Yep coals really seem to need air from below. That's why the coals in the tundra just sit there and hide in the ash for hours...or days...
Everything Drolet Tundra - Heatmax...
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Yep coals really seem to need air from below. That's why the coals in the tundra just sit there and hide in the ash for hours...or days...
So like I was thinking a while back Brenndatamo, we need a blower set to put a slight breeze under those coals. Then furnace can be overloaded more often or dampered longer.. Sumthin. There's got to be benefit at certain times to burn out over built coal base. I try to avoid the over built coals but cause long periods w little heat while coals are finishing off. Forced air into coals at that time could be handy.
9 1/2 hrs after load of ash hickory mix. Pretty full bout 7/8. Only down to 25 last night. House was 67-68 this morning ar 7 am. May lower the draft sligthly. Got oil in flu other day, dripped out flu pipe. Over loaded under used somehow. Warm day i think too much wood an temp controller wasnt set right.
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I'm thinking for next year I'll have some cottonwood or pine ready and use that to burn coals down in the evenings..see how that works.
Digger79, we are having some warmer temps here too. I noticed last night after a new load of wood fired at high fire for 20 mins (temp controller set at 525-625°) died down to a smolder at idle. Draft was low -.04. So I placed a paper clip on the draft door and that was enough to bring the fire back up to a nice cruise. I think my chimney is marginal at 32° and above.
Digger79, we are having some warmer temps here too. I noticed last night after a new load of wood fired at high fire for 20 mins (temp controller set at 525-625°) died down to a smolder at idle. Draft was low -.04. So I placed a paper clip on the draft door and that was enough to bring the fire back up to a nice cruise. I think my chimney is marginal at 32° and above.
I use a baro damper to control draft. No paperclip is needed or useful w my setup. 15' class A chimney draws real hard. It is setup to over draft then baro stops it from over drafting. So when weather is warmer my chimney will still draft properly. My creosote/oil issue was cause I had temp controller set to low. Got no draft issues currently during warmmer weather or near end of cycles. Working very well. Cruises for 30 mins or so then opens up an the length of time damper stays closed ir draft holds, gets longer w each cycle. After a few cycles of temp controller firing, dampee stays shut an draft holds for hours an hours. Maybe 3-4. Pending the load of course. Type of wood, kind of splits, amount an so on.
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Digger, a 15' chimney should not require a barometric damper. Draft will peak with the damper open, but should quickly fall when the damper closes and temps level out. I think part of the problem is a short chimney and the use of a baro.
Not sure I understand cause if I dont dial it down with the damper it goes way over -.06 like up near -.09 no good. Was told by Brenndatamo anything over -.08 is not safe for the Tundra according to SBI. Currently Im not having any issues honestly.
I have about a 15' chimney and got the same results, draft goes high with the air inlet open but then settles to right in spec with the air inlet closed.
Since I run my Tundra with air inlet closed 98%+ of the time during active burn* I called it good and did not install a barometric damper.
*active burn, full or medium load actively outgassing, lots of secondary action.
Digger, 3fordasho, are you running a lined chimney or double layer insulated? I'm just running into an 8x8 clay lined 15ish foot located in the house. I'm wondering if it might maintain draft better with a liner.
Well i know i saw -.08 and it bumped to -.09 almost -.10 a few times. As fragile as these Tundras can be it worries me w hickory loaded full it will overdraft. I guess I dont see the issue w having it in my setup cause the baro damper falls shut hours before draft gets below spec. So its not even affecting anything after the surge cycle really. Pops open a little here n there specially with wind. When wind blows hard it cause chimney to bounce way up over draft too. I have learned a ton on this site an specifically from brenndatamo so I will remain open to what you guys are saying an try to see if I feel comfortable with baro locked shut tonight and see how it does. I dunno getting super long burns w damper shut as is an house is 71 rt now still after loading mostly ash at 6:30 am. Brenndatamo what you say about all this?
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What about when the damper is open? I use timer to hold damper open for 30 mins when loading. Gives time to get surface moisture totallt out. During that period im worried it could get hotter than stove can take.
Yes class A double wall rock wool insulated. Yes u are loosing draft cause heat rises. Hotter it is faster air rises. U need an insulated liner or double wall insulated pipe is better. You will notice night and day difference. Def your problem w loosing draft.
