newbie!

[brooktrout]

Hey all- just registered on this site, but I've been exploring it for a few weeks now. Looking forward to learning a lot. Got really sick of a) skyrocketing fuel oil prices, and b) losing all that hard earned heat everytime I used my way oversized fireplace. So, I bought an older used Buskstove (model 28000 non-cat). This is our second week using it, and I am still getting used to adjustments. Any advice, especially on this particular stove, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Welcome brooktrout!

I am not familiar with your stove, but the thing that plagued me when I started burning was wet wood and the volume of wood that I had collected. So the best advice is to start scrounging/buying early, and get a lot of it!

Matt

 

[begreen]

Greetings bt. Start out with smaller fires and get a stove top thermometer on the stove so that you can learn proper burning techniques. Use only dry wood and try smaller hot fires (top temp about 600), rather than cooler fires that smolder. You'll know you are burning well if you go outside and see no smoke coming from the flue.

 

[brooktrout]

Thanks guys- I do notice the smoke, about the same as when I used to burn in the fireplace. How big of a diameter should my wood be? It seems the larger pieces (7-8" diameter) smolder a lot. Are several small pieces better than one log? Also, I know I can't really expect much from an older stove, even airtight, but I can't keep it going for more than three or four hours, fully loaded. The temptation is there to damper it way down to get a longer burn time. Waddya think? Also, I don't have a thermometer yet, where do I put it? I have an insert with no access to the flue. Thanks.

 

[MuckSavage]

Someone more knowledgable that I will chime in, but put a thermometer on the front of the insert. Use smaller for a hotter/faster burn (more surface area for flame) Larger pieces for a longer burn (before going to bed). Good Luck and have a blast! Everyone here is a wealth of info & fun to "talk to" (read about) We're all friends!

 

[begreen]

7-8" is a very thick split. I would expect it to smolder. Try splitting that puppy in half and see if it burns better.

 

[eernest4]

You will get a fast burning ,clean & relativly smokeless fire from small splits but end up reloading often. So for a overnight burn, get some small splits to kindle several big splits or rounds(whole logs). Expect the bigger splits & especially the rounds to burn slow & smoke quite a bit, generally the hotter the fire, the less smoke.

Insulation of the bottom,sides & back of the firebox with fire brick or ceramic brick
combined with a low primary air setting and a dampered down flue setting will keep live embers glowing red for an extra 2 to 5 hours after the fire has expended the wood.

They give a slow ,steady warmth to keep a room already up to temp from cooling off.

I can't get longer than a 4 hour burn out of my stove either, but I can keep hot embers for another 6 hours after the fire is shot.