Burning down the coals

[wendell]

I never completely understood until today when people have talked about needing to burn down their coals because with my old stove, I only had enough coals to get the next load going. I had a fire last night and it was just cool enough in the house to have another one today so just turned the air way down and let the cat do it's thing. Just went to load it up for the night and opened the door and found the stove 1/3rd full of coals!

Guess I'll have to take care of those tomorrow.

 

[Todd]

Sometimes I find too many coals but with this stove it doesn't take long to burn them down, just open the bypass and give it full air. So how is the new stove working out so far?

 

[SolarAndWood]

Can't you just give it full air and let the cat do its job for a few hours?

 

[trafick]

I usually just put in a small split or two and leave the air wide open. I only have the coaling problem when it's cold and the stove is running full blast.

 

[wendell]

The stove is working out great. The only thing is i think I'm going o need to install the damper as I'm getting a little higher flue temps than would be optimum.

I would think you could leave the cat engaged and just turn the air up so you aren't losing the heat straight up the flue. There isn't anything for the cat to do at this point since you are just down to coals but at least, with this stove, the hot air has to pass across the top instead of straight up the flue.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Wendell, what kind of flue temp are you getting to need a damper?

I too leave the cat engaged but if you want them to burn down fast perhaps Todd's idea would work better because of a more direct access to the chimney rather than forcing the air to do twists and turns.

 

[wendell]

For the first couple hours after I engage the cat with the air around 0.75, it stays right around 400 with a stove top averaging around 450. Highest stovetop I've seen is 525 and it is often around 425.

Ron at Woodstock says that 400 in the flue is about the max I should see and it is not even cold yet so it will definitely start pulling harder once winter comes.

 

[Todd]

Are those internal or external flue temps? MY internal flue temps are anywhere from 500-700 depending on where I set my air. I've checked side by side internal vs external and the external temps are roughly half the internal temps.

 

[wendell]

That is internal. At .75 I tend to run at 400 flue and 425 stove top.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Because that is internal I doubt you have a problem. In winter our stove pipe (running horizontally) will run around 250-300 (if my memory is right).

 

[Todd]

Last year I had a discussion with Laura at Woodstock about flue temps and that I thought I was running too hot, she sent me an e-mail with their lab stove flue temps and they were lower than mine but they took them 4' above the flue collar which would be inaccurate according to Condar's flue probe instructions which state their probe is adjusted to read at about 2'. So now I'm wondering again if mine are too hot or not? We need a new thread for Fireview owners flue temps so we can all compare. You should also have no problem reaching 500 stove top with a full load of hardwood, I'm consistently at 500-650 with a full load of Oak.

Before installing a damper you may want to check one other thing. My first year with the stove I was running the air at less than .5 and sometimes all the way to 0. It seemed at times I couldn't shut it down enough. Next season I was checking out the air intake thinking about an OAK and noticed the air slide was off it's track! I wiggled it around with a screw driver and it fell back down into place, no wonder it was burning hot. After that the stove acted totally different and I can't turn it down below .5 without it pretty much snuffing out everything. I figure it may have jumped out during shipping or maybe just wasn't installed right?

 

[wendell]

I'm starting to think we need our own Forum! ;-)

Condar now says to be 18" up the flue so that will make it even a little warmer. The highest I have seen my stove top has been 525 and that was with a full load of elm and at 0.5. It would seem that if there is too much draft, it would be pulling the air through the cat too fast, thus dropping the stove top temp. Correct?

 

[Flatbedford]

There surely must be a sweet spot in the air control. Too much or too little and it cools down. I know that sweet spot should be just under 1, but I haven't quite found it yet. I'm learning slowly. My old stove was basically a free standing iron fireplace with no real draft control but a flue damper so all these controls are new to me.
My pipe temp seems to be around 300 on the surface with double wall when the stove is cruising at about 475 stove top. I only have the little thermometer that Woodstock gives you with the stove.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Steve, I find that the sweet spot you refer to changes with the weather. Right now that spot is higher but will go lower as the outside temperature lowers.

 

[Flatbedford]

That's what I thought. Thanks.

 

[JotulOwner]

Ron at Woodstock says that 400 in the flue is about the max I should see and it is not even cold yet so it will definitely start pulling harder once winter comes.

My flue thermometer (Condar) indicates that the optimal range is 400 degrees to 900 degrees. I usually have a reading somewhere in the middle.