Please help, I am going bonkers.

[guest5234]

Sorry but I have searched the forums for a definate answer and cannot find an answer....I want a secondary burn on my new Jotul f250 cleanburn stove.


Do I
crank up the firebox with a good load of firewood and when it is nice and hot and burning well shut down the air control above the door fully to get seconadry burn...I have searched but cannot find a definate answer.

 

[begreen]

You may not see it at all with a short fire. But with a decent sized fire, once the firebox is heated up and the wood is fully burning, close the air control down to the point where the fire seems to be dying down. That's when secondary burn should be kicking in. The secondary flames will seem to spout from the secondary air holes and at times may waft ghost-like over the wood. I can't say exactly where to set the air control on your stove, this will take some experimentation.

 

[guest5234]

Thanks begreen, will try it tommorow.

 

[Highbeam]

I get the best secondary action by loading the already hot stove fully and then closing the primary air control as soon as possible without snuffing the fire. It will take a few steps but this is also the magical method for the longest burn times on my stove.

 

[guest5234]

I get the best secondary action by loading the already hot stove fully and then closing the primary air control as soon as possible without snuffing the fire. It will take a few steps but this is also the magical method for the longest burn times on my stove.

Thanks highbeam, but does that not produce smoke and creosote?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Neil, that probably won't produce smoke and creosote as long as your wood is well seasoned. Just don't close that draft too soon. Wait until the wood is charred. In our stove that is usually 10-15 minutes on a reload. On starting a fire in a cold stove, naturally that will take longer.

Don't expect a big fire yet. Wait until winter. Or perhaps it is winter already over the pond? Good luck.

 

[eernest4]

I already answered this question in your other post about how much smoke from chimney & how long should it smoke.

Use about 3/4 load of seasoned & small (finely) split
wood & kindle the fire . Let the fire rip roar & snore for the first 10 to 15 or 18 minutes until flue temp reaches 600- 700 deg then turn down the primary air to about 1/8th or 1/4 or 3/8th open. The more open it is, the less smoke & the higher the flue temp. When or if flue temp tries to head for 750 -800 deg--- this means you have too much primary air & need to use a more closed setting ,like 1/4 or 1/8 open & you will see flue temps drop accordingly , but this temp drop of the flue happens slowly over a 10 to 15 min period & if it does not cool off to 450-500, you did not close the primary air enough or the secondary air also needs to be closed somewhat according to what the stove is doing.

Use the flue thermometer at 18 inchs over the collar & the stove top thermometer at where you feel is the hottest spot on the top of the srtove. The stove top placement is not very critical but the 18 inc above the flue colar is critical & should be measured with a tape measure.

Try rereading---or reading for the first time , you stove's owner's manuel & see the opperating instructions.

I don't know what stove you have & I am only fimilair with mine, so I can only speak to what most secondary burn stoves should have in common.

Best of luck and all that old boy! Tallyhooo!

(not too shabby for a yank that is half cannuck ,ehh!)

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I do about like highbeam. I don't see that much secondary action unless the firebox is near full- then those unburnt gases are more likely to be forced up to the tubes and then the show starts.

 

[bokehman]

Hi Neil,

Have you looked at any videos on Youtube of secondary combustion? I have and my secondary combustion doesn't look anything like any of those videos. Most of them are big stoves where there wide is separation between the primary and secondary air inlets. On my insert the flames just look a bit longer than they would without secondary air. Sometimes the flames are 8 - 10 inches long and wrap around the baffle. Also it depends what you are burning. Pallet wood makes strong secondary flames in my unit that flow upside down from the top of the door down the glass. If I put in some good dry oak though the secondary flames are much less pronounced.

Anyway I think it is possible that you might not be recognizing the secondary flames because they are mixing with the primary flames due to the small firebox. dimensions.

 

[Highbeam]

I get the best secondary action by loading the already hot stove fully and then closing the primary air control as soon as possible without snuffing the fire. It will take a few steps but this is also the magical method for the longest burn times on my stove.

Thanks highbeam, but does that not produce smoke and creosote?

No. So long as you don't snuff the fire then the secondary fire will be burning off all of the smoke and creosote. Honestly, there will be a little bit of blue smoke until the secondaries really start ripping. The amount of smoke will depend on how close you get to snuffing it. The stove is still getting plenty of air through the secondary system which is unlike the old days of low and slow.

 

[Chettt]

I think you can see them better when there is more empty space between the wood and the tubes. It should look like a very strong northern lights show once you hit 1100 degrees F and shut down the primary air. By the way that is a cool looking stove you have there.