Burning wood for newbies??

[Jerseybowhunter]

Installed my pleasant hearth 1800sq ft stove with double wall stove pipe and triple wall chimney pipe, had to use 2 30 degree elbows to clear a rafter then the chimney goes out the roof roughly 6’. Yesterday was rainy and in the upper 40s. I started the fire for the first time and had trouble getting it lit, finally got some coals going and was burning splits but it seems like even with the damper all the way open, it was starving for air. The flames would die way down and as soon as I cracked the door open the logs started glowing as you can see the draft and they would instantly ignite with nice flames. I shut the door and the flames die almost completely off unless I crack the door slightly. The damper is working because when I close it, the embers start dying down and get brighter when I open it. I ran it for a few hours and it put off heat but seems like not the heat it should. It’s a new install and my first woodstove. The wood is supposed to be seasoned, I just ordered a moisture meter to see how seasoned it is. Any tips for burning? Are big flames or hot coals better for putting out more heat? Is this draft issue normal? How do I check the secondary burn? It did seem to work better the longer it ran but to me it still seems like it’s not getting enough air and I’m expecting with the damper all the way open I should get the same flames as when I crack the door open. I put a few big logs in at 10pm and there was still some burning coals this morning at 5am but I’m hoping to get hotter fires and longer burns at night

 

[vwmike]

Sounds like a classic case of under seasoned wood. How longs it been cut and split?

 

[EbS-P]

I think all new stoves should come with sawdust bricks/logs. Go get several packages. And see how they burn. Unless you seasoned it yourself it probably isn’t seasoned enough. I had the same experience last year. I was able to sort through the wood I had delivered and pick out the smallest driest pieces set them up on shelf’s in the garage with a dehumidifier blowing into them. I would have been time money and frustration ahead to just buy a pallet of bio bricks and keep the wood for this season.

that’s my two cents if it’s your wood causing the problems. I also found lighting a fire top down with lots of kindling helped with less than ideal wood and is only way I start fires anywhere now.

evan.

 

[kborndale]

Get one of the small bundles of wood from the supermarket or home depot and try that wood, like others said its probably wet wood.

 

[brazilbl]

These logs are great and I use one of these each night at the end of the evening. Burns for hours and even provides coals for quick startup!
I had less than optimal wood and these got me through the spring...

North Idaho Energy Logs - Dealer Locator

 

[paulnlee]

I cannot get my mind wrapped around all the issues with lighting a damn fire. I have NEVER, again, NEVER had an issue whether starting up or in the AM on waking up to either start or to continue a fire. It's almost like when the Arapaho discovered flint.

 

[spudman99]

You invested plenty in the stove and its install, don't fret another $30 and get a moisture meter. Lowes or HD has them, or get them from Amazon. Take a piece of wood and put it in the house today. Then tomorrow (at least 12, better yet 20 or more hours) split it in the middle. Your wood has to be near 70 deg to give an accurate reading. Then take your new MM and stick the pins in the middle, pressing firmly. Make sure you have selected the proper wood type on the MM (it will so state in the instructions) and that will be your basic reading. If its over 25% then that is your answer. 20% to 25% is marginal, under 20% is fine.

Better yet, bring in 3 or 4 pieces of different sizes and colors of wood if they are mixed. Do the same and test them all. Therein lies the first piece of the puzzle.

 

[KpR]

The advice above is great, definitely start with the wood and work your way from there. You should be able to get some good hot burns out of your setup.

As an aside, where in NJ are you bow hunting? I’m down at the bottom of management zone 12—quite a density of white tails down here.

 

[Jerseybowhunter]

I really got the fire cranking lastnight and I think you guys are right, didn’t see any bubbles coming out the ends of the wood but could hear sizzling when I opened the door. Either way it burned a lot better as I’m learning the right settings. Was able to close the damper all the way after getting some nice coals and loaded it up at 10pm. This morning at 4:30 there was a lot more coals than yesterday and was able to get it going again. Had a small fan on the floor on low blowing towards the stove and the thermostat is located in the middle of the house in the hallway, it went from 65 to 68 and was still at 68 this morning. My next question is, has anyone ever extended the thermostat wires and temporary moved it to one of the bedrooms and shut all the vents in the house except the ones in the bedrooms so the furnace will kick on and only heat the rooms? We have puppies that we lock up in the room with us at night for now so we can’t keep the door open and the room was chilly because the furnace never kicked on. I figured I could move the thermostat into the bedroom for a month or 2 until we leave the door open. It got down to 30 or so lastnight, is a 3 degree increase acceptable with the woodstove at one end of the house and the thermostat in the middle? Or should it be putting off more heat?

 

[tadmaz]

I cannot get my mind wrapped around all the issues with lighting a damn fire. I have NEVER, again, NEVER had an issue whether starting up or in the AM on waking up to either start or to continue a fire. It's almost like when the Arapaho discovered flint.

Being able to wrap your mind around things is good. Cut a small live tree, throw the rounds in your stove. Try it. The wrapping process will be complete.

 

[Woody Stover]

I cannot get my mind wrapped around all the issues with lighting a damn fire. I have NEVER, again, NEVER had an issue

Cut a small live tree, throw the rounds in your stove.

Heheh. Yep, pretty sure he's got dry wood if he's never had a problem. Shoot, sounds like I have more problems than he does. I just loaded, but draft blew out the SuperCedar chunk before it could get the kindling started.

How do I check the secondary burn?

Your secondary may be weak with damp wood. Firebox has a harder time attaining the temp needed for them to kick in strong.

 

[paulnlee]

Let the fire go out last nite. This AM, crunch up some news paper, put some scrap from splits on top(NS % EW) put 3 splits on top and light it. Yeah, no wet wood here.

 

[Pertzbro]

My next question is, has anyone ever extended the thermostat wires and temporary moved it to one of the bedrooms and shut all the vents in the house except the ones in the bedrooms so the furnace will kick on and only heat the rooms? We have puppies that we lock up in the room with us at night for now so we can’t keep the door open and the room was chilly because the furnace never kicked on. I figured I could move the thermostat into the bedroom for a month or 2 until we leave the door open. It got down to 30 or so lastnight, is a 3 degree increase acceptable with the woodstove at one end of the house and the thermostat in the middle? Or should it be putting off more heat?

I find it much easier to heat a bedroom with a small electric space heater to take the chill off in those rooms where wood heat doesnt reach.

 

[EbS-P]

In theory extending the wires will work. I have a 6 wire t-stat. two stage compressor 2 stage heating strips and a fan and ground. It can be wired as a 3 wire though. It’s the whole hvac system running to heat one room that seems likely to be inefficient. I’d just get a pet heating pad for them. When they grow up you could take it out side for them. I’m guessing that would use much less power than the space heater.

 

[Woody Stover]

It’s the whole hvac system running to heat one room that seems likely to be inefficient.

It's not good for the furnace, either. It's designed to breathe a much bigger volume of air, so restricting it may stress the blower motor.