New Burner... How Many Splits for Reload?

[ClydesdaleBurner]

Hi everyone,

(changed the name of this thread, as I did not want to deter non-clydesdale owners.)

This site has really been an unbelievable resource. I've been reading and educating myself for the past 2-3 months and I finally made my decision and got my Clydesdale installed a little over a week ago. I've learned so much in theory from reading everyone's posts, but now its time to learn by practice.

I'd like to hear from other Clydesdale owners (Rhonemas I'm hoping you'll chime in), but would appreciate any feedback from other stove owners'. OK here goes.

So far I have been burning weeknights after work 5-11pm (coals probably die out by 2-3am) and 24/7 on weekends. Anyway I'm trying to find out the most efficient amount of wood to load at once, 2, 3 or 4 splits at a time? When I have a nice coal bed going I've noted that adding 2 large splits will get me about 2 hours of solid burn time (flames visible) with air 50% dampened, but 3 large splits only gets me 2 1/2 hrs of flames with 50% damper also. I haven't tried 4 splits yet. But I can see that adding that 3rd split doesn't get me the extra full hour I would've thought it would get me. However, it did put out more heat in that 2 1/2 hrs though...

I realize this is all trial and error and a learning curve on my part, also my draft might be different than someone else's, but I just wanted to see what other people considered a normal amount of wood when reloading. (FYI - my draft seems pretty good. I have a 30' chimney full liner and I can get my blowers to turn in about 30 mins from a cold start.)

Thanks in advance and I'll be sure to have more questions in the future!

PS - I can't wait to get home and get the stove going!

 

[begreen]

Have you had a chance to look at this video? Click on the video link on this page:
http://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/default.asp?lang=En&n=8011CD70-1

 

[ClydesdaleBurner]

Yeah that link was helpful, awful acting too... loved it.

 

[RonB]

Acting?? I thought it was an eye exam and they were told to read the que cards. But, an excellent video nonetheless.

 

[jpl1nh]

Seems to me there are 4 variables you have control over in producing heat from your stove assuming you're using well seasoned and dry wood. They are (in no particular order) primary air amounts, split size, type of wood, how the wood is loaded, and quantity of wood per load. Okay, thats 5 variables. :red: One extreme for max fast heat would be small splits of softwood, stacked loosely (north-south if your stove allows), with firebox full and primary air wide open. Can you say "overfire"? The other extreme is large splits (better yet-large rounds) stacked very tight, east-west, black locust or equiv hardwood, with primary air as low as possible. In between are all the other possible variations. Not so much right and wrong as what you want your fire to do. Most wood burners fill their boxes fairly full each time though in warmer weather, small, infrequent loads are necessary. Play around with all those things and you'll become a wood burning master.

 

[junksta]

I kept waiting for the "top down". Thought it was some kinky amateur clip.

 

[ClydesdaleBurner]

Thanks for the tips. I realize there are so many variables to get the fire to do what you want it to do.

As for the top down fire, I tried my first top down start tonight and found it slow going... it took 1 hr 10 minutes for the blower to turn on at 180 degrees. With the traditional start - paper, kindling, small splits, larger splits I have been able to ger the blower to turn on in 20 minutes. However I must say the top down start did produce a nice coal bed after 1 1/2 hours once things got going good, but it just took some time to get things going good...

 

[Highbeam]

With a 30 foot chimney you should be getting a good draft. Try getting the load of wood nice and charred at your normal 50% and then shut it down to zero. My latest routine for long burns even during the day is to load fully, let it get going, and reduce primary air to zero for a long burn. Don't be worried, when you shut the air to sero the stove still lets plenty of air in.

I stuff my heritage with 4 splits tightly trying to get max burn time.

 

[ClydesdaleBurner]

Thanks. I've been hesistant to close the air control all the way, however I notice when the fire is really going strong I can close it all the way and it keeps on going.

 

[thephotohound]

Great video. Lots of good info.

 

[n6crv]

Hello, how are you viewing the Video? I try to view it but get nothing, Winamp comes up but then just stops. Thanks.
Don

 

[ClydesdaleBurner]

Just clicking on the link works for me. Try copy and pasting the link into the address bar.

Hey does anyone else agree that the top down start (although handy due to not fussing with the kindling and splits after it is going) takes longer to get a good fire going than the traditional start? I need to work on my technique for these top down starts I think...

 

[Rich M]

Hey does anyone else agree that the top down start (although handy due to not fussing with the kindling and splits after it is going) takes longer to get a good fire going than the traditional start?

I agree, I've found top down to be slow and I think it requires too much paper and kindling.

