I've been freaking out since this afternoon. I loaded up the stove with some splits and then went outside on my deck. The neighbor lady was in her yard playing with her dog and yelled over, "You really have a lot of smoke!" My reply was, "I just loaded it up!" Well anyway, my mind started going and I started to get a little freaked out. I'm thinking now that the maple splits I put in weren't really dry enough, but my mind works in funny ways and I need you guys to help me calm down a little bit. Take a look at my firing process and tell me if I'm missing something fundamental.
First off, I burn an add-on wood furnace and do not have a cat or secondary burn. I start a fire using newspaper and 2x4's split into kindling. I turn my intake damper all the way open and open the ash door a little bit. Once the kindling has taken off, I begin to add small splits of hardwood. Since the intake damper is automatic (controlled by a bimetal spring that lowers the damper when it gets hot) just leave it on the high setting until the splits have begun to burn down a little. On start up, I get the magnetic thermostat up to ~400-425, which should equate to close to ~800 internal. I maintain this temp for a for a few minutes (5-10) before adjusting the air to coast it back down. I maintain a setting on the automatic damper so that the magnetic thermometer stays at ~200, which should equate to ~400 internal. Once I start to get a bed of coals started, I then start adding larger splits. Whenever I reload, I open the intake all the way and leave it open for 5-10 minutes so I can char the freshly added wood. Once it has charred, I reset the damper to maintain the ~200 degree surface temp of the stove pipe.
After my little freak-out session, I waited and reloaded the stove with wood that I knew was dry and seasoned. While it did smoke a little when I had the intake wide open, it quickly turned into wisps of white once the wood was charred and I had the stove settled in to my "normal" routine. The white was quick to dissipate unlike the other stuff that just kind of drifted away.
So, let the flaming begin. Did I just use some wood that wasn't ready or is my process wrong?
First off, I burn an add-on wood furnace and do not have a cat or secondary burn. I start a fire using newspaper and 2x4's split into kindling. I turn my intake damper all the way open and open the ash door a little bit. Once the kindling has taken off, I begin to add small splits of hardwood. Since the intake damper is automatic (controlled by a bimetal spring that lowers the damper when it gets hot) just leave it on the high setting until the splits have begun to burn down a little. On start up, I get the magnetic thermostat up to ~400-425, which should equate to close to ~800 internal. I maintain this temp for a for a few minutes (5-10) before adjusting the air to coast it back down. I maintain a setting on the automatic damper so that the magnetic thermometer stays at ~200, which should equate to ~400 internal. Once I start to get a bed of coals started, I then start adding larger splits. Whenever I reload, I open the intake all the way and leave it open for 5-10 minutes so I can char the freshly added wood. Once it has charred, I reset the damper to maintain the ~200 degree surface temp of the stove pipe.
After my little freak-out session, I waited and reloaded the stove with wood that I knew was dry and seasoned. While it did smoke a little when I had the intake wide open, it quickly turned into wisps of white once the wood was charred and I had the stove settled in to my "normal" routine. The white was quick to dissipate unlike the other stuff that just kind of drifted away.
So, let the flaming begin. Did I just use some wood that wasn't ready or is my process wrong?
