems new people have. Hip, hip, Hooray!

 

[VCBurner]

I like your thread. It gives hope to all the burners out there who have not yet mastered the art that is woodburning. I guess half the reason why we like burning wood may be the thrill of the chase for the perfect fire. When it all comes together it is like a balet of flames.

I can't wait to have my main stove in the livingroom where I can watch it a little closer and truly learn all it's little quirks.

Hi Chris just wondering how your Dutchwest is working out for you.. Does the glass stay clean on that stove?

Ray

Hey Ray, good to hear from you! I am still enamored by its beauty. No problems getting the cat to light off, fires are nice to look at and provide plenty of heat. The glass stays mostly clean with a few cloudy spots due to the end of the overnight fire when the cat is no longer lit off and the primary is almost all the way shut. As soon as I reload the glass gets clean again. I wish these stoves had a thermostatically controlled air intake. It would prevent overfires during light off periods and slow fires at the end of the fire. The same could be said about most stoves on the market today. That being said, I like the Dutchwest and its performance very much. My next move is to bring it upstairs where I can constantly gaze at it from the couch!!

 

[raybonz]

I like your thread. It gives hope to all the burners out there who have not yet mastered the art that is woodburning. I guess half the reason why we like burning wood may be the thrill of the chase for the perfect fire. When it all comes together it is like a balet of flames.

I can't wait to have my main stove in the livingroom where I can watch it a little closer and truly learn all it's little quirks.

Hi Chris just wondering how your Dutchwest is working out for you.. Does the glass stay clean on that stove?

Ray

Hey Ray, good to hear from you! I am still enamored by its beauty. No problems getting the cat to light off, fires are nice to look at and provide plenty of heat. The glass stays mostly clean with a few cloudy spots due to the end of the overnight fire when the cat is no longer lit off and the primary is almost all the way shut. As soon as I reload the glass gets clean again. I wish these stoves had a thermostatically controlled air intake. It would prevent overfires during light off periods and slow fires at the end of the fire. The same could be said about most stoves on the market today. That being said, I like the Dutchwest and its performance very much. My next move is to bring it upstairs where I can constantly gaze at it from the couch!!

I would love to see a video of your stove burning if you could do that.. My old stove is still chugging away now that my new liner has been installed.. It made a big difference and my draft is much improved now.. The stove is running better with the good draft and I wish I had this liner all along..They still make your stove and this one has lasted a long time so I am considering your stove as my next stove plus many others.. BTW Vermont Castings makes a combo cat/non-cat stove now and it has a thermostatic damper control.. Actually all VC cat stoves come with a thermostatic damper! I will see how expensive it is.. I am trying to avoid fragile refractory parts as much as possible as I feel this is why this stove has cost so little over the years..

Ray

 

[Mad Tom]

The only thing I see wrong with your method is that you go to bed to late.

 

[ckarotka]

The only thing I see wrong with your method is that you go to bed to late.

Ya, I guess. With all the kids and crazy work schedule I'm used to it now and most nights its down around 2 and up at 7. I do squeeze a power nap in the late afternoon though. Shhhhhhhhhhh don't tell my wife.

 

[VCBurner]

I like your thread. It gives hope to all the burners out there who have not yet mastered the art that is woodburning. I guess half the reason why we like burning wood may be the thrill of the chase for the perfect fire. When it all comes together it is like a balet of flames.

I can't wait to have my main stove in the livingroom where I can watch it a little closer and truly learn all it's little quirks.

Hi Chris just wondering how your Dutchwest is working out for you.. Does the glass stay clean on that stove?

Ray

Hey Ray, good to hear from you! I am still enamored by its beauty. No problems getting the cat to light off, fires are nice to look at and provide plenty of heat. The glass stays mostly clean with a few cloudy spots due to the end of the overnight fire when the cat is no longer lit off and the primary is almost all the way shut. As soon as I reload the glass gets clean again. I wish these stoves had a thermostatically controlled air intake. It would prevent overfires during light off periods and slow fires at the end of the fire. The same could be said about most stoves on the market today. That being said, I like the Dutchwest and its performance very much. My next move is to bring it upstairs where I can constantly gaze at it from the couch!!

