just got started...lots of questions

[nu2wood]

We just installed a new Jotul Oslo last week and have been burning break-in fires for the past few days...first of all, I bought a thermometer and cannot get much of a reading unless I put it directly in the center of top of stove, not on one of the corners as suggested by the manual. Its a Homesaver magnetic for the stove pipe but the guy at the store said it was ok for the stovetop. Should I get a different thermometer or can I trust the reading from the center of stove top?
My first big mistake was buying 2 cords of wood sight unseen...he just dropped the load in my driveway and took the cash. What trash! He advertised it as seasoned hardwood and said he sold 500 cords per year so I took the bait and trusted him. Most of the stuff is green as anything and the stuff that is dry is rotted out! I managed to find some decent kindling for the break in fires.
My glass is already black as night I am assuming from burning "cool" fires. I did burn a piece of greenish wood which smoldered so this may be the cause? I have not tried to clean the glass yet but it looks like it will be quite a chore if it comes clean at all. Is the glass ruined?
I hope I was not too timid with the break-in. I burned a couple of 200 degree fires and a couple of 300 degree fires before venturing to 400 degrees which I only hit for about 15 minutes. This was not how the manual described the process...did I screw up?
One last thing...my hearth is REALLY HOT just under and to the rear of stove. I have slate tile on top of wonderboard on top of plywood. I checked the basement ceiling under the hearth and the plywood is just a little warm...think I will have any problems when I hit 500-600 degrees?
:cheese:
Thanks for any input. BTW...this site is really cool. Never realized there was such a wood burning subculture out there!

 

[myzamboni]

The black glass is from green wood, not small fires. The glass actually cleans of pretty easy (wet paper towel dipped in the ashes and then scrub the glass). You have done your break-in fires, now it is time to let 'er rip. Bummer on the wood. You might want to scrounge some pallets or ask around for another wood dealer (the stuff you bought can sit for next year).

Welcome to the addiction.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

It will take a while for the thermometer to read much - my break in fires took at least 30 minutes to get to temperature. Are you using the bottom heat shield? With that and ash in the pan (which you don't have yet) the area under the stove was barely warm. In front does get warmer, but not so much that you can't touch it, so it's well under 80C. The rear wall on mine does get hot, but I'm totally non-combustible there - I would guess it gets near 80C - can't hold your hand on it for long.

My thermometer is a condar - I have it in the right rear - I feel that the cook surface is often warmer, but I get good readings on mine. I've topped out near 600 so far, hasn't been cold enough to sustain that for long....


Your hearth layout is pretty much the same as mine - I have no worries.

You need dry wood, and you need to learn the stove - I'm no where near yet....

 

[nu2wood]

Thanks for the replies...
I will definitely try the ash/wet paper towel trick tonight.
As for the hearth getting hot, the Oslo actually comes with a bottom heat shield standard but it stops at the back of the stove hence the area is getting hot. I will keep a careful eye on it, its a good thing my ceiling is exposed in the basement to monitor the heat of plywood...the tile on the hearth has been getting too hot to leave my hand on for more than 2-3 seconds.

I definitely feel an obsession taking hold.

Never thought I would be so excited for sub-freezing temps

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

You can try splitting your wood smaller and like others have said, use busted up pallets or untreated lumber scraps.
That Oslo (and most EPA stoves) like well seasoned wood in order to attain secondary combustion (hence the black glass and smoldering wood)
A good coal bed is also a must, in the middle of winter I'm often getting my Oslo rolling around 550-625 before knocking down the front draft control 75% or more.
Everyone here has been in your shoes before.....get ahead on your supply of wood for next year.......post some pictures of your setup!


WoodButcher

 

[begreen]

Unseasoned wood is a bear to burn. As you are noticing, it burns cool and dirty. Watch your flue and flue cap. Damp wood + cool fires = creosote buildup.

If the fellow is selling the wood as seasoned, have him take it back and reimburse you or stack it off the ground for next year. For this year you will have to try to find dry wood or perhaps, burn a compressed wood product.

 

[firefighterjake]

You're going to get hotter temps in the center plate . . . it's the nature of the beast . . . I would trust the temp readings (realizing it is a ballpark estimate and not a 100%, stake your life on the temp reading.) I would also move it to one of the four corners to get the temp reading as the manual recommends that . . . for me the hottest point is the right rear.

Yeah, black glass generally equals either unseasoned wood or not burning with enough air . . . in either case you're suffocating the fire and having a smoldering fire which means not as efficient, more creosote and well, it's just not a good thing. That's the bad news.

The good news is you've learned something -- seasoned wood isn't always seasoned. Also, all is not lost. If you can get some pallets you may be able to use the pallets to "dry" out this wood . . . the wood may still not give you as efficient burns as you would like, but it may be possible to reach high enough temps to heat your home and keep the chimney from creosoting too bad. In any case, you definitely want to keep an eye on your chimney and clean it when needed.

To clean the black you can get the firebox hot enough and that should take off quite a bit of the black . . . also, damp newspaper dipped in some of the fine wood ash will scour that glass clean . . . works well and it's cheap.

