NC13 Burn Questions

[W.B.]

Hi all. I've got a Summers Heat insert (essentially an englander nc-13) and after a couple of break in fires I'm ready for a good burn today. I'm wondering what's the best way to get up to temp? Right now, I just loaded up with 3 medium splits of oak with kindling and a super cedar on top. I have the damper fully open and left the door cracked for about 5 minutes until the kindling took off.

I'm hoping for stove top temps in the 500 range for this fire. What should be an average time before I reach that temp and should I be leaving the damper setting fully open until I get there?

I see several posts where guys are talking about there temps climbing too fast, but last night I had a hard time getting the stove to 400 so I'm trying to figure where I'm going wrong.

As I type right now, the fire has been burning for about 10 minutes, damper still fully open and stove top temps are roughly 175.

Am I on the right track? Thanks.

 

[W.B.]

30 or so minutes in now and barely above 200. I had closed the door and the fire started to choke out. I had to add more kindling and open the door again for a while. Added another split and now the fire seems to be burning well. Shouldn't I be able to just light it and shut the door? Maybe my splits are too large?

I have a fully insulated ss liner and thought my draft was good. No smoke enters house and I can feel the air draw up when I open the door? I'm confused.

 

[W.B.]

Over 300 now, but I still have the door cracked. I don't think I should need to door open to get to temp??

 

[begreen]

How long has the wood been seasoning? Oak needs a couple years to really dry out. Do you have some other wood variety you could try out that might have seasoned longer?

 

[W.B.]

I was told it had been cut, split and stacked in a barn for about 2 years. It came from a friend, so I'm sure he was telling the truth. I have some other wood, but it hasn't been seasoning as long. It was on the ground for about a year and a half, but just cut this year.

 

[W.B.]

So just about an hour in now. Stove temp just over 350, 4 oak splits, fire seems to be burning well now. I'm new to this, so I'm not sure exactly how it should look though. Damper still fully open, but door closed now. Should I be backing off the air or do stove temps need to be higher first? Would that make the temps rise more?

 

[begreen]

Try backing the air down to just when the flames get lazy and see how she goes.

 

[karl]

It takes a while to get the hang of things. Sometimes its better to close the door and let the air draw up from the bottom to get things going, then open the door to get them really going. Also the secondaries won't really kick off with the door open and they are what make the temperature really go up. But, you should be over 350 with the door open. Are you sure the woods dry? Is the chimney liner long enough? how cold is it outside.

 

[begreen]

Oak is a dense hardwood. Maybe try some lighter weight wood for starter splits? Here is how I start my fires using supercedars underneath the kindling nestled between two splits, also known as the "Tunnel of Love" method. Maybe try this the next time.

 

[ckarotka]

W.B.
I have a 13 also. Don't take this the wrong way but something is not adding up. I struggled last year with sub-par wood and it was my first year with the 13. However I did not have to wait that long to get up to temp 500-600. Mine this year will hit 550 with just some small cottonwood splits. Could you describe your chimney set up?
Any 90* bends etc. I will find the post of how I run mine, maybe you could give that a try.

Even from a cold start 30min to get to 200* ain't right. Is you blower on this whole time? Is something blocking the air intake hole on the back of the stove? Just for Sh@# and giggles you pull the lever out for full air right? Push it in to close the air.

Charlie

 

[n6crv]

You should have no trouble getting the 13 up on temp. I have been burning Ash and Maple that is about a year old. I get to 500 to 600 real easy at times I have to watch close or it will hit 700. I would try some different wood if possible. I have my vent open and the door cracked open when starting. I found that I can keep the door open by resting the part that latches on the top of the inside piece. When it gets going I close the door and move the vent rod to where it is about 3/4 in out then when hot 1/4 in from full close. Flue temps with the vent open at 3/4 in and fire going good are 400 to 475 18in up. When I push the rod in to 1/4 in the flue drops to 300 to 350 and stove top stays around 450 deg.

 

[ckarotka]

Here's the thread, it's recent from last month.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/64007/

 

[cmonSTART]

If the stove is new and doesn't have an ash bed built up yet, things can be a bit sluggish. But, I do have to say it sounds like wet wood or too large splits.

+1 on the "tunnel of love" method. It's pretty much what I use, and then stack the splits E/W on top.

 

[ckarotka]

tnnnel of love............giggle...giggle

 

[Renovation]

tnnnel of love............giggle...giggle

"Settle down, Bevis!"

 

[FireAnt]

I would say maybe to large of splits too. Try some smaller pieces to get a coal bed going and then start loading it. Half hour for me ant the stove is at 650 from a cold start. I also have to say that I highly recommend cutting some wood to 10 inches. I lay 2 18 inch splits on the bottom and then 3 10's across the top. Great over night burn results.

