I have only used my Avalon Olympic about 4 times and i can't seem to keep a flame going. The only way i can really keep the flame going is to leave the door open 1/4 inch. I am burning aged, dry hedge. I get the fire roaring and then shut the door and it goes to no flame in about 2 minutes. I have the air pushed all the way in and i have tried both with the damer open and the damper closed still but can't keep the flames going. Is this normal?
Avalon olympic
- Thread starter kyle
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What you're calling the "damper", I'm assuming, is the handle up on the side of the stove? That's a secondary air bypass which allows for max draft during startup when pulled all the way out. The air adjustment beneath the loading door on the front of the stove is the primary air adjustment...all the way in is wide open. Even in the dead of winter, when I light my Lopi Liberty (your stove's sister) from cold, I have the primary wide open, the bypass wide open, and leave the door cracked open until I have a good fire getting going, then I shut the door. WHen my stovepipe temp gets up close to 500F with a nice fire raging, I shut the secondary bypass. After that I start regulating with the primary. Could be you're not using a good mix of kindling/small splits/larger splits, (wood's too big), or you're impatient...not letting it get goin' good before you start restricting airflow. Dunno. Rick
What i called the damper is the bypass- "controls the smoke inside the stove. When pulled out smoke goes directly up the flue and pushed in the smoke goes around the baffle utilizing the secondary combustion. Impatient could possible be the problem, but i have a raging fire going then leave bypass wide open and primary wide open and shut the door and for about 2 minutes you can really see the secondary combustion at the along the top pipes. After that just hot coals and no fire. I need to get a Magnetic thermometer and see where i am at with temps. I burned a buck stove for 10 years and it was a totally different fire. Thanks for your imput and i will keep playing with it.
Are you using small splits? I like to put 2 pieces of fatwood right next to front of the stove (right in front of the little shelf where the air comes in) I put one big split in the back and rest 2 smaller splits on top of it. This will put the 2 smaller spits right over the fatwood. On top of the 2 smaller splits I put one medium size on top. So I have 4 pieces I use at startup, only one is a big splits. The fatwood is lit with a small coin size piece of cardboard firestarter, and I have the secondary air pass open and the primary air pushed in.
In about 5 minutes I like to close the secondary air pass and keep the primary still pushed all the way in until I have about 500F stovetop temp. The I slowly close her down in stages. I don't expect much with only 4 splits but it heats up the stove fast and that's the name of the game
With good seasoned wood and at least 15 total feet of pipe from stove bottom to chimney cap you should get quick starts every time. Wood that is not seasoned will not start quickly and you will get frustrated.
So 1 big piece east/west in the stove, 2 smaller north/south ways on top, and one east/west on top of the 2 smaller ones. Use fatwood or a firestarter right in front of where the air comes in for the primary. I don't even need to open the door, my draft is plenty (only 17 feet of chimney pipe too).
Give this a try a let us know
In about 5 minutes I like to close the secondary air pass and keep the primary still pushed all the way in until I have about 500F stovetop temp. The I slowly close her down in stages. I don't expect much with only 4 splits but it heats up the stove fast and that's the name of the game
With good seasoned wood and at least 15 total feet of pipe from stove bottom to chimney cap you should get quick starts every time. Wood that is not seasoned will not start quickly and you will get frustrated.
So 1 big piece east/west in the stove, 2 smaller north/south ways on top, and one east/west on top of the 2 smaller ones. Use fatwood or a firestarter right in front of where the air comes in for the primary. I don't even need to open the door, my draft is plenty (only 17 feet of chimney pipe too).
Give this a try a let us know
Secondary combustion is easily achieved with a good coal bed and dry wood - and I find it helps to fill the fire box, which is tough if you do not want all that heat this early in the season.
I get the wood going with the door cracked - then close the door and leave the bypass going until the wood is going pretty well. I watch the stove top and like it to hit 400 or so before closing the bypass - easier to achieve with the large coal bed and already hot stove.
Another issue may be an air leak. A leak in the glass gasket or door gasket will hinder that secondary air.
I get the wood going with the door cracked - then close the door and leave the bypass going until the wood is going pretty well. I watch the stove top and like it to hit 400 or so before closing the bypass - easier to achieve with the large coal bed and already hot stove.
Another issue may be an air leak. A leak in the glass gasket or door gasket will hinder that secondary air.
thanks for all the help. Things are much better. I was not getting it hot enough. Hedge is very hard and takes allot of heat to get going and i found out with such a tight stove you really need to get it to at least 400 degrees before you start to slow down. thanks again.
Glad to hear things are getting better. You might even try getting her a little hotter, the magic number for me is 500F then I slowly shut down in stages, with a good coal bed secondary burns are easy to get around 500F and up :cheese: Never get tired of those secondary burns or ghost flames 
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yes that is true, I ahve the same stove. You need to get it up there abit before you damper her down.
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