I would love to see a video of your stove burning if you could do that.. My old stove is still chugging away now that my new liner has been installed.. It made a big difference and my draft is much improved now.. The stove is running better with the good draft and I wish I had this liner all along..They still make your stove and this one has lasted a long time so I am considering your stove as my next stove plus many others.. BTW Vermont Castings makes a combo cat/non-cat stove now and it has a thermostatic damper control.. Actually all VC cat stoves come with a thermostatic damper! I will see how expensive it is.. I am trying to avoid fragile refractory parts as much as possible as I feel this is why this stove has cost so little over the years..

Ray

I've just heard about the new Vc hybrid stoves, and a thermostatic damper control, to boot! Sounds very interesting. I agree with you about the fragile refractory parts on some of the VC stoves. The worst one was in the Defiant Encore, Winterwarmer, and a couple others I think. The same refractory housing was used in a few of their stoves and considering how frequently they failed to last you would think it would be a cheap part. It was not so. I think the cost was $150-$200 for the part!! I was told that they were getting away from that particular part, but don't know if they did yet. Maybe you know? At any rate Ray, I will be installing the DW upstairs tomorrow and I'll try to take some video of the first fire for you. I'll be very pleased to be able to have it near by!

 

[raybonz]

I like your thread. It gives hope to all the burners out there who have not yet mastered the art that is woodburning. I guess half the reason why we like burning wood may be the thrill of the chase for the perfect fire. When it all comes together it is like a balet of flames.

I can't wait to have my main stove in the livingroom where I can watch it a little closer and truly learn all it's little quirks.

Hi Chris just wondering how your Dutchwest is working out for you.. Does the glass stay clean on that stove?

Ray

Hey Ray, good to hear from you! I am still enamored by its beauty. No problems getting the cat to light off, fires are nice to look at and provide plenty of heat. The glass stays mostly clean with a few cloudy spots due to the end of the overnight fire when the cat is no longer lit off and the primary is almost all the way shut. As soon as I reload the glass gets clean again. I wish these stoves had a thermostatically controlled air intake. It would prevent overfires during light off periods and slow fires at the end of the fire. The same could be said about most stoves on the market today. That being said, I like the Dutchwest and its performance very much. My next move is to bring it upstairs where I can constantly gaze at it from the couch!!

I would love to see a video of your stove burning if you could do that.. My old stove is still chugging away now that my new liner has been installed.. It made a big difference and my draft is much improved now.. The stove is running better with the good draft and I wish I had this liner all along..They still make your stove and this one has lasted a long time so I am considering your stove as my next stove plus many others.. BTW Vermont Castings makes a combo cat/non-cat stove now and it has a thermostatic damper control.. Actually all VC cat stoves come with a thermostatic damper! I will see how expensive it is.. I am trying to avoid fragile refractory parts as much as possible as I feel this is why this stove has cost so little over the years..

Ray

I've just heard about the new Vc hybrid stoves, and a thermostatic damper control, to boot! Sounds very interesting. I agree with you about the fragile refractory parts on some of the VC stoves. The worst one was in the Defiant Encore, Winterwarmer, and a couple others I think. The same refractory housing was used in a few of their stoves and considering how frequently they failed to last you would think it would be a cheap part. It was not so. I think the cost was $150-$200 for the part!! I was told that they were getting away from that particular part, but don't know if they did yet. Maybe you know? At any rate Ray, I will be installing the DW upstairs tomorrow and I'll try to take some video of the first fire for you. I'll be very pleased to be able to have it near by!

Sounds great look forward to seeing it in action! Good luck with the install! I think you got a great deal on that stove Chris and it will last you a very long time..

