Cannot start fire in wood stove

[fossil]

...About a week ago I added 1" of kawool on top of the baffle so the secondary would warm faster...

You did what? You mean over the top of the metal baffle plate and the firebricks? My gosh, if that's what you did, then air can't even move through the stove at all like it's supposed to. Get that kaowool out of there, it has absolutely no business being in there. Don't try to second-guess the stove designers...they're pretty smart.

 

[MrNoBuddySpecial]

*from northline website*
Minimum chimney height, at sea level, of a straight or vertical chimney is 10 feet to 15 feet above the appliance outlet. Higher elevations, or the use of an elbow or a tee, will require approximately 30% to 60% more height to provide for an adequate draft.

what's your elevation?
any bends in pipes?

 

[fossil]

BTW, I have that same stove in my workshop and I have never ever had any sort of problem getting a fire going in it. Ever.

 

[DamienBricka]

You did what? You mean over the top of the metal baffle plate and the firebricks? My gosh, if that's what you did, then air can't even move through the stove at all like it's supposed to. Get that kaowool out of there, it has absolutely no business being in there. Don't try to second-guess the stove designers...they're pretty smart.

That Kaowool is getting out of there tomorrow morning. I have learned my lesson.......lol.........

 

[HotCoals]

I guess from now on one of the first questions should be,have you modified your stove in any way.

 

[nola mike]

Pretty sure that if we were playing "100 guesses", no one would have come up with that one!

 

[Smoke Signals]

Glad to see you got it figured out. happy burning!

 

[gyrfalcon]

Pretty sure that if we were playing "100 guesses", no one would have come up with that one!

I'm gob-smacked.

Now we have to figure out what that burning a cord a week is about. The OP says $175, so unless he's totally getting ripped off, that's a full cord, not a face cord, but I don't understand how that's even possible.

 

[DamienBricka]

I'm gob-smacked.

Now we have to figure out what that burning a cord a week is about. The OP says $175, so unless he's totally getting ripped off, that's a full cord, not a face cord, but I don't understand how that's even possible.

When I ordered it the guy told me a full cord. I put it away. After being on this forum I now know what a full cord is. So yes I did get ripped off

 

[jatoxico]

When I ordered it the guy told me a full cord. I put it away. After being on this forum I now know what a full cord is. So yes I did get ripped off

Growing pains Damian. Don't give up you'll be in good shape soon enough.

 

[gyrfalcon]

When I ordered it the guy told me a full cord. I put it away. After being on this forum I now know what a full cord is. So yes I did get ripped off

OK. Happens to a lot of us when we start. Any idea how much it actually was? Because even a face cord, which is around 1/3 of a real cord, is a LOT to burn in a week.

In the depths of the worst of VT winters, I don't do a full cord a month.

Well, get that Kaowool out of there and then let's talk about how you're burning to use up that much wood. And plus you need to find an honest supplier-- although if he's really giving you wood that dry, you can expect to pay a big premium for it.

Stick with us, guy, and we'll talk you through how to do this so you keep warm and don't break the bank in the process.

 

[DamienBricka]

OK. Happens to a lot of us when we start. Any idea how much it actually was? Because even a face cord, which is around 1/3 of a real cord, is a LOT to burn in a week.

In the depths of the worst of VT winters, I don't do a full cord a month.

Well, get that Kaowool out of there and then let's talk about how you're burning to use up that much wood. And plus you need to find an honest supplier-- although if he's really giving you wood that dry, you can expect to pay a big premium for it.

Stick with us, guy, and we'll talk you through how to do this so you keep warm and don't break the bank in the process.

When I stacked it away I came up with about 40 cubic foot of wood

 

[begreen]

That is a shy face cord. Illegal to sell in some states I think. For $175-200 you should be getting a full cord of wood.

 

[gyrfalcon]

When I stacked it away I came up with about 40 cubic foot of wood

As Begreen says, that's about a third of a cord, or a "face cord." What people mean by a "cord" varies from place to place, and some places, they do sell by a "face cord" rather than a full cord.

OK, so who is this guy and how did you find him? $175 for a face cord is $500-plus for a cord, which is huge but not that far from what a big lumberyard about 30 miles from me charges for a full cord of wonderfully kiln-dried (to 20 on the MM) delivered. (I've found a smaller more local place that sells just slightly less dry kiln-dried for $250 a cord delivered, not that much more than what ostensibly "seasoned"-- ie cut down in spring and cut/split to order -- goes for, but I live in wood-burning country.)

So that may not be as unreasonable as it sounds, as long as you're really, really sure it's as dry as you say it is.

But still, you shouldn't be burning anywhere near that much a week.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

What people mean by "a cord" may vary, but there is a specific legal definition of what a cord is.

 

[fossil]

OK, let's send the "What's a cord? What's a Face Cord? What's a Rick?"...over to the Wood Shed, shall we? (Assuming anyone really wants to wallow all around through that morass). In this thread, we should focus on the OP's primary issue, which is getting some performance from his stove. No?

 

[gyrfalcon]

What people mean by "a cord" may vary, but there is a specific legal definition of what a cord is.

RIght, but we don't know what the supplier actually said and what a newbie actually heard, and God knows there are a lot of people who come here looking for advice and talking about a "cord" of wood that turns out to be a face cord in the local common parlance. As I say, in my neck of the woods, "seasoned" ain't "seasoned," it's cut down and left in the woods in spring, cut to order in fall. Everybody except a newbie knows this, so nobody's trying to cheat anybody, you just have to learn the conventions.

This ain't like buying a gallon of fuel oil. This is local people following local conventions and doing very hard work for not a lot of profit.

 

[DamienBricka]

OK, let's send the "What's a cord? What's a Face Cord? What's a Rick?"...over to the Wood Shed, shall we? (Assuming anyone really wants to wallow all around through that morass). In this thread, we should focus on the OP's primary issue, which is getting some performance from his stove. No?

I agree fossil we should go back to the original topic. Tomorrow I remove the kaowool and we will take it one step at a time.

Thanks for putting us back on to the main topic

 

[gyrfalcon]

I agree fossil we should go back to the original topic. Tomorrow I remove the kaowool and we will take it one step at a time.

Thanks for putting us back on to the main topic

Cool. That's a lot more interesting than yet another argument about dastardly wood suppliers.

 

[fossil]

Merry Christmas, everyone!

 

[gyrfalcon]

BTW, I have that same stove in my workshop and I have never ever had any sort of problem getting a fire going in it. Ever.

View attachment 121655

Really, I think that's because of the cats. They have magical powers.

 

[PLAYS WITH FIRE]

Damien where are you at in the Burgh exactly, well, I don't want your address or anything. But I hate to see nice folks get ripped off maybe I can help?

 

[DamienBricka]

Damien where are you at in the Burgh exactly, well, I don't want your address or anything. But I hate to see nice folks get ripped off maybe I can help?

I live in the Springdale area do you know where that is?

 

[PLAYS WITH FIRE]

I'm from Washington pa and googled you...you a bit away. there is a guy near me who has very nice seasoned wood for sale. About 150 for a 1.5,cord. There is also a guy in harmony Zeli area right across from Auma Actuators that has/had MANY cord for sale. I called them once and it was 165 a cord, don't know if they deliver or not. Do you have a truck?

 

[DamienBricka]

I'm from Washington pa and googled you...you a bit away. there is a guy near me who has very nice seasoned wood for sale. About 150 for a 1.5,cord. There is also a guy in harmony Zeli area right across from Auma Actuators that has/had MANY cord for sale. I called them once and it was 165 a cord, don't know if they deliver or not. Do you have a truck?

Unfortunately I do not have a truck