New Stove Inefficient Burn

[Qvist]

I just had the first fire in the Polaris (JA Roby) EPA 2020 It seems to work well but smokes a lot as it burns. Not sure why yet. I have gotten the top up to 500 degrees, puts off heat, seems to have secondary combustion but smokes much more than the old Waterford (also EPA in background). Maybe poor draft? I have a 2.5 ft section of horizontal pipe on it, and it has a slight slope then up a 17-18 ft insulated liner. Although I don't have smoke leaking out the pipe or door and it seems to burn ok. Any thoughts?

 

[bholler]

I just had the first fire in the Polaris (JA Roby) EPA 2020 It seems to work well but smokes a lot as it burns. Not sure why yet. I have gotten the top up to 500 degrees, puts off heat, seems to have secondary combustion but smokes much more than the old Waterford (also EPA in background). Maybe poor draft? I have a 3 ft section of horizontal pipe on it, and it has a slight slope then up a 17-18 ft insulated liner. Although I don't have smoke leaking out the pipe or door and it seems to burn ok. Any thoughts?

It is your first burn give it a little time before getting concerned something is wrong

 

[kennyp2339]

A few things that come to mind here, and this is just spit balling:
When you have a fire going and you open the door, do you get smoke roll out (thats an indication of slow draft, or possible, but remote that the stove is to big for the exhaust)
Are you keeping the air wide open? Newer stoves allow for the air to stay wide open, but that maybe to much air depending on your existing draft (think vacuum) which can cause the secondary's to "skip" and now you have left over smoke coming out of the chimney cap, try to shut the primary air in quarter intervals, monitor the fire box (slower flames) and stove top temp, should hold steady, maybe creep up a bit more.
Wood moisture, whats the moisture content of the wood your burning, a cheap meter that is used on a room temp, freshly split piece can tell you a lot, generally splits are ready to burn at 20% moisture content and below.

 

[Qvist]

I am also concerned about the insulated blanket. Manual says it must cover all of the brick (over the tubes) and the joints in between them and the walls. It is not. The piece isn't large enough to do that and leaves 2 inches uncovered in the back allowing smoke around the back I think. I have some extra here. I'll probably arrange it so there are no leaks and try again with some 60 yr old 2x4s. I am sure they are dry.

 

[ABMax24]

I am also concerned about the insulated blanket. Manual says it must cover all of the brick (over the tubes) and the joints in between them and the walls. It is not. The piece isn't large enough to do that and leaves 2 inches uncovered in the back allowing smoke around the back I think. I have some extra here. I'll probably arrange it so there are no leaks and try again with some 60 yr old 2x4s. I am sure they are dry.

I think you're on to something. I see flames coming up behind the first secondary tube in the first picture. Looks like the wood gas is escaping between the firebricks of the baffle instead of being forced forward and under the tubes so the wood gases can be burnt.

 

[begreen]

I'm not seeing much secondary combustion. Is the air control closed at least 50% or more?

 

[Qvist]

I think I had the air control at half open in the pictures. I packed some rockwool around the gaps on top of the fire brick baffle around the existing rock wool blanket that seemed to small. It's made a difference burning cleaner now. I noticed a difference in smoke flow as soon as I lit it. Smoke definitely was bypassing the baffle. It still smokes when choked down but maybe it will take a while before I learn to run it well.