Castine jotul f400 or small stoves

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Kevin Dolan

Burning Hunk
Apr 7, 2012
248
SW Ontario
Wondering how folks with smaller stove less than 1.7 cu ft are fairing with the cold temps. Wondering how you load your stove for max burn times. I am having best luck with 3 to 4 big splits 6 to 8 inches and juggling them around to make them fit. I get a good 6 - 8 hour burns, meaning I have a nice bed of coals to restart with. How do others load up in the cold?
Kevin
 
You are doing very well with the Castine in this weather. I suspect the house is reasonably well insulated.
 
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You are doing very well with the Castine in this weather. I suspect the house is reasonably well insulated.
Yes be green we have a 150 year old double brick farm house with r50 in the ceiling and basement foamed up to the headers and the walls sprayed with UFi when it was legal. Our windows have storms on them but I think that is our next project to replace them as they are the originals. The castine heats the main living area which is sort of 600 square feet leading of to a summer kitchen which has a gas stove and seems to balance out the heat. I am quite delighted with this stove and it's ability to pump out heat with nice dry ash, been down the road on not so dry wood as many on this forum have been, wow say no more!!!
 
Wondering how folks with smaller stove less than 1.7 cu ft are fairing with the cold temps. Wondering how you load your stove for max burn times. I am having best luck with 3 to 4 big splits 6 to 8 inches and juggling them around to make them fit. I get a good 6 - 8 hour burns, meaning I have a nice bed of coals to restart with. How do others load up in the cold?
Kevin
I have the same stove (12 years old now) and take the same approach at night... load up with 3 or 4 splits right before bed, wait for the stove top to get around 500F, then close the air. About 6 hours later will have plenty of coals to get going again, stovetop temperature is usually around 200F.

Can't keep the whole house warm that way overnight, though. Our house is 1700 sf not counting the finished basement, which is where the stove is. Gas furnace will kick in later on at night, and on really cold days... like today!
 
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I have the same stove (12 years old now) and take the same approach at night... load up with 3 or 4 splits right before bed, wait for the stove top to get around 500F, then close the air. About 6 hours later will have plenty of coals to get going again, stovetop temperature is usually around 200F.

Can't keep the whole house warm that way overnight, though. Our house is 1700 sf not counting the finished basement, which is where the stove is. Gas furnace will kick in later on at night, and on really cold days... like today!

I'm doing the same as you with the 2 door older Castine. Coldest days the heat (oil ) kicks on for 20 minutes in early am. Reload then I can keep house warm for the next 23 hr's prior to another boost from the furnace.
 
Love mine too Kevin. I get 4 nice locust pieces in there at say 10 pm. At 6 am. I still have enough coals to get it going again. You're right on what you're doing.
Nice stove right?
 
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I'm amazed & thrilled that my castine is keeping up so far this year. These temperatures are almost 15 degrees colder than anything we've had in the previous 3 years since I've had it. It's labor intensive for sure - I'm doing a middle of the night load when it's single digits or below and also takes some effort to burn down the coals periodically, but the furnace hasn't been on once. This year I started using a tower fan on low to move some air around the stove (I only bother with the fan when it's single digits or less) and that's really been helping.

In answer to your original question though, I'm actually trying to minimize burn times and go through as much wood as possible without too much coaling since that's what I need to do this old house :). You definitely learn a thing or two during the cold snaps - 'normal' winter weather feels simple now.
 
Love mine too Kevin. I get 4 nice locust pieces in there at say 10 pm. At 6 am. I still have enough coals to get it going again. You're right on what you're doing.
Nice stove right?
Pally walnut great to be able to burn locust I have not had any of that for a while. You are right this stove is great and is not like some of the big boys on this forum but does what I need.
 
I'm amazed & thrilled that my castine is keeping up so far this year. These temperatures are almost 15 degrees colder than anything we've had in the previous 3 years since I've had it. It's labor intensive for sure - I'm doing a middle of the night load when it's single digits or below and also takes some effort to burn down the coals periodically, but the furnace hasn't been on once. This year I started using a tower fan on low to move some air around the stove (I only bother with the fan when it's single digits or less) and that's really been helping.

In answer to your original question though, I'm actually trying to minimize burn times and go through as much wood as possible without too much coaling since that's what I need to do this old house :). You definitely learn a thing or two during the cold snaps - 'normal' winter weather feels simple now.
Wow minimizing burn times how are you using your primary air intake. are you keeping it half open and letting the wood burn hard without letting the secondaries kick in??
I'm amazed & thrilled that my castine is keeping up so far this year. These temperatures are almost 15 degrees colder than anything we've had in the previous 3 years since I've had it. It's labor intensive for sure - I'm doing a middle of the night load when it's single digits or below and also takes some effort to burn down the coals periodically, but the furnace hasn't been on once. This year I started using a tower fan on low to move some air around the stove (I only bother with the fan when it's single digits or less) and that's really been helping.

