How forgiving are wood stoves?

[faye smith]

Hi all, I am totally new at this having my first wood stove, a Hearthstone Craftsbury. It is my only heat in a 2000 sq ft home other than space heaters in the bedrooms. I just had it installed yesterday by a chimney sweep and when I asked him about how I should start a fire and if I could use the paper-wrapped firestarter logs from Kroger, he said I could use them and add a couple of cord wood logs, but he did NOT inform me that it was necessary to "season" the stove first. He did warn me about the off-gassing of the paint. Well, long story short, I had purchased my firewood before my stove was installed, so I didn't realize that the size of the logs were too long and would not fit my stove. So, being anxious to start my first fire and warm the place up, all I could find to burn was a solid log from the yard and used it along with a fire starter log from Kroger. It was a huge fire and the off-gassing made me sick to the point of vomiting. I can only hope and pray that I did not damage my new stove with the first burn. How would I know and can the chimney sweep guy tell by looking at it? I'm here asking because I googled the off-gassing and read about the need to "season" the stove with several small fires before a big burn. Help! Can anyone tell me if my stove will forgive me for my ignorance and give me another chance? Thanks for your help.

 

[begreen]

Welcome. Stoves can be forgiving, but cast iron stoves do like to be broken in. Before proceeding any further read the manual. It clearly states:
Follow recommended break-in procedure asoutlined in this manual (see page 20).

Burn natural wood only. Higher efficiencies and lower emissions result when burning air-dried, seasoned wood, as compared to green or freshly cut wood.
page 22:
INAPPROPRIATE FUEL: Do not burn coal, kiln dried lumber, driftwood, wax logs or
anything other than natural cordwood.

Hopefully the stove is ok, they are built tough. It's hard to know what temperatures it reached or tell remotely how it is now. If you can post some pictures of its inside and outside we can look for anything obvious. When the starter log was burning did any part of the stove start glowing red?

 

[begreen]

Relying on a small stove like this to heat a 2000 sq ft home does not seem practical, even in Texas. Are you pretty far south in TX?

 

[DanCorcoran]

Hi all, I am totally new at this having my first wood stove, a Hearthstone Craftsbury. It is my only heat in a 2000 sq ft home other than space heaters in the bedrooms. I just had it installed yesterday by a chimney sweep and when I asked him about how I should start a fire and if I could use the paper-wrapped firestarter logs from Kroger, he said I could use them and add a couple of cord wood logs, but he did NOT inform me that it was necessary to "season" the stove first. He did warn me about the off-gassing of the paint. Well, long story short, I had purchased my firewood before my stove was installed, so I didn't realize that the size of the logs were too long and would not fit my stove. So, being anxious to start my first fire and warm the place up, all I could find to burn was a solid log from the yard and used it along with a fire starter log from Kroger. It was a huge fire and the off-gassing made me sick to the point of vomiting. I can only hope and pray that I did not damage my new stove with the first burn. How would I know and can the chimney sweep guy tell by looking at it? I'm here asking because I googled the off-gassing and read about the need to "season" the stove with several small fires before a big burn. Help! Can anyone tell me if my stove will forgive me for my ignorance and give me another chance? Thanks for your help.

If you read your manual, I think you'll find that it says never to use anything other than plain wood in your stove, particularly not those "logs" made from compressed wood and wax sold in supermarkets. I doubt that you damaged your stove unless you managed to get it really hot. The smell coming off is normal.

From page 18 of your manual:

Burn only natural firewood (known as cordwood) in the Craftsbury 8391 Wood Heater. This stove is not designed to burn other fuels.
 CAUTION: DO NOT USE CHEMICALS OR FLAMMABLE FLUIDS TO START THE FIRE. DO NOT USE CHARCOAL, PELLETS, COAL, ARTIFICIAL LOGS OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS AS FUEL; THEY ARE NOT SAFE. DO NOT BURN GARBAGE OR FLAMMABLE FLUIDS.
 THE USE OF UNAUTHORIZED FUEL SUCH AS COAL COULD PRODUCE HIGH LEVELS OF CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE LIVING SPACE. AT HIGH LEVELS CARBON DIOXIDE COULD RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH.

Your manual:
(broken link removed to http://www.hearthstonestoves.com/download-document-library-file?document_filename=craftsbury8391manual.pdf).