 

[trailrated]

I have a 13, and this is what I do. When starting your fire leave the door cracked an inch with the damper wide open. My door latch will hang on the inside without turning it to closed thus leaving the door open that inch. As things get going I push the door closed and just let the door handle fall where it wants (gravity) and I don't cinch it closed all the way. This will leave the door open about a 1/16 still letting air in. Really helps the fire this way. I don't cinch my door all the way until my stove pipe temp gauge reads 300. Its placed 18 inches up from the top of the stove. When my temp gauge reads 350-400 then I'll damp her down. Smaller splits work better for this stove and I'm finding out loading N/S really puts this stove in a good mood.

 

[W.B.]

Thanks for all of the help guys. I had to work today so the wife monitored the stove. She had to load it up a few times, I'm wondering if we're burning too fast? Saw temps as high as 450, but only for a short time.

So here's my setup: 13-nci insert, 12' of simpson duravent insulated rigid liner down to the first flue tile, then simpson oval flex (another 3') down to the stove connection. I'm not running a block-off plate yet. I had to cut out an old steel heatform to fit the insert and cutting the block-off to fit is going to be very difficult. I was thinking of just packing in some insulation around the flex and then some more at the top of the flue. Do you think that would work? I don't believe the intake at the back of the insert is blocked. The manual says it needs an inch all around, and I have at least an inch to the back of the firebox.

As I type now, coals are glowing red, stove tops temps are 275 with blower running on a low setting. Hmmmm.

 

[trailrated]

[quote author="W.B." date="1291620613"]Thanks for all of the help guys. I had to work today so the wife monitored the stove. She had to load it up a few times, I'm wondering if we're burning too fast? Saw temps as high as 450, but only for a short time.

So here's my setup: 13-nci insert, 12' of simpson duravent insulated rigid liner down to the first flue tile, then simpson oval flex (another 3') down to the stove connection. I'm not running a block-off plate yet. I had to cut out an old steel heatform to fit the insert and cutting the block-off to fit is going to be very difficult. I was thinking of just packing in some insulation around the flex and then some more at the top of the flue. Do you think that would work? I don't believe the intake at the back of the insert is blocked. The manual says it needs an inch all around, and I have at least an inch to the back of the firebox.

As I type now, coals are glowing red, stove tops temps are 275 with blower running on a low setting. Hmmmm.[/quote
Do have splits in there right now on top of the coals? I'm questioning your wood (well seasoned) let the stove burn hot with damper wide open. Monitor your temps though. Don't worry about messing with the damper right now. See how she burns with the damper open. If your wood is wet choking the stove down won't help. That wood is going to have to burn hot.

 

[W.B.]

I don't have a moisture meter, but the wood sure seems dry to me. I really have no reason to believe that it wasn't cut and split two years ago. But I didn't cut it, so I guess it's always a possibility

 

[oldspark]

I don't have a moisture meter, but the wood sure seems dry to me. I really have no reason to believe that it wasn't cut and split two years ago. But I didn't cut it, so I guess it's always a possibility

Make some really small splits (2x2 or 2x3) of that Oak and give that a try, my stove gets very hot on small splitts of Oak in a short time.

 

[W.B.]

I would say maybe to large of splits too. Try some smaller pieces to get a coal bed going and then start loading it. Half hour for me ant the stove is at 650 from a cold start. I also have to say that I highly recommend cutting some wood to 10 inches. I lay 2 18 inch splits on the bottom and then 3 10's across the top. Great over night burn results.

I'm guessing you run the 10's N/S?

 

[W.B.]

I don't have a moisture meter, but the wood sure seems dry to me. I really have no reason to believe that it wasn't cut and split two years ago. But I didn't cut it, so I guess it's always a possibility

Make some really small splits (2x2 or 2x3) of that Oak and give that a try, my stove gets very hot on small splitts of Oak in a short time.

I picked out about 5 of my smaller splits (about 16" long and maybe 2-3"" thick) and loaded it up. Left the damper open and the door cracked for a few minutes. Stove top got up to about 480 before leveling off. So I dialed down the air to about half and turned the blower back on. Getting better, but still not sure why I can't get into the 5-600s like the rest of you guys.

I'm jealous of these 80 degree stove room temps!

 

[FireAnt]

I would say maybe to large of splits too. Try some smaller pieces to get a coal bed going and then start loading it. Half hour for me ant the stove is at 650 from a cold start. I also have to say that I highly recommend cutting some wood to 10 inches. I lay 2 18 inch splits on the bottom and then 3 10's across the top. Great over night burn results.

I'm guessing you run the 10's N/S?

Yes. Sorry about that.

 

[W.B.]

Update for today.

I picked up a moisture meter at Lowes and tested the wood. I checked about 10 fresh splits and they all tested at 18-19%. Not great, but not bad either. I experimented with split size and orientation in the stove. Overall, it was better but still not where I would like to be. Stove temps were steady between 350-450 with the blower running on high most of the day.

Still haven't seen any stove temps in the 500 range but the thermostat in the hallway is reading a comfortable 72, better than the 68 I had yesterday.