You did fine on the burn-in process . . . now you can really fire it up . . . as I said, try mixing in some pallet wood to bring the firebox up to temp.

Hearth . . . the Oslo only requires ember protection as long as the bottom heat shield is installed and it's not in an alcove. It sounds like you went above and beyond what is required. I would guess you will be OK . . . especially once you get some ash build up in the ash pan and firebox since the ash will also act as an insulator.

 

[nu2wood]

Thanks for all of the great advice and encouragement. Just cleaned the front glass with the newspaper dipped in ash. Worked great I figured newspaper would be good but never thought of using ash, a little messy but very effective.
I will be hitting up work for some old pallets tomorrow. I also have my eyes on an old tree at work that has been dead, leaning up against another for the past couple of years...time to finally put my Poulan Pro to work getting some return on the investment. I may dedicate this weekend to wood scavenging. I am not going to spend another dime on wood for a while. Some are asking 200 bucks a cord and I think its a little excessive.

I'll be back later this week with a report on my first "Big Burn". As soon as this mild weather passes and I get myself some dry wood.

One other thing...is it normal to peak at the Oslo every time you walk by, even if it is not burning???

 

[begreen]

If it is really dry and from a pro dealer with a strong reputation and references, I'd go for a cord. It will give your other wood a chance to dry out more and will dramatically improve your happiness with the stove. In order to know it's dry, it would help to have a moisture meter on hand. FWIW, locally, $200 a cord for really dry wood would be a great deal.

Note that burning pallet wood is a completely different experience. You'll want to watch the quantity of the wood and air control as it will burn quickly.

 

[Jotulf3cb]

One other thing...is it normal to peak at the Oslo every time you walk by, even if it is not burning???

TOTALLY NORMAL

 

[firefighterjake]

. . .

One other thing...is it normal to peak at the Oslo every time you walk by, even if it is not burning???

Yes . . . but talking to your Oslo, naming it or dressing it up is not considered normal behavior.

 

[firefighterjake]

I actually thought of you this morning and so I took a pic to show you what black I typically get. This is from an overnight burn . . . went to bed last night at 10:30 -- secondaries were firing with no issues and I was able to "close" the air control. 72 degrees in the house this morning. As someone mentioned earlier, sometimes you will get some black in the corners . . . the rest of the black is mostly where the ash fell against the glass preventing the airwash and heat from searing it off. As I also mentioned, I will occasionally get some black when a split or round falls against the glass and burns there. In either case, no big deal.

Before I relight the stove I will be brushing away the ash away from the glass and I can almost guarantee you that the next fire will burn off what little black is there . . . or if I was anxious I could use the wet newspaper/ash . . . but I'm a patient guy . . . besides the next fire will most likely be this evening.

You may also note that you will always get some build up of light fly ash (that's the gray haze) . . . again, if you're looking for a pretty stove the damp newspaper will remove this slicker than swine flu. Unless I have company coming over I usually only do the glass cleaning once a week as part of my regular weekly cleaning duty.

 

[nu2wood]

My entire front glass looked like the corners of yours. But like I said my wood was sizzling and I never really got up to high temps.
Last night I decided to light a small fire to take the chill from the house and wanted to view since my glass was now clean. I found two of the driest pieces of wood I could find from my measly pile. Two fairly thick 16"ers. I laid them east-west with some kindling on top and then some newspaper on the very top. Although the fire stayed lit without any "encouragement", it never really caught on until late (2-3 hours later), hence my stove never really got too hot. Maybe it hit 275-300 tops at its hottest. Granted, I was not looking for a big hot fire, but I thought it would get hotter than it did. Was this a consequence of the wood quality or just the fact that I only put on two logs and some kindling? (I never did add any wood-went to bed before the fire went out)

I enjoyed this fire since it was not too cold outside but I am not sure if this is something I should be doing regularly - won't I be getting more creosote buildup as a consequence?

 

[nu2wood]

Also...the glass was not bad this morning, a little haze in the corner sort of like yours, jake.

 

[jkupcha]

Nu
Do yourself a favor right now and take the wood you bought and stack it somewhere in your yard for next year. I can almost bet that even though you think onesy and twosy pieces might be dry they are not. After you stack it go out and find some really dry wood. Two things will happen, first you will get less soot on your glass and second you will get really nice hot fires.
Even if you have to pay a small premium this time of year for really seasoned wood it will be worth it, trust me. Maybe a fellow burn buddy or relative will have some dry wood for you. Even some dry pallet wood or fallen dead trees from years past. You will not really understand how much of a difference the dry wood will make until you have it and you will never go back!
90% of all burning problems can be solved with properly seasoned wood. Best of luck to you

 

[argus66]

u can also try bio bricks or enviro logs i used these my first yr no creosote at all burn hot and long. i know a store up in notrh nj not to far from u if u cant find any near by he sells them by the pallet so u save some $. about same price as a cord but if u go this rt get them soon as most guys sell out by x-mass. also like joe said ask around most people are willing to help and donate....

