I really let her rip on Saturday night

[FireWalker]

Apparently I still had some breaking-in to do. I got the break-in smell all over again after I got home from hunting. We were in for a cold night with lows down to 20.

As the fire was almost out when I got home I got it going and at about 7 she said she was chilly. For the first time I let it run for a couple of hours at right about 1/2 throttle adding a stick now and then. By 11 the back room in the house that usually only gets up to the low 60's was 70. The rest of the house was plenty warm! I got complaints about the smell but I'm finally making headway in the battle against the belief that this stove will end our heating problems. :cheese:

Has anyone else had the break-in smells return like this?

 

[crazy_dan]

every time you hit a new high temp it will return, usually not as bad as the first fire thank goodness

 

[HittinSteel]

Yep, I've had the smells return each time I take it to a new level. Have had a few rippers and a couple overnight burns so I think I am done with the smells.

 

[FireWalker]

That's good to hear as I was kinda shooting from the hip when she asked about the smell. Seems logical though. I almost got her up to 550 on my Rutland stovetop, who knows what the actual temp was as I think the thermometer is off on the high side and if oven testing is accurate, it's off by 75 degrees at 350. Something tells me there is still more, if I had to guess I would say that we were running at about 3/4 capacity. I'm also going to guess that if we need to use that last 1/4 we will need to be nakid and about 10 feet away from it. My oldest doughter is now a heat freak, if it isn't 75 degrees in the house she is freezing.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Firewalker, instead of adding a stick now and then, let the fire burn down to coals before putting in more wood. In the long run, you will use less wood this way and it is the way the stove should be operated.

Some of the smell could be from pipe too as some takes a bit to get rid of the smell, but it will go away. Enjoy the warmth!

 

[FireWalker]

Firewalker, instead of adding a stick now and then, let the fire burn down to coals before putting in more wood. In the long run, you will use less wood this way and it is the way the stove should be operated.

Some of the smell could be from pipe too as some takes a bit to get rid of the smell, but it will go away. Enjoy the warmth!

That night I was chilled and wanted heat and enough fire to burn all night.

I've been correcting my thinking on how to make the most btu's from my wood. I figure I'm not taking advantage of the stored heat in the stone if I don't let the fire burn nearly out, especially when not real cold outside. For example, with my old stove my wife would have to add wood before I get home from work to get heat. With this stove even if I'm down to a low coal bed the stones are still pumping heat so why add more wood before that heat is released. Up until this week I've been pretty much adding wood to keep the fire going. Now I'm letting the fire die and restart more and I think you are right, I'm using less wood.