 

[NoGoodAtScreenNames]

I'm no expert or very experienced with stoves for that matter but the general advice is to start small fires to cure the paint and remove moisture slowly. You may have just done it all at once and probably aren't the first or last person to do it.

I'd tell you to start slow if for no other reason than you want to learn how to handle the stove. Every scary moment I've had with the fire was when I made it too big. Never freaked out over a fire that was too small as long as there was some flame and not just smoke in the stove.

 

[faye smith]

Thank you all for your replies. Last night I was decorating the Christmas tree in the same room with the stove and I never saw it glow red, at least not on the front or sides (I didn't look at the back). And I did walk over to it several time to admire it and watch the fire. However, when I stepped up on a stool to reach the top of the tree is when I think I got overwhelmed with the fumes from the paint (I did have doors and windows open). I'm not sure I could get pictures clear enough to post right now, but when my daughter gets home tomorrow she can use her camera with the flash. Yes, dummy me, I should have read the owner's manual myself, rather than assuming the installer would advise me to season the stove first, and him knowing I was wanting to use it right away.

I'm just north of Houston, so it's not incredibly cold here as a rule, but night before last it got down to 31 and that's pretty cold to someone (me) who's cold-natured anyway. Last year was the first year in this this house and we were miserable without heat, except in the bedrooms. The stove itself is rated for 1300 sq ft and I really hoped that would be enough to take the greater part of the chill out of the 1000 sq ft of the living room/dining-kitchen area so we wouldn't stay holed-up in our rooms most of the winter.

Ok, so I found some more wood in the yard, a small log maybe 2 inches in diameter and I'm having a devil of a time trying to light it. I have no newspaper. I have gathered piles and piles of little sticks and placed them under the log and have used half a box of matches trying to light them. When it does catch for a brief moment, the smoke comes out of the stove rather than going up, but that's probably because there's not enough fire to create a draft (I don't know if that's right, just guessing). Yes, those store-bought logs sure make it simple and convenient, but next time I go out I will get some "fatwood" sticks at the store and hope those will work.

Thanks again for your replies. I will try to post pictures tomorrow

 

[begreen]

Close to Houston this little stove should be a decent chill chaser. You'll need to get some seasoned firewood somehow. That's what it needs to burn correctly. Outdoor wood on the ground probably is too damp to burn..

 

[faye smith]

Thanks, begreen. When I ordered my stove, I bought a 1/2 cord of wood without considering the size log I might need for it, so I didn't specify to the guy I bought it from what size to cut it. The pieces are 2 feet long and I need them half that size, which means I'm going to have to get someone else to cut them smaller. Live and learn. Maybe I'll call the guy and see if he'll cut them for me if I bring him a car-full at a time, rather than have someone come out and do it.

It was nicely warm in the house last night when the fire was going, even with the patio door and a couple of windows open...of course the temp was only in the 50s, but my hands actually warmed up for the first time since the days when it started getting so chilly in the house. And though it may be too late now, no matter how cold it gets, I'm going to make my next few fires small ones.

 

[Woody Stover]

I found some more wood in the yard, a small log maybe 2 inches in diameter and I'm having a devil of a time trying to light it. I have no newspaper. I have gathered piles and piles of little sticks and placed them under the log and have used half a box of matches trying to light them. When it does catch for a brief moment, the smoke comes out of the stove rather than going up, but that's probably because there's not enough fire to create a draft (I don't know if that's right, just guessing). Yes, those store-bought logs sure make it simple and convenient, but next time I go out I will get some "fatwood" sticks at the store and hope those will work.

That small log may have gotten a bit of surface moisture on it from rain which would make it hard to light. It sounds like your main issue may be obtaining DRY wood to burn. These newer stoves demand it. I have my wood split and stacked in the wind for two years, minimum, so it can lose the internal moisture. Many firewood sellers claim their wood is "seasoned" but it is rarely dry enough to burn well in a modern EPA stove. You may have to resort to BioBricks or a similar brand of ALL HARDWOOD compressed wood product, unless you can luck into a supply of dry wood. Follow instructions, they burn hot! A moisture meter, available at a box store will help you determine if your wood is dry. Split a piece and check moisture by jabbing the pins into the center of the freshly-exposed surface.
Smoke coming into the room indicates poor draft. Temps outside need to be cold to create good draft. You can preheat the flue with a hair dryer and that may help if temps outside are around 50. Another cause of poor draft is an inadequate chimney. Can you describe your chimney setup? About how tall is the chimney, from the top of the stove to the top of the chimney? Is it class A chimney through the roof or is it a liner up through a masonry chimney?
These fire starters work pretty well. You can get them at farm stores:

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

I've heated with wood stoves my whole life, and so did my father and his father before him. I'm not saying it was right or wrong but when I was a small child, my dad bought a new stove and his break in process was as follows:

Remove stove from carton and assemble on a gravel area away from the house. Light a huge fire in the stove to burn off the paint and fumes. Let it cool. Do it again. Let it cool. Cart stove into house and connect.