Ray

 

[VCBurner]

°F

I like your thread. It gives hope to all the burners out there who have not yet mastered the art that is woodburning. I guess half the reason why we like burning wood may be the thrill of the chase for the perfect fire. When it all comes together it is like a balet of flames.

I can't wait to have my main stove in the livingroom where I can watch it a little closer and truly learn all it's little quirks.

Hi Chris just wondering how your Dutchwest is working out for you.. Does the glass stay clean on that stove?

Ray

Hey Ray, good to hear from you! I am still enamored by its beauty. No problems getting the cat to light off, fires are nice to look at and provide plenty of heat. The glass stays mostly clean with a few cloudy spots due to the end of the overnight fire when the cat is no longer lit off and the primary is almost all the way shut. As soon as I reload the glass gets clean again. I wish these stoves had a thermostatically controlled air intake. It would prevent overfires during light off periods and slow fires at the end of the fire. The same could be said about most stoves on the market today. That being said, I like the Dutchwest and its performance very much. My next move is to bring it upstairs where I can constantly gaze at it from the couch!!

I would love to see a video of your stove burning if you could do that.. My old stove is still chugging away now that my new liner has been installed.. It made a big difference and my draft is much improved now.. The stove is running better with the good draft and I wish I had this liner all along..They still make your stove and this one has lasted a long time so I am considering your stove as my next stove plus many others.. BTW Vermont Castings makes a combo cat/non-cat stove now and it has a thermostatic damper control.. Actually all VC cat stoves come with a thermostatic damper! I will see how expensive it is.. I am trying to avoid fragile refractory parts as much as possible as I feel this is why this stove has cost so little over the years..

Ray

I've just heard about the new Vc hybrid stoves, and a thermostatic damper control, to boot! Sounds very interesting. I agree with you about the fragile refractory parts on some of the VC stoves. The worst one was in the Defiant Encore, Winterwarmer, and a couple others I think. The same refractory housing was used in a few of their stoves and considering how frequently they failed to last you would think it would be a cheap part. It was not so. I think the cost was $150-$200 for the part!! I was told that they were getting away from that particular part, but don't know if they did yet. Maybe you know? At any rate Ray, I will be installing the DW upstairs tomorrow and I'll try to take some video of the first fire for you. I'll be very pleased to be able to have it near by!

Sounds great look forward to seeing it in action! Good luck with the install! I think you got a great deal on that stove Chris and it will last you a very long time..

Ray

I've got it going, Ray!
I couldn't be happier with the results. The house was at 62 °F this morning. I started taking the DW connectors off yesterday so the livingroom stove (antique) was going solo for the night. After a day full of action I finalized the install and lit a fire around 11p., The thermostat just outside the room was reading 65 °F . I turned on the blower about 15 minutes later. The hot air started to circulate in and out of the room and now it says 72 °F . I can't believe how well this thing is doing up here. I took pictures and some video of the fire. I'll post some tomorrow, but I've got to hit the hay. I can't wait to get up in the morning with a temp in the high 60's to low 70's.

 

[raybonz]

°F

I like your thread. It gives hope to all the burners out there who have not yet mastered the art that is woodburning. I guess half the reason why we like burning wood may be the thrill of the chase for the perfect fire. When it all comes together it is like a balet of flames.

I can't wait to have my main stove in the livingroom where I can watch it a little closer and truly learn all it's little quirks.

Hi Chris just wondering how your Dutchwest is working out for you.. Does the glass stay clean on that stove?

Ray

Hey Ray, good to hear from you! I am still enamored by its beauty. No problems getting the cat to light off, fires are nice to look at and provide plenty of heat. The glass stays mostly clean with a few cloudy spots due to the end of the overnight fire when the cat is no longer lit off and the primary is almost all the way shut. As soon as I reload the glass gets clean again. I wish these stoves had a thermostatically controlled air intake. It would prevent overfires during light off periods and slow fires at the end of the fire. The same could be said about most stoves on the market today. That being said, I like the Dutchwest and its performance very much. My next move is to bring it upstairs where I can constantly gaze at it from the couch!!