In answer to your original question though, I'm actually trying to minimize burn times and go through as much wood as possible without too much coaling since that's what I need to do this old house :). You definitely learn a thing or two during the cold snaps - 'normal' winter weather feels simple now.
I'm amazed & thrilled that my castine is keeping up so far this year. These temperatures are almost 15 degrees colder than anything we've had in the previous 3 years since I've had it. It's labor intensive for sure - I'm doing a middle of the night load when it's single digits or below and also takes some effort to burn down the coals periodically, but the furnace hasn't been on once. This year I started using a tower fan on low to move some air around the stove (I only bother with the fan when it's single digits or less) and that's really been helping.

In answer to your original question though, I'm actually trying to minimize burn times and go through as much wood as possible without too much coaling since that's what I need to do this old house :). You definitely learn a thing or two during the cold snaps - 'normal' winter weather feels simple now.
wow pretty interesting that you are trying to minimise burn times. How do you do that? Open the air full or half.how do you deal with the coals and how long do you wait before reloading ?
 
I have the same stove (12 years old now) and take the same approach at night... load up with 3 or 4 splits right before bed, wait for the stove top to get around 500F, then close the air. About 6 hours later will have plenty of coals to get going again, stovetop temperature is usually around 200F.

Can't keep the whole house warm that way overnight, though. Our house is 1700 sf not counting the finished basement, which is where the stove is. Gas furnace will kick in later on at night, and on really cold days... like today!
Pmac sounds like our situation. Stove keeps us pretty good unless cold out -15 or so then the furnace kicks in. That works for me as the furnace only runs when it is really cold like now. Checked thermometer it is - 24 ouch .
 
wow pretty interesting that you are trying to minimise burn times. How do you do that? Open the air full or half.how do you deal with the coals and how long do you wait before reloading ?

I'm still experimenting a little, but after a reload I make sure that the flue temp is high enough (I have a flue probe and stovetop guage) and the stovetop is >400, I close my stovepipe damper much of the way and leave the the primary air control mostly open, and adjust it down to make sure I don't over-fire. As you know, coal build up is a big deal when pushing this stove and my logic is that coals will only burn up where the air is, so a higher proportion of primary air will help burn the coals from underneath. Otherwise those coals at the bottom are just going to sit there. Before reloading, I'll also stir the coals around a few times to help the ash drop through the grate and prevent ash from insulating the coals. I reload smaller loads about every 3-4 hours during the coldest weather, a pain, but it's worth it - haven't taken a heating oil delivery since 2010.

BTW, I got distracted while typing this and let the stovetop get to 750. Doh<>! I think that's the highest it's ever been, but it's back under control now.
 
The best I can do usually is 7 hours. That's from a cold start with the stove just warm to the touch at the end. Question for the other 400 owners here. How quickly can you get your stove up to 500-600 degrees on a cold start? I feel like my stove is really sluggish. It sometimes takes 45-60 minutes for it to get up to temp.
 
The best I can do usually is 7 hours. That's from a cold start with the stove just warm to the touch at the end. Question for the other 400 owners here. How quickly can you get your stove up to 500-600 degrees on a cold start? I feel like my stove is really sluggish. It sometimes takes 45-60 minutes for it to get up to temp.

That is the case with mine also. Starting with Maple or Ash gets you up to 500 degrees faster and then add the oak or locust. I've been burning straight locust for a week or so. It's slow to get going but really puts out the heat in an hour or so. Typically it will stay 7 hours and have some decent coals for restarting.
 
The best I can do usually is 7 hours. That's from a cold start with the stove just warm to the touch at the end. Question for the other 400 owners here. How quickly can you get your stove up to 500-600 degrees on a cold start? I feel like my stove is really sluggish. It sometimes takes 45-60 minutes for it to get up to temp.

Getting started has always been a challenge for me. Part of the reason is a not-so-great drafting chimney; cinder block with round clay liner, I've had the height increased once which helped. On a damp day I'll have a downdraft that is really hard to reverse.

But I also think the Castine can be hard to get really cranking from a cold start, probably the same amount of time as you, and I have a mixture of wood that's seasoned at least two years. I have no problem maintaining temps of 400, but it's a challenge to keep it at 500 for any length of time. My Castine is also the older double door variety, and if I open both doors to load, smoke spills out a bit, which makes me wonder how well it drafts... not a problem with only one door open.
 
Year 6 on the Jotul 118. 1200 sq foot house stays plenty warm to 20 below! Coldest winter here in 25 years!
 
The best I can do usually is 7 hours. That's from a cold start with the stove just warm to the touch at the end. Question for the other 400 owners here. How quickly can you get your stove up to 500-600 degrees on a cold start? I feel like my stove is really sluggish. It sometimes takes 45-60 minutes for it to get up to temp.

