End of burn

[ajs349]

I'm now entering my second year of basement wood stove burning. The first season was quite a whirlwind dealing with negative pressure, draft, and even starting a fire.

I think I'm in a good spot now as I can reverse a draft, get a fire going quickly, and keep it going for as long as I please. I still watch it like a hawk and constintely fiddle with the intake and check the temp at least once every 5-10 minutes. Anyway, because we don't rely on the stove for heat in the house I like to let the fire go out before heading to bed. What I've been doing is get all the large pieces burned/broken down and I'll open the air control to allow for max air intake keeping the flue temp around 300*. I'll do this and keep raking the coals around for an hour or two before bed and then completely shut the air control and go to bed. When I wake up morning nothing but ash is left in a cold stove.

Being that the basement has a naturally a strong negative pressure (I'm planning additional outside air intakes) is there something else I should be doing to ensure no CO2 gets pushed back into the house with the few coals left in the stove? Flue temp is usually still around 250-300*. Is there a flue temp at which the draft could reverse?

Also, if I head to bed with larger coals or even flames still going where should I leave the air control? Closed to smother or normal operating spot for continued burn.

That all being said/asked I have about 7 CO2 sensors through out the house and never had any show anything but a 0. Never would have thought this was so much more of an art! Thanks so much!

 

[Sailrmike]

I'm now entering my second year of basement wood stove burning. The first season was quite a whirlwind dealing with negative pressure, draft, and even starting a fire.

I think I'm in a good spot now as I can reverse a draft, get a fire going quickly, and keep it going for as long as I please. I still watch it like a hawk and constintely fiddle with the intake and check the temp at least once every 5-10 minutes. Anyway, because we don't rely on the stove for heat in the house I like to let the fire go out before heading to bed. What I've been doing is get all the large pieces burned/broken down and I'll open the air control to allow for max air intake keeping the flue temp around 300*. I'll do this and keep raking the coals around for an hour or two before bed and then completely shut the air control and go to bed. When I wake up morning nothing but ash is left in a cold stove.

Being that the basement has a naturally a strong negative pressure (I'm planning additional outside air intakes) is there something else I should be doing to ensure no CO2 gets pushed back into the house with the few coals left in the stove? Flue temp is usually still around 250-300*. Is there a flue temp at which the draft could reverse?

Also, if I head to bed with larger coals or even flames still going where should I leave the air control? Closed to smother or normal operating spot for continued burn.

That all being said/asked I have about 7 CO2 sensors through out the house and never had any show anything but a 0. Never would have thought this was so much more of an art! Thanks so much!

I heat from my finished basement, thru-wall class A chimney running up the side of house. I think you're on the right track with burning up coals as much as possible if you're shutting down for the night. Is one of your CO detectors placed low near the stove? I had one there my first season, never went off. The negative pressure thing sure is a beast, mine got worse after replacing doors and windows!

 

[Sailrmike]

And if you're heading to bed while still burning, just leave the air set where you normally burn at, dont smother the fire

 

[xman23]

Hope your routine gets figured out this year, sounded stressful. So what's the issues?

If the drafts not reversing after getting the fire going, or a runaway stove. You should be able reload on a bed of coals, set the air and let it run til the next reload. If this is working practice a full reload and air setting for a bedtime burn.

 

[ajs349]

Thanks. So far it’s just a matter of figuring out how the stove reacts and my order of operations. Haven’t had any problems but a co2 backdraft which gets sucked into and distributed through the HVAC is always on my mind.

The first co2 sensor is about 10’ from the stove plugged into a standard height wall outlet. Another in the hall way of the first and second floor and one in my daughters room. Then a few more on ceilings also acting as a smoke detector.

 

[firefighterjake]

Just a pet peeve of mine . . .

CO = Carbon Monoxide = bad, will-kill-you-gas

CO2 = Carbon Dioxide = good, puts the fizzy in the soda and beer



I see this all the time and try to resist the urge to post . . . but sometimes the urges are just too much.

 

[Mutineer]

Thanks, Jake. I was just about to post the same thing.

 

[saberbass]

I am new to wood burning and just got my stove last month. I have been doing the same thing also. I rake my coal in front of the below at the bottom of the box . Then I run it open and close it off before bed. Flue stays around 300 f, and I get extra heat from the stove, next morning just ash .

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I'm now entering my second year of basement wood stove burning. Is there a flue temp at which the draft could reverse?

I also heat from the basement. Id say the temp at which the draft reverses is close to room temp unless you have an exhaust fan going,then it would be higher. Thats the way it is for me. I burn opposite of you, most winter days. Since its always colder at night i start the stove around 8-9PM ,get it up to temp and pack a full load of wood in. In the morning its in the high 70s in the house and the stove is burning down coals. House stays warm during the day unless its unusually cold with no sun. Starts to getting cool again (low 70s)in the evening so 1 burn a day most days.