I would love to see a video of your stove burning if you could do that.. My old stove is still chugging away now that my new liner has been installed.. It made a big difference and my draft is much improved now.. The stove is running better with the good draft and I wish I had this liner all along..They still make your stove and this one has lasted a long time so I am considering your stove as my next stove plus many others.. BTW Vermont Castings makes a combo cat/non-cat stove now and it has a thermostatic damper control.. Actually all VC cat stoves come with a thermostatic damper! I will see how expensive it is.. I am trying to avoid fragile refractory parts as much as possible as I feel this is why this stove has cost so little over the years..

Ray

I've just heard about the new Vc hybrid stoves, and a thermostatic damper control, to boot! Sounds very interesting. I agree with you about the fragile refractory parts on some of the VC stoves. The worst one was in the Defiant Encore, Winterwarmer, and a couple others I think. The same refractory housing was used in a few of their stoves and considering how frequently they failed to last you would think it would be a cheap part. It was not so. I think the cost was $150-$200 for the part!! I was told that they were getting away from that particular part, but don't know if they did yet. Maybe you know? At any rate Ray, I will be installing the DW upstairs tomorrow and I'll try to take some video of the first fire for you. I'll be very pleased to be able to have it near by!

Sounds great look forward to seeing it in action! Good luck with the install! I think you got a great deal on that stove Chris and it will last you a very long time..

Ray

I've got it going, Ray!
I couldn't be happier with the results. The house was at 62 °F this morning. I started taking the DW connectors off yesterday so the livingroom stove (antique) was going solo for the night. After a day full of action I finalized the install and lit a fire around 11p., The thermostat just outside the room was reading 65 °F . I turned on the blower about 15 minutes later. The hot air started to circulate in and out of the room and now it says 72 °F . I can't believe how well this thing is doing up here. I took pictures and some video of the fire. I'll post some tomorrow, but I've got to hit the hay. I can't wait to get up in the morning with a temp in the high 60's to low 70's.

Wow that's awesome Chris! Congrats and I am sure you'll be much warmer this morning! Mine ran 7 hrs. and when I got up it was still 70 up and down stairs..I can get 8 hr. burns as long as I set the air low enough and still get lots of heat unless the outside air is extremely cold it will keep the house warm through the night.. Basically your stove is the same as mine but with an improved air system. I wish the 2461 had the nice solid brass handles and air knobs like this one.. If they improved the door handles and air damper appearance on the 2461 they'd have a winner..
The stove had a thick bed of hot coals so I raked em towards the door (the secondary air comes in there) and reloaded, pushed the coals towards the splits and off she went.. I was running catalytic in 20 mins. or so.. How many sq. ft. is your home, I heat 1632 sq. ft. with mine.. I really want to see your stove in action as it must look great with the big window and it stays clean (unlike mine)..

Ray

 

[Jags]

As an old coot - I just wanted to say...hell, I don't remember what I was gonna say.

 

[VCBurner]

°F

I like your thread. It gives hope to all the burners out there who have not yet mastered the art that is woodburning. I guess half the reason why we like burning wood may be the thrill of the chase for the perfect fire. When it all comes together it is like a balet of flames.

I can't wait to have my main stove in the livingroom where I can watch it a little closer and truly learn all it's little quirks.

Hi Chris just wondering how your Dutchwest is working out for you.. Does the glass stay clean on that stove?

Ray

Hey Ray, good to hear from you! I am still enamored by its beauty. No problems getting the cat to light off, fires are nice to look at and provide plenty of heat. The glass stays mostly clean with a few cloudy spots due to the end of the overnight fire when the cat is no longer lit off and the primary is almost all the way shut. As soon as I reload the glass gets clean again. I wish these stoves had a thermostatically controlled air intake. It would prevent overfires during light off periods and slow fires at the end of the fire. The same could be said about most stoves on the market today. That being said, I like the Dutchwest and its performance very much. My next move is to bring it upstairs where I can constantly gaze at it from the couch!!

