EW versus NS loading, battle to the death

[Poindexter]

Does anyone see a measurable, repeatable difference loading NS instead of EW?

The manual for my BK Ashford 30 calls for EW loading.

I run the stove during the day while I am away at work and really really prefer to load NS so I don't have a flaming split rolling into the glass while I am away.

Sometime in late January, give or take, I decided to give EW loading a try. One thing I did was ask BKVP in the Blaze King thread what causes the door glass to break. Score was rolling splits essentially zero, door closing on splits cut too long essentially 100%.

So I gave loading EW a three week trial. I decided to load my stove EW only for three weeks straight to see if I could tell a difference. Here it is late April, the stove is still running, and I never went back to NS.

Why?

#1. Faster cold start. This one I can put numbers on. My stove, my short stack, my wood, I can consistently get the cat engaged in 23 to 25 minutes loading EW. Loading NS my cold start to active cat times average more than 40 minutes.

#2. Less ash. Even accounting for leaving the top piece at the front off for EW loads, I consistently get a more complete burn with less at the end when I load EW compared to NS.

#3. Less charcoal. Closely related to #2, but towards the end of a NS burn I have a hunk of charcoal on each side of the firebox. Towards the end of a EW burn the piece at the bottom in the back is in the coaling stage, end to end.

So on cold starts now I add the "missing" split to the top front just before I engage the cat. On hot reloads I just leave that last split for the top front out of the stove and it hasn't made a noticeable difference on my oil bill or my burn time.

EW, it's the right thing to do.

 

[realstihl]

There's no battle. Just do what works best for you and your stove.

 

[velvetfoot]

EW, it's the right thing to do.

No, it's not.

 

[Ashful]

I always loaded EW, simply due to my firebox size, 22"W x 12"D. I have had to bite my tongue many times, when people who just don't know what they're talking about cite broken glass as a reason they prefer NS loading. Like you, I've seen more than one story here of NS loaders breaking their glass by closing the door on a too-long split, but never from an EW split rolling against the glass mid-burn.

Interesting observations on the ash and coaling, although I think you have a typo in your item 2.

 

[DougA]

Your comments on less ash and less charcoal probably only applies to your model/design of stove, or perhaps BK designs. It tells me that somehow, there is not enough air movement at the edges for complete combustion. I find it makes no difference in my stove but I normally load E/W simply because I find more convenient but have done N/S lots of times.

Anyone who closes a door on a split that is too long and breaks the glass is seriously missing some smarts.

There's no battle. Just do what works best for you and your stove.

That's the best answer.

 

[David.Ervin]

I load my Northstar mostly EW with two pieces NS on the end to take up the empty space when I have short splits. I consider myself an equal opportunity loader.

 

[begreen]

It really depends on the stove. Many stoves have boost air manifolds at the bottom front of the fire. I get faster starts in the T6 loaded N/S, probably because the boost air and air coming down from the air wash gets through the logs faster. The Castine is a shallow, E/W loading stove, but I got much faster starts by putting a couple N/S sleepers under the E/W so that boost air could get under the starting fire. Have you tried this on the BK with an E/W load?

 

[Highbeam]

The manual for my BK Ashford 30 calls for EW loading.

Are you sure about that? I recall the manual saying something much more ambiguous like load the stove from "left to right" which could just as easily mean N/S but from left to right like a package of hot dogs.

Perhaps I'll try it. Can't hurt.

How does BK load the stove in their videos?

 

[begreen]

Looks like Vanessa loads it Lincoln log style. Bottom layer N/S, next layer E/W, etc..

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[DougA]

Lincoln log style would be OK if you want max. heat in the least time. If you did that with very dry, light wood in my stove, you would be over the temp limit comfort zone pretty quickly.

 

[David.Ervin]

Ah, the old "log cabin" fire technique from boy scouts. When you need lots of heat in a hurry!

 

[SteveKG]

1) put firewood into stove

2) light firewood

 

[xman23]

I do a few loads lincoln log style to start up a cold stove. My stove is wider than deep , so normal 18 to24 inch splits go in E/W. I think the burn can be the same ether way assuming the loading and total wood surface area is the same. But I criss cross when I need heat.

