At what setting do you keep the air control on your wood burning stove during fall, winter, and early spring months?
Air control on your wood burning stove.
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Ctwoodtick
Minister of Fire
huh?
I certainly don't control the heat by the amount of wood in the stove only.
In fact, the amount of wood does not have much to do with the amount of heat I get - in my stove.
If you always run at the lowest clean setting, haven't you oversized your stove for your home? (Unless you're providing a base heat load and are modulating towards comfort with another thermostat-driven heating system.)
Ctwoodtick
Minister of Fire
My experience is with non- cat stoves only for what it’s worth. But, yeah in general the amount of wood in stove dictates the btus I get. The air control may give a quick blast of heat I suppose but a lot of that heat goes up the chimney.
I’ve seen a lot of people on here talking about how you control overall heat in the living space by the amount of wood in stove primarily. I don’t believe this is controversial. Perhaps me saying the word “ only” was a slight exaggeration.
Interesting. I've seen that idea "only" (🤣) for the "small fire in a big firebox" approach.
I had the impression that most folks loaded up their firebox fully to give the longest burn for the air-setting (heat output) they need.
With a fully loaded firebox, one would always burn at max output in your thinking?
I had the impression that most folks loaded up their firebox fully to give the longest burn for the air-setting (heat output) they need.
With a fully loaded firebox, one would always burn at max output in your thinking?
Ctwoodtick
Minister of Fire
For example , With a full load of let’s say hardwood being burned in October in southern New England, the btu’s would easily overheat the living area unless the stove is relatively undersized. I should note that my stove is relatively closer to where we are sitting in the living room so we get especially toasty. If you’re in Long Island, you have the same climate as I do in southern CT. These shoulder season burns are challenging bc it can go from “let’s have a fire” to “let’s open some windows” pretty quick. Once the colder weather sets in, we are doing full loads of wood in the stove (medium sized stove). But I honestly do try to get to the lowest air setting ASAP to maximize efficiency. My Jotul insert is getting older so maybe that’s not the best example of air setting usage. At my camp in Maine, I have a regency stove bought in 2020 that puts out big heat on the lowest air setting. Once you in that “cruising” stage of the burn, I can’t imagine having the air on anything but lowest setting.
Ctwoodtick
Minister of Fire
With a fully loaded firebox, one would always burn at max output in your thinking.
No- completely the opposite
No- completely the opposite
I thought that e.g. begreens PE was able to work in shoulder season mode. I e. Lower output.
If your regency puts out a lot of heat at the lowest setting I think it's too big?
But if you say the load makes the output per hour, a fully loaded box equates big output?
If your regency puts out a lot of heat at the lowest setting I think it's too big?
But if you say the load makes the output per hour, a fully loaded box equates big output?
So. Are you saying if I load my stove up fully and lower the air control to low. I should get a lot of heat in my house ?
In any case, if what you are saying is how things work for many, I'm even more satisfied with my stove. I can keep my living room at 70 regardless of whether it's 45 F or 5 F and storming outside, just by moving my air control - all with the same tetrised fully packed load of oak... (And the burn time responds accordingly, less time at 5 F and more time at 45 F.)
I would never want a stove that is basically "off or on" without tunability after loading it to the extent I think is right when the burn starts.
I would never want a stove that is basically "off or on" without tunability after loading it to the extent I think is right when the burn starts.
Ctwoodtick
Minister of Fire
Yes you should. As long as the you had the air on high to get the load of wood ignited. Then back down the air gradually to low. You should get good secondary burn and stove top temps where you want them.
With my noncats I generally controlled heat more with type of wood and the way I loaded the stove. It was almost always run with the air closed all the way unless it was teens or less outside.
Ctwoodtick
Minister of Fire
That’s good that you have found the setup that works well for you. That’s what it is all about. I’ve been so dialed in to how I do my thing here, that I couldn’t imagine doing different. Probably a lot to be said for the variables like stove, house configuration, etc are different for the two of us. My guess is that we both probably go the same amount of wood, burn clean, and save money
Hm. It appears then that you have sized the stove for the lowest temps that occur (I e. For 5% of the time), and as a consequence you have to give up control when it it as cold.