I would love to see a video of your stove burning if you could do that.. My old stove is still chugging away now that my new liner has been installed.. It made a big difference and my draft is much improved now.. The stove is running better with the good draft and I wish I had this liner all along..They still make your stove and this one has lasted a long time so I am considering your stove as my next stove plus many others.. BTW Vermont Castings makes a combo cat/non-cat stove now and it has a thermostatic damper control.. Actually all VC cat stoves come with a thermostatic damper! I will see how expensive it is.. I am trying to avoid fragile refractory parts as much as possible as I feel this is why this stove has cost so little over the years..

Ray

I've just heard about the new Vc hybrid stoves, and a thermostatic damper control, to boot! Sounds very interesting. I agree with you about the fragile refractory parts on some of the VC stoves. The worst one was in the Defiant Encore, Winterwarmer, and a couple others I think. The same refractory housing was used in a few of their stoves and considering how frequently they failed to last you would think it would be a cheap part. It was not so. I think the cost was $150-$200 for the part!! I was told that they were getting away from that particular part, but don't know if they did yet. Maybe you know? At any rate Ray, I will be installing the DW upstairs tomorrow and I'll try to take some video of the first fire for you. I'll be very pleased to be able to have it near by!

Sounds great look forward to seeing it in action! Good luck with the install! I think you got a great deal on that stove Chris and it will last you a very long time..

Ray

I've got it going, Ray!
I couldn't be happier with the results. The house was at 62 °F this morning. I started taking the DW connectors off yesterday so the livingroom stove (antique) was going solo for the night. After a day full of action I finalized the install and lit a fire around 11p., The thermostat just outside the room was reading 65 °F . I turned on the blower about 15 minutes later. The hot air started to circulate in and out of the room and now it says 72 °F . I can't believe how well this thing is doing up here. I took pictures and some video of the fire. I'll post some tomorrow, but I've got to hit the hay. I can't wait to get up in the morning with a temp in the high 60's to low 70's.

Wow that's awesome Chris! Congrats and I am sure you'll be much warmer this morning! Mine ran 7 hrs. and when I got up it was still 70 up and down stairs..I can get 8 hr. burns as long as I set the air low enough and still get lots of heat unless the outside air is extremely cold it will keep the house warm through the night.. Basically your stove is the same as mine but with an improved air system. I wish the 2461 had the nice solid brass handles and air knobs like this one.. If they improved the door handles and air damper appearance on the 2461 they'd have a winner..
The stove had a thick bed of hot coals so I raked em towards the door (the secondary air comes in there) and reloaded, pushed the coals towards the splits and off she went.. I was running catalytic in 20 mins. or so.. How many sq. ft. is your home, I heat 1632 sq. ft. with mine.. I really want to see your stove in action as it must look great with the big window and it stays clean (unlike mine)..

Ray

It was still 72 °F in the hallway this morning @7. I kept feeding the firebox last night as soon as the lower pieces would burn I packed them down and refilled with some new wood. I did this three times between 11pm and 1am. It left a huge bed of coals and really burned wood in it. In the morning there were still 2 full splits that were burned through and in coal form but with some faint flames on them. The stove was still giving off heat with a side door temp of 350 °F but the cat was also down to 300 °F . It would have given off heat for another 2 + hours probably as it also had a full bed of coals. I wish I had left it alone to see how long it would have lasted. Sorry out of space!

 

[certified106]

Chris

I'm thrilled for you, just so you know it would have lasted a long time! See my post about 15 hours between loads and I'm betting today that I will get even longer due to the fact I loaded up with hardwood this time.

 

[raybonz]

Chris I wonder if you're giving your cat too much air. If you have the stove air cut way down for a long burn you need to either keep the cat air closed or open maybe 1 turn.. At least that's how it is on this stove.. You may have had the secondary air set maybe a bit too low too.. You'll have to experiment to see what works for you.. If you have a big bed of coals the cat will turn off as there is little to burn at that stage... BTW the last post was filled up so I continued it here.. I saw what the dutchwest XL added and I am sure he can go quite a bit longer as that is a BIG stove.. Too bad it would overheat this house or I would own that one instead.. BTW Cert what vintage is your XL dutchwest?

