Looking for a little help

[iskiatomic]

I just installed a Vermont Castings Dutchwest 2479. Rated at 55,000 BTU, up to 14 hour burn time, can hold 25-30 pounds of wood.

My questions and concerns are when loading up the stove last night pretty well, and the air inlet closed down pretty low, I only got about a six and a half hour burn. I have a Rutland burn indicator that is reading 260-275 degrees for that burn, which is right in the border line for creosote as it shows on the indicator. Ideally, I would love to see a 10 hour burn. All of my wood is hardwood red and white oak and maple that has been seasoned for about 15 months.

Is it a matter of stacking the load tighter for a longer burn? Is my stove pipe temp getting to low? Or am I just over thinking this?



KC

 

[the_dude]

Try larger splits if you have them. I get substantially longer burns with a few large splits over many small ones. Good luck.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

For sure I'd save that red oak for next year. The white oak and maple should be seasoned...depending upon how it has been seasoned! For example, was it cut, split and stacked for 15 months? Even if it were not split, that would make a huge difference in the amount of drying one could expect to get in that time.

 

[Todd]

I think it will take some trial and error with that stove. Many others here that are burning the Everburn stoves are finding them kind a finicky and tricky to burn. Do a seach here for "everburn" and you should find some answers.

 

[tradergordo]

You want to rake coals to the back, not the front. The advice about larger splits for long burntime is correct. Like Todd said, search the forum because this has been covered in great detail. I have the same stove as you. Sad to say but it took more than one season for me (and others) to really figure out the best way to burn this stove. It is finicky. But you can get a 10 hour burn. I created a series of videos showing how to do it:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/14536/

 

[the_dude]

Before loading it for the last time, rake all the hot coals to the front.

While I'm sure the dude was well intentioned, he obviously does not know the everburn stove design.

Your right on both accounts. Sorry, I wasn't paying attention, and I don't know crap about the everburn stove design. I updated my original post with the only thing I said that made sense, as to not perpetuate any misinformation. Thank you for the correction.

 

[iskiatomic]

Well, it looks like tonite I will rake coals to the BACK. I loaded that thing up last night big. I am talking 22 inch logs, damn near to the top. Granted they wear not BIG BIG pieces, but I would have to guess 25 pounds of fuel. Still only got about 7 hours of burn, with the primary air control closed.


All the wood I have been burning has been cut, split, and stacked outside and covered with a tarp for 15 months. I truely believe that wood is seasoned.

My other concern is by shutting down the primary air control down my stove pipe temp drops to about 275, is this to low a temp?

tradergordo........I will definatly check those videos out!


To all, thank you for the tips please keep them coming. This is a great forum, I have been doing alot of reading.



KC

 

[tradergordo]

You are going to figure it out, it will just take time. Your stack temp is too low. You need a big coal bed for this stove to work. And for a 10 hour burn, you need a BIG coal bed + high starting temp + stuff firebox full of big splits + small splits to fill the gaps + high BTU dry hardwood + immediate damper after adding the wood + primary air off. It should "everburn" immediately after you close the damper and never stop everburning until all that's left are coals! There will be almost no visible flame in the firebox and none of the wood on top should even look like its burning for quite some time. I show all of this in my video series. I don't know of any other way to get a 10 hour burn with this stove, if anyone else out there does, by all means describe it for us.

You might want to try "super-drying" your wood by putting some splits around the stove (but not too close, I'm not advocating creating a fire hazard). Just try it and see if you notice any difference. But I can tell you for sure you are not burning hot enough.

 

[iskiatomic]

tradergordo, great series of vids. I apparently have a false reading burn indicator. I certainly feel when I put the heat to it, maybe I am not giving suffencient time to really cook. I guess it's time to get an IR thermometor.