There is an air control on the stove, but it appears it's only used to start the stove (char and dial down - in 95 %.of the time to the lowest setting, where it.still overheats the home regularly...!), and not to control heat output.
That is a level of inflexibility I would dislike.
There is an air control on the stove, but it appears it's only used to start the stove (char and dial down - in 95 %.of the time to the lowest setting, where it.still overheats the home regularly...!), and not to control heat output.
That is a level of inflexibility I would dislike.
Ctwoodtick
Minister of Fire
Keep in mind that while you may gain a notch of heat with a higher setting, you are also putting more heat up the chimney than necessary. Modern stoves are more or less designed to be run on low. I get stove top temps like 700 on low with my non cat stoves. I wouldn’t want the stove top getting too much hotter
The efficiency (ratio of heat up the flue versus into the room) on my stove was tested (!) to be the same on low and high..(I believe it was within 1%).
Even then, I don't have a stove to play "most efficient", instead I have it to keep my home comfortable. S even if efficiency would get.lower (it doesn't for me), if that is what it takes to be comfortable, so be it. We do the same when driving; we don't only drive 30 mph (lower wind resistance)...
By the way, I think I am not gaining a notch, but 300%. As in on low my stove puts out a quarter of the heat per hour it puts out on high.
That is the tunability I am liking as opposed to "at low air it heats me out of the room unless it's 10 F"
Even then, I don't have a stove to play "most efficient", instead I have it to keep my home comfortable. S even if efficiency would get.lower (it doesn't for me), if that is what it takes to be comfortable, so be it. We do the same when driving; we don't only drive 30 mph (lower wind resistance)...
By the way, I think I am not gaining a notch, but 300%. As in on low my stove puts out a quarter of the heat per hour it puts out on high.
That is the tunability I am liking as opposed to "at low air it heats me out of the room unless it's 10 F"
Ctwoodtick
Minister of Fire
Like the stove model was tested or you had your exact stove tested? Just curious. If that’s accurate that’s great. It just seems counterintuitive to everything I’ve read on this forum for the last 10 yrs.
Agreed it’s not all about efficiency. When I’m getting 700 degrees stove top and thus happy, on low setting, my thoughts go to “ why turn the air up?”.
The model. The flue is the unknown here.
And I read different things here .. evidently.
Maybe there's confirmation bias at play here...
And I read different things here .. evidently.
Maybe there's confirmation bias at play here...
Ctwoodtick
Minister of Fire
I suppose. The “ start on high and throttle back to lower setting” concept is definitely the one I’ve seen most often. Either way, it’s all goodThe model. The flue is the unknown here.
And I read different things here .. evidently.
Maybe there's confirmation bias at play here...
Yes, but that (start, throttle) means there is no control.
I start on high *and then throttle to the setting I want* - which almost never is the same. (I'm fact I check the weather forecast, temp and sun, before I throttle - but can change it at any time after that to change the output).
All good indeed. Thanks for the conversation.
I start on high *and then throttle to the setting I want* - which almost never is the same. (I'm fact I check the weather forecast, temp and sun, before I throttle - but can change it at any time after that to change the output).
All good indeed. Thanks for the conversation.
I fully load the stove almost every burn in non cat jotul f400.
Then adjust draft to as low as i can run it and keep the secondaries burning well or at least a clean burn if secondaries are not cooperating.
I adjust the heat output in shoulder season by letting the fires go out and light new fires when it gets cold inside. So maybe just 1 or 2 fires (or loads) a day.
The wood type and stacking geometry also changes the heat output by shorter hotter burns or longer less intense burns.
My draft is not really great at acting like a thermostat, and i don't really try to use it as one very often.
Then adjust draft to as low as i can run it and keep the secondaries burning well or at least a clean burn if secondaries are not cooperating.
I adjust the heat output in shoulder season by letting the fires go out and light new fires when it gets cold inside. So maybe just 1 or 2 fires (or loads) a day.
The wood type and stacking geometry also changes the heat output by shorter hotter burns or longer less intense burns.
My draft is not really great at acting like a thermostat, and i don't really try to use it as one very often.
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