This was NOT the right way to do it and I would NEVER recommend it. The point is though, that stove is still keeping that house warm over 35 years later. Definitely get your sweep to inspect your stove just to make sure everything is ok but don't despair that your one hot fire broke your stove.

 

[begreen]

Steel stoves break in hot and quickly, though it's a good idea to do at least one small fire to dry out the firebrick first. Cast iron stoves need a gradual break-in of a few successively larger fires starting with just a small kindling fire.

 

[faye smith]

Thanks for the info, Woody. The chimney is Class A. From stove to ceiling is approx 5 feet and from roof to chimney top is approx 6 feet. Yeah, it's actually not that cold here today, but I did want to continue to have fires (SMALL ones for the next few times) in the stove for breaking in purposes.

The first log from the yard that I burned yesterday was larger than the span of my hand (I'm an average sized woman with an average sized hand), so that plus the fire starter log had to have burned hotter than hell. So once I read about the need to season it, I freaked out and feared I might have damaged my lovely new stove straightaway. So many of the posts I've read here sound so scientific with fire temps and all that. Me, I'm just a little old lady trying to keep warm and NOT ruin my stove before it even has a chance to do that. I LOVE how you guys have so much experience and knowledge and provide this forum as a place where a total novice like me can to turn to with confidence with questions and concerns.

Do you have your wood covered? Under an overhang? Not with a tarp though, if it's in the wind, right? Maybe I ought to get a cord of wood now (cut the right size this time) and let it season for next year (2016). I figure down here I wouldn't need more than 1/2 a cord per season---that way I could use a less seasoned half cord in 2016 and the other half could be for 2017. Then in 2016 get another cord, then every other year after that I would get another cord. That way I should have 2 year old seasoned wood each winter, except next winter (and this winter, of course, since I already have a half cord). I don't really have a place to put it outside covered, but I do have a garage...not exactly in the wind, but it would be covered

 

[faye smith]

I've heated with wood stoves my whole life, and so did my father and his father before him. I'm not saying it was right or wrong but when I was a small child, my dad bought a new stove and his break in process was as follows:

Remove stove from carton and assemble on a gravel area away from the house. Light a huge fire in the stove to burn off the paint and fumes. Let it cool. Do it again. Let it cool. Cart stove into house and connect.

This was NOT the right way to do it and I would NEVER recommend it. The point is though, that stove is still keeping that house warm over 35 years later. Definitely get your sweep to inspect your stove just to make sure everything is ok but don't despair that your one hot fire broke your stove.

Hey, thanks for that! That's really a relief to hear because you nailed it...despair is truly what I was feeling! It may not be a cadillac stove, but it's perfect for me and I'm paying for it with my projected income tax refund which should just cover it (this is the last year I can claim head of household since my daughter just graduated college last week). It is a cast iron stove and I don't know what your father's was, but I'm hoping his was cast iron too.

 

[faye smith]

Steel stoves break in hot and quickly, though it's a good idea to do at least one small fire to dry out the firebrick first. Cast iron stoves need a gradual break-in of a few successively larger fires starting with just a small kindling fire.

So, begreen, that said, would you recommend I have my chimney sweep take a look at it just in case? Or would posting pics, better inform your recommendation. It's a 100 and something dollars to have him come out. But of course, it's worth it for a definite analysis.

 

[begreen]

Lets start with some pictures. You can also visually examine for cracks, warpage, greyish or white paint around the flue collar. I would also recommend picking up a stove top thermometer. It's much easier flying with some instruments. Running the stove too cool has its drawbacks too.

 

[faye smith]

Lets start with some pictures. You can also visually examine for cracks, warpage, greyish or white paint around the flue collar. I would also recommend picking up a stove top thermometer. It's much easier flying with some instruments. Running the stove too cool has its drawbacks too.

Where are all the places I need to look for cracks? How could I tell if it was warped?

