Burn time -- Definition?

[Deron]

I'm trying to determine my burn time on a full load of wood. I haven't seen this discussed before. It seems like a pretty
general question, at least as to when it begins, but what are the determinations of the stove manufacturers as to when
burn time ends?

I would say it would be fairly accurate to say the burn time begins once the pile's fully engulfed?

But when does it officially end? Once the flames are completely gone out? When the blower kicks off? When the last of
the large embers are no longer aglow and producing radiant heat?

 

[gzecc]

Thats a good question. Seems like another marketing term, to make everyone feel warm and fuzzy. Really should be heat time, we are all concerned with. With a minimum threshold of heat (temperature) held on for x amount of time. Thats too specific for marketing departments, no wiggle room.

 

[BrotherBart]

To the manufacturer it is from the time you strike the match until the last coal has gone out.

 

[Fsappo]

There was a whole thread on this a few weeks back. As a retailer, when I quote burn times to customers, it has NOTHING to do with what the brochure says. I'll quote them based on real life results and 25 years of feedback from my clients. I would define burn time as when the stove reaches temp (3-400 degrees) to where it cools down to the point that you can put your hand on it and not get a burn. Also, with enough coals left in the box to allow a fire to be restarted without kindling.

 

[Hurricane]

Here is the link to the thread Franks is referring to. There are many opinions and comments on this subject.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/47188/

 

[ControlFreak]

I consider the burn time in my 1401 to be the amount of time that can elapse between loads with enough residual coals to be able to ignite the next load. Or another way: I think of burn time as the max period between reloads without having to light a match. I'm not aware of a formal, technical definition of "burn time" for this industry.

I operate on an 8-9 hour reload cycle: taking out ash, bringing the coals forward and packing the firebox, every 8-9 hours. I do not need kindling unless I go 10-11 hours. In that case there will still be a couple live coals which can be fanned back into a small glowing pile which needs kindling to get the stove back up to a reasonable temp and create a decent coal bed for a full load.

 

[Deron]

Here is the link to the thread Franks is referring to. There are many opinions and comments on this subject.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/47188/

My bad, I see this Pandora's Box has already been opened.

Bottom line: Lots of variables.