A Great way to Protect yourself from the Woodstove Destroying move of "Pumping" or "Blasting" your fire by opening the bottom ash door when starting your fires, is to Use a Top Down, or Upside Down Fire Starting method. Not only will it help you from potentially ruining (Cracking, Warping parts) and prematurely wearing out your stove, it also just works better and makes much less smoke than the old bottom up way. Opening the ash door on a Top Down start up has little effect on the fire, so it does not help blast it. That's a good thing.
How to Not Crack or Destroy your New Jotul and other woodstoves.
- Thread starter bigealta
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A Great way to Protect yourself from the Woodstove Destroying move of "Pumping" or "Blasting" your fire by opening the bottom ash door when starting your fires, is to Use a Top Down, or Upside Down Fire Starting method. Not only will it help you from potentially ruining (Cracking, Warping parts) and prematurely wearing out your stove, it also just works better and makes much less smoke than the old bottom up way. Opening the ash door on a Top Down start up has little effect on the fire, so it does not help blast it. That's a good thing.
Yes, using the ashpan door for start-up air can be a quick way to crack a base on these stoves. There are other caveats too. Early on I made the mistake of using the ashpan door to restart a balky fire. The wood was rain-soaked maple and very hard to start. When I cracked open the ashpan door some kindling coals glowed and then the firebox filled up with smoke. I closed the ash pan door, but it was too late. After a few seconds, a flame appeared and that ignited all the wood gases in the smoke. The result was a large back puff explosion that pushed smoke out of every orifice on the stove. Scared the crap out of me. I didn't repeat that mistake. This is another reason why you don't use the ashpan door and why having all pipe joints screwed together is important.
After a few months I stopped using the ashpan entirely on the Castine. I got a better fire and a longer burn by letting the ashpan fill up with ash. That also eliminated concerns about ashpan door startups.
After a few months I stopped using the ashpan entirely on the Castine. I got a better fire and a longer burn by letting the ashpan fill up with ash. That also eliminated concerns about ashpan door startups.
MEngineer24
Burning Hunk
Begreen, quick question for you. Do you leave the ash pan full during the off season or empty/clean out for warm months. Then burn to fill it again once next season begins?
I cleaned out the Jotul's ashpan at the end of the season, but that stove is long gone, sold in 2009. Now we have the Alderlea T6 and I empty the ash when I get around to it. That was Sept this year. 
Not a big deal with our dry summers.
Not a big deal with our dry summers.
MEngineer24
Burning Hunk
Okay, that’s what I’ve been doing too. I always like to see how much better it burns as the pan continues to fill with ash. Only had a handful of fires so far this season.I cleaned out the Jotul's ashpan at the end of the season, but that stove is long gone, sold in 2009. Now we have the Alderlea T6 and I empty the ash when I get around to it. That was Sept this year.