I'm running Selkirk Supervent 6" SS double wall with the insulation between walls. The stuff Menards sells.
I use the timer method as well. I also monitor flue temps and close the air inlet at what ever temp I select on my add on temperature control.
I've detailed my add on temp control earlier in this thread. On one of my installs I shut it down at 625F, the other slightly less (different flue/temp probe set ups result in different results on what I feel is too hot)
Hey 3fordasho how high does your draft get?? Have you looked the stove over reall close?? It is very possible it has cracks if your draft ever got above -.09. My first tundra that has been replaced over drafted so hard the top section of chimney turned rainbow colors! Still think we dont need dampers? I dunno im no expert and much of what I know I recenrly learned on here an from Brenndatamo but im pretty sure rainbow colors in steel means over heated.
My draft would approach .09-.1 on a full load with open air inlet, normal as far as I am concerned. More heat up the flue = more draft. If I intended to run it wide open all the time I would install a barometric damper. I would also triple my wood consumption.
I have no cracking. It is the reason I installed my flue temp monitoring control from the start and also run the furnace in inlet closed mode as much as possible. The furnace is most efficient in this mode and what ever heat it's putting out is what I get. It's the guys that have a thermostat hooked up that holds that air inlet open for 50% of the burn that get the cracks.
I get the rainbow colors at the top too, but it disappears every summer when it rains. It's not heat dis-coloration.
Digger, how strong of heat demand is needed on your home? I'll get our furnace up to operating temperatures, then when the damper closes, it won't call for heat until the coaling stage hits. Like 3fordasho, our damper remains closed a majority of the time. I'm not running a barometric damper, but I've closed off my secondaries about 2/3 and my damper opens a fraction it did from factory. My draft is .1+ and the fire remains stable.
Ah ha! I see. I use a thermostat but it doesnt cause the stove to run wide open all the time. Either way if it didnt open house temps would drop. Currently its stays damper shut most time and for 3-4 hours if no heat call from therm. I use the therm but stove is controlled beyond that. My high limit over rides therm way before it gets near too hot. Im learning. I dont think the baro is causing me any issues though an is an extra protection so prob gunna stay. It also keeps fire from surging up so damn fast. The slower the surge can go the longer the load can last. Specially if house is at or close to temp upon loading. I will only achieve higher draft during the initial load surg an am not to crazy bout -.10 draft on my stove. I will not gain anymore draft when air inlet damper is close by getting rid of the baro damper. Its holds good draft and baro is shut by time it drops below -.06. I'll play w it a little tonight, tighten it up some but it's probably staying. My first tundra cracked all over the place an box never got over 500 flu never got hot except one time an i caught it, no cracks happened at that point. It cracked because of design flaws. I have the replacement unit an does not get anywhere near as hot on outside an top as well multiple things been done to stop the cracking. Therm has nothing to do with stove cracking IMO so long as all other controls are proper and stove is built right. The first 2000 units had problems accross the board. No matter what the setup.
My inlet usually doesnt open and stay open until after bout 5-6 hrs during 25 deg n up. When it gets down in teens n single i get bout 4 hrs before house calls for heat then it shuts again but never for long then stays open after that. House needs heat! Lol
I been asking bout that rainbow coloring for weeks on here! Lol 2 times at least! Thank god someone finally let me know its not permanant from high heat. I also got a lot of suit staining at top an some wood oil on outside of pipe. I think it builds up on the outter edge of cap an wind blows it on chimney as drips. It seems the more I run w inlet shut no matter how good the draft, the more wood oil I find in around flu an chimney. This kinda makes sense cause we r gasifying wood which makes crude oil and ignitable gas. I played round w gasifying wood few years ago similar to the wood gas generators. Worked! I made syn gas an lit it right up! Lol
3fordasho u got the original tundra or the updated model? One thing I can say about the newer model its much stronger. fan comes on almost rt away and basically stays on until last few hours of burn then cycles off n on. Also w the high limit switch they have now an its location over drafting that stove is pretty much impossible. U almost dnt need temp controller but still has some use. Ill mess w that baro but if I take it out that means more wood will get burnt. It helps slow the draft but does not ever cause underdrafting. If draft is low baro was shut long time before that.
