Burn time with new insert

[Bagelboy]

So last night at 11 PM and the stovetop on my Osburn 2400 at 300 degrees, I placed three pieces of wood in and within 30 minutes it was red hot and around 400 degrees, air all the way shut. House was a nice 72 degrees. It still blazes even though the rod is pushed in all the way. With my old cat stove, no way. I could chock it down to nothing. Get up around 3 to walk the dog, and just a bed of coals, house is 68 degrees. Put in 3 more pieces, hang out, shut it down, get up at 6, and coals, house at 66 degrees. It seems if you get the box temp up to 400, the would you put in burns up quickly, and is not controllable with the rod all the way in. If you drop the temp of the box to 200 degrees and add a few pieces, it takes off again and burns out fast. It seems like there is no happy medium!

 

[Bster13]

Why did you move away from a cat

 

[Bagelboy]

I didn't get away from them, I still own a Jotul 8 for the last 20 years. When my 20 year old pellet insert finally went, I replaced it with an Osburn 2400 insert, but it is trying to learn how to burn again. one thing I don't know is, what is the max temp for the stove top. Perhaps I'm just burning at to low a temperature.

 

[Holiday]

I'd say too low a temp and not enough wood to get a proper burn cycle going.

 

[Bagelboy]

Explained this problem to my dealer. Going through wood every 3 hours or so, then down to coals. Pushing the rod in all the way, I still get a runaway fire. His suggestion, because my chimney outside is about 30 feet high, is to replace the chimney cap with a smaller one. He says this will reduce the draft. Ever heard of doing this?

 

[Funk Brother]

Before I read your post, I just happened to be re-reading this article: http://www.gulland.ca/florida_bungalow_syndrome.htm I recommend it. Several years ago it gave me the nerve to add a key damper above my stove, an Avalon Olympic. This may not be the ultimate solution, but I believe it has increased my control over the burn a lot. I also think I'm losing less heat up the chimney.

 

[Holiday]

It does sound like a possible draft problem. Another cause would be if the stove has an air leak around the door or air control not working properly which is probably not the case. I don't know anything about the caps.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Before I read your post, I just happened to be re-reading this article: http://www.gulland.ca/florida_bungalow_syndrome.htm I recommend it. Several years ago it gave me the nerve to add a key damper above my stove, an Avalon Olympic. This may not be the ultimate solution, but I believe it has increased my control over the burn a lot. I also think I'm losing less heat up the chimney.

Thanks for the article....

 

[Holiday]

If it is strictly a draft issue I'd be inclined to adjust the secondary air if the opening is accessible until I found the proper burn for it. I assume a damper is not an option being an insert?

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

My insert manual emphasizes that it is strictly forbidden to try to tamper with the the factory set air flow controls, so that must pertain to the EPA laws that was discussed in the article, I go through a lot of wood but I have mostly been running on high, or fully opened due to the fact that I get he most heat that way, I still need to experiment with shutting it down and filling the box more full with wood....so that I can achieve better results longer.....

 

[Sprinter]

30' is a lot of chimney, and a lot of draft. You may want to look into a draft control like a barometric damper or a manual damper (if such a thing can be installed with an insert - probably not), although they are not without problems. Just a suggestion.

 

[begreen]

Add a key damper to the pipe. Keep it open on startup and reload, then close it down as needed once the wood gets burning.

 

[Bagelboy]

This is an insert. I have no access to the pipe. I definetly feel that the draft is way to strong. The idea of choosing a smaller cap makes sense, however, I don't know if that will cause any creosote problems. My installer, who is reputable, says it should not cause problems, but should reduce draft.

 

[begreen]

It sounds like the simplest thing to try. Just keep an eye on the cap. Did the dealer suggest this was going to be an issue before installation. Often when the stack gets to 30ft and over one starts thinking about downsizing the liner a step.

 

[Bagelboy]

He did not suggest downsizing the liner, but when I sent photos of the insert blazing with the air pushed in, he was quite surprised. That's when he suggested putting on a smaller cap. I also told him my stove top can reach 400 degrees when it's blazing, and that I had concerns. He pretty much told me that I can throw away the temp gauge and the new steel stoves are trouble free as far as temperature goes. He told me the top could hit extreme temperature and that it would be fine!

 

[Bagelboy]

He did not suggest downsizing the liner, but when I sent photos of the insert blazing with the air pushed in, he was quite surprised. That's when he suggested putting on a smaller cap. I also told him my stove top can reach 400 degrees when it's blazing, and that I had concerns. He pretty much told me that I can throw away the temp gauge and the new steel stoves are trouble free as far as temperature goes. He told me the top could hit extreme temperature and that it would be fine!

Here is a picture with the stove at 300 degrees, 3 pieces of wood on hot coals, and air rod fully shut.Link Removed

 

[Bagelboy]

He did not suggest downsizing the liner, but when I sent photos of the insert blazing with the air pushed in, he was quite surprised. That's when he suggested putting on a smaller cap. I also told him my stove top can reach 400 degrees when it's blazing, and that I had concerns. He pretty much told me that I can throw away the temp gauge and the new steel stoves are trouble free as far as temperature goes. He told me the top could hit extreme temperature and that it would be fine!

Here is a picture with the stove at 300 degrees, 3 pieces of wood on hot coals, and air rod fully shut.

 

[Bagelboy]

Don't know why that's sideways!

 

[begreen]

Looks more like -90 degrees. LOL Next time, shoot the picture with the cellphone held horizontally. I'll fix this one for you.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Those 3 splits will last 3 hours?

 

[Bagelboy]

Any input as to to much draft?

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

I eperimented more ast night, I was burning fully closed last night, I was still getting beautiful flames and still going through wood every hour, no matter if I put in 3 splits or 6 splits, my room temp got up to 78 degrees on the far end, now my only concern is having to reload so often...... It must be the draft?

 

[Bagelboy]

We're you able to get a stovetop temperature? I'm starting to think I should crank the stovetop up to 450 or 500 degrees, throw in just one or two pieces, before bedtime, let it crank up, and by the time I wake up 6 hours later, perhaps the box will be 300 degrees or so!

 

[USMC80]

I eperimented more ast night, I was burning fully closed last night, I was still getting beautiful flames and still going through wood every hour, no matter if I put in 3 splits or 6 splits, my room temp got up to 78 degrees on the far end, now my only concern is having to reload so often...... It must be the draft?

Most likely. What wood are you burning?

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

I have an ir thermometer, when I put. 6 splits in, it went over 600 degrees with my air off as much as it is cable of being closed, my room got very hot,BUT, it was still done burning All 6 splits in one hour, meaning no more flame, I did have more coals but the flames had died...