Burn time

[Tectop]

I have an older Dove wood stove is a basement install. I was just curious to see what normal load times is between loads if I keep my stove pipe gauge in the burn Zone which is located about 18 inches above the stove I have to load about 3 to 4 sticks every hr.is this normal? or does it sound like maybe the stove is set up wrong as far to draft and damper setting. Just seems like I go through a lot of wood in a day this may be normal I'm kind of new to using this stove. The wood I'm using is 3 year old dried oak
Thanks in advance

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[maple1]

I don't know anything about your stove, but if that is a magnetic thermometer you have I would not trust those to tell me how to run my stove, at all. It is a lot hotter inside the pipe that what they say. Also the one way to accurately know your draft is measure it with a manometer. They are fairly inexpensive - Dwyer Mark II Model 25 is a good one.

Do you have a damper on the pipe anywhere? Does sound like you have extra draft, on the face of it - I don't think hourly reloads are the norm with any stove that I have seen.

 

[Tectop]

I don't know anything about your stove, but if that is a magnetic thermometer you have I would not trust those to tell me how to run my stove, at all. It is a lot hotter inside the pipe that what they say. Also the one way to accurately know your draft is measure it with a manometer. They are fairly inexpensive - Dwyer Mark II Model 25 is a good one.

Do you have a damper on the pipe anywhere? Does sound like you have extra draft, on the face of it - I don't think hourly reloads are the norm with any stove that I have seen.

Thank you for your reply, it is a magnetic gauge.. it does have a damper right above the door I handle you pull in and out to open or shut and has the two thumb wheels under the door to let air in and also I did perform the dollar bill test on the door gasket and that seemed ok.

Thanks again for your help

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[bholler]

Can you explain your burning procedure to us? Typically with a wood stove you load it full get the pipe up to the top of the burn range hold it there for 10 mins or so then shut back so it is cruising at the bottom of that range. Let it burn down to coals and do it again.

 

[Tectop]

Can you explain your burning procedure to us? Typically with a wood stove you load it full get the pipe up to the top of the burn range hold it there for 10 mins or so then shut back so it is cruising at the bottom of that range. Let it burn down to coals and do it again.

When I get my first fire started as a gauge on a magnetic indicator reaches the line between too cold and ideal I start cutting it back then that way by the time it settles down it's about the middle of the burns zone on the gauge. It may be I'm shutting it down too early and not letting it get far enough into the burn zone. The way I slow it down is the shut off plate at the top of the stove I push it in cuz it's about half shut and then roll my damper dolls in at the bottom of the stove about three quarter way. And then like I mentioned in about an hour the gauge is on the line between too cold and burn and I have to load 2 or 3 more sticks and bring it back up.
Thank you all in advance for your help and time

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[bholler]

When I get my first fire started as a gauge on a magnetic indicator reaches the line between too cold and ideal I start cutting it back then that way by the time it settles down it's about the middle of the burns zone on the gauge. It may be I'm shutting it down too early and not letting it get far enough into the burn zone. The way I slow it down is the shut off plate at the top of the stove I push it in cuz it's about half shut and then roll my damper dolls in at the bottom of the stove about three quarter way. And then like I mentioned in about an hour the gauge is on the line between too cold and burn and I have to load 2 or 3 more sticks and bring it back up.
Thank you all in advance for your help and time

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It is fine if the temp drops as the fire burns down. Once you get to coals there is no danger of creosote formation.

 

[coaly]

Pictures of your stove may help. Maybe this is an Insert or coal Insert by Dove?? I'm not sure about a freestanding Dove wood stove having a pull type damper control. A Dove I has a catalytic combustor control.

 

[Tectop]

Pictures of your stove may help. Maybe this is an Insert or coal Insert by Dove?? I'm not sure about a freestanding Dove wood stove having a pull type damper control. A Dove I has a catalytic combustor control.

It is a insert by dove, think they called them a slamer,


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[Tectop]

It is a insert by dove, think they called them a slamer,


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Hope you can see it

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[coaly]

Dove is the model name, not manufacturer. It's a Dove I wood / coal Insert made by Buckner Enterprises Inc.
That is going to go through a lot of wood. Ever try a bag of Chestnut to get some real heat out of it?

