Hot Coal Placement - Harman Oakwood Stove

[dyner]

So you wake up in the morning and all you have is this nice thick bed of hot coals. Is it best to rake them to the front and load new wood behind the coals or rake the coals the rear of the fire box. Or - follow what Harman says and build 2-3 inches of coals to the rear graduating down to about an inch in the front. I am thinking that if you want the secondary combustion to work properly sooner, that the thicker coals should be toward the rear before you reload. Help me out, I am all wet behind the ears.

Thanks

 

[1kzwoman]

From the more learned folks on the forum.I learned to pull coals forward , clearing ash from AB air path. Place large split bottom rear to help slow ash but allow air flow.
Load on minimum of 2-3"deep coal bed.

 

[dyner]

Thanks kzwoman

 

[1kzwoman]

Your are most welcome! How was the burn for you? Wiser people taught me not to go too big on splits, but fill on good bed of coals.
I have an exception from Harman. Also suggest top down fire start method on cold stove, you might do a search

 

[dyner]

Your are most welcome! How was the burn for you? Wiser people taught me not to go too big on splits, but fill on good bed of coals.
I have an exception from Harman. Also suggest top down fire start method on cold stove, you might do a search

Kzwoman.. when you say too big on the splits are you talking about the thickness or length? I was thinking you meant thickness.. easier to manage the burn. And I did read about the top down fire start. Haven't tried it yet. I like the concept. Is your Harman a top load also?

 

[1kzwoman]

Both length and depth of split. Length for air/wood gas mix . But if you check you will find most burning a downdraft do a bit smaller split as our stove like Dry wood and good draft.
Stove top temps are key to AB function .search TL200
Yes it an old (8yr) Harman top load downdraft stove. My stove has metal AB cover where yours has refractory brick

 

[1kzwoman]

MishMouse and Razeface have downdrafts too. They will hopefully drop in soon

 

[1kzwoman]

Top down fire start is a good amount of very small kindling splits on top...of dry

 

[dyner]

Top down fire start is a good amount of very small kindling splits on top...of dry

I am risking sounding ignorant, but is there a foolproof way of knowing if the secondary combustion or downdraft burn is working? Or how do I know when it is or is not working?

 

[1kzwoman]

With my stove it gets noisy..jet roar..was spooky on a new to wood burning first fire night. like a chimney fire was starting.
But that doesn't last long..the real key is heat will really change in area of AB.My stove has a glass window that if loaded right I can see AB light.
It you search your stove you will find information. Click magnifying glass on right inheader it will open a ssearch box for you

 

[1kzwoman]

You want you stove top to be 600 degree range and have good coals and reload of dry wood ignited before you shut your damper

 

[dyner]

You want you stove top to be 600 degree range and have good coals and reload of dry wood ignited before you shut your damper

Thank you again 1kzwoman. A few weeks ago, when we first got the stove, we got that jet engine roar when we closed the bypass. I got a feeling I been shying away from getting stove hot enough of late. Therefore not getting that "roar".. I only have a stove top thermostat on my stove. Nothing on the double wall pipe, so .....

 

[CurtH]

I'm a brand new member , but have been living with a harman tl300 for a couple of years. As for what to do with hot coals, I push almost all of them back in front of the rear chamber, some go into the mouth of the chamber, maybe a few I will taper towards the front if I have alot of them, If not I push them all to the rear. I start stacking wood from front to back, up on the coals to within about 2 inches in front of the burn chamber, leaving a air space in front of the burn chamber. Then work my way up. when I've stacked wood a couple inches higher than the air jets above the burn chamber, still maintaining a space in front of the mouth, then I start leaning wood against the back wall of the stove and fill it to the top. (Make sure you don't have a piece of wood interfering with shutting the bypass damper) I preheat this load of wood on about the third air notch from the left (a lower air setting) that way it gets air mostly from the secondary air jets and starts the burn from the rear,with very little visible fire from the front. In about 5 to 15 min things will be sounding more lively and you'll have some flames licking around the top and sides, I don't preheat really hot or get the whole stack burning so I don't burn up all my wood just getting the fire going. Then I shut the bypass and leave the throttle where it is for half an hour approx. then I usually run the stove on notch # 2 . I don't see much going on in front for maybe a couple hours. You can hear the fire roaring in back and see some jets of fire out the sides in the rear, as it burns you'll get some of those northern light flames others write about that float high behind the glass, then you get the charcoal stage and things glow. The stove heats low and controllable for many hours, It never really gets atomic running it this way. I get 8 to 9 hrs burn with easy to reestablish fires. Anyway this works good for me Maybe it will help someone else. I wood say I don't think Harman or its dealer do a great job explaining how to run this stove. As far as smoke out the pipe i get some on warm up,but when running on afterburner only some steam.

