Hey all, I had my Osburn 2000 installed a couple days ago and I love it so far. I am having some issues keeping the fire going sometimes though. Here is what’s happening: Load the stove with a few splits and some starter (fatwood, etc) and get the fire going with the door open. Once the fire looks like it’s roaring and hot, much of the time as soon as I close the door, the fire completely dies out after a couple minutes. I have the air intake control all the way open. I have to continuously crack the door open to bring the fire back to life. Forget about closing the air control down, the fire doesn’t have a chance. Now I have been able to get the fire going long and hot enough that I can close it the door and shut the air control about half way. But that is usually after it’s been burning for a long time. Even then sometimes it almost goes out and I need to open the door again to get it going. I don’t know where the air inlet is so see if it’s blocked, and I guess it’s possible I have a moisture problem with my wood, but it does burn if I leave the door open. It’s acting like it’s not getting enough air even with the air control wide open. Any advice or ideas here would be great. Thanks!
New Osburn Insert - Questions After a Couple Days Use
- Thread starter emsflyer84
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kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
EbS-P
Minister of Fire
Have you tested room temp wood on a fresh split face with a moisture meter? Rule that out then come back with flue specs and install details.
I don’t have a moisture meter but I’ll look into it. I don’t know a lot of technical details, but professional install, straight shot up the chimney from the top of the insert, new insulated liner. Drafts well, no smoke in the house. Wet wood is my suspicion here as well as I can hear the wood hissing and burning off moisture. I guess you have to do your own testing on wood. Bought a cord of “seasoned” wood, allegedly dried for 1.5 years. Maybe not…
The seller’s idea of seasoned and yours is different. Hissing is wet wood.
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
You may want to check into buying compressed wood bricks, they are sold at some lumber yards, tractor supply, big box stores, 1 ton is = to a cord of wood, these are not the typical duraflame logs (not meant for woodstoves) these are compressed saw dust held together from there own natural fibers and are meant to be burnt in woodstoves, you can either burn them exclusively or use some of you drier wet wood mixed in.
brazilbl
Burning Hunk
Bio bricks or compressed logs is great advice. Those logs/bricks are below 10% in moisture and will burn extremely well. This late in December will be tough to get dry enough wood. You can be sitting around a nice warm fire tonight that wont take super-human diligence over the maintenance of the flame by buying these.
For different circumstances, I needed to have a steady supply of dry wood (don’t we all) and made the decision of using compressed logs for the main fuel source. The reliability of these logs have made me a firm believer in them, especially when too many wood suppliers supply wood with nearly the same moisture content as a wet sponge.
For different circumstances, I needed to have a steady supply of dry wood (don’t we all) and made the decision of using compressed logs for the main fuel source. The reliability of these logs have made me a firm believer in them, especially when too many wood suppliers supply wood with nearly the same moisture content as a wet sponge.
So I actually have a pallet of bio bricks in the garage and I’m going to try running those to see how she does. Maybe once it’s hot I can mix in some not so seasoned wood…
Thanks for this. I have a full pallet of bio bricks in my garage now so I’ll try a fire just using those to rule out an issue with the stove. Maybe I can throw in some of the wood once the bricks are burning hot. If they work well I may resort to using them as my main fuel as well. Wood is too unpredictable when you’re not sourcing your own.
Can I ask your typical method for starting and running a fire using the bio bricks? How many you burn at a time, etc? Thanks.
Sorry to hear this, poorly seasoned wood is common. It takes a couple years to season some hardwood. Invest in a moisture meter and a splitting ax. When it's time to buy wood, check out a few samples first before they unload. Select a few thick splits and split them in half. Then test the moisture content of the wood on the freshly exposed face of the wood. If it is >20% it could use some more seasoning. If it is >30% it's over a third water content and not ready for this season's heating. Note that standing dead does not guarantee dry wood. Nor does wood that was felled a year ago, but left in log form and split the month before.
www.hearth.com
The importance of seasoned wood - Dry vs Wet
This is a somewhat extreme case comparing dry wood @ 16% moisture and wet wood @38%. 38% is just under dripping wet or like green wood that was split recently. Adding a second video. Short and to the point. Further thoughts: https://hearth.com/articles/chimneysweep/howetwd.htm
www.hearth.com
brazilbl
Burning Hunk
I use 5 logs per day now while temps are hovering between 30-40 degrees. To start, I use the method outlined on their documentation by creating 2 wafers (using a chisel)off the first log and a bit of kindling. I place the wafers on top of the kindling, and by the time the kindling takes off, it starts burning on the wafers. A few minutes later, I incorporate the rest of the first log into the budding fire and our burn day has started.
