Osburn 2400 insert installed

[Bagelboy]

Just got it installed 2 weeks ago. I have experience in wood burning because I have owned a Jotul 8 for about 20 years, which is another part of the house. The new insert is replacing a pellet stove which was installed around the same time, unfortunately, it was starting to have auger issues, so I read a lot of posts here and decided an Osburn would fit my needs. Wow, have stoves come a long way. I like the heat output of the Osburn, and I have not really even begun to start cranking it up high yet. The one thing that baffles me is, when I have a hot bead of coals, the stove around 300 or 400, I put in 2 or 3 pieces, begin shutting it down, and finally shut it all the way down, it still seems like it is burning kind of high. I can't seem to choke it down to almost nothing. With my Jotul, which I know is a cat stove, I could choke that down to almost no air. Not so with the Osburn. I was wondering if Osburn owners have any input. By the way, the chimney had a liner professionally installed. It's about 30 feet high, on an outside wall. Thanks.

 

[stoveguy13]

your stove being a tube burner will never give you the same appearance on shut down it will always have a fire in it even with the air closed all the way off.

 

[Bagelboy]

So that means it will always have a flame? Strange coming from a cat stove. With the Jotul, we were able to choke it down to no air at all if necessary.

 

[stoveguy13]

correct you never will be able to make it the same as your cat stove assuming you have dry wood the stove on a low burn will have some flame in it

 

[Bagelboy]

Ok, thanks stove guy. Like I said, I've kind of been out of it since I haven't bought a stove in 20 years. Also, like I said, things have changed. The efficiency, looks, and output of the newer stoves is quite different.

 

[dafattkidd]

Hey Bagelboy, welcome to the forum. Congratulations on the new insert. I have the same unit, and we have been really happy with it. The heat output is ridiculous. This unit likes to burn hot. A 30' chimney is going to draft like crazy. In order to burn in this unit efficiently you should always see a flame. Also this units require very dry wood. Sounds like that isn't an issue for you from what you've explained. Post some pics if you can. Also you may want to let the stove temp cool a bit before reload. Reloading on a 400* bed of coals is going to blast off pretty quickly and eat through a load of wood. Waiting for 250-300 will allow a slower start and steadier burn. That's been my experience with this particular unit. Hope that's helpful.

 

[whodaman]

Hey Bagelboy, welcome to the forum. Congratulations on the new insert. I have the same unit, and we have been really happy with it. The heat output is ridiculous. This unit likes to burn hot. A 30' chimney is going to draft like crazy. In order to burn in this unit efficiently you should always see a flame. Also this units require very dry wood. Sounds like that isn't an issue for you from what you've explained. Post some pics if you can. Also you may want to let the stove temp cool a bit before reload. Reloading on a 400* bed of coals is going to blast off pretty quickly and eat through a load of wood. Waiting for 250-300 will allow a slower start and steadier burn. That's been my experience with this particular unit. Hope that's helpful.

dafatkidd is right, I have the same stove and it took me awhile to get used to as I have never burned wood. But, after burning last year, I have really learned a lot about this stove. I love the secondary burn and I feel that I can really choke it down as I'm getting some really long burns this year and last I didn't because of lack of experience and some of the wood that I was using. Congrats and good luck!

 

[Redlegs]

Welcome to the forum. I also have a 2400 and so far so good. I will second that it does seem to run better on well seasoned and dry wood.
I have a 23 ft chimney and felt like you that I could never get it damped down well enough, and that I had too hot of fires that didn't burn long enough. I got if figured out after a bit and now I am getting longer burn time and don't mind the constant flame at all. I am sure you'll get it figured out too.
Someone had posted last year something about how most inserts/stoves are designed for a 12 ft chimney but IDK - I'm not an engineer. What I do know is that with very little effort I can get 10 hour burn and a TON OF HEAT from that 2400 and that works fine for me.

BTW - Doesn't that secondary combustion (flames in the top of the box) thing look wild ?!?

 

[whodaman]

My chimney is 13ft, so it's pretty close to 12. I get good burn times and always have nice coals in the morning to start fires.

 

[Craig S.]

Welcome to the forum. I also have a 2400 and so far so good. I will second that it does seem to run better on well seasoned and dry wood.
I have a 23 ft chimney and felt like you that I could never get it damped down well enough, and that I had too hot of fires that didn't burn long enough. I got if figured out after a bit and now I am getting longer burn time and don't mind the constant flame at all. I am sure you'll get it figured out too.
Someone had posted last year something about how most inserts/stoves are designed for a 12 ft chimney but IDK - I'm not an engineer. What I do know is that with very little effort I can get 10 hour burn and a TON OF HEAT from that 2400 and that works fine for me.

