Pre-making the fire

[Enplater]

So when I can I try to pre- assemble my top down fire for the next day. I completely empty the stove in the morning before going to work because sometimes it'll backdraft and cause the CO alarm to go off and the dog doesn't like it, so I just scoop out the remaining coals in the morning. It's an englander 30 so in the morning there are still coals that I scoop into a steel can. When I get home from work I'll throw some of the old coals in the bottom of the firebox and build the top down fire on top of them, throw some newspaper knots on the top and light with the torch. It saves a lot of time planning ahead! Does anyone else do this?

 

[moresnow]

Soooo? Your removing perfectly good coals from the stove in the AM to store them in a steel can? Where? Certainly not unattended in your home?
Why not simply reload the stove and go to work? Not trying to be abrasive. Just not really understanding the routine! Whatever works

Nice pooch!

 

[Ludlow]

Why not employ an OAK and eliminate the backdrafting?

 

[Enplater]

The coals go outside, away from the house. It's easier for me to do it this way then to do a reload in the morning, that way the woman doesn't whine about an unattended fire and I don't have to worry about it at all. I don't have the time in the morning to babysit the fire anyway, not a morning person. Thanks! The dog was worth going to a reputable breeder, she is great.

 

[Enplater]

I've thought about the OAK but it's just not worth my time, I want to move the stove up to the main floor at some point anyway where it won't need me to open a door to get a positive draft with a cold start.

 

[Ludlow]

Its possible it could take 20 minutes and 20 bucks to complete. Or not depending on your situation.

 

[bholler]

Its possible it could take 20 minutes and 20 bucks to complete. Or not depending on your situation.

It could but basement installs can be tricky to run an oak for.

 

[FPX Dude]

Leave the coals in there and build upon for the next fire.

 

[Hogwildz]

The one thing I don't see being addressed is the Co detector going off. That is the first thing I would address.
It is a warning system, but what if it fails while you are sleeping?
That is a symptom of a larger problem, which should be the first concern.
I would in no way be so nonchalant about it.
And if an OAK or any other repair would solve that issue, that should take top priority.
It is well worth your time, and that attitude towards a safety concern is what kills people.
I would not be firing that thing up till the problem is remedied.

 

[Enplater]

I'd have to run the OAK through the wall into the garage, it runs fine once you get the draft going to it's just not worth it to me. The co detector went off once on my first fire two years ago and once last year. Probably something I did wrong.

 

[bholler]

I'd have to run the OAK through the wall into the garage, it runs fine once you get the draft going to it's just not worth it to me. The co detector went off once on my first fire two years ago and once last year. Probably something I did wrong.

You can't pull combustion air from a garage but hog is right this is a problem that should not be overlooked. You really shouldn't be able to do anything wrong to set off a couple detector.

 

[jatoxico]

The possibility of draft collapsing even with hot coals in the stove is a problem. Having the CO detector is essential. I'm surprised your able to do top down with marginal or reverse draft at startup.

 

[vwmike]

What is your chimney setup? I used to have a backdraft in my basement but only after the stove went ice cold for a day or two. You must have a fairly high negative pressure. Is there a dryer, furnace or hot water heater down there too?

 

[Enplater]

What reverses the draft back to normal on a cold start is opening the door to the garage and usually opening a bay door if needed. I can feel with my hand when the draft is going up the chimney and I can light it with no smoke spillage. Once the fire is started I can close the garage doors almost immediately and it won't backdraft until it cools way down. I have a small window in the basement but it'll still backdraft even with it open, I don't understand why but the garage doors work 99% of the time. The co alarm hasn't gone off in over a year so I'm gonna just keep doing what I'm doing. One of these years I want to move it up to my main floor. Pics attached of the chimney setup. I know it's not quite code but I'm working on it. It's solid

 

[Ludlow]

Why isnt it to code besides the missing lateral support bands? It it not high enough?

 

[Bad LP]

How is any real heat making it upstairs with all that concrete sucking up your heat?

 

[bholler]

Why isnt it to code besides the missing lateral support bands? It it not high enough?

It looks funny going through the wall

 

[Ludlow]

It looks funny going through the wall

Just a length of class A through the solid masonry. Is that contrary to code?

 

[Ludlow]

Ho...wait! Looks like 8" stovepipe stuck onto a 6" class A? Weird!

 

[bholler]

Just a length of class A through the solid masonry. Is that contrary to code?

No but the stainless inside is not class a pipe and if you zoom in outside the price connecting to the tee looks odd. It may be fine but I can't see it very well and something looks off.

 

[Hogwildz]

That radon mitigation system may be part of your CO problem.

 

[Enplater]

It's 6" stainlessingle wall going through the foundation, if I were to do it again I would drill the hole bigger for chimney pipe instead of single wall. But I can get some upward angle with the single wall. Anyways I was under the impression that single wall stove pipