Fire burning procedures: Add one log at a time or many? How much do I close the draft and when?

[dwsj12]

I imagine my questions may seem somewhat primary, but I am new to this and imagine I could learn a great bit in a short time from the seasoned burners in this forum. I have a new wood insert and have questions on how to best make a fire and keep it going.

I have no problem getting it started, it is just what to do from there. First, regarding the addition of wood, is it best to add one log at a time or add a load of 3 or 4 logs as needed. Second, regarding the draft, how much should I close it and when? For example, after the fire gets going do I close the draft almost completely or do I leave it halfway? How long do I leave it open when I am just starting the fire? Should I open it when adding logs?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Brian VT]

Don't mess with it any more than necessary. Get a good bed of coals glowing and load her up.
Give the new load some air to get going good. When it has taken well, lower the air some (1/2 ?). Check it in a few minutes.
If it has leveled off you may be good to go until there's nothing but coals again. If it's still ripping, cut it back some more until you find the
happy cruising speed that will allow a long burn without smoldering and making creosote.
Your splits and how they're stoked will have as much influence on this as your stove setup. A tight pack of thick wood can take a bit more air
than a loose bunch of thin splits. It'll just depend what type of fire you need at the time for how you load/tend it.

 

[LLigetfa]

Two pieces feed off each other and burn better than one alone. You can add a single piece when the two are half burnt.

 

[crazy_dan]

I was told once by an old (wise) man that you never load less than 3 pieces at a time as they just don't burn right in numbers less than 3.
I usually fill my stove up and let it get going then when my thermometer hits 300 I cut it back about 1/4, then at @ 400 another 1/4 then @ 500 almost all the way closed. then mine will cruse at @550 for a few hours. (thermometer is on stove top)

 

[jpl1nh]

I virtually never put in just one piece unless I've just got a new load going, things have settled a little bit so I can fit one more in and I'm looking for my firebox to be as full as can be for a long burn. Otherwise, let your load burn down, add a few or more splits depending on how much heat you need, let it burn down, repeat. In general you always need at least a few peices at a time to supply enough heat back and forth from split to split to keep them burning well. One by itself just won't really burn, even just two can be iffy.

 

[ControlFreak]

dwsj12,

The number of logs you add will depend upon the temperature outside, and how much heat you need.

You must have a bed of coals at least an inch deep in order for the stove to burn properly. Establish the coal bed with kindling if you're starting from cold.

Always add a minimum of two logs, placed close together. Set them into the coal bed with the sharpest point going down. You don't want to smother any coals. Leave a little bit of a gap between the two logs for flames to rise up between them. Two logs will burn for a shorter period of time and give you less heat than a full load. You will not need to adjust your draft control at all for just two logs. Your stove won't get hot enough to require it. Leave the draft wide open for small loads like this.

If you need more heat, then add more logs. For an overnight burn when it's cold enough outside, go with the full load. You will have to experiment with your stove to identify when and how you should close off the draft control. General rule of thumb is to close it as much as you can without stifling the flames. You will have to experiment to learn how your stove likes to operate. With my stove I start closing the draft at 450 and close it in small increments until I get to 600 when it will be fully closed for the rest of the burn.

For the long burns add all the logs at the same time. Get a flame and as the fire advances and temperature rises, close things off. Depending upon your stove, you may need to leave your door slightly ajar for extra draft early on.

Above all, learn about the moisture content in your wood. Wood that's not dry will not burn. You may be able to get a flame, but you won't be able to keep it going if the moisture content is too high. If your wood is seasoned for less than a year, you may have moisture problems.

Get a stove thermometer and place it somewhere on the top at the hottest part of the stove. Without a stove thermometer, it's like driving in the dark.

Stay warm!

Dan

 

[North of 60]

I imagine my questions may seem somewhat primary, but I am new to this and imagine I could learn a great bit in a short time from the seasoned burners in this forum. I have a new wood insert and have questions on how to best make a fire and keep it going.

I have no problem getting it started, it is just what to do from there. First, regarding the addition of wood, is it best to add one log at a time or add a load of 3 or 4 logs as needed. Second, regarding the draft, how much should I close it and when? For example, after the fire gets going do I close the draft almost completely or do I leave it halfway? How long do I leave it open when I am just starting the fire? Should I open it when adding logs?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

How about telling us the name and model of your new insert. Add it to your signature so it can help others compare ect... :coolsmile:
N of 60

 

[Valhalla]

I was told once by an old (wise) man that you never load less than 3 pieces at a time as they just don't burn right in numbers less than 3.
I usually fill my stove up and let it get going then when my thermometer hits 300 I cut it back about 1/4, then at @ 400 another 1/4 then @ 500 almost all the way closed. then mine will cruse at @550 for a few hours. (thermometer is on stove top)

Dan,

Yes, a wise old man told me the same 3 log principle over 50 years ago. It works.

