Help my stove is not heating like last yr

[corby]

I bought a dutchwest 2000L02 last year and had it installed, is worked GREAT last winter and kept the house pretty warm, 76-80 easy in living room where it sits. This year i can barely keep the living room at 70 with dampener full open, i have thermometer on stove and can keep it in the 500 degree range but just cant room warm enough. I get a good fire and draft just not the heat. Any suggestions? thx

 

[Beer Belly]

Are the outside temps comparable to this time last year ?....a lot easier to heat the house when the outside temps are a bit warmer. Also, most find the wood supply to be the issue....some species give out more BTU's, and properly seasoned is a must to get all you can out of your wood supply

 

[gdk84]

First off, tell us about your wood. What did you use last year for fuel? If the wood is burning well, the heat is going somewhere. Either heating the stove or out the chimney. Also, tell us about your setup, chimney, etc.

 

[begreen]

If you are running the stove with the air wide open that could be your problem. Try closing down the air to get the stove hotter. Shut down the air 50-75% and see if that increase the stove top temps a lot. You want to close down the air as far as you can without smoldering the fire. If the fire stalls and smolders with the air control only half closed then the problem could be that the wood not being seasoned enough.

 

[corby]

I cut my own wood and its the same as last year, live oak, and yes temps where in the 30's-40's last yr and heated house well, now i havent swept stove pipe this year but didnt think that would have anything to do with my issue. The one thing i've noticed is i have these bars that go across the top of the inside of stove with holes and last ys when i had a good fire you could see the flames go through the holes, this yr flames go around but not through.

 

[corby]

First off, tell us about your wood. What did you use last year for fuel? If the wood is burning well, the heat is going somewhere. Either heating the stove or out the chimney. Also, tell us about your setup, chimney, etc.

Double stove pipe with no adjustment on pipe, only 1 air flow adjustment on stove.

 

[gdk84]

I cut my own wood and its the same as last year, live oak, and yes temps where in the 30's-40's last yr and heated house well, now i havent swept stove pipe this year but didnt think that would have anything to do with my issue. The one thing i've noticed is i have these bars that go across the top of the inside of stove with holes and last ys when i had a good fire you could see the flames go through the holes, this yr flames go around but not through.

Sounds like wood is not seasoned. Oak takes a long time to dry. Your secondaries are not kicking in which is what makes the unit effiecent and heat like crazy. Check to see if there is always smoke visible from the chimney during the burn. Also, go buy some dry campfire wood for 5 bucks and try that. If it burns like last year then fuel is your problem.

 

[Nick Mystic]

You say you haven't cleaned the chimney, but have you at least gone up on the roof and taken a look at your cap and down your liner to be sure there isn't a build up of creosote. If you have a standard chimney cap with the screen around the opening you could well have some blockage and that would affect your draft making the stove burn cooler. That would be the first thing I would check out.

 

[corby]

Sounds like wood is not seasoned. Oak takes a long time to dry. Your secondaries are not kicking in which is what makes the unit effiecent and heat like crazy. Check to see if there is always smoke visible from the chimney during the burn. Also, go buy some dry campfire wood for 5 bucks and try that. If it burns like last year then fuel is your problem.

Wood has been cut and covered for a yr, and there is no smoke from chimney. also have pecan wood and didnt make heat difference, only burned up faster.

 

[gdk84]

Wood has been cut and covered for a yr, and there is no smoke from chimney. also have pecan wood and didnt make heat difference, only burned up faster.

Then i'd suggest installing a probe flue thermo to see what your stack temp is. Also, check the chimney. If you haven't done it yet, do it before anything else.

 

[begreen]

You say you haven't cleaned the chimney, but have you at least gone up on the roof and taken a look at your cap and down your liner to be sure there isn't a build up of creosote. If you have a standard chimney cap with the screen around the opening you could well have some blockage and that would affect your draft making the stove burn cooler. That would be the first thing I would check out.

+1, especially if this is a short chimney. Pull the cap and look down the chimney for blockage. And definitely close down the air if you want to see the stove secondaries to fire off. They can't with the air wide open.

 

[gzecc]

Wood has been cut and covered for a yr, and there is no smoke from chimney. also have pecan wood and didnt make heat difference, only burned up faster.

Bingo, Oak cut and covered for a yr is only half seasoned in my world. That wood is probably still 35% moisture content.