Lange 6302K Performance

[Morso1bo]

I have the new Lange up and running and have been burning at a chimney temp of 200 for its final day of break in. It does let smoke into the room when you open the door, less so when the fire is stronger. It also let a giant puff of smoke out through the air intake at one point. The draft does not seem as strong as the old Morso, and the logs seem to be burning from back to front (like it is getting air from the back of the stove) unlike from front to back like it should be. Just wondering if any one out there can help me feel more at ease about this new stove.
Thanks

 

[pen]

I don't know enough about the operation of that stove to know where the air inlets are. But I can say if I do a small fire in my 30 on a cold stove I had better keep the door closed. But once that chimney is in the 350+ range (as measured 18 inches up surface temp) Not a wisp comes out regardless of how I open the door, set the air, etc.

I think you need to let that baby burn down a small load of wood then load her up on the hot coals. I bet you will see a world of difference.

Out of curiousity, what kind of chimney is this running into? Also, I assume the wood is very well seasoned?

pen

 

[begreen]

It's going to take a season of burning to really learn this stove. Unfortunately this is a lousy time to start learning. Draft is weaker and the amount of heated needed is less.

How are you operating the air controls. It sounds like you had a puff back from shutting down the air too soon. Let the stove really warm up before closing down the lower air supply all the way.

 

[Morso1bo]

Thanks for your input. As the fire got warmer the draft improved greatly. As you know the stove has 2 air control vents. After the puff back I have been using the upper one when I am not around to watch the stove, with the lower one barely cracked and this seems to work well. I am not sure of the proper way to use them. There is a steel channel to funnel the air from both air intakes to the coals of the fire. The upper one is completely shrouded by this which makes me feel safer as I get use to the stove, and the air does end up at the same place at the base of the firebox. I have heard some people say that the bottom intake is only to get the fire roaring, but I am not sure.
I never realized how different this stove would run since it is similar in design to the morso. However the draft has a much more complicated S path it must take to the chimney, while the Morso was right through the top. As a result this stove seems to throw out more heat than the old one, which will be welcomed come next December. The fire box is also HUGE compared to the old one. I know it will take a while to get to know it and feel as comfortable as I did with the old one. Thanks so much for the input it helped put me at ease!

 

[Morso1bo]

By the way the chimney is a story and a half brick chimney with a flexible stainless liner, that is swept several times a season.

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

If you have a flex single wall liner in a masonry chimney with no insulation around it, it's going to take burning a hot fire to heat the liner up enough to establish a good draft. You have to overcome the cooling effect of all that cold masonry when you first light the stove up. The puff of smoke was a back puff that comes from a build up of gases in the stove when there's not enough oxygen to burn them continuously, then they ignite at once causing a little mini explosion. I remember the 2 air controls, upper and lower, on the Lange. My guess would be the lower one would be to get maximum air to the wood for getting a hot fire going. Then shut that one down and control the fire with the upper control. This would let air get to the gases under the baffle plate to help them burn.

 

[Morso1bo]

Thanks for in info, the chimney was cold due to not really running the stove as I usually do.

 

[Freischutz]

I don't have a Lange but did have an Earth Stove from 1978-2007. The trick for avoiding smoke when I opened the door was to just crack it open for 10-15 seconds and then open it slowly.

 

[Morso1bo]

I am really amazed at how much more heat this stove puts out. When the stack is at 300 degrees it seems so much warmer than when the Morso was at 350 degrees. I have a white dishwasher that is 3"6" away from the stove and it seems to get pretty warm. I am assuming it is going to be fine because it is so far away. Thanks again for all the help as I adjust to a new stove.