how much is too much?

[joesat78]

I've been playing around with my Regency I2400 Wood Insert and I have a few questions for the experts in this forum. Area temperature is ranging from mid 30s(night) to mid 50s (day)

1. So far from my reading I have come to the conclusion that the first starting fire is not for the actual heating, but for making the red hot coals. Somebody say "NO" if I'm wrong here. That said, considering that this is the shoulder season (area temp above), I start by building a fire with 2 or 3 small to medium splits and try to burn them fast, usually with the air inlet 100% open. Now, user manual says not to use the blower for the first 30 minutes at least. But, I still use the blower once the fire gets hot. Experts please tell me why shouldn't I use the blower here when the fire starts building? Am I taking too much heat out of the stove?

2. I understand that I need to save my wood for the winter. So, I'm burning around 7 or 8 splits (hardwood, 90% oak) everyday. Am I burning too much wood or too little wood for this time of the year and the area temperature?

3. I usually put a couple of big splits around 10 PM and head for sleep. Yesterday I woke up at around 1:30 and checked the insert and it has few red hot coals left from the big splits - headed back to sleep and woke up feeling cold. I know that loading/closely stacking the wood east-west inside the firebox would give the maximum burn-time - though I haven't tried it yet (considering the fact that the winter hasn't started yet) and usually wake-up cold and use an area heater to heat the room before heading for work. Is this what you all do? or do you start a new fire in the morning? or do you load the stove in the night?

Your responses will help me burn efficiently and thanks.

 

[BrotherBart]

Our weather is about the same as your right now. I do two burns a day. For night burns about nine o'clock or so I take five or six one inch or less pine pieces about a foot long and light'em up with full primary air and the door cracked. When it is burning good and the draft is pulling I close the door and let'em burn. They get the stove up to about 300 by the time they are getting down to coal stage which takes fifteen or twenty minutes. At that point I drag'em in a line up against the front of the firebox and load two splits behind the coals and lay number three right on top of them all E/W. And away she goes. In ten minutes or so I can start easing the air down and eventually have it down to about 1/4. I use smaller splits for it in the morning and larger ones for the night burn. At night the stove is down to a hundred degees or so when I get up. The morning burn goes for a couple of hours and the stove radiates heat for several more hours while the sun is warming the joint also.

After I got over worrying about restarting the stove rather than having a mess of coals the next morning this house got a lot more comfortable and the wood consumption dropped like a rock. Right now this drill is done with all pine. By sometime in December I will switch over to oak and larger night loads. Except for that one starter split in the front that will always be pine.

 

[Jags]

Joe, listen to the wisdom of BroB. He nailed it. The only thing that I would add to that is: If your waking up cold, then more wood is in order (night time load up), or possibly break out the better wood for the evening. Saving wood and being cold sucks. If the weather calls for it, burn it.

Just burn smart. If you notice, the method that BroB was explaining is pretty simple. I like to refer to it at the "load and leave" method. I seem to get more mileage out of the wood using that method rather than trying to put a stick or two in at a time and keep up with it.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

With the "stick or 2" method, you have a bunch of coals and a few splits that you're trying to get cooking all the time- so those coals are always subjected to more air and burn faster. If you load it and leave it- those coals will last longer.

 

[JotulOwner]

Our weather is about the same as your right now. I do two burns a day. For night burns about nine o'clock or so I take five or six one inch or less pine pieces about a foot long and light'em up with full primary air and the door cracked. When it is burning good and the draft is pulling I close the door and let'em burn. They get the stove up to about 300 by the time they are getting down to coal stage which takes fifteen or twenty minutes. At that point I drag'em in a line up against the front of the firebox and load two splits behind the coals and lay number three right on top of them all E/W. And away she goes. In ten minutes or so I can start easing the air down and eventually have it down to about 1/4. I use smaller splits for it in the morning and larger ones for the night burn. At night the stove is down to a hundred degees or so when I get up. The morning burn goes for a couple of hours and the stove radiates heat for several more hours while the sun is warming the joint also.

After I got over worrying about restarting the stove rather than having a mess of coals the next morning this house got a lot more comfortable and the wood consumption dropped like a rock. Right now this drill is done with all pine. By sometime in December I will switch over to oak and larger night loads. Except for that one starter split in the front that will always be pine.

How large (diameter) are your three nightime splits? I cannot sustain an overnight (or even close to that) burn with the splits I have. Maybe I need to use larger splits.

 

[adrpga498]

I have the same stove as you. 3 splits max. Largest in the back. 2 medium in the front. Full load full air til chared, about 10 minutes, then 1/2 air for 10 minutes. Then its 2/3 closed for the remainder of the burn. Note: 2/3 when top temp reads 550 approx.

 

[joesat78]

I have the same stove as you. 3 splits max. Largest in the back. 2 medium in the front. Full load full air til chared, about 10 minutes, then 1/2 air for 10 minutes. Then its 2/3 closed for the remainder of the burn. Note: 2/3 when top temp reads 550 approx.

Are you able to achieve overnight burn with the 3 splits? how long do those splits last?

Thanks