 

[nu2wood]

Thanks for the advice! I already have the weekend set aside for finding some decent wood. I thought I might get by with what I have, but after reading about everyone else's great success with properly seasoned wood I now know what I need to do. There are plenty of reputable wood people around my area so I should not have a problem.

As soon as I get some good wood and have a "big burn" I will be sure to post my elation.

Regards.

 

[THEMAN]

Thanks for the advice! I already have the weekend set aside for finding some decent wood. I thought I might get by with what I have, but after reading about everyone else's great success with properly seasoned wood I now know what I need to do. There are plenty of reputable wood people around my area so I should not have a problem.

As soon as I get some good wood and have a "big burn" I will be sure to post my elation.

Regards.

Before you go get more wood. Get a moisture meter! Harbor Freight has one for $12-$15 and it works fine. You want less than 23%. Take the meter with you when you go to the wood dealer have him split a piece or two of the wood you intend to buy and check it with the meter. If its more than 23% Its not ready. Careful though just like peaking at the stove every time you pass by it, the meter can become addictive as well. You will find yourself checking every piece of wood for moisture content. Not to mention stabbing yourself with the darn thing. (my arm read 18% haha)

 

[firefighterjake]

My entire front glass looked like the corners of yours. But like I said my wood was sizzling and I never really got up to high temps.
Last night I decided to light a small fire to take the chill from the house and wanted to view since my glass was now clean. I found two of the driest pieces of wood I could find from my measly pile. Two fairly thick 16"ers. I laid them east-west with some kindling on top and then some newspaper on the very top. Although the fire stayed lit without any "encouragement", it never really caught on until late (2-3 hours later), hence my stove never really got too hot. Maybe it hit 275-300 tops at its hottest. Granted, I was not looking for a big hot fire, but I thought it would get hotter than it did. Was this a consequence of the wood quality or just the fact that I only put on two logs and some kindling? (I never did add any wood-went to bed before the fire went out)

I enjoyed this fire since it was not too cold outside but I am not sure if this is something I should be doing regularly - won't I be getting more creosote buildup as a consequence?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's your wood that is blacking up the glass . . . and preventing you from reaching higher temps.

Also, I find that on my first fire I tend to stick with smaller diameter splits and rounds . . . the larger stuff is added to the fire once it reaches the coal stage . . . otherwise it takes a while for the fire to catch and get going.

Be sure to check out my thread on how I light my Oslo . . . it might help you reach some higher temps.

Also, it's time for an experiment to see if your wood is the culprit (although I really think this is the case) . . . this time of year supermarkets and many hardware stores sell small bundles of shrink-wrapped firewood for sale. A lot of this wood is kiln dried. Try starting a fire with this wood and see what happens.

If, as many suspect, your wood is not as dry as it should be . . . all may not be totally lost . . . depending on how dry the wood is or isn't. If the wood is marginal you may be able to use pallets or dimensional lumber (kiln dried) to help increase the temp in the firebox . . . enough to the point where it will dry out the unseasoned wood and allow it to burn. If this is the case you will want to a) not stuff the firebox full of lumber or pallets, b) get the fire going and use the pallets/lumber to help "dry" out the wood to the point where it will at least reach a high enough temp to drive out the excess moisture and c) check the chimney frequently and clean it when necessary as burning less than optimal wood does tend to result in more creosote build up.

 

[nu2wood]

Again, thank you all for the great tips and advice. I went out and bought the meter at harbor freight. Sure enough, most of my wood was reading 40% or higher. Even the pieces I thought were dry were not even near 23% moisture content! Oh well, you live and learn. The meter is great, my wife even got excited and wanted to check the wood herself! We fought over who got to use it first!
Sunday should be sunny and warm here so I am planning on getting some pallets and also hunting for some wood with my new meter. Got some leads on reputable wood dealers.

Will keep everyone posted as to my progress.

 

[THEMAN]

The meter is great, my wife even got excited and wanted to check the wood herself! We fought over who got to use it first!

Haha, I'm not gonna say I told ya so... but I did.

Don't forget to take an axe or hatchet so that you can split the wood that you are looking at buying, remember take the measurement from the middle of a fresh split. Good luck

 

[CarbonNeutral]

The meter is great, my wife even got excited and wanted to check the wood herself! We fought over who got to use it first!

Haha, I'm not gonna say I told ya so... but I did.

Don't forget to take an axe or hatchet so that you can split the wood that you are looking at buying, remember take the measurement from the middle of a fresh split. Good luck

Anybody notice a difference measuring with the grain vs. across?

Good work nu2wood, and good luck finding good stuff.

 

[nu2wood]

The meter that I have is not very hi-tech and it claims to be accurate with a 2-4% error. Because of this I am just using it as a general gauge to judge moisture content. I have noticed differences in readings depending on whether you measure across or with grain. Seems like the moisture readings are higher when you measure with the grain. In one spot on a log I measured across and got 27% reading, then I just turned the meter 90 degrees in the same spot, measured with the grain, and got a reading of 42%+!