Adding secondary burn to this unique stove
- Thread starter AtomicDog
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Blazzinghot
Feeling the Heat
snobuilder, that looks super. A job well done. All you efforts paid off a very nice flames in this fire. Wow
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
What i don't understand is why you need second air for this. My stove does not have secondary air and I see the same flames wafting around in the top of the firebox (depending on primary air settings)?
Blazzinghot
Feeling the Heat
stoveliker, the only way for snobuilder to show a difference would be for him to turn off the secondary air and build very similar fire the same size with the same wood. This way he could get a comparison. A secondary burn from my observation is different from the aspect that you see a hotter flame with less yellow and more bright orange with blue. This also depends on the wood being burned. I have some old very dry pine wood that burns yellow with some blue but still is smoke free. The other factor is to check to see how the smoke is being burned by looking at the top of the chimney. There are times from my experience when a wood stove without a secondary burn system will burn hot is when it gets into the red-hot coal stage and very little smoke is seen coming from the flue. But for the most part there is smoke the rest of the time.
I have seen many different stoves fires over the last couple of years from the stoves I have cleaned up and sold. For me personally there is a difference in the way a secondary system burns as compared to one without. It is something a person must experience by seeing both in action in real life.
I sold my Country Stricker a couple of weeks ago and I took the guy into my home to show him what a secondary burn looks like and he stood there in silence for the longest time. He gave me a deposit on for the stove and came back a few days later to pick up the stove and asked if he could show his friend my Jotul so he could see the fire.
The Jotul for example has a different secondary burn from all the others stoves I have owned. I am thinking that each stove may unique in how it burns wood.
I have seen many different stoves fires over the last couple of years from the stoves I have cleaned up and sold. For me personally there is a difference in the way a secondary system burns as compared to one without. It is something a person must experience by seeing both in action in real life.
I sold my Country Stricker a couple of weeks ago and I took the guy into my home to show him what a secondary burn looks like and he stood there in silence for the longest time. He gave me a deposit on for the stove and came back a few days later to pick up the stove and asked if he could show his friend my Jotul so he could see the fire.
The Jotul for example has a different secondary burn from all the others stoves I have owned. I am thinking that each stove may unique in how it burns wood.
That video shows the burn literally 5 minutes after 2 x 5" splits were added to coals. The secondary burn comes on quickly. It seems the air tubes draw the heat and flames as you see happening.
I did close the tube intakes for a bit and the action pretty much stopped.
I agree this same stove without secondary air, in later coal stage, would also burn smoke free. Now it burns clean earlier .
Flames are blue off camera....window has tint and phone skews the color.
I did close the tube intakes for a bit and the action pretty much stopped.
I agree this same stove without secondary air, in later coal stage, would also burn smoke free. Now it burns clean earlier .
Flames are blue off camera....window has tint and phone skews the color.
Just to be clear, are you saying the EPA instigated stoves are not necessary for a clean burn?
stoveliker
Minister of Fire
No, I did not say that.
I am saying that your flames are not only possible when you have secondary air.
Comparing to the active jet like flames I see on other tube stoves, I think that these lazy flames actually don't burn all half burnt gases.
Also, You can see my stove in my signature line. I don't have secondary air. I do have these flames (depending on air setting). But when I do my cat shows there is a lot left to burn through, suggesting that the presences of these lazy secondary flames does not necessarily indicate a burn that is complete.
I am saying that your flames are not only possible when you have secondary air.
Comparing to the active jet like flames I see on other tube stoves, I think that these lazy flames actually don't burn all half burnt gases.
Also, You can see my stove in my signature line. I don't have secondary air. I do have these flames (depending on air setting). But when I do my cat shows there is a lot left to burn through, suggesting that the presences of these lazy secondary flames does not necessarily indicate a burn that is complete.
I am curious why if you dislike the innovations brought forth by the EPA regulations so much why are you trying to copy them?
I only dislike what many poor folks are experiencing as posted readily on this great website. I keep my fires in check no matter what I need to do or despite what some government control advocate wants to tell me is right.
Perfect burn
Just install the stove to spec and it will be safe and controllable. It really isn't as complicated as you are making it
It's not complicated to me. Again those are your words.
Why limit your stove?
I claim more efficiency despite what the EPA mandated. They fell short of what is easily accomplished.
The old Wonderwood stoves captured more available heat than the new stoves....lol
That is not what actual laboratory testing shows.
All the unburnt volatiles the wonderwoods sent up the stack was unused BTUs.
Installed properly modern stoves can run at very low exhaust temps (just above the condensation point) I really don't know how you think you are going to safely go below that. And if you are pulling heat out of the firebox you won't reach proper temps for secondary combustion meaning you will be sending unburnt BTUs up the stack
Again I would have control over that situation as well but I am confident he secondary burn will be active with fans running. If not, I can slow fans down of off. My old wood furnace at my primary residence has a large plenum and blower and the secondaries work very well ,....as shown in a previous post here.
I am not telling anyone what to do just showing what I did and my results.
Blazzinghot
Feeling the Heat
I see have completed your project and things seem to be working well. Thanks for sharing the results.
Similar threads
