"A good burn"

[kmmuellr]

What makes a "good burn". I just got this stove insert for my fire place and would like to know if I'm using it properly.

At night (last night's picture attached 10pm) I'll get it burning good and hot. When I took this picture, the thermo on the top of the stove (middle, by the bypass lever) was about 650 degrees. This morning at 7 when I checked to re-light, the fan had just turned off (turned back on w/in 5 min of fire starting). Usually I'll closed the air down before it gets that hot, but I was a bit distracted last night. Overnight burn has the air totally shut off.

So, I'm getting 8-9 hours on an overnight load w/ hot coals to re-light w/o a problem.

During the day, I'll re-light at 7-ish, then by noon I put in another load (I work from home). At this point before I re-load, I've pulled the coals forward a few times, and have the air wide open. Another load probably around 4pm, then 10.

I'm a wimp, and I like it warm. Unfortunately, my office is as far from the stove as I can get on the main floor of my house. Upstairs (cathedral ceiling w/ an opening to the hallway) is cozy. 2400 sq ft colonial. I need to figure out how to get the air moving back to my office!

So, what's a "good burn" and does my burning schedule seem OK? Also note that the secondary tubes are starting to glow in the attached picture. Is this OK or too hot?

Thanks!
Kevin

 

[pen]

A good burn is one that meets your needs. Sounds like yours is meeting your demands just fine. I could get away w/ a smaller stove at my house, but opted for the larger one for the longer burn times. Sometimes this means we are opening a window and burn more wood than necessary, but at least I don't come home to a cold house and have to relight the stove while I am trying to get dinner on.

Everyone has different criteria. I say if you are happy, the fire is hot and clean keeping the chimney clean, and you are running the stove safely, then you are doing a fine job.

pen

 

[SlyFerret]

650 is on the high end of the range I burn in. I'm usually in the 550 range, although, if I really load it up (like this morning) it'll get up towards 650.

From the pic you posted, it looks like your stove is burning just fine!

As far as moving heat around, you'll probably need to play around with the speed and direction of your ceiling fans (if you have them), as well as placement of box fans. I find that when I need to move heat around, it works best to try and move the colder (more dense) air and let it displace the warmer air to where I want it.

Now that we're getting into actual winter around here, I'll light the stove in the morning, go to work, and light it in the evening when I get home again. When it starts getting into the more extreme (for Ohio) cold temperatures in Jan/Feb, I build a slightly smaller fire when I get home in the evening to get things going, and then hope that it burns down enough that I can reload before I go to bed. This tends to backfire on occasion though, and I end up sleeping on the couch waiting to reload, and then keeping an eye on it while it gets going again.

The problem with reloading before the stove has had time to cool down, is that its very easy to have it take off and want to run up into over-fire territory. I try not to let my stove get over 700 if I can. I know 700 won't damage it, but it's hotter than I'm comfortable letting it get.

-SF

 

[BrotherBart]

What kind of insert is that? Put the model in your sig line so we know when you post what stove you are talking about.

 

[kmmuellr]

What kind of insert is that? Put the model in your sig line so we know when you post what stove you are talking about.

Sorry, I meant to mention that, and forgot!

Lopi Republic 1750i.

Kevin

 

[Pagey]

That's the same fire box as my Endeavor, and that pic looks like a fine burn to me! Sounds like you're doing just fine.

 

['bert]

I have the sec air tubes red / white on mine on a reg basis. I think there are suppose to get that way but I am not 100% sure.

 

[chrisman34]

I have a Lopi Endeavor. and it's not happy untill it is 550 600ish. It will easily get up to 700+ on the cooktop. What concerns me is it will run along at 600 or so for an hour plus with the primary air barely open, then just shoot to 800+ which is over fire!! I shut primary totaly and i will usually die out quick. It just doesn't want to co-operate. I have oak and maple cut 3 years ago split and stacked for for a year and a half. The other odd....I guess good thing is with a top temp of 700 My stack is just below 300?!?!? After reading other posts I will bake my top thermometer to see if it is accurate!

 

[JimboH]

We've also got a new Lopi Republic 1750i insert. (Our first insert) Our initial load of wood was Red Elm that had been seasoned two years, and it burned long and hot. Stove top temps easily around 500. A couple times it got away from me and shot up to the 650-700 range. I didn't like that at all. Is it safe to have the re-burner pipes glowing red? The rest of the stove is not glowing.

Now I'm burning Ash that I got from a guy cutting standing dead trees. It's a little damper than the Elm, so it takes a while to get a fire going. The temp seems to stay around 250, then suddenly fire up to 450. I find with this wood I need to keep the air fully open to make it burn, until it gets going.

It's a great stove, and heats our 1750 square foot house just fine. We have a very open floor plan, so the heat moves around the house easily. During our first month of wood heat, we reduced natural gas consumption by 71%. Wow!

I'm still trying to figure out the best stove temp. It seems to change with each load of wood!

Cheers!

Jim

 

[chrisman34]

It is my understanding that glowing re burn tubes is ok as long as nothing else is. I am starting to get used to how mine works...still frustrating at times when it sits happily idling along at 600 for an hour and then shots to 750 -800!