Its been a few months since I had to go to a complete "cold start up" but if memory serves me correctly your doing fine to hit 500* under an hours time. My regular reloads between 200*& 300* hit the 500 spot in 30 minutes or less. I generally like to hit 650 then work the air down in 2 separate increments . 50% 1st , then 25% . watch it cruise for awhile.
 
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Its been a few months since I had to go to a complete "cold start up" but if memory serves me correctly your doing fine to hit 500* under an hours time. My regular reloads between 200*& 300* hit the 500 spot in 30 minutes or less. I generally like to hit 650 then work the air down in 2 separate increments . 50% 1st , then 25% . watch it cruise for awhile.
My experience is very similar to yours, 500 in under an hour from cold and reloads only take less than half depending on coal bed. I have tried closing down in one increment and it does not work as well as two. I also will completely close down when it is really going and it cruises nicely. Do you close down completely or still run at 75% for the rest of the cycle?
 
Well with this significant of a cold snap all of my aforementioned coal reduction strategies went out the window. I ended up just shoveling some out to make room for a full load this morning. Does anyone else ever have to resort to this?
 
Well with this significant of a cold snap all of my aforementioned coal reduction strategies went out the window. I ended up just shoveling some out to make room for a full load this morning. Does anyone else ever have to resort to this?

Yes I have removed coals before and when I do then will plan a meal around a campstyle dutch oven cookery.

I typically need some source of supplementary heat when temps average around 10F. So it happens on occasion throughout the burning season.

As for burn time I can operate on as short as a 5 hr schedule (2 hr flame 3 hour coaling) without an over build up provided I am on top of things and open the air to full when the flame immediately dissipates .

Probably the most efficient way to shrink a coal bed is to rake your coals forward after the flame cycle and then put one piece at a time of dry poorly coaling wood with the air wide open on top of it to shrink it. Problem is around here poorly coaling wood is nearly impossible to score.
 
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The best I can do usually is 7 hours. That's from a cold start with the stove just warm to the touch at the end. Question for the other 400 owners here. How quickly can you get your stove up to 500-600 degrees on a cold start? I feel like my stove is really sluggish. It sometimes takes 45-60 minutes for it to get up to temp.

We usually only got 6-8 hrs burn time with the Castine and that was in milder weather. When it got in the low 20s or colder the stove couldn't keep up with this old house. I had to supplement with electrons.
 
My experience is very similar to yours, 500 in under an hour from cold and reloads only take less than half depending on coal bed. I have tried closing down in one increment and it does not work as well as two. I also will completely close down when it is really going and it cruises nicely. Do you close down completely or still run at 75% for the rest of the cycle?
I haven't gone 100% closed for any length of time. I have seen smoke come out the chimney when I've tried full close down. Thats the main reason I stay at 75% closed when doing the overnight burn. Maybe I should give it another try.
 
I haven't gone 100% closed for any length of time. I have seen smoke come out the chimney when I've tried full close down. Thats the main reason I stay at 75% closed when doing the overnight burn. Maybe I should give it another try.
I was surprised when I first closed 100% primary but understand that the secondary air feeds through the burn tubes and keeps the heat pumping. I need a good fire going and close down in two or three stages before closing fully. I find the secondaries go for between one to two hours and then the coaling takes over, pretty neat. How long so you usually get secondaries?
 
smaller than most comments here. burn an f100. not the best splits on 2 cords, so we also burn bricks. with the combo we are fairing well with 24/7 burning. just constant tending with the colder days. overnights and work hours are 100% bricks and work well with 250-300* after 8 hrs. only wish we were a size larger. have a day
 
smaller than most comments here. burn an f100. not the best splits on 2 cords, so we also burn bricks. with the combo we are fairing well with 24/7 burning. just constant tending with the colder days. overnights and work hours are 100% bricks and work well with 250-300* after 8 hrs. only wish we were a size larger. have a day
Doug we have a neighbour who burns 2 f100 in large rooms, 20 by 20 with 12 foot ceilings. They have doors they can close so are heating approx 400 sq ft. They love them but as you say they need loading frequently. They only use them when they are going to use those rooms so are not burning 24/7, look like nice stoves.
Cheers
 
Doug we have a neighbour who burns 2 f100 in large rooms, 20 by 20 with 12 foot ceilings. They have doors they can close so are heating approx 400 sq ft. They love them but as you say they need loading frequently. They only use them when they are going to use those rooms so are not burning 24/7, look like nice stoves.
Cheers
no doors here, open oversize raised ranch with an added family room. 64* rising 70* after a few hours. probably need new gaskets, but won't shut down now to change them. great little stove and cuts our oil by one half as we heat 1800sq. ft. in the basement apt. on the colder days we add a electric space heater, which is running now on the 750/kwh setting, in the family rm.
 
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