25 yr old Tulikivi
- Thread starter Cabininthewoods
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You are lucky that's a masonry heater. It looks like it has a few cracks here and there - just ignore them they don't effect performance. There isn't much to take care of. Inspect the soapstone in the firebox for cracks and damage. To clean it you remove those 2 little round doors and stick a vacuum head in there and suck up the ashes. They burn really hot so there won't be much ash.
This thing should last a long, long time. How to use it? You build 1 or 2 fires per day. The fires burn for a couple of hours. The heat energy is absorbed into the mass which than radiates the warmth for 12 to 24 hours. There is a damper somewhere on that masonry heater - this is a knob that you turn or pull out to open the air passageway. It is probably at head height although sometimes they are near the ground.
You open this passage way (pull the knob) when you are ready to burn. When the fire goes out you close the passageway (push the knob in) thus preventing your heat from escaping up the chimney.
There may be something you have to open to get air to the fire - or maybe it is built-in. The fire has to have air - it looks like it may be built in. The best way to build a fire is the top-down method - that is little kindling/paper on top such that the fire slowly burns downward. This way more of the wood's released gases are burned.
Oh ya inspect the grate, too. That little ashdoor below the firebox will have a pan that you can pull out to dump your ashes. The grate can be replaced if worn out.
This thing should last a long, long time. How to use it? You build 1 or 2 fires per day. The fires burn for a couple of hours. The heat energy is absorbed into the mass which than radiates the warmth for 12 to 24 hours. There is a damper somewhere on that masonry heater - this is a knob that you turn or pull out to open the air passageway. It is probably at head height although sometimes they are near the ground.
You open this passage way (pull the knob) when you are ready to burn. When the fire goes out you close the passageway (push the knob in) thus preventing your heat from escaping up the chimney.
There may be something you have to open to get air to the fire - or maybe it is built-in. The fire has to have air - it looks like it may be built in. The best way to build a fire is the top-down method - that is little kindling/paper on top such that the fire slowly burns downward. This way more of the wood's released gases are burned.
Oh ya inspect the grate, too. That little ashdoor below the firebox will have a pan that you can pull out to dump your ashes. The grate can be replaced if worn out.
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The way this Tulikivi works - you load the firebox with firewood, open the damper, open the firebox air supply (unless built-in), burn your wood (1.5-2.5 hours), and close the damper - done. You do 1 or 2 fires a day depending on how cold it is and the size of the cabin.
Your masonry heater is a contraflow type - that is the heat goes up into a chamber above the firebox, than goes down one of two side channels, and than exits into the chimney behind the heater. Below the firebox are channels for the down coming exhaust to travel through - (that is the exhaust that is coming down the side channels).
Your masonry heater is a contraflow type - that is the heat goes up into a chamber above the firebox, than goes down one of two side channels, and than exits into the chimney behind the heater. Below the firebox are channels for the down coming exhaust to travel through - (that is the exhaust that is coming down the side channels).
Thank for finding that one. Given the fireplace's age I would definitely be sure it got a good cleaning. Here is Tulikivi's contact info:
Tulikivi North America
Customer Service
9-4 EST Monday to Friday
1 800 843 3473
[email protected]
jetsam
Minister of Fire
Those guys make some pretty stoves. Every time I see one I am impressed.
Some neat photos (broken link removed to http://www.woodmasonry.com/pages/custom.html). I get the impression that some of those stoves cost more than my house, though.
Some neat photos (broken link removed to http://www.woodmasonry.com/pages/custom.html). I get the impression that some of those stoves cost more than my house, though.
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Simonkenton
Minister of Fire
I hope that heater works well for you. I like the Tulikivi and came within an inch of installing one in my home 20 years ago.
Beautiful heaters.
I have read that 10 percent of new construction homes in Finland are heated only with masonry stoves, and it gets really cold in Finland.
Beautiful heaters.
I have read that 10 percent of new construction homes in Finland are heated only with masonry stoves, and it gets really cold in Finland.
Thank you all for your help! We've followed the instructions here, but still having a little trouble getting the unit to be a valuable source of heat. We may need a new door and/or gaskets.
Thank you again!
Thank you again!
Is the wood nice and dry? Describe how you are loading and running the Tulikivi. How long is the burn?
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