 

[jadm]

,

For the long burns add all the logs at the same time. Get a flame and as the fire advances and temperature rises, close things off. Depending upon your stove, you may need to leave your door slightly ajar for extra draft early on.


Dan

I hope I am not hi-jacking this thread but I have a question that is similar to what has been asked and so I'm avoiding a new thread and slipping it in this one...

A quick question about this statement...How do you keep from over firing your stove when adding lots of wood at one time?

My last insert held a lot less wood than my new unit. I have been burning about 3 or 4 splits at a time and insert cruises at 600-700* which I am comfortable with. There is more room in the fire box though and I'm thinking I would get longer burn times if I went ahead and filled it up with a couple of more splits but am hesitant to do that. My thinking is that with more fuel I will drive the temp. way too high....and scare myself to death. :ahhh:

Before attempting to do this I figured I'd better get some hints from you all who have been around and burning with large stove/inserts longer than I have.

Thanks

 

[Valhalla]

Hi Perplexed,

No hi-jack here, as this is all related.

Since the fuel will burn at the bottom of the fire box first and then burn back toward
the extended burn area of your Jotul, the fuel above will only drop as it is needed.

Try to add a split or 2+ to reach the burn time Jotul describes. All until you are
comfortable with the operation and burn temps reached. This is important.

As Jotul describes:
Log length: Up to 24"
Burn time: Up to 10 hours

A real nice Jotul!

 

[LLigetfa]

To slow the burn on an overnight loading, I rake the ashes and coals to the front and place my biggest split in the back/bottom, pushing some ashes back against it. Then I load up the rest on top of the coals. Whatever sits on top of the coals burns faster from the bottom up. without coals and air underneath, it burns a little slower from the top down.

 

[jadm]

Try to add a split or 2+ to reach the burn time Jotul describes. All until you are
comfortable with the operation and burn temps reached. This is important.

As Jotul describes:
Log length: Up to 24"
Burn time: Up to 10 hours

A real nice Jotul!

I shall try adding more wood tomorrow. I guess I didn't realize that even though the splits are added all at once they still burn at different rates. It makes sense now that I think about it.

Burn times, I have discovered, are relative to many factors. I can easily get 6-7 hours on just 3 logs keeping a temp. at 72-74* provided the outside temps. are above 40* and sun is hitting my front window....Temps. drop and so do burn times....

Hardest thing to adjust was my 'idea' of what 'burn time' actually meant. My previous idea was active flame - maybe a little time after all logs turned to coals...I now realize those coals throw off lots of heat and with this insert that heat continues to keep temps. nice and warm for several hours after flames have disappeared. My old insert was smaller and steel and cooled down much more quickly. This one is cast iron and it really makes a difference in keeping things warmer for longer.

Thanks for the feedback. :coolsmile:

 

[Heat Miser]

A good article that addresses many of your questions is here:

(broken link removed to http://www.woodheat.org/tips/technique.htm)

The basic idea is you burn wood in cycles. As others have already said, after you start the fire you: 1) Let it burn down to hot coals. 2) Load more wood onto the hot coals. 3) Repeat. You want to disturb it as little as possible between these cycles. Throwing on a single piece here and there is inefficient.

Personally, I don't open the door to the stove unless I'm ready to load in at least 3-4 pieces of wood. Otherwise, I leave it alone except for adjusting the damper to regulate the burn.

 

[LLigetfa]

Throwing on a single piece here and there is inefficient.

On that I have to disagree. If you don't need much heat, throwing on three pieces at a time might be too much. Of course it depends on the size of the pieces.

When the wood is reduced to coals, the coals can take a while to burn down. They seem to just sit there and not give off quite enough heat unless they get a lot of air. When you put a single piece on top of a large heap of coals, that one piece creates enough updraft to help air the coals to burn faster and at the same time buy you some time before you want two or three pieces for a big fix.

It all depends on how cold it is and assuming it isn't too cold this time of year, you probably just want to keep the fire going and not make pottery. In this mild weather, I often alternate between two pieces and one piece.

 

[bokehman]

Throwing on a single piece [...] is inefficient.

I have to disagree. [...] throwing on three pieces at a time [...] too much. [...] one piece [...] enough [...], I often alternate between two pieces and one piece.

The door of Scrooge's counting-house was open that he might keep his eye upon his clerk, who in a dismal little cell beyond, a sort of tank, was copying letters. Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. But he couldn't replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room; and so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part. Wherefore the clerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at the candle; in which effort, not being a man of a strong imagination, he failed.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

for me- Burn it down, pull coals to the front, load it up. The house heat cycles a bit, but it maintains good temp on the low end. If it's like zero outside, then I may throw on a couple at a time.

