Englander 30 NCH Please Help Me Trouble Shoot this...

[BrotherBart]

If you are going to burn those monster splits and burn them N/S then do this. Let that mess burn down to a coal bed. When the stove top temp, measured on the front of the step-top, is down to 300 degrees drag the coals in a row across the front of the firebox. Use three of the large splits and leave an inch or so of space between the N/S and sit just the front six inches or so on top of the coal bed. Leave the air full open until you have good flames going and close it one quarter of the way. At 400 degrees close it another quarter. By five hundred degrees stove top you should have a nice fire between the splits and the tip of the coil spring on the air control somewhere around even with the front of the ash lip. Plus or minus depending on your wood and draft. You will have to judge where.

Forget about freaking secondaries. I won't even discuss them. You want the wood burning and your stove holding a steady temperature.

 

[jared539]

If you are going to burn those monster splits and burn them N/S then do this. Let that mess burn down to a coal bed. When the stove top temp, measured on the front of the step-top, is down to 300 degrees drag the coals in a row across the front of the firebox. Use three of the large splits and leave an inch or so of space between the N/S and sit just the front six inches or so on top of the coal bed. Leave the air full open until you have good flames going and close it one quarter of the way. At 400 degrees close it another quarter. By five hundred degrees stove top you should have a nice fire between the splits and the tip of the coil spring on the air control somewhere around even with the front of the ash lip. Plus or minus depending on your wood and draft. You will have to judge where.

Forget about freaking secondaries. I won't even discuss them. You want the wood burning and your stove holding a steady temperature.

The step down on top of the englander is what you want me to take the temp of? when it goes from the flue collar to the flat part... the bevel right there is what you are talking about right?

okay so wait until those coals burn off and start cooling to 300 on top of the stove... from there pull them forward all the way and make a coal bed from left to right toward the front of the stove as far as a i can. then put the splits north south with at least 6 inches of the wood front on the coals...

should i leave the door cracked to get the fire burning? after i put the splits on or just close the door and leave the air open?

also ... as the coals are burning, before i throw the new splits on should i rake the coals forward and crack the door to get them hot then throw the splits on like you said?

sorry for the questions if they sound stupid

 

[HotCoals]

I watched your vids.
You have a draft issue somewhere...either in the flue or primary air is my guess.

 

[BrotherBart]

After you rake the pile of coals forward close the door and open the air control. They will burn down just fine. And after you put the wood on the coals, if it is really dry wood the flames should start in a minute or less with the door closed. If they don't then crack the door just long enough to get the front of them burning good then close it.

 

[jared539]

why do you hate dealing with the secondaries questions?

just wondering your take on it because it sounds like you are adamant in your opinion on them... i would like to know what your opinion is in a nut shell (cuz it sounds like u hate the question and i know you don't want to get into it)

im just curious your take on it...

thank you for the responses

 

[BrotherBart]

I watched your vids.
You have a draft issue somewhere...either in the flue or primary air is my guess.

That draft is just fine.

 

[BrotherBart]

One thing from vid1. Push those baffle boards to one side or the other so there is no gap in the middle of them.

 

[jared539]

I watched your vids.
You have a draft issue somewhere...either in the flue or primary air is my guess.

brotha bart...

do you agree?

 

[BrotherBart]

I watched your vids.
You have a draft issue somewhere...either in the flue or primary air is my guess.

brotha bart...

do you agree?

Ya got plenty of draft.

 

[jared539]

of the people that have this stove , do my vids look normal or does there seem to be an issue???

thank you!

brotha bart i like ur advise and i will do it later and let you know how i make out

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I never have to open the door after 30 minutes from start up and that into a 12x12 chimney. Your draft is weak and gets weaker when you close the door(per your video) Also i noticed with my stove on the big chimney outside temps over 40 make it hard to get the stovetop over 500-550. Closer to 30 outside and i get 600-700, again a draft issue. Use smaller splits till you get better draft.

