Different burning techniques

[Woodsplitter67]

Start ing a thread just for burncycles

So here is a step by step of this morning burn

Cold stove at 505 am.. this is the cold start fire

 

[Woodsplitter67]

added some small splits and getting it up to temperature

 

[Woodsplitter67]

this is the same load as above really starting to catch..

stoves being a little slow this morning

Stt is 508 stove pipe like 230 cat temperature 90

 

[Woodsplitter67]

So the stove and stovepipe are up to temp.. I moved some of the wood around

Sst almost 600 stacks at like 275 the first picture is what the box looked like getting up to temp.. the 2nd pic is me moving wood around. most of it is to the back

 

[Woodsplitter67]

cat is now climbing 825

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I had to add a little wood to get the cat up I added 2 splits..

cats hanging at around 1k

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I just loaded the stove more then 3/4 full cut the air back to 1/3 air cat temp is 1258.. it will climb

 

[Woodsplitter67]

cat is at 1378

 

[Woodsplitter67]

so the burn is starting to settle in.. the STT will be low as the box has a bunch of wood in it getting up to temperature

SST is 375 cat temp1434 stove pipe is on the out side 280.. inside 360 ish

 

[Woodsplitter67]

so my cat temperature peaked at 1526.. its stayed there for about a minut.. and is now dropping .. by the time I typed this the cat temperature is now 1500 even

 

[Woodsplitter67]

ok.. stove is starting to cruise..

Cat 1467.. SST 548..
I have not done anything to the stove since closing the damper ant turning the air to 1/3 after the initial loading.. eventually Ill cut the air back all the way.. Ill wait for a bit

 

[Woodsplitter67]

this is where the stoveis at right now..
SST IS AT 528 stovepipe is 390 on the inside

 

[AsylumResident]

First of all, all good stuff. At what point during this burn was the first time you closed your bypass?

Also, what were the outside temps like for this start up?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

post 4

 

[Woodsplitter67]

At roughly 7.30am I cut the air all the way back.. cat had climbed to 1525 at some point.. when I cut the air the cat started to drop and was at 1519

STT was like 488

I cut the air back earlier in the burn only because my son and I had some fun time planned and i had left the house

 

[AsylumResident]

I am currently doing a burn following this exact procedure with a half load of large splits. I'm still a little apprehensive of doing a full load based on my run away a couple nights again; I'll get over it. I'll post the information and results when the burn is through.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I got home and this is where my stove is

STT IS like 380.. cat is 525 and plenty of coals still going
My glass isn't quit as clean only because I turned the air back all the way earlier then I normally do.. the glass isn't super dirty but does have a little tint to it at the bottom and corners

 

[AsylumResident]

So I did this method, the only thing I did not do, I believe, is put the air as low as you do.
- Three small/medium splits over small bed of coals.
- Air 100% open.
- When STT hit 450 I closed the bypass (inside flue was 875).
- Cat peaked at 608 so I opened the bypass, added another medium split.
- When STT hit 530 I closed the bypass (inside flue was 1000).
- Let the burn until the cat hit 1015.
- Open the bypass
- Load 1/2 full with splits
- Close bypass, let the cat get back to 1000
- Set air to 50% and let it be.



The cat peaked out at 1320, pretty consistent burn, almost 4 hours over 1000. I only had a 1/2 load but once the cat dropped below 500 there was a decent bed of coals for me drop some wood on again and go another round.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

So I did this method, the only thing I did not do, I believe, is put the air as low as you do.
- Three small/medium splits over small bed of coals.
- Air 100% open.
- When STT hit 450 I closed the bypass (inside flue was 875).
- Cat peaked at 608 so I opened the bypass, added another medium split.
- When STT hit 530 I closed the bypass (inside flue was 1000).
- Let the burn until the cat hit 1015.
- Open the bypass
- Load 1/2 full with splits
- Close bypass, let the cat get back to 1000
- Set air to 50% and let it be.

View attachment 319559

The cat peaked out at 1320, pretty consistent burn, almost 4 hours over 1000. I only had a 1/2 load but once the cat dropped below 500 there was a decent bed of coals for me drop some wood on again and go another round.

that sounds good to me..

 

[AsylumResident]

that sounds good to me..

I was pleased with the results.

 

[arnermd]

Looks like a pretty good burn to me as well.... 3.5 hours of cat time on 1/2 a load is good.

Only thing that caught my attention was your flue gas temps seem high at 875 and 1000.
When I am trying to heat the stove up, (STT< 450, bypass open) and I see flue gas temps > 700 I will cut the air back or reduce draft with my key damper. Just seems like a lot of heat is ripping up the stack and wasted when it gets that hot. Not a recommendation, that's just what I do....

I will also add, our stoves seem to be a lot more predictable with less than full loads. I will be curious to see how things go for you this winter when you start packing it full....

 

[AsylumResident]

Looks like a pretty good burn to me as well.... 3.5 hours of cat time on 1/2 a load is good.

Only thing that caught my attention was your flue gas temps seem high at 875 and 1000.
When I am trying to heat the stove up, (STT< 450, bypass open) and I see flue gas temps > 700 I will cut the air back or reduce draft with my key damper. Just seems like a lot of heat is ripping up the stack and wasted when it gets that hot. Not a recommendation, that's just what I do....

I will also add, our stoves seem to be a lot more predictable with less than full loads. I will be curious to see how things go for you this winter when you start packing it full....

I would agree on the flue temps. I don't like to see it go above 800 and ideally it stays below 700 (why? just because it makes me more comfortable not to be so high). But I figure if it pops that high quick during start up I'll be ok, especially since it drops drastically once I close the bypass. When it got the flue to 1000 after I added that additional split, I probably didn't need to add that additional split. I think if I would have just opened the bypass for a another five minute stint it most likely would have grown hot enough on what was in there to get the cat up to temp.

 

[dmccoole]

so my cat temperature peaked at 1526.. its stayed there for about a minut.. and is now dropping .. by the time I typed this the cat temperature is now 1500 even

At what cat temp should one start to get concerned?

My warm start yesterday morning burning off the glass, attached. I only add 2-3 splits at a time during the day to try to not over heat the house, but my house temp got into the upper 70s. Had to crack a window!

 

[Woodsplitter67]

At what cat temp should one start to get concerned?

My warm start yesterday morning burning off the glass, attached. I only add 2-3 splits at a time during the day to try to not over heat the house, but my house temp got into the upper 70s. Had to crack a window!

View attachment 319599

me personally 1600+ and up sustained.. like if its hanging 1650 for an hour would be making me anxious.

A cat in the lower 1500s would have me check the stove every so often.. like going to 1550 as a peak and dropping down in 10 minutes .. I wouldn't think twice

 

[AsylumResident]

me personally 1600+ and up sustained.. like if its hanging 1650 for an hour would be making me anxious.

A cat in the lower 1500s would have me check the stove every so often.. like going to 1550 as a peak and dropping down in 10 minutes .. I wouldn't think twice

I have my cat alarm set at 1550 so I know to start paying attention to it.