Lopi answer HELP

[Isaac Carlson]

I am getting frustrated with our Lopi Answer. It used to burn great with the air shut most of the way and never built up much in the way of coals. Now We have to have the air wide open just to get it to burn and it is packed full of coals. The wood has been sitting for 2+ years. It is chilly in the house and I am just about ready to light the torch. I don't like the tiny little air hole below the door. I have been thinking of blocking off most of the air wash and opening up the primary air hole to burn off the coals. I can hardly fit any wood in

 

[begreen]

I know that sees like a long time for wood to season, but the wood still sounds like the issue. FWIW we have 2 yr seasoned soft maple that should burn great and instead is just so so. In spite of being stacked and covered there are damp areas within the stack. This wasn't helped by all sorts of critters moving into the pile. At issue is the way I stacked it and the location of the stacks. I stacked the rows close to each other and parallel to the prevailing winds. Some parts are still as damp as they were last year. From now on all my wood goes in the properly oriented shed for its final year of drying.

Don't modify the stove. Instead, get some construction scraps (2x4's and 2x6's) and split them into 2x2 sticks. To burn down the coals, open the air fully and put a couple of these dry construction splits on top of the coals.