Help...i'm cold and cannot figure out what's wrong w/ this wood stove

[rideau]

nope. I dont think your clicking the upload button, maybe selecting a pic but not actually attaching it to the thread?

I see the tradeddie post now, it wasent there before i hit refresh??

Posted at the same time you were responding.

 

[blades]

First if you do not have have one down load a manual for your stove, just type in ashely stove and you will find it.
Second , I do not care who seller is but anything they say is seasoned, unless klin dried , isn't. Refering to your recently down loaded manual there is a section describing a method of test for the suitability of your wood supply.
Third after the fire is progressing well you should be closing the air control by pushing it in at least 50%. This allows the secondary combustion to take place enhancing the heat output and not just blowing it all up the flue.
Fourth turn the blower up most of the heat comes off the top of the stove and get a stove top thermometer, any stove shop or big box store that sells stoves ( hardware stores also ) will have them.
That Ashely looks to be a fairly good sized stove with 4 secondary burn tubes at the top of the chamber Oh, almost forgot, make sure that the baffel plate/s are properly seated in place just above the reburn tubes ( need a cold stove to check this) If it/they are not, all the heat will go straight up the flue.
One more thing take a dollar bill or a similar sized piece of typing paper and insert it in various areas around the stove door,close door and see it it is held very firmly ( checking for gasket leak, cold stove needed here also) If it pulls out easly then a new gasket needs to be installed. or the door is not properly installed. Hope this helps some

 

[rideau]

First if you do not have have one down load a manual for your stove, just type in ashely stove and you will find it.
Second , I do not care who seller is but anything they say is seasoned, unless klin dried , isn't. Refering to your recently down loaded manual there is a section describing a method of test for the suitability of your wood supply.
Third after the fire is progressing well you should be closing the air control by pushing it in at least 50%. This allows the secondary combustion to take place enhancing the heat output and not just blowing it all up the flue.
Fourth turn the blower up most of the heat comes off the top of the stove and get a stove top thermometer, any stove shop or big box store that sells stoves ( hardware stores also ) will have them.
That Ashely looks to be a fairly good sized stove with 4 secondary burn tubes at the top of the chamber Oh, almost forgot, make sure that the baffel plate/s are properly seated in place just above the reburn tubes ( need a cold stove to check this) If it/they are not, all the heat will go straight up the flue.
One more thing take a dollar bill or a similar sized piece of typing paper and insert it in various areas around the stove door,close door and see it it is held very firmly ( checking for gasket leak, cold stove needed here also) If it pulls out easly then a new gasket needs to be installed. or the door is not properly installed. Hope this helps some

She processed the oak herself two years ago, per her post.

 

[Jags]

PA - it will really help us (and you in the future) to know some specifics. Running a stove without a thermometer is like driving your car without a speedometer. You can do it, but it could get you in trouble. All the big box stores and most likely the greatest share of hardware stores will carry them. They are relatively small bucks.
You have stated that the stove was "hot to the touch". It should be darn near like lava to the touch if operating properly (and up to temp).
Stick with us and we will get you rolling.
And welcome to the forum.

 

[Peaceful Angel]

 

[Danno77]

ok, now a picture of the stove...

 

[Peaceful Angel]

sorry about the sweaty armpits...lol...Thanks for everyone helping me! Kitty

 

[Peaceful Angel]

This is not one of those old school ugly box things that look like a grate on a speaker grill is it that the front hinges and you put wood into it like a newspaper box is it?

No, it's only a few years old and looks like the most recent Ashley models, except has 'feet'...new models have some kind of box bottom where feet are...sorry if this doesn't make sense.

 

[Peaceful Angel]

You can also try to find a picture on the web. (e. g. Google images; search for "ashley stove") Maybe any of those? http://ashleyhearthproducts.com/products/wood-stoves

You can find a stove thermometer in most hardware stores, stove supply stores or on the web. People here seem to prefer the Condar products. Alternatively, an IR thermometer will also work well.

I have the feeling you are leaving the air control fully open which means most of your heat goes up the chimney. Once you have a fire fully going (usually ~15 min from cold start), start stepwise to close it down. First one quarter, wait 5 min, another quarter and so on. If you barely see any flames anymore open it up again a little bit and wait until you have a good fire going. At the end, you may have it fully closed or still a little bit open.You should see flames coming out from the air tubes at the top of the firebox. When my stove is running well I cannot put my hand closer to the stove than maybe 4 inches for a few seconds without fear of burning it. Thus, I have the feeling your stove is not getting hot enough.

ok, so will find a stove thermometer...I checked the link above, THANKS for that...my model is not pictured there, I will call the 800 no and ask what model I do have...mine looks a lot like the new models, but has 'feet' not a solid box looking thing under the firebox.

I hope you like my photo.

 

[Waulie]

Just thought I'd say welcome and throw my vote out for the leaving the air control open as being at least a big part of your problem. Definitely closing the air control is stages as other suggested.