Begreen is correct when he advised me not to put in more than 2 logs in there at a time. A 2-log starter fire can last me 4-5 hours and during the initial stages, the fire is quite vigorous.
Hope this helps.
Begreen is correct when he advised me not to put in more than 2 logs in there at a time. A 2-log starter fire can last me 4-5 hours and during the initial stages, the fire is quite vigorous.
Hope this helps.
Just started a fire for the evening using only biobricks. Lit right away and burned easily so the issue isn’t the stove for sure. It’s burning quite nicely. My issue must be the firewood I have.
What logs are you using? I hear the North Idaho Energy Logs are excellent. I wish I could find some in my area.
brazilbl
Burning Hunk
I didnt mention the brand as I checked availability in your area and I didnt see any. The folks at North Idaho are nice folks. Drop them an email asking where you can buy their logs and you might be suprised...
i do use North Idaho logs and run through 3 pallets/year.
i do use North Idaho logs and run through 3 pallets/year.
Turns out my bio fuel dealer locally just picked up the Idaho logs, so I’m in luck there. They are significantly more expensive than the other bio bricks they sell (Envi-Blocks, Energex, etc). I don’t mind paying if the heat supply is that good of course. But they are running like $550 a pallet here…
brazilbl
Burning Hunk
North Idaho logs are the only option other than bio bricks or near100% moisture content wood for me around here. I’ve been reading this forum for a few years, treating it like taking a class on wood stove use. The biggest problem that presents itself here is because of too moist wood. One thing about these logs is they never have a moisture problem when we receive them.
For 3 bucks, I can use 2 of these logs to warm the house for 4 hours. Given $0.49/kilowatt hour for central air or space heaters in California, these are a bargain
Im glad you have a contact for these logs. You might find better ways of getting dry wood, but this option has been more than reliable for me. I don’t live with trees to harvest, but I can get a reliable fire going with these logs.
Based on what you’re saying, one of those logs goes quite a bit farther then one of the bio bricks I’m using. I ran a fire last night with 3 bricks that lasted about 3 hours, including one good size wood split I added half way through. Heat output was good but the first 45 minutes was spent with the air flow wide open to get the stove up to temp, so that cut down my overall burn time I’m sure. Towards the end of the 3 hours the fire died down quite a bit but there was still bio brick material left. It was burning but very low and slow. Not a ton of heat at that point. I’ll pick up a few packs of the logs and see how they do.
brazilbl
Burning Hunk
Read up on the company who makes them. The logs are so dense (8 pounds per log) that one log will produce flame for 1.5 hours and generate up to 3+ hours of total heat in my configuration. To give you a sense of how long they burn, I am nearing the three hour mark with the first log and going to add log #2.
When I was starting out on these, Begreen recommended that I use no more than 2 logs in the firebox at a time. With my 2.1 cubic foot firebox, those two logs produce more than enough flame! Be ready to tamp the fire down with your air as they almost compare with the Saturn V rocket engine in the early stages of the burn.
So last night at 10pm I loaded up with 6 bio bricks, four across the floor of the stove and two on top. Let it get going good for 15 minutes with the door cracked and I was able to close the door, basically shut off the air flow and it burned steady. I came downstairs at 7:30 am and the blower was still on pushing warm/hot air and enough embers to start the stove again. That method seemed to work well. I’m doing the same thing again today. Since I reloaded the stove at about 7:30am the same way, it’s still 400 degrees and throwing heat. Still plenty of visible flame. The bio-bricks seem to be working well so far.
brazilbl
Burning Hunk
It looks like you have figured it out. It gives you a sense why they harp on dry wood.
Now you have a reliable source of dry wood, enjoy the Christmas season!
Now you have a reliable source of dry wood, enjoy the Christmas season!
Yes! I also have an unreliable cord of wood I’ll have to hang onto for a while and let it dry out. But at least I know I can burn reliably and the stove works as it should. Thanks to all the help here.
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