Can't Get a Good Ember Bed

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rachel.whitehead

New Member
Hearth Supporter
Feb 14, 2009
10
NY
We've had our Resolute Accaim for three weeks now and are really starting to figure things out. The house is warming up nicely and maintaining 78 degree temps. Question though: The booklet that came with the stove said that once an ember bed is formed, prepare the stove for high-effeciency operation. The booklet says the ember bed must be 4" deep in the back and 1" deep in the front. We can't do this! Even when we burn all day long, there is not much of an ember bed. The wood we have been using has been cut and stacked on our property (covered) for 4 years so I know its dry enough -maybe too dry? Now we just had a new delivery of wood that is seasoned but not as old and still no good ember bed. What are we doing wrong? Like I said, the house heats up nicely and I'm not fighting the stove when I add new logs -they catch quick. Help!
 
What kind of wood? Some kinds like Silver Maple and White Pine don't leave many coals. Others like Mulberry and Apple leave lots.
 
i have no idea what kind of wood it is. My father-inlaw gave it to us a few years ago. I'll try closing the damper a little more though
 
Another thing too is that those hot coal embers are all the time breaking down to ash. And you only need so much ash...before they become counter productive. As cold as its been if your north of rt 90 and getting 78* whatever your doing... it's the right thing rachel.
 
Sounds like too much draft, or you aren't closing the air control enough.
 
If you are burning softwood you could forget about a 4" deep coal bed.
 
<>Wood logs can not be too dry...outside of kiln dried<>

Uhhh...yes they can...anything below 18% moisture content is too dry & you can't get enuff air to burn efficiently if you get down to that range...
There's a link to an answer from www.woodheat.org in here somewhere, indicating the same...
 
Rachel, it sounds to me as if you really don't have a problem other than that big coal bed. The stove is working and it is keeping you warm, so why worry. Don't try to fix something that isn't broken!

Daksy, I still don't agree. I've never seen wood too dry. I keep wondering why that question keeps popping up on the forum about maybe the wood is too dry. Holy scat, what would I do with my big woodpile if I worried about it getting too dry? All that work for nothing?! No, I highly doubt it. I've burned wood that has been split and stacked for over 10 years and not one piece was too dry. It burned rather nicely.
 
Hey, Backwoods Savage!

<>Daksy, I still don't agree. I've never seen wood too dry.<>

I don't make this stuff up... :-)
This is right from the horse's mouth, John Gulland at woodheat.org.

(broken link removed to http://www.woodheat.org/tips/drywood.htm)


Take it with a grain of salt, if you'd like,
but this guy has forgotten more about burning
wood than most of us will ever know...
 
Gulland knows his stuff, but he's not a god. Have you ever read his OAK article? He also says it would be impossible for anyone other than a company with a giant R & D department to design an efficient stove, while heater masons(and before then, regular folks) have been building masonry heaters that far outperform any conventional stove in terms of efficiency for a very long time.


As far as wood being too dry, it won't be unless it's kiln dried or sat in a desert, and even then it would be dependent on the stove if the stove couldn't "provide enough air" to burn the wood properly. It's still FAR better than wood that isn't dry enough. Also this is precisely what Gulland says.
 
<>Gulland knows his stuff, but he's not a god.<>

He's NOT?!?!?! Oh the horror! :bug:

<>Have you ever read his OAK article?<.

Yep. Actually attended a lecture sponsored by Jotul in 2001 at a college in Biddeford, Me, where he presented his evidence against OAKs.
He actually had a video filmed by a consumer who was burning a Regency free-stander, & when the wind blew in a certasin direction, the flames in the firebox were extinguished. The vacuum effect of the wind caused the air flow in the OAK to reverse & there wasn't enuff O2 to feed the combustion process...
Once the wind died, the fire reignited...It looked like there was an explosion insuide the stove...
Of course this could have been done with smoke (haha) & mirrors or some sophisticated CGI, but it sure looked real to me.

<> also says it would be impossible for anyone other than a company with a giant R & D department to design an efficient stove, while heater masons(and before then, regular folks) have been building masonry heaters that far outperform any conventional stove in terms of efficiency for a very long time.<>

No doubt. There's also a bunch of Einsteins who have tried the same & are no longer with us... 8-/

<> far as wood being too dry, it won't be unless it's kiln dried or sat in a desert, and even then it would be dependent on the stove if the stove couldn't "provide enough air" to burn the wood properly. It's still FAR better than wood that isn't dry enough. Also this is precisely what Gulland says<>

That's all I was getting at. Wood CAN be too dry, albeit due to extreme circumstances, but it IS possible...
I'll go hide in my hole now...
Maybe later I can find another thread to chime in on in order to stir up the flames...
 
Interesting indeed, though I would imagine if that OAK were set up in a vented crawlspace and not direct outdoor air, that problem would be eliminated. Personally, I would prefer an OAK to my current setup which produces a strong draft in the house, but that's a different matter entirely. I apologize if my remarks appeared offensive/demeaning. Just remember, that at one time the Earth was flat, and more recently, dinosaur bones were put here as a trick by the devil to make us think the world is older than it is. A single person is never the end all-be all authority on any subject.


"This is right from the horse’s mouth, John Gulland at woodheat.org."


Technically, while not a god, I don't think he's a horse either. I could be wrong, but he sure writes a lot of articles for a creature with no fingers if that's the case.
 
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