I just took a good look at it with a flashlight, inside and all around. There looked like a small hairline amount (1/2" or less) of white paint (?) around where a section of pipe joined. There were no visible cracks that I could see.. Warped would mean bulging or wavy areas, right?...didn't see any. What is that loose thing inside at the top, a "cardboard" looking thing that lays on the "pipes" going across the top inside?

 

[begreen]

The loose sheet on top of the secondary burn tubes is the baffle. It needs to be treated with care and not poked at or hit with logs being loaded. The baffle is made of high-temp ceramic. Page 7 of the manual.

 

[faye smith]

Where are all the places I need to look for cracks? How could I tell if it was warped?

I just took a good look at it with a flashlight, inside and all around. There looked like a small hairline amount (1/2" or less) of white paint (?) around where a section of pipe joined. There were no visible cracks that I could see.. Warped would mean bulging or wavy areas, right?...didn't see any. What is that loose thing inside at the top, a "cardboard" looking thing that lays on the "pipes" going across the top inside?

EDIT: Oh, I forgot to mention that there were four strips of paint peeling from each of the corners inside.

 

[claydogg84]

We're talking about a fire starter, or a actual fire log? I can't imagine a fire starter and 1 piece of wood could have overfired the stove. A fire log and a piece of wood probably wouldn't have either. The stove is likely fine.

 

[faye smith]

The loose sheet on top of the secondary burn tubes is the baffle. It needs to be treated with care and not poked at or hit with logs being loaded. The baffle is made of high-temp ceramic. Page 7 of the manual.

I read that page, but didn't find it and I looked at the pictures to see if there was an illustration of it. I have the manual for model 8391 (revised in 2013). I jostled the baffle feeling around up there...that's okay, isn't it. I doubt I would load my stove enough to touch those burn tubes.

 

[begreen]

Yes the manual is lacking a blow-up diagram of the stove. Here is for the 8390 model.
http://www.hearthstoneparts.com/cgi/display.cgi?item_num=8390
The baffle needs to be touching the back wall of the stove so that no smoke can go up behind it. Do this gently and leave it there.

 

[faye smith]

We're talking about a fire starter, or a actual fire log? I can't imagine a fire starter and 1 piece of wood could have overfired the stove. A fire log and a piece of wood probably wouldn't have either. The stove is likely fine.

It was an actual fire log. I always called it a fire "starter" log from when I had a regular fireplace in my old house and that's how I got my fires going. Thanks for the encouragement. I hope you're right about the stove being fine.

 

[faye smith]

Yes the manual is lacking a blow-up diagram of the stove. Here is for the 8390 model.
http://www.hearthstoneparts.com/cgi/display.cgi?item_num=8390
The baffle needs to be touching the back wall of the stove so that no smoke can go up behind it. Do this gently and leave it there.

Well, I messed up again, but hopefully not too badly. Between postings here, I managed to get a small fire going with rolled up manilla packing paper from mail-order boxes and topped it with lots of little sticks. I hadn't repositioned the baffle before this little fire, but it's gone out now and I will position it back where you said.

The fire made the stove nice and warm to the touch, but too hot in spots to leave your hands on it for more than several seconds. I did not burn the little log from the yard and don't think I'll use it for a couple more days. This little fire will be all for today, and tomorrow I will try the same thing again. Thanks for letting me know about the baffle.

 

[Woody Stover]

The chimney is Class A. From stove to ceiling is approx 5 feet and from roof to chimney top is approx 6 feet.

11' is short. What addition height would you estimate is in the attic, or between the ceiling and the roof? What does your manual recommend as a minimum for your stove?

Do you have your wood covered?

I have the top of the stacks covered to keep rain off, but wind can still blow through the sides. Some folks season their wood uncovered, and that may work for you. Your plan of getting two years ahead sounds good.

 

[faye smith]

11' is short. What addition height would you estimate is in the attic, or between the ceiling and the roof? What does your manual recommend as a minimum for your stove?

The manual says "at least 3 feet higher than the highest part of the roof opening through which it passes" *and* "at least 2 feet higher than any part of the roof within 10 feet measured horizontally from the top of the chimney". There's not much attic space in that corner where the stove is installed.

I really like that plan for future wood too. I need to get a rack though to keep it off the ground, otherwise, I do think I have a sheltered place to put it where it would be outside. It would be on the north side at the back of the house, wooded, so not too much breeze, but probably better than the garage.