No wood / coal combination stoves work great with either fuel. A stove is either designed for coal or wood. A good coal stove having movable grates to shake and clean easily, or a wood stove with firebrick liner that burns on an inch of ash to slow the fire. Here's a pic of the inside so others know what you're burning on;



Do you have dual blowers?

 

[Tectop]

Dove is the model name, not manufacturer. It's a Dove I wood / coal Insert made by Buckner Enterprises Inc.
That is going to go through a lot of wood. Ever try a bag of Chestnut to get some real heat out of it?

No wood / coal combination stoves work great with either fuel. A stove is either designed for coal or wood. A good coal stove having movable grates to shake and clean easily, or a wood stove with firebrick liner that burns on an inch of ash to slow the fire. Here's a pic of the inside so others know what you're burning on;

View attachment 219770

Do you have dual blowers?

That looks exactly like the inside the store was given to me I just assumed it was a wood stove. And yes I have dual blowers and they work great
Thank you

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[coaly]

Yeah, those monster blowers are too much for wood unless it's ripping. They can extract so much heat you won't have enough for the chimney if it's not insulated. With coal you only need 100 to 150* flue temp compared to 300* or more with wood. Depending on chimney you may need a lot more.

What you're trying to do with the thermometer is keep the internal flue gas above 250* to the top of chimney flue. That thermometer will read about 1/2 the actual inside flue gas temp on the outside of pipe. Then it's a guess how much you loose as it rises up connector pipe and flue. (check your temp on the pipe just before it enters chimney) If gasses are allowed to expand they cool considerably requiring much more heat to be left up. It needs to stay above 250* to the top while smoke is present to prevent condensing water vapor from condensing in the chimney flue allowing smoke particles to stick. This is creosote formed from running too cool. The hotter you run the stack (open flue damper more) the less heat you have to radiate inside to heat the home. So you have to find that balance which changes with wood, weather conditions and in your case even blower speed.

 

[Tectop]

Yeah, those monster blowers are too much for wood unless it's ripping. They can extract so much heat you won't have enough for the chimney if it's not insulated. With coal you only need 100 to 150* flue temp compared to 300* or more with wood. Depending on chimney you may need a lot more.

What you're trying to do with the thermometer is keep the internal flue gas above 250* to the top of chimney flue. That thermometer will read about 1/2 the actual inside flue gas temp on the outside of pipe. Then it's a guess how much you loose as it rises up connector pipe and flue. (check your temp on the pipe just before it enters chimney) If gasses are allowed to expand they cool considerably requiring much more heat to be left up. It needs to stay above 250* to the top while smoke is present to prevent condensing water vapor from condensing in the chimney flue allowing smoke particles to stick. This is creosote formed from running too cool. The hotter you run the stack (open flue damper more) the less heat you have to radiate inside to heat the home. So you have to find that balance which changes with wood, weather conditions and in your case even blower speed.

So sounds like if I run with the Blower's off I should get some longer bird time is that correct?

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[coaly]

No, extracting lots of heat lowers firebox temperature which is a dirty fire with more unburned smoke particles and deposits. (firebrick lined fireboxes reflect heat back towards fire burning cleaner) Yours is designed to extract the heat by convection. It will only radiate forward through glass and from cast iron doors. A stove radiates in all directions. That's the difference between a stove and Insert.

Here's a pic for those not familiar with these blowers to explain why I say it will extract a massive amount of heat!



By closing the air down you're going to get a longer burn, but also lower stack temp. That's why when people try to close them down for the night they load up. To prevent the creosote when allowing less heat up, you need a good insulated chimney that will stay hot with less heat. Bottom line is the more efficient the chimney, the more efficient you can burn the stove. The chimney is what makes the stove work, and the flue damper is a chimney control that affects the stove. Use it to slow the draft if the draft is too much. For example, if you have an 8 X 8 chimney flue (64 square inches) and a 6 inch stove outlet (28.26 square inches) you can see you have to leave almost twice as much heat up the double size flue to keep it hot enough to work. You would not be able to close the damper much. Line that flue with an insulated liner that takes half the heat to keep hot and you have a much longer burning fire that can be dampened more.

