Grandpa III Questions

yes, he was here last Saturday. @coaly

Welcome to the forum;
Another spring cold blast caught me short on wood and that is our only heat source, so it has been a couple days scrounging Ash and standing dead . A good reason I don't have an EPA stove.....

Pictured is a Grandpa III with Fireplace Legs.
Remove the fireplace grate inside the stove, that is not for use in an air tight wood stove. Burn on a minimum of one inch of ash to slow the fire. It will burn down in the front overnight and leave you with enough coals to rake ahead in the morning to build your new fire on. On a grate it will be out and you will have no coals.

Use of a heat reclaimer in the pipe is a very bad idea.
They remove far too much heat required to keep the chimney clean. Heat with the stove, not with what you believe is excess heat left up the chimney.
Use a magnetic thermometer on the pipe. The object is to stay above 250* f. to the top of chimney flue when smoke is present.

Prices are seasonal and vary greatly by location. You would do OK for a UL listed stove for that price.

wstnodak said:

Dang you are a wealth of knowledge! Thanks. I had no idea regarding the heat reclaimer and the grate. Is there anyway to "push" the warm air away from the stove to circulate it better?

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Yes, there are right and wrong ways to move air.
Warm air is lighter than colder air so it is harder to move light air into heavier cooler air. Place a fan on the floor in a doorway away from the stove and move cooler air towards the stove. That will cause the warmer air above the stove to move away more efficiently.

Even blowing cool indoor air on a single wall pipe is detrimental to draft by cooling the rising flue gasses before they enter the chimney. The rising gasses going up the chimney is what makes the stove work by allowing atmospheric air pressure to PUSH into the stove feeding the fire oxygen. Slow the draft with an obstruction such as a pipe damper that controls velocity or cooling the rising gasses slows the fire. So the more you loose, the stronger it makes the fire, but decreases efficiency, hence the fine line keeping flue temps above 250* to the top to prevent creosote formation and not allowing too much to escape that doesn't help radiate more into the home.

A fireplace grate is to raise the wood to get air circulation through it to burn fast since you need lots of wasted heat up the chimney to heat a much larger flue built for a fireplace. It reduces smoke which causes creosote as well. Burning in a stove lined with firebrick increases firebox temperature. (which makes the fire cleaner) Controlled burning in a stove reduces stack temp which is what makes it more efficient. You don't want the coals dropping away from the fuel being heated in a stove, you want the fuel close to the coals and charcoal created which has a lower combustion temperature.

*** Burning 24/7 you want to remove the fine ash that has burned down near the front air intakes and rake the coals and charcoal with a little ash ahead each morning. Build your fire on the coals and you never have to leave the fire go out to remove ash. Just keep about 1 inch on the stove bottom to slow the burn.***

wstnodak said:

Also what is the deal with standing ash and not using an EPA stove? I have a lot of standing ash and elm I plan to burn.

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An EPA stove requires dry wood that has been seasoned a year or more. All woods are different, some taking twice that long. Water vapor prevents secondary combustion in EPA stoves that burn and get their heat from smoke, preventing smoke from exiting the chimney. Older stoves are much more forgiving burning less than desirable fuel. It comes with a price, not being as efficient with each piece of wood.

Ash is the only wood that doesn't require seasoning in an older stove, so it can be burned right away if needed. There is an epidemic of an Ash Borer insect from Asia that is devestating all Ash species, so they are plentiful. Standing dead dries quickly if you have a few weeks to a month. Sunshine, lots of air circulation and storing next to the stove before burning dries it in a hurry. ALWAYS try to have you wood cut the year before to remove as much moisture as possible. Seasoning starts when it is split and stacked for air circulation. Not when it is cut in lengths. It burns better, heats better, and your chimney stays clean for lots of technical reasons going on in your firebox and chimney.

If it sizzles or liquid bubbles out the ends it shouldn't be in your stove. The old way of "wagon wheel" cracks on the wood ends is not an accurate way to tell when your fuel is ready. Invest in a moisture meter and take readings in the face of a fresh split piece, not the ends.Less than 20% is good to go.

Elm-wood burns like churchyard mould,
E'en the very flames are cold;
But ash-wood green and ash-wood brown
Are fit for a Queen with a golden crown.

Ash-wood wet and ash-wood dry
A King may warm his slippers by.
Anon

http://www.eudesign.com/mnems/burnwood.htm