 

[begreen]

With the thermostatic air control I would think that lincoln log loading would not take off too quickly in a BK. For our stove N/S loading is for quick heat, no need for lincoln log loading with good dry wood, just give it some more air.

 

[davo]

EW is the best for my stove. NS requires logs to be very short. Most of the time I do EW and NS on the sides to fill it all in.

 

[Light in the Dark]

My F50 burns longer NS, over EW (though I can fit an almost 4" longer stick EW).

 

[Ashful]

A BK burns longer, either way. [emoji12]

 

[kennyp2339]

I just sweetened the game of loading, I'm burning uglies, I have a whole load standing up on end (like how you slit a log with an axe) its actually pretty cool. Def something different.

 

[Ashful]

Found that technique would cause back puffing in my old stoves, when choked down tight. It has a tendency to burn faster, as the load does not stay packed as tight, which is fine if your goal isn't choking down for a slow cruise.

 

[OhioBurner©]

I always loaded EW, simply due to my firebox size, 22"W x 12"D.

Both of my newer stoves have similar depth fireboxes, I can get a 13"er in there N/S if the front of it is up on the ledge/over the stubby andirons. Its a pain to cut and stack that short, especially when the Jotul can take up to 24" E/W. But I still prefer N/S even with having to cut at 13". When supplementing with Ecobricks which are already a hair under 10", its a perfect fit in my stoves. without having to go up over the ledge in front.

Either way is pretty minor difference as far as burning performance / coals. etc. Just easier to load, can get more pieces packed in there tightly, with less heat on the hands.

Breaking glass on a to long log isn't something I had ever worried about. That should be common sense.

 

[Ashful]

Your Jotul was designed for E/W loading. Why fight it?

 

[shoot-straight]

Does anyone see a measurable, repeatable difference loading NS instead of EW?

The manual for my BK Ashford 30 calls for EW loading.

I run the stove during the day while I am away at work and really really prefer to load NS so I don't have a flaming split rolling into the glass while I am away.

Sometime in late January, give or take, I decided to give EW loading a try. One thing I did was ask BKVP in the Blaze King thread what causes the door glass to break. Score was rolling splits essentially zero, door closing on splits cut too long essentially 100%.

So I gave loading EW a three week trial. I decided to load my stove EW only for three weeks straight to see if I could tell a difference. Here it is late April, the stove is still running, and I never went back to NS.

Why?

#1. Faster cold start. This one I can put numbers on. My stove, my short stack, my wood, I can consistently get the cat engaged in 23 to 25 minutes loading EW. Loading NS my cold start to active cat times average more than 40 minutes.

#2. Less ash. Even accounting for leaving the top piece at the front off for EW loads, I consistently get a more complete burn with less at the end when I load EW compared to NS.

#3. Less charcoal. Closely related to #2, but towards the end of a NS burn I have a hunk of charcoal on each side of the firebox. Towards the end of a EW burn the piece at the bottom in the back is in the coaling stage, end to end.

So on cold starts now I add the "missing" split to the top front just before I engage the cat. On hot reloads I just leave that last split for the top front out of the stove and it hasn't made a noticeable difference on my oil bill or my burn time.

EW, it's the right thing to do.

I thing you have your directions mixed up at least as I (and I think most on here) use it. For me, EW is the splits are loaded in lengthwise with the ends facing the sides of the stove. Those are considered the E and W sides.

Using that definition the Ashford manual defineitly says to burn NS. The ends will be facing you as you load the stove from the front.

 

[dafattkidd]

I switch back and forth based on my mood, size of splits, species of wood, outside temperatures, size of coal bed and other factors. I like both ew and ns for different reasons. I like ns for simple reloads, max capacity loads, quick heat and other reasons I can't think of. I like ew because I tend to get a nicer looking flame, I can get 22" splits (verses 20" ns), sometimes it burns slower especially on a large coal bed. Sometimes I crisis cross or load it really messy just see what works best with my specific fuel load. So if this is a battle to the death, I haven't chosen a side yet. I'm not fantastically scientific about burning wood in my insert. I just like setting things on fire, so this is a safe outlet for my madness.

 

[madpogue]

I just sweetened the game of loading, I'm burning uglies, I have a whole load standing up on end (like how you slit a log with an axe) its actually pretty cool. Def something different.

So do we call that UD (up-down)?

 

[kennyp2339]

Lol I guess so