Make sure when you close your intakes down the fire dies to a glow with little to no flame. Door gasket leaks or the ash pan fit will cause too much air to leak in and burn fast. I'm not sure what kind of seal or gasket the ash pan front with air dampers uses, but it shouldn't leak much when inserted against Insert front. (ash pan should have a screen in it at front for secondary air for coal burning, I'll explain later) To burn wood efficiently it should have air intake above fire instead of under and through it. That's the design for coal. Glass door wood burners normally have a primary air intake on sides or front, then a smaller air wash over glass. You bring it up to temp with the primary air intake and when established use the glass air wash for a lower burn overnight. You can't do that with a coal burner since LOTS of intake air must come up through the coal bed. Coal stoves also have a secondary air inlet over fire to admit oxygen to allow coal gas that escapes from coal to ignite and burn blue on top of the firebed. Oxygen is used up going through coal so more is needed above fire. Yours doesn't have a secondary control for coal, but should have a metered leak to provide oxygen over fire. It doesn't take much, but anything designed for coal needs it to prevent coal gas build up and a poof when opening door to stoke more coal on the fire. Wood doesn't care where the air comes from, so when holes are packed with ash on bottom, I believe the screen in ash pan at front is the secondary air inlet. Keep that inlet open and let ash build up over primary holes in bottom. You should be able to close both intakes and make it go out.

 

[Tectop]

No, extracting lots of heat lowers firebox temperature which is a dirty fire with more unburned smoke particles and deposits. (firebrick lined fireboxes reflect heat back towards fire burning cleaner) Yours is designed to extract the heat by convection. It will only radiate forward through glass and from cast iron doors. A stove radiates in all directions. That's the difference between a stove and Insert.

Here's a pic for those not familiar with these blowers to explain why I say it will extract a massive amount of heat!

View attachment 219787

By closing the air down you're going to get a longer burn, but also lower stack temp. That's why when people try to close them down for the night they load up. To prevent the creosote when allowing less heat up, you need a good insulated chimney that will stay hot with less heat. Bottom line is the more efficient the chimney, the more efficient you can burn the stove. The chimney is what makes the stove work, and the flue damper is a chimney control that affects the stove. Use it to slow the draft if the draft is too much. For example, if you have an 8 X 8 chimney flue (64 square inches) and a 6 inch stove outlet (28.26 square inches) you can see you have to leave almost twice as much heat up the double size flue to keep it hot enough to work. You would not be able to close the damper much. Line that flue with an insulated liner that takes half the heat to keep hot and you have a much longer burning fire that can be dampened more.

Make sure when you close your intakes down the fire dies to a glow with little to no flame. Door gasket leaks or the ash pan fit will cause too much air to leak in and burn fast. I'm not sure what kind of seal or gasket the ash pan front with air dampers uses, but it shouldn't leak much when inserted against Insert front. (ash pan should have a screen in it at front for secondary air for coal burning, I'll explain later) To burn wood efficiently it should have air intake above fire instead of under and through it. That's the design for coal. Glass door wood burners normally have a primary air intake on sides or front, then a smaller air wash over glass. You bring it up to temp with the primary air intake and when established use the glass air wash for a lower burn overnight. You can't do that with a coal burner since LOTS of intake air must come up through the coal bed. Coal stoves also have a secondary air inlet over fire to admit oxygen to allow coal gas that escapes from coal to ignite and burn blue on top of the firebed. Oxygen is used up going through coal so more is needed above fire. Yours doesn't have a secondary control for coal, but should have a metered leak to provide oxygen over fire. It doesn't take much, but anything designed for coal needs it to prevent coal gas build up and a poof when opening door to stoke more coal on the fire. Wood doesn't care where the air comes from, so when holes are packed with ash on bottom, I believe the screen in ash pan at front is the secondary air inlet. Keep that inlet open and let ash build up over primary holes in bottom. You should be able to close both intakes and make it go out.

Thank you very much for this very informative write up. Thanks to all of you I now know a lot more about the stove and what I'm dealing with.
Thank you all very much

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