Osburn 1800 Insert ---A Few Questions

[brink]

My third day with my new Osburn 1800 insert. Since stores are sold out of stove types I could only locate a BBQ thermometer that maxs to 450F. I cannot get the insert to burn hotter than 260F. The thermometer is on the top of the inserts "cooktop" which seems like air vents for the blower.The blower takes a long time to turn on, about 250F. Then as it blows it cools the insert down,(makes sense) then turns off. Thermometer shows about 200F when blower goes off.
I am not sure what "packing the stove" means. There are 3 air tubes inside at the top and I don't want to have logs touching them.
The insert is in the living room and there are two large doorways, one to dining room, other around corner to foyer and kitchen. The kitchen is 60F at best. House has good attic insulation, new double pane windows. Chimney is interior with 6 inch ss flex in 11x11 clay masonry lining packed with insulation top and at damper. Burning mix of oak, cherry, maple.
How do I get the 1800 to burn hotter? Maybe I'm not putting in enough wood?

 

[Abhoth]

Well, first off ... not a good temp reading on that BBQ deal. For that matter, having the gauge on the cooktop isn't perfect but works... that's how mine is set and it gives me a general idea of what's going on. The gauge I'm using has 'good operation' temp of between 260 to 460... so you really need a true gauge made for the purpose I'm thinking.
Aside from that here's what I do to get my 1800i pumping ... first, two kinds of fires... the cris-cross type where you have 4 or 5 small splits cris-crossed and getting up to heat, that's how I start. Once that's brought the heat up and has been reduced to coals, more or less... you set up a pack fire. Here's how I do it ... pull the coals toward the front, leave some in the back too, then dig a trench front to back. That's to allow the air to work it's magic... now pack 3, 4 or 5 splits in an east/west fashion across that trench. Open the damper up all the way and let it get a good roiling burn going, about 5 to 10 minutes depending, then start pulling the damper down bit by bit over the next 10 minutes or so. Ultimately you'll have it dampered all the way down and it'll still be a good roiling burn. Some wood likes a little more air so you might need to crack the damper open just a hair, you'll just have to figure that on your own. Every stove likes it's own deal depending upon all sorts of factors which you'll learn if you've been reading here for a while!
Anyway, that's how I get a major good burn going ... what happens is that it'll burn like that and the fan will go on and off and few times... and mine, as the burn begins to ease off starts running and if I've gotten it right it'll run until those splits are just ashes. It'll really cool off that gauge on the cooktop but it's still kickin' heat quite nicely... it's late here and I'm letting mine ease off for the evening as it 78 in here! I'll post a shot in a few once I track it down of a good burn going on...

 

[brink]

Abhoth, thank you. thank you, thank you. I am new to wood burning. Last night I loaded the stove with some large splits on a good bed of coals about 10:00pm. At about 10:30 the stove was up to 350F (on the BBQ themo) and it was making "tings' and "tangs" sounds which freaked me out. I noticed that the stainless adapter flue outlet was turning a nice tan color freaking me out more. Out of fear and panic I turned the variable speed blower up to high (it was mid-range) to help cool it down.I had the damper almost closed thinking it would need a little air and be a slow burn throughout the night. I thought closing the damper meant shutting it off like in a fireplace.From your reply I see now that closing it does not mean shuttting it down. Air still gets in to keep the burn going? Are the metallic ting/tang noises normal at the high temps? I'll have to get the manual out, but I thought I read that the insert can handle up to 450F +.I am printing your reply and following it to the letter! Also getting a real stove thermo today.

 

[brink]

Forgot to mention Abhoth, thanks for the pics. Beautiful! I like the raised hearth.

 

[Abhoth]

Thanks, the raised hearth is easy on the back too! And stoves will ting and tang all the time and is perfectly normal, just the metal expanding and contracting. How many times have you burned this stove? As you'll also get some stinky paint curing smells from it early on too. Check in the manual, http://www.woodstoves.net/osburn/1800i.htm, scroll down the page a bit and you'll find the link for the manual... download it and check page 14.
And man... calm down! Sounds like you were just getting 'up to heat' there, so get the real deal temp gauge and see how that goes. And I've had mine pushing the 500 degree mark on the cooktop without any ill effects. And I generally run the fan at a couple of rolls down from high as high speed is really loud and annoying.