 

[Jags]

No, it's only a few years old and looks like the most recent Ashley models, except has 'feet'...new models have some kind of box bottom where feet are...sorry if this doesn't make sense.

That box thing is referred to as a pedestal.
How quickly can you boil a small pan of water when you are running the stove hard? I am trying to get a sense of operating temps here.
A couple of more ?. From cold startup, how long does it take you to get a box full of flames? Do you notice any sizzle sounds from the wood or see any moisture from the ends of the wood?

 

[DianeB]

this is a link to a moisure meter - very easy to use. You need to split a piece to check your wood. I have this model and very easy to use. You want your wood less than 20% after you have tested a re-split.

http://www.amazon.com/NEEWER®-Digital-Moisture-Humidity-LCD/dp/B005N6EFP2/ref=sr_1_6?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1358199678&sr=1-6&keywords=moisture meter

Next get stovetop thermometer - I use this one
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_0_14?url=search-alias=garden&field-keywords=stovetop thermometer&sprefix=stove top ther,tools,131

Get yourself this little hatchet to split down some of your larger splits - I have it and very easy to use. you may need to resplit some of your wood. I resplit a weeks supply to smaller pieces and then store inside for extra drying away from outside moisture.
http://www.amazon.com/Estwing-Fireside-Splitting-Nylon-Vinyl-Cushion/dp/B000HAEI1A/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1358199880&sr=1-1&keywords=fireside friend

I think the guys gave you good advice - possibly wetter wood than you believe and you may not be shutting down your air so that all the heat escapes the stove and goes up the chimney. Feel free to ask me any questions.

 

[fox9988]

Thanks. model # is on back, would need a mirror..hand mirror, don't have...I can try to figure out how to post a picture. It's Ashley, 25" wide, 16" deep, stands 26" tall including legs about 10". Glass door with slightly rounded top of door; good looking little stove. It's not a wood issue, am sure of that, using only seasoned dry split eucaly and oak, seasoned at least a year; Stove does get hot, v. hot to touch, but rest of room only marginally, and rest of house very little. Stove top temp? How to measure this? There is only one lever type pull out thingie and I believe this is the air control. I leave it open. This stove has a blower. I leave blower on low. Thanks again so much for your help. I had the HVAC people out here on Sat as I can't live w/ this level of cold and they said the wood stove should be heating the whole place better, right size for this house.

Instead of a mirror, if you have a camera phone hold it behind the stove and take a pic of the model plate. Welcome to the forum.

 

[Peaceful Angel]

 

[weatherguy]

The stove shouldnt be hot to the touch it should be untouchable without getting a serious burn.

 

[Jags]

Please tell me either:
A: the picture is an optical illusion and your stove is not as close to the wall as it appears in the pic...or
B: There is cement behind the tile.

Edit: hmmmm, doubt that there is cement behind it. There is a plug in right there.

 

[Peaceful Angel]

Please tell me either:
A: the picture is an optical illusion and your stove is not as close to the wall as it appears in the pic...or
B: There is cement behind the tile.

Edit: hmmmm, doubt that there is cement behind it. There is a plug in right there.

It's about 5" from ceramic tile at closest points, as you see, set in a corner, so corners alone are 5"; There is hardibacker, the thicker variety...i forget 5/8 or 3/4" thick...all around in back of the ceramic tile.

 

[Jags]

I think that is the 2000 model and if so, requires 11" of clearance to combustibles from the corner of the stove. The pic is not convincing me that it is.

 

[DianeB]

Concerned as others about how close the stove is to the wall. Dig out some sweaters for awhile, add pair of warm socks and add another blanket to the bed. I would not try to get the temps up on this stove until you know everything next to and behind it is non combustible. The tile protecting sheetrock is not a non-combustible situation. Looks like you only have 3 inches on that right corner.

 

[Peaceful Angel]

P.S. professional chimney installer did not think it was too close to walls...

 

[weatherguy]

Maybe its farther from the walls than the picture shows, pics can be decieving.

 

[Peaceful Angel]

ok, let's say that it should have been placed further from walls, despite the thick hardibacker, my question is would this being too close to walls be WHY the house is not getting warm? Maybe combined w/ air control not being closed after getting fire started as stated above?

 

[DianeB]

P.S. professional chimney installer did not think it was too close to walls...

If that is a 12 inch cermic tile, that can't be a 5 inch clearance. It might be 5 inches into where the 2 walls meet, but the corners of the stove are set kitty corner. you have a floor tile that is about a 1/3rd of a full tile and the leg is sitting on the grout line at the corner of the stove

 

[Peaceful Angel]

Hardibacker is cement, to best of my knowledge...

 

[Jags]

P.S. professional chimney installer did not think it was too close to walls...

5" to the ceramic tile means that you would have to have 6" of other non-combustible material in front of the wood studs. I doubt seriously that that is the case. A pro doesn't think - s/he knows.