I don't leave the air open at all (EPA rated stove) and the secondaries keep it rockin with no smoke at all once it's going well.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I was told once by an old (wise) man that you never load less than 3 pieces at a time as they just don't burn right in numbers less than 3.
I usually fill my stove up and let it get going then when my thermometer hits 300 I cut it back about 1/4, then at @ 400 another 1/4 then @ 500 almost all the way closed. then mine will cruse at @550 for a few hours. (thermometer is on stove top)

Dan,

Yes, a wise old man told me the same 3 log principle over 50 years ago. It works.

Hum... I've been burning over 50 years now and I still believe in the 3 log principle!

However, I really fail to understand why on earth so many here just stick to the claim of "fill it up and let it burn!" That is fine during the cold of the winter, but for gosh sake men, this is only fall. Why would you want to fill that stove up now? I can only imagine what some homes must be like if they are running their stoves 500-700 degrees now. If they need that much heat now they will never be able to heat that house come winter time!

Use only the amount of fuel that you need, not what the stove will handle! Wasting firewood is as big of a sin as wasting heating oil. Keep your home comfortable; not too hot and not too cold.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Dennis- filling mine up with pine and letting it burn this time of the year doesn't overheat my house (pretty open floor plan). I get it going when it's cool in the house and getting cold outside, fill it up, and the house gets to the 70ish mark and stays there. Having the secondaries engaged pretty early (as it does with pine) and shutting the air all the way, it seems to regulate the burn time pretty well (for a softwood) and so it doesn't overheat.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

That's great! But will that work this winter?

btw, I am not talking about overheating the stove, I'm referring to overheating the house. I like it warm, really warm in our house, but when I'm half naked and still sweating, that is a bit much....

 

[bokehman]

I think rather than being a question of one log or three, the efficiency thing has to do with surface area. For the burn to be efficient you need a minimum surface area of exposed wood. One piece of wood doesn't have sufficient surface area to sustain a gentle fire. It needs lots of primary air or it goes out. If you want an efficient fire with one piece of wood break that piece down into five or more pieces so it has enough surface area to sustain secondary combustion with the primary air shut.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Dennis- well my house rarely gets overheated due to drafts (log home)

However- I sealed up many of the drafts just recently in the living room (where the stove is), so we'll see how it goes this winter.

 

[Ken45]

However, I really fail to understand why on earth so many here just stick to the claim of "fill it up and let it burn!" That is fine during the cold of the winter, but for gosh sake men, this is only fall. Why would you want to fill that stove up now? I can only imagine what some homes must be like if they are running their stoves 500-700 degrees now. If they need that much heat now they will never be able to heat that house come winter time!

Use only the amount of fuel that you need, not what the stove will handle! Wasting firewood is as big of a sin as wasting heating oil. Keep your home comfortable; not too hot and not too cold.

I'm new to EPA stoves but I'm thinking along the same lines. A stove at 500 degrees is going to be putting out the same amount of heat now as a 500 degree stove in January. We don't need that many BTUs now. Of course I guess we can just not use the stove until it gets down to 20 degrees and tough it out in the meantime (well, "tough it out" means running the pellet stove, not as comfortable and a lot more expensive).

Ken

 

[bokehman]

Backwoods Savage, you've got a cat stove so it's easy for you to just throw in one piece, let it smoulder and have the cat clear up the mess. A non-cat doesn't work like that; it needs heat in the firebox or it's not in the zone.

Ken45, your stove has EBT so it continuously adjusts the air supply for efficient combustion. For those that have stoves where air supply adjustment is completely manual putting in a very small amount of fuel is not a practical option.

 

[Valhalla]

Well, the wood burners have contributed their all on this subject relative to stove size and design, and the expected or planned burn time. In summary, the number of splits is determined by the wood burners choice and need.

Keep warm all!

 

[RedRanger]

Well, the wood burners have contributed their all on this subject relative to stove size and design, and the expected or planned burn time. In summary, the number of splits is determined by the wood burners choice and need.

Keep warm all!

You are right--cept the size of splits has a whole lot to do with how you load and re-load. Actually it is the "key".. Too large a splits at first burn means smoke showing out of the chimney.

Kindling, then smaller splits, then medium splits, then finally the large suckers.

And when all that is charred and burnt down. Mabye or maybe not, start again with small splits, or medium splits, but definetly not with just a bunch of huge ones. Least not at the front of the firebox.

Even a nice coalbed can be smothered with too large a splits just plunked on top of it. Think of waves rolling from front to back, smaller waves - then larger ones. Summary=for an overnite burn with minimal cresote, load east-west, smaller or medium splits at the front and the biggies at the back.

This will still involve "trial and error" at least until you recognize what your coalbed is capable of?

Creosote is your greatest enemy, always get the secondaries going and then less worries about that monster. Once the wood is charred-cut the air supply in increments, usually 10 minute intervals is adequate. Depends on your stove/insert.

Enjoy the experimentation process. It is awesome!! And can be very rewarding once you get a handle on it!!