 

[KateC]

Hi brink----I have the same insert and love it. The pinging you hear is the metal heating up and absolutely normal---it'll do the same as it cools, like a car engine after you shut it off. Funny I was the same way at first---disappointed at the heat output but then nervous as a rabbit when the thing would crank up hot enough to do what it's supposed to do.

I like to keep my burns in the 350-450 range but don't start 'freaking out' until it gets over 500, even though the few times it's happened there was no harm done at all--I do as you did, cut the air and crank up the blower and it settles back. Glowing red parts and the door handle too hot to hang onto means panic time and I've never had it happen, even over 550. As for getting/keeping it hotter, what I find works for me is to leave the blower off until I've had a full load cruising at 400 for about 15 min. or so. Sometimes I'll leave it off completely if the house is warm enough---with ceiling fans and a small floor fan on the far side of the room blowing AT the stove, the heat moves pretty well. Alternatively try leaving the blower on low---hotter air at less velocity works better than cooler air moving faster---just takes a bit longer. Also, if your wood isn't dry dry dry enough that stove will balk and pout and refuse to play nice. So make sure your wood's dry, be patient and experiment with different air/blower settings. Hope this helps.

 

[brink]

Kate and Abhoth, you just made my pulse rate go back to normal. Bless you both! I really thought the Osburn was going to do a meltdown last night and it looks like I'm barely breaking it in. I checked the manual (go figure) ( I feel real dumb) and found that
the third break-in burn is something like 450F. I haven't had it up that high yet! Well at least according to the BBQ stat. Steak anyone? I'm getting a REAL stove stat today. They've been sold out around here hence the BBQ stat. It makes allot of sense that the tings and pings are changes in the metal like a car engine. It's just a different sensation when I'm staring at a lava looking glow with flames rolling all around inside 10:30 at night and thinking "is this thing gonna blow?".I will build today's fire according to Abhoth's advice and do my best to remain calm. You guys are great.

 

[KateC]

I just checked my manual and it says not to fire it above 840F--- :gulp: I'm guessing it's gotta be a typo because I'm fairly certain that if it got that hot it would launch itself into orbit. Glad you're calming down, brink---for what it's worth, into my third winter with mine it still gives me pause sometimes when it does the ''lava'' thing you describe---I'm sure the new temp. gauge will help your peace of mind alot. Wine works too ;-P

 

[Abhoth]

No doubt Kate ... the whole house might take off. That might be a temp reading at the flue also... which still is pretty warm! And Kate has a good point... if you can touch the handle then you're not over-firing the stove. And as she said, wine works too! Or beer.

 

[brink]

Kate you read my mind. On the way home from work I picked up a new stove stat and a bottle of wine! I have the new stat on along side the BBQ stat. FYI..... BBQ stat is no good! It reads almost 150 degrees lower than the real stove stat. Which means last night when it read 325F , it was really 475 +. Wow! It was shocked, but now that I have wine. and your terrific advice, calm prevails. I am keeping old Osssy within the "orange"range on the new stat. And thanks to Abhoth for a great way to get the stove burning, it's been doing pretty good. Maybe I will get some sleep tonight

 

[Abhoth]

Absolutely get some sleep! And rest easy with that cozy warmth from the best heat around!

 

[brink]

Ok, after a night of blissfull sleep induced from two glasses of wine, I want to say that Abhoth's fire making technique really made a difference in the way my insert operated. The blower fan ran for much longer times and there was a steady heat flow as long as I kept feeding wood at the right intervals. Much less panic, and having the right stove thermometer sure helps. This is certainly a learning process. A toast to both of you!

 

[67ref]

Sure is cold out in Ontario tonight, (jan14th)
my wireless weather station says: 27C inside and -26C outside.
now add a windshield factor and it would make most men cry.


Brrr.....