Ray

 

[VCBurner]

Chris I wonder if you're giving your cat too much air. If you have the stove air cut way down for a long burn you need to either keep the cat air closed or open maybe 1 turn.. At least that's how it is on this stove.. You may have had the secondary air set maybe a bit too low too.. You'll have to experiment to see what works for you.. If you have a big bed of coals the cat will turn off as there is little to burn at that stage... BTW the last post was filled up so I continued it here.. I saw what the dutchwest XL added and I am sure he can go quite a bit longer as that is a BIG stove.. Too bad it would overheat this house or I would own that one instead.. BTW Cert what vintage is your XL dutchwest?

Ray

Hey Ray.
I had the primary 1/4 open and the secondary above the side door 1 turn. The primary air comes into two doors that are placed on the sidees of the front glass door. The secondary air is the cat air and comes in from above the side loading door. I'll try to have the cat/ secondary air shut a little more tonight and see if the cat will get hotter. My wood is not as good as it should be, this is probably the main culprit.

 

[raybonz]

Chris I wonder if you're giving your cat too much air. If you have the stove air cut way down for a long burn you need to either keep the cat air closed or open maybe 1 turn.. At least that's how it is on this stove.. You may have had the secondary air set maybe a bit too low too.. You'll have to experiment to see what works for you.. If you have a big bed of coals the cat will turn off as there is little to burn at that stage... BTW the last post was filled up so I continued it here.. I saw what the dutchwest XL added and I am sure he can go quite a bit longer as that is a BIG stove.. Too bad it would overheat this house or I would own that one instead.. BTW Cert what vintage is your XL dutchwest?

Ray

Hey Ray.
I had the primary 1/4 open and the secondary above the side door 1 turn. The primary air comes into two doors that are placed on the sidees of the front glass door. The secondary air is the cat air and comes in from above the side loading door. I'll try to have the cat/ secondary air shut a little more tonight and see if the cat will get hotter. My wood is not as good as it should be, this is probably the main culprit.

Hmmm wet wood bad, Jane good!.. OK on this stove I have primary air (located at ash bin for underfire air which I do not use), secondary air which is the side door and cat air (for the cat on faster burns).. Different animal to be sure so you may need to reduce your cat air for long burns then.. Good wood makes a world of difference as you know.. I got my new wood guy to deliver ash and man that seasons fast (6 mos. and it's ready to go)! I love oak but it does take a long time.. For long burns oak is excellent but needs to be dry..

Ray

 

[certified106]

Chris I wonder if you're giving your cat too much air. If you have the stove air cut way down for a long burn you need to either keep the cat air closed or open maybe 1 turn.. At least that's how it is on this stove.. You may have had the secondary air set maybe a bit too low too.. You'll have to experiment to see what works for you.. If you have a big bed of coals the cat will turn off as there is little to burn at that stage... BTW the last post was filled up so I continued it here.. I saw what the dutchwest XL added and I am sure he can go quite a bit longer as that is a BIG stove.. Too bad it would overheat this house or I would own that one instead.. BTW Cert what vintage is your XL dutchwest?

Ray

Ray, the XL I'm using now is from 1991-1992 (my dad can't remember which year he bought it) I had a 2005 dutchwest lg in my house for a while and loved the fact the front glass stayed clean. However on really cold days I wanted 10 hour burn times (with good heat output) between loads so I traded my dad the large for his XL that was in his shop. Now he is talking about replacing the 1987 large he has had in his house with this one due to the fact he likes the clean glass and putting his old large out in the shop.

I run my secondary air to the cat at about 1.5 to 2 turns on long burns so one turn on the large would seem about right to me. However your chimney/draw will greatly effect how your stove burns and once you find the sweet spot on the secondary air it shouldn't require much adjusting in my experience.