 

[dyner]

I'm a brand new member , but have been living with a harman tl300 for a couple of years. As for what to do with hot coals, I push almost all of them back in front of the rear chamber, some go into the mouth of the chamber, maybe a few I will taper towards the front if I have alot of them, If not I push them all to the rear. I start stacking wood from front to back, up on the coals to within about 2 inches in front of the burn chamber, leaving a air space in front of the burn chamber. Then work my way up. when I've stacked wood a couple inches higher than the air jets above the burn chamber, still maintaining a space in front of the mouth, then I start leaning wood against the back wall of the stove and fill it to the top. (Make sure you don't have a piece of wood interfering with shutting the bypass damper) I preheat this load of wood on about the third air notch from the left (a lower air setting) that way it gets air mostly from the secondary air jets and starts the burn from the rear,with very little visible fire from the front. In about 5 to 15 min things will be sounding more lively and you'll have some flames licking around the top and sides, I don't preheat really hot or get the whole stack burning so I don't burn up all my wood just getting the fire going. Then I shut the bypass and leave the throttle where it is for half an hour approx. then I usually run the stove on notch # 2 . I don't see much going on in front for maybe a couple hours. You can hear the fire roaring in back and see some jets of fire out the sides in the rear, as it burns you'll get some of those northern light flames others write about that float high behind the glass, then you get the charcoal stage and things glow. The stove heats low and controllable for many hours, It never really gets atomic running it this way. I get 8 to 9 hrs burn with easy to reestablish fires. Anyway this works good for me Maybe it will help someone else. I wood say I don't think Harman or its dealer do a great job explaining how to run this stove. As far as smoke out the pipe i get some on warm up,but when running on afterburner only some steam.

Thanks Curt!

It is interesting hearing what works best for some may not for others. Lots of variables in this wood burning stove stuff.... I will try your way as well. In other words, you really are not looking at thermometers and such to decide when to close bypass?

 

[CurtH]

Hi dyner,
I have a stove pipe thermo. that i have on the stove top so I don't know if stove pipe and stove top thermometers are calibrated the same, but i use it mainly as a ref. I found I was getting frustrated trying to run this stove to temps. However I would say approx 450 but with inside temp increasing and fire sounding lively . I have to say this stove was vexing until I started running the way I described before. I think the most important aspect for me was creating a hot space in front of the afterburn chamber and then stacking wood against the back of the stove above that hot chamber, in essence putting a lid on it ,keeping the most intense heat in the area that you really want it . Once I started doing that I went from regretting buying this stove to loving it.

 

[dyner]

Curt

Thanks for the reply. Making better sense to me now. I will try your technique later this evening with some seasoned ash.

 

[1kzwoman]

Hope it works..I found the forum looking to cure a back puffing issue.. due to AB being filled with ash sucked into it over course of 8+ years of burning. Do you research but Iwas advised how to clean and load by wiser than myself. We all learn our own lessons

 

[CurtH]

my earlier estimation of 450 degrees is probably a little shy more like 500 or 1kzwoman's 600 more in line

 

[1kzwoman]

Get an IR temp gun is advice Is pass on to you as well

 

[dyner]

IR as in infra red?

 

[1kzwoman]

IR as in infra red?

Yes best$30 you will ever spend. Take temps center of stove top, and flue be aware that distance is a factor in how accurate they are.
Multi purpose tool.. cat toy, cold air leaks etc!! Do your research enjoy the usefulness of full forum resources!

 

[dyner]

Thanks 1kz..... lovin this forum! Thanks to all who has been spoon feeding me... Baby steps is best when playin' with fire.

 

[1kzwoman]

Welcome as others have said that's what they (we) are here for! Wish I had found the forum sooner my self! You can search by posters name to see all of their posts most helpful when you find someone burning a similar stove!

 

[dyner]

Can you recommend a good reliable IR GUN?

 

[1kzwoman]

Can you recommend a good reliable IR GUN?

I just looked and purchased based on amazon reviews.
My magnetic therm is about eye level on flue
it settles at just inside safe burn range after I shut damper. IR gun is more accurate but watch your distance for good reading IR over magnetic always.
Air is slowly decreased till its just enough to prevent back puffing after reload fire settles after closing damper.