How do you reload for minimal smoke rollout into your house?

[Poindexter]

I have some up with a few strategies that work on my stove, figured I would share. But I am confident every reload and every install is different and at least some of you all probably have some good ideas I haven't thought of.

I will say running particle counters to monitor indoor air quality has tightened up my process a little bit, but I haven't had to make any major changes.

 

[Poindexter]

I'll go with what works for me.

Step one is to disengage my catalytic combustor, set the intake to full available air, and walk away. Most of the year it is enough to go pee, grab the canvas tote, amble to the garage, grab a tote or two of wood and amble them back up. I generally keep enough splits on the hearth that I can get a full reload with only one trip to the garage, but obs it sometimes takes two trips to have left overs for next time.

Second, crack open the loading door. If there is any smoke rollout, close it back up and go make some coffee. I cannot overstate this. If you have visible smoke rollout with the loading door cracked this is going to be miserable, just close the door and wait longer.

I am going to have to run soon. I'll get some pics up in here later for sure. However, I have noticed the more I disturb the existing coals, the higher my particle counts in the house get, and raking hot coals to the front is no bueno if you are trying to keep your indoor air clean.

The other step that works for me is to, sometimes, as soon as the loading door is open, use the biggest split I am planning to load first as sort of a bulldozer to push all the glowing coals to one side. I find raking the coals out into an even layer on the floor invariably puts a bolus of particles into my living space, and these can very rapidly start pushing visible smoke out the loading door. Keeping the coals tight (getting the coals tight with the bulldozer split) seems to reduce airflow over the glowing coals that lead to increased particle counts and sometimes visible smoke rollout.

If I have my hands full because of time constraints it seems to help to start piling splits into the side opposite the bulldozed embers. It seems to me* (not a physicist) the loading door can let more air into the firebox than the chimney pipe can suck out. When I block incoming air with new fuel, the total airflow into the firebox is quickly reduced and smoke rollout is less.

For highest possible rollout, the most possible particles into my living space, the things to do are going to be disengage the combustor, open the loading door wide open right away, rake all the coals around two or three times and then dilly dally (maybe check facebook) before loading new fuel.

 

[Poindexter]

Imma try for pics, my wife is not quite ready to leave for church....

 

[Dieselhead]

How tight is your house? Have you tried cracking a door or window to supply the more than usual needed make up air to carry the smoke up the flue?

 

[ericm979]

I've got a 30+ foot flue, outside air kit and a house that's not air tight like modern houses. I can get all my splits lined up, open up the air control, open the stove door and put the new load in. The only time there's any smoke smell in the house is if there was a thick coal bed and I'm slow loading the new splits. Even then it's only apparent to me with my nose next to the stove.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I look at flue temp., if its weak. Ill open the bypass and turn the air all the way open and reestablish draft.. then reload...

 

[moresnow]

I have some up with a few strategies that work on my stove, figured I would share. But I am confident every reload and every install is different and at least some of you all probably have some good ideas I haven't thought of.

I will say running particle counters to monitor indoor air quality has tightened up my process a little bit, but I haven't had to make any major changes.

Are you running a through wall venting setup?