I recently purchased a new Nordic 100 wood stove. I'm very new to wood burnning and still trying to figure this unit out. I've read that stop top temp should be 400-600 degrees. How long have people seen to get this stove up to temp? Is there a secret to starting and stoking the stove as it's a small fire box? It seems that I need to use alot of kindling and get a very good fire before I can put any decent log in. I have been running the stove around 350 but realize that I'm not using the stove to capacity. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Any Jotul Nordic users?
- Thread starter labrecque
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I had a Nordic that I used last year and it is a little confounding to operate.
However, I found that my wood was not dry enough for such a small firebox. When I used good seasoned wood, the stove was able to put out some really good heat, eventhough I had a rather short poorly drafting chimney.
To get it to work best, I would break down my wood to splits no bigger than 4". Then with a decent coal bed of about 2 or even 3 inches I would re-load and let the stove get hot fast. Like 450 or 500, then cut the air back to 1/2 and look for flames shooting out of the holes in the top corners of the back plate.
I would let it run like that for about 10 or 15 minutes, then cut back the air to about 1/4. Any less and the wood started to smoulder.
It would burn for about 2 hours and go from 500 or 550 degrees on the stove top to 250 or 300 when I would re-load. Sometimes longer depending on how well I packed it. When I first set up the stove I had about 1/2 cord of ash. And that was the best wood that I was able to operate the stove with. I had some decent 4 hour+ burns with the ash.
I was never able to pack the firebox tight because the wood just did not seem to catch fire and burn, mostly a draft issue, now I have a new chimney(and stove). So i was limited to the amount of wood the firebox would effectively hold in order to get a decent burn and good heat.
After your kindiling fire, put on some small splits , about 2-2 1/2" in diameter and add one larger split to the top. Don't fill the firebox. Let that burn down to a good coal bed, but don't let the stove cool too much. Re-load when the stove top temp is about 300 - 350. Let that load bring the stove back up to 450 or 500 and start cutting back the air.
How do you have this thing vented?
What type of wood are you burning?
J.P.
However, I found that my wood was not dry enough for such a small firebox. When I used good seasoned wood, the stove was able to put out some really good heat, eventhough I had a rather short poorly drafting chimney.
To get it to work best, I would break down my wood to splits no bigger than 4". Then with a decent coal bed of about 2 or even 3 inches I would re-load and let the stove get hot fast. Like 450 or 500, then cut the air back to 1/2 and look for flames shooting out of the holes in the top corners of the back plate.
I would let it run like that for about 10 or 15 minutes, then cut back the air to about 1/4. Any less and the wood started to smoulder.
It would burn for about 2 hours and go from 500 or 550 degrees on the stove top to 250 or 300 when I would re-load. Sometimes longer depending on how well I packed it. When I first set up the stove I had about 1/2 cord of ash. And that was the best wood that I was able to operate the stove with. I had some decent 4 hour+ burns with the ash.
I was never able to pack the firebox tight because the wood just did not seem to catch fire and burn, mostly a draft issue, now I have a new chimney(and stove). So i was limited to the amount of wood the firebox would effectively hold in order to get a decent burn and good heat.
After your kindiling fire, put on some small splits , about 2-2 1/2" in diameter and add one larger split to the top. Don't fill the firebox. Let that burn down to a good coal bed, but don't let the stove cool too much. Re-load when the stove top temp is about 300 - 350. Let that load bring the stove back up to 450 or 500 and start cutting back the air.
How do you have this thing vented?
What type of wood are you burning?
J.P.
I have one and can relate.. My chimney is at the low end of what's acceptable for this stove, at 16 feet. Prior to installing a power chimney cap, I fought daily trying to start a fire. Now that I have instant draft from my power chimney cap, it's a breeze to get started. I usually just leave the chimney fan on for about an hour after loading it up.. Then turn it off and the natural draft takes over...
Regarding stove top temps.. I can really only get the stove to over 500 if I have the draft wide open and a full firebox full of engulfed wood. It doesnt last long though.. I've been burning all day long and the stove temp has been hovering between 400-450 pretty much the entire day.
It's a great little stove and I love it now, but it has a huge learning curve.
I agree with JP.. You've got to get a nice hot bed going before you can put on the bigger splits. You know that it's hot enough if you can drop in a new split and it catches immediately.
Regarding stove top temps.. I can really only get the stove to over 500 if I have the draft wide open and a full firebox full of engulfed wood. It doesnt last long though.. I've been burning all day long and the stove temp has been hovering between 400-450 pretty much the entire day.
It's a great little stove and I love it now, but it has a huge learning curve.
I agree with JP.. You've got to get a nice hot bed going before you can put on the bigger splits. You know that it's hot enough if you can drop in a new split and it catches immediately.
I heat my basement office with the Nordic and like the little sucker. Of course with a 30+ foot chimney, draft and startup isn't a problem. Top down startup with half a firebox of pine kindling and fifteen minutes later a couple of splits on top and 500 - 600 degrees in thirty minutes or so.
If I wasn't down here at the desk all day to keep feeding it the little bastard would be on craigslist. But since I am I like it.
If I wasn't down here at the desk all day to keep feeding it the little bastard would be on craigslist. But since I am I like it.
labrecque said:
The best the stove has ever done was three hours or so. Stove top temp around 450. I usually just run it at 600 and keep feeding it during the day.
Wher are you putting your stovetop temp guage. I have mine right on the flue collar as the chimney is top vented. Is this a okay position?
The one on the pipe is the standard 18" from the stove top. The one on the stove top is between the flue collar and the edge of the stove per the Jotul manual.
So, on mine the temp guage is a Rutland and their recomended temp range is "250-550" Last night I had it one the stove top and only saw roughly 375-- put it on the flue collar and got 520. I gues I'm confused as the temp says over burn after 600 in which that would be achieved through the chimeny or are they saying stove top
labrecque said:
The ranges on a Rutland chimney thermometer are for the chimney. The ranges in the Jotul manual are for the stove top.
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