Clydesdale insert. Questions for users

[jammin1]

I had my Clydesdale stove installed last week and have been heating my house for one week. I have been pleased with how much heat I get out of it, but I dont think I am using as efficiently as possible. I seem to reload with wood too often. I have tried different ways of loading with not much change. I know everyone will probably say it the wood, but my moisture content of the wood is between 4% to 12%. It is most likely operator inexperience. I have a infrared red heat gun and have been monitoring temps on top on stove centered just under surround. Heres what I have tried and the results

Stove temp at top 400
Adding only 2 logs, split coals to left and right to allow air up center, air opened up 1/2 way, good heat but adding wood every 1 1/2 hours

Stove temp at top 500-550
Adding full load of wood, split coals left and right for air, air opened 1/4 way, good heat but stove top temp will drop over burn time. Burn time to reload is maybe 4 to 5 hours.

Over night burn
Start with a bed of coals and stove top temp around 300
Split coals again, fill with wood, shut air all the way down. After 7 - 8 hours stove temp is around 150. I empty out what coals I can, split hot coals and can get a fire going again with-out kinling.

Pleased with the heat but seems like I am using more wood than everyone else and far less burn times to reloading. Any advise

 

[begreen]

Welcome, good choice on the insert. With the recent cold snap, much shorter burn times are not uncommon. Do you know what species of wood you are burning? I get short burn times with soft maple, but good times with locust. Something is wrong with the moisture readings. Perfectly dry wood flooring is 8%. 4% would almost be dust. In order to get an accurate reading you never check end grain. Instead, resplit the split and check the moisture on the freshly exposed face of the re-split. If the wood is very dry it will read 13-18%.

For the longest burn times, load on a burned down coal bed, use big splits and pack the gaps with smaller ones.

 

[jammin1]

Welcome, good choice on the insert. With the recent cold snap, much shorter burn times are not uncommon. Do you know what species of wood you are burning? I get short burn times with soft maple, but good times with locust. Something is wrong with the moisture readings. Perfectly dry wood flooring is 8%. 4% would almost be dust. In order to get an accurate reading you never check end grain. Instead, resplit the split and check the moisture on the freshly exposed face of the re-split. If the wood is very dry it will read 13-18%.

For the longest burn times, load on a burned down coal bed, use big splits and pack the gaps with smaller ones.

I measured the wood at the end of the log. The meter is brand new, but it was a cheap meter. Either way the wood has been down and covered for a couple of years so I feel confident that it is dry. The wood is a mix of maple and red oak. Thanks for your reply

 

[weatherguy]

You've only been burning for a week, its takes a while to get good at burning efficiently, you just need to practice.
I feel confident you're maple is dry but two years for oak doesn't always do it, I let oak season 3 years.

 

[Eaglecraft]

jammin 1:

You state, "Stove temp at top 500-550. Adding full load of wood, split coals left and right for air, air opened 1/4 way, good heat but stove top temp will drop over burn time. Burn time to reload is maybe 4 to 5 hours."

We are going into our 4th year burning with Clyde, so I have a little experience on Clyde's operating characteristics. What you experience above is a typical scenario. The stove temp is highly dependent on fan operating speed. If you are moving a lot of air around the stove at high fan speed, expect to have lower stove temps and maybe shorter burn times.

A 4 percent moisture content seems much too low. Air dried wood over time might achieve a moisture content as low as 12 percent. So I would check you meter against other meters. More likely it's 15 to 20 percent for dry firewood.

Good luck with your Clyde...

 

[jammin1]

Thanks for your input. I have been playing around with fan speeds and it really affects the stove temps. The blowers move so much air it can cool a stove down quickly. I have found running the blowers on 5/8 speed seems to be the best. granted with the extreme temps we have been having I have been running the stove pretty hard and hot so the wood would be used up a little faster. Going to be a learning curve this year

 

[Firedancer]

What you described sounds correct. "Burn time" on our insert reads 10 hrs in our manual. Of course that doesn't mean a firebox with raging fire for 10 hrs. I can load the Clyde around 10 pm (load=fill fire box with wood until there is no more room for anymore pieces/to top of box..sometimes I'm even touching the baffles ) wake at 6am to coals and the blower still blowing warm air-add more wood and off she goes again.

As begreen stated, moisture should be checked on face of fresh split not the end. I'm burning all red oak simply because its what I have plenty of and its free for me. I have noticed during this cold snap-single and neg digits here in NJ-that I've burned much more wood this last week. I've also turned my blower higher than usual to really blow the heat into the house to stay ahead of the cold. Worked quiet well.

Overall, I'm very happy with the Clydesdale. I have no experience with any other stove/insert but feel we made a great investment with this purchase. Still learning too and this site and the people here have really been tremendously helpful.

 

[Julian]

My mother bought the clydesdale last year and loves it. Don't really know her burn times but I do know that she loves the fact that she dosnt see the oil guy that often. Since your new make sure to to check the flue and get it cleaned. Enjoy it

 

[mstoelton]

I have a clydesdale that has been installed for several weeks. I have noticed if I do not shut down the damper 100% after the fire gets going good, that the ood burns quickly. If I damper down completely, then I get a nice long burn with secondaries and the heat lasts many hours.

 

[Capt_Ron]

I've been burning with our new Clyde now for a month and a half. Experiencing the same as everyone. Currently using nice dry white oak splits. I get a hot bed of coals going, load up the stove and get those flaming a bit, then shut the air down. Can usually get close to 4 hours before repeat.