 

[jared539]

I watched your vids.
You have a draft issue somewhere...either in the flue or primary air is my guess.

brotha bart...

do you agree?

Ya got plenty of draft.

okay... im goiing to get a wood meter too... i will take what i have here for information and give it another go when i get home tonight for christmas eve...

merry christmas everyone

happy Hanuka and anything you celebrate i hope you have a great night onight and tomorrow i will give you guys an update... i hope ur families are safe and wood stove warm for the holiday!

best wishes!

 

[jared539]

I never have to open the door after 30 minutes from start up and that into a 12x12 chimney. Your draft is weak and gets weaker when you close the door(per your video) Also i noticed with my stove on the big chimney outside temps over 40 make it hard to get the stovetop over 500-550. Closer to 30 outside and i get 600-700, again a draft issue. Use smaller splits till you get better draft.

do you use smaller splits, Seasoned oak?

if you used the same size i did out of you larger flue, do you think you would get the same results as me?

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I never have to open the door after 30 minutes from start up and that into a 12x12 chimney. Your draft is weak and gets weaker when you close the door(per your video) Also i noticed with my stove on the big chimney outside temps over 40 make it hard to get the stovetop over 500-550. Closer to 30 outside and i get 600-700, again a draft issue. Use smaller splits till you get better draft..

do you use smaller splits, Seasoned oak?

if you used the same size i did out of you larger flue, do you think you would get the same results as me?

My wood is way smaller than yours and i burn a lot of pine(very dry) but your stove should not die like that when you close the door,your operating on the very low end of the draft strength scale for this stove. Until you get better draft (or until it gets a lot colder outside) ,i would use much smaller wood. You going to have problems in the shoulder seasons until you rectify the situation. ALso you could try a draft meter to see how much draft you actually have. By the way i get great secondaries all the time after the stovetop gets over 400.

 

[jared539]

so about a week later i want to let you know that i have this thing down to a science... im so used to old stoves

now i dig a hole in the ash and put a small peice of crumpled paper.... i put to split up two by fours over it and light... i take some of my wood and split it up into about half inch to inch peices. it takes me about 10 minutes to get the fire roaring with the door crack ... i close the door while the fire is hot... keep the air all the way open... i let that burn right down... next i put about 2-3 inch pieces in and stack it in there and close the door... after 10 minutes the air is drawing out of the air vent pushing the heat through those peices and i have nice fire oging... when those burn down i put 5-6 inch peices on there and clsoe the door .... then i let it get going good for about 10 minutes... then i will close down the air a little about 2 inches or do on the throttle. i repeat that until the throttle is even with the ash lip... when that burns down i can throw full splits in there and the stove cranks heat and burns it perfectly ... i appreciate all the help.... this stove is a great... it is definatley a lot different then my old stove... it put full splits in there and closed the air down at 10 pm and 7 am the next morning i had a bed of coals and the basement was still 78 degrees my upstairs was 73 and it was 35 degrees all night. not too shabby.. i put 4 pieces of wood in there for the entire night... i am burning less wood now that i know how to work it ....

i get the fire burning real hot with the kindling and the trick is to keep feeding that to keep the temp up for the bigger peices as you graduate up to bigger peices it gets hotter and hotter and perpetuates more air flow through the stove (when the door is closed).

im really happy with this stove

 

[pen]

That's great news.

I almost guarantee you'll continue to modify this process as time goes on. I've gone through about a 1/2 dozen different ways of lighting this stove. It's a science that is ever changing, at least to me any how.

Hope the happiness continues.

pen

 

[jared539]

thanks a lot... yea im finding that i tell my wife everynight about my new and improved process... im happy with the results i have been getting... brotha barts advice has really helped

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I discovered something new today while adjusting the Air control on the 30. At certain settings the interior air between the flames was cloudy or hazy, then just a little more or less air and the interior air got crystal clear. i did not notice this before. Im guessing the clear setting is a cleaner burn.