I'm running a jotul F55 Rangeley and not sure I've got good secondaries. In our old house we had a regency and when the secondaries got going, it was obvious. Slowing rolling flames that looked almost like lava. In the jotul, I never get that. See video. I just loaded up with some oak and ash and there's a roaring fire with primary air shut all the way down, but not like the old stove. Stove top temp is 550f and probe is 700f. Wood seems to be burning fast unlike the old stove. I don't know, every night just when I think I have it figured out, I get a different burn which makes it somewhat inconsistent. Anyways, does the video look like seconday combustion?
Establishing secondaries
- Thread starter jzinckgra
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
- Status
A few minutes after I took the video the roaring flames went away, now left with a cloudlike flame above wood. This seems more like secondaries?
Last edited:
jatoxico
Minister of Fire
Secondaries can look different at different times, Wafting gaseous clouds, the gas BBQ look or just small licks of smoke and gas being burnt off. Usually doesn't happen w/ primary full open and interior temp needs to be to proper temp which mostly translates to a stove top temp of about 500 F.
phatdonkey
Member
My Oslo does the same thing. I hear a lot about lazy flames and the secondaries going. I never see that in my Oslo. Its always like a raging inferno. I can get good secs going at about 400. Secs are always raging. Very seldom are they lazy like most say.
phatdonkey
Member
Secondaries look different in different stoves, looks like you have them. In my other stove they looked like your second video, with my current stove they look like a gas stove with flames shooting out from the holes.
phatdonkey
Member
I've never seen the BBQ jets of flame like some folks have . . . I have seen the Portal to Hell Hellfires (pretty common . . . especially with my quite well seasoned wood), the lazy rolling flames and the "fireworks" (this one seems to occur most often if I've cut the air back a little too much since giving it a little more air typically results in the lazy fire or Portal to Hell.)
Thanks guys. The problem is while in the 1st vid, I got great heat, it was short lived and burned through the wood pretty fast. I loaded up at 830pm and by 1230am, I was down to coals. It's funny cause on other nights, I've been able to get longer burns. I hadn't observed the roaring flames all season like in the 1st vid and I attribute that from the cold weather last night. It was 6F and I assume I was getting a very strong draft compared to warmer nights? Is this right?
Pellet_Pete
Feeling the Heat
I'm a little wet behind the ears here, but the species of wood seems to be making a big difference in the sort of fire behavior I'm seeing. I've gotten the nice slow rolling flames with straight loads of red oak, apple, and ash, and I got the nice blue "ghost flames" with some black birch. Mixed loads seem a bit more volatile, maybe because the different species "behave" differently in terms of when they fire off? I mean, all these species act differently in a campfire, so they must in a stove too, I'd think.
My Oslo also looks like the business end of a shuttle take off when the secondaries light up. I'm trying to see if I can load the stove tighter or knock it down a little sooner to slow it up a bit. Any where after 475 it seems I can shut it down and get good secondaries.
I'm posting a video of my secondaries because.
I'm posting a video of my secondaries because.
heavy hammer
Minister of Fire
I believe it depends sometimes on the wood the temp the draft at that time etc. I sometimes get that lazy roll off the secondaries but that seems to happen when I put larger blocks of wood in. If I put smaller splits in it seems like I get the blasting furnace. Just my opinion but that is what happens for me it even depends on when you start to cut the air back as well. Types of wood also change the outcome. Softer woods seem to be more blast furnace. The hard woods especially large locust rounds seem to give that blue lazy roll.
claydogg84
Minister of Fire
I agree. I've got a lot of large pieces still in my stacks from my Defiant days, so my secondaries can be pretty lame if I load a bunch of them.
saskwoodburner
Feeling the Heat
I get anything from looks like propane/gas jets to inferno window clean mode secondaries. Anything from wood moisture to how the wood is placed, and even outside weather and wind affect how each of my fires turns out. I get the air shut down quick though, and am more likely to stall my fire than have it take off.
I try for less than video #1, and more than video #2
I try for less than video #1, and more than video #2
phatdonkey
Member
I get anything from looks like propane/gas jets to inferno window clean mode secondaries. Anything from wood moisture to how the wood is placed, and even outside weather and wind affect how each of my fires turns out. I get the air shut down quick though, and am more likely to stall my fire than have it take off.
I try for less than video #1, and more than video #2
I stall mine from time to time trying to get it closed down quickly. I just need to be more patient.
heavy hammer
Minister of Fire
You will get it the more you mess around with figuring the stove out the better. Like all these other guys have said there are a lot of variables that factor in how your secondaries take off. Play around that's what makes it fun.
- Status
Similar threads
