SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
Any updates on the VC? Changing to a different stove is not going to save any money, I agree with Ashful on that.
The primary advantage of going to a cat stove is most often their ability to burn lower and slower than a non-cat. There are of course always exceptions to every rule, this one included, but in general… cats have longer burn times, associated with lower available burn rates.So in hindsight, maybe a cat stove wasn't the best idea for me as I get the wood early spring and stack it and pray. It's burned the same year. I love my stove though.
That answer has changed a few times in 10 years, but presently I’m on a pair of BK Ashford 30.1’s. I will likely stay with BK for any future wood stove (as long as they continue to have some big pretty model), I’m just thrilled with their performance, but I have toyed with the idea of replacing one of the wood stoves with pellet.What woodstoves do you have?
Yes… given the latitude of the OP, I suppose that’s the case. But my post on ROI was actually arguing that stove purchases can often pay for themselves very quickly (eg. 2 years), in the northern half of our 48.Any updates on the VC? Changing to a different stove is not going to save any money, I agree with Ashful on that.
Yes, post #53, #63, and #70 are the latest.Any updates on the VC? Changing to a different stove is not going to save any money, I agree with Ashful on that
My homeowner's insurance requires a spark arrestor. Even if they didn't, I think I would leave it for critter protection.Nah… stuck with the Jotuls a few more years, after that squirrel forced a rebuild upon me. I think the Ashford upgrade happened around 2015.
In any case, bikeshopguy345 may still want some form of screen up there, to keep those curious squirrels out. Just something coarse enough to avoid any likelihood of clogging (think 5/8 - 3/4 inch mesh). A bird in your stove is a sad day, but a pissed-off and soot-soaked squirrel in the stove is the day you may need all new carpet, drapes, and furniture.
Yep, the question is grid size. I did some research on this way back in 2012, and from my decade-old memory, I see to recall most insurance and/or state requirements call out 5/8" or 3/4", hence the numbers I posted. Unfortunately, some cap manufacturers choose to use 1/2" or smaller, it may be less expensive. The smaller grid size is more prone to the clogging you had experienced.My homeowner's insurance requires a spark arrestor. Even if they didn't, I think I would leave it for critter protection.
Good to know! I’ll measure it when I get up there again for spring cleaning. It is Duravent and from what I can tell online it is 1/2" mesh. My insurance just calls for a “UL listed spark arrestor." Modifying a UL listed product may render it no longer UL listed?Yep, the question is grid size. I did some research on this way back in 2012, and from my decade-old memory, I see to recall most insurance and/or state requirements call out 5/8" or 3/4", hence the numbers I posted. Unfortunately, some cap manufacturers choose to use 1/2" or smaller, it may be less expensive. The smaller grid size is more prone to the clogging you had experienced.
Do your own search on this, don't rely on my old memory, but I suspect an increase in size may be a benefit for you.
Yes, I do believe modifying it would invalidate the UL listing. In that case, if it continues to cause you problems, you may have to shop for another UL listed unit with a larger size mesh. No sense in messing around with your insurance.Good to know! I’ll measure it when I get up there again for spring cleaning. It is Duravent and from what I can tell online it is 1/2" mesh. My insurance just calls for a “UL listed spark arrestor." Modifying a UL listed product may render it no longer UL listed?
Either way, I just plan to keep an eye on it. I think it'll be fine now that I won't be using random junk from the recycle bin for fire starting.
That's a fine mesh cap for a wood stove. I think I would replace that screen with one with larger holes. It looks like 1/4" or 3/8" mesh. Remove that screen and go up to a 1/2" or 3/4" mesh.Last night's fire was an exercise in frustration, but fortunately things ended well. At about the 1hr/300F mark the fire kept stalling out. The damper was almost closed at 300F so I though my new adjustment was starving the fire for air. I decided to remove the foil tape from the flapper to give it more air. I do no recommend using foil tape! I ended up using a pencil to just poke a hole in it. I think a small magnet would be much easier to deal with for covering holes on the damper.
Removing the foil tape did nothing. I decided to prop the damper fully open with butter knife. I still couldn't get the fire to go! This has never happened. I sat on the couch feeling frustrated, confused, and wondering what I had done to mess up my stove. It was then that I realized that I must have some kind of obstruction because I kept getting smoke spillage when opening the door, which has never been a problem before.
Fortunately last night the moon was bright. One trip to the roof at 11pm confirmed my suspicions of a clogged spark arrestor cap. I popped it off and by the time I was back inside the fire was already going. Things seemed to burn well and eventually stabilized around 500F. At midnight threw one medium split in and it peaked at 750F and I went to bed. The stove temp was just below 200F and there was a small pile of hot coals in the back at 9AM! I'm counting this as a victory! I think the damper is closing between 300F and 400F but I'm not entirely sure yet.
I am still looking forward to doing a cold start to coals burn time test, but will have to wait a couple of days for cooler weather again.
When we first started using the stove we used a bunch of junk from the recycle bin to start fires. Cardboard, glossy mailers etc. I think I must have disturbed enough ash in the system yesterday finish plugging it up. Still crazy how it went from seemingly over drafting to clogged so fast.
Now to go clean this mess. Any suggestions?
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