I've always used 2 medium splits running N/S paralell to each other with a gap in between. Place a firestarter (I use Super Cedar) or crumpled newspaper in the gap along with some kindling (not needed with Super Cedar) and then a few medium splits across the top. This always lights with one match, gets going very quickly and the only time the door is opened is when it's time to reload.

 

[ClydesdaleBurner]

Thanks. I just ordered some Super Cedars. I'll give your way a try. Sounds like a good plan too.

 

[Rhone]

The more you fill the unit, the more efficient it is. The correct term for that phenomina is called partial charge efficiency so I'm loading my unit as much as possible. The more wood I load, the more I can turn it down to get similar heat but longer burn but I'm always loading it fully on reloads, or I don't reload. Your 30' chimney should be drafting like crazy, and if you can get the blowers to turn on in 30 minutes sure sounds that way. I have a short chimney (about 16') and takes me about an hour to get the blowers on, another hour for the soapstone to get warmed up and I really start feeling it. After things have warmed up, do you turn your unit down all the way or, find that chokes the fire? I'm thinking you may have too much draft.

I always load up my unit to the max on reload (which is 5 splits, 3 in the back 2 up front, make sure there's a path in the ashes under the front logs for air to blow under and reach the back ones and make sure there's an opening for the flames to rise between the 2 stacks). My wife likes it cold this year, she might have old lady things going on and I've never liked it hot so I come home at lunch and the house is usually 55F - 58F which means I'm loading it to the max. After the noon fire when I come home in the evening the house is usually 67F or so and I light my second fire which brings my house up to 71-73F. I don't light another fire till noon the next day and the house will usually have dropped back in the 50's. I'm not really sure that's much help, last year I burned 3 full loads/day of oak, putting in a full load every 8 hours. I waited until the house was 66F, and loading up then would cause it to go to 74F and in 8 hours it would be back down to 66F. I guess I just have a problem knowing I'm doing partial charge efficiency and work out my timing to coincide with only full loads.

 

[ClydesdaleBurner]

"After things have warmed up, do you turn your unit down all the way or, find that chokes the fire? I’m thinking you may have too much draft"

Thanks for the post Rhonemas. Yeah once things are warmed up (1-2 hours of burning) if I turn the air control more than 1/2 way down it does seem to choke the fire. Once it has been burning for a few hours and the fire is really going strong I can turn it down about 2/3 way, but no sooner or else lights out.

What would be a sign of too much draft? I figured if that was case I can adjust the air control right?

 

[Rhone]

You are in exactly the same situation I am. That's interesting, I too can only turn down the air control 1/2 but once things are really hot I can turn it down a little more (around 2/3rds) and that's it. Anymore, and I choke the fire.

Too much draft would be if you turned the unit down as low as it can go and your fire still burns too hot and fast. It would appear you don't have that but, verifies that the Clydesdale can be turned down really low. I turned it as low as it would go a couple times and got 14+ hour burns... if you could call it a burn. It choked the fire and it burned like crap with lots of smoke and little heat. Not something practical but had to try it at least. I'd thought since your chimney is 30' you would turn your air handle down more than me but could be because I did everything I could to increase my draught, you didn't have to with the length of your chimney we ended up with similar.

My unit may warm up slower as I chase the fire with the air control, I've found it puts more heat into the living area over the burn. Once my unit starts up after about 10 minutes flames start spilling down the top of the glass. I then shut the air down by 1/3rd. That causes the fire to back off, and the flames to slow down in 5 minutes flames start quickly spilling down the front of the glass and then I lower it to about 1/2. In another 10 minutes I can see flames are spilling down the front glass yet again and I look at how the back is burning. If I have full secondary burn action back there I turn it down a little above 1/3rd and I'm done otherwise I see how it's doing in another 10 minutes. Whole process is about 25-35 minutes for me from a cold start. On reloads, it's almost instantaneous soapstone holds a lot of heat and on many occasions as I'm putting new logs in there "Poof!" I've had them instantaneously combust and secondary burn start happening on my arm. Lost some hair and got a few burn blisters so now use a fire glove that goes to my elbow.

 

[ClydesdaleBurner]

Yeah I've noticed how quickly on reloads the wood ignites. Also on cold starts I play with the air control to get the front or back splits burning... for example if the front splits are burning good, but the back are not I can turn up the air control a bit and that gets the back splits going... usually its the other way around though... too much air coming in gets the back going but the front does not. I found that just turning the air down 1/4 or less and poof the front splits ignite and then I have all splits going getting ready for the baffles to ignite. Fun stuff...