BTW - Doesn't that secondary combustion (flames in the top of the box) thing look wild ?!?

About how much wood do you put in to get a 10 hr burn? You pack it full?

 

[whodaman]

About how much wood do you put in to get a 10 hr burn? You pack it full?

You can pack it full and you might get a longer burn out of that, but I have found out by some seasoned burners while cutting wood with them; that many guys like to throw on a couple big splits or you can throw in a good sized log (no bigger than 6" diameter") and you will get a good overnight burn with the un-split logs. I have done this many times myself before going to bed and have a really nice coal bed waiting for me in the morning 8 hours later. I like to use kindling in the morning to get a nice new fire blazing and then throw in some wood, then head to work. Always works out pretty good for me this way.

 

[Craig S.]

You can pack it full and you might get a longer burn out of that, but I have found out by some seasoned burners while cutting wood with them; that many guys like to throw on a couple big splits or you can throw in a good sized log (no bigger than 6" diameter") and you will get a good overnight burn with the un-split logs. I have done this many times myself before going to bed and have a really nice coal bed waiting for me in the morning 8 hours later. I like to use kindling in the morning to get a nice new fire blazing and then throw in some wood, then head to work. Always works out pretty good for me this way.

I'll throw in a couple of big splits and see how that does for the overnight.

 

[Bagelboy]

I never really see flames up near the tubes, but I haven't had a chance to really pack it full. Daytime temps are 50 and nighttime is in the 30's. this is with the air all the way closed!

 

[Redlegs]

About how much wood do you put in to get a 10 hr burn? You pack it full?

On a hot bed of coals, 6-7 good sized splits usually does it. And by ten hour burns (that's when it's above freezing outside) I mean I will still have significant hot bed of red embers to relight off of. Now, we have had a couple short spells of single-digit temps and then I ran it "not quite fully damped down" and depending on wood and how far open I ran it had jut 7-8 burns -but more heat. If it matters, I am burning mostly Hedge, Elm, Locust, and Mulberry.

 

[whodaman]

I'll throw in a couple of big splits and see how that does for the overnight.

How did it go?

 

[dafattkidd]

I never really see flames up near the tubes, but I haven't had a chance to really pack it full. Daytime temps are 50 and nighttime is in the 30's. View attachment 115631 this is with the air all the way closed!

This seems like a very small load. If I burn like this, I definitely have smoke coming out of my chimney. Usually I like to burn at least three splits at a time to allow for a clean hot burn. What's the stove top temp in this picture? Unless of course this is the end of a burn cycle and most of the wood has burned down.

 

[Bagelboy]

About 300 degrees. What is the best stovetop temp to run at?

 

[Bagelboy]

Another question. If smoke is coming out of the chiminey, but you keep a flame on the fire constantly, will creosote accumulate in the chiminey?

 

[dafattkidd]

About 300 degrees. What is the best stovetop temp to run at?

I like to run this unit above 400 minimally. When its really cold I usually run it between 500-700. This unit likes to burn hot.

Shoulder season I usually start with a cold stove. I will start a fire using a modified top down method. Usually the temps spike up to 450 or so. Cruise for a couple hours then slowly drop temp as the wood burns down. Usually I burn 4-3 small/medium sized softwood splits with kindling.

Dead of winter I load on a coal bed. Usually I place 6 or so medium-large splits. Stove tops hitting in the 500-700 range and cruising for a few hours slowly dropping in temp. Depending on how cold it is outside and who is home we reload anywhere from 6-12 hours later.

Hope that helps.

 

[dafattkidd]

Another question. If smoke is coming out of the chiminey, but you keep a flame on the fire constantly, will creosote accumulate in the chiminey?

There should only be smoke at the beginning of a burn, when you are first heating the stove up to temps that promote secondary combustion. Once the firebox heats up there should little-no smoke coming from your chimney. I think you need a little more fuel per load to get the temps up for clean burning.

 

[dafattkidd]

Should look something like this. In this video I loaded about 3/4 full on a bed of coals in the winter. When burning like this there is no smoke coming out of the chimney and crazy heat pouring into the room.

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[bag of hammers]

fwiw a few of my best overnight burns so far in the Osburn (2200) have been with well seasoned wood (yellow birch and maple) and air all the way off. Small lazy flames and nice secondaries, lots of coals 8 or 9 hours later for easy restart.

 

[Bagelboy]

that type of burn is hard to come by in my 2400. Either the draft is to strong or the air intake allows to much air when shut down. I have put a bolt in the air hole which seems to help, but it is neither a permanent solution or the right way to keep it going. Nevertheless, it does seem to block some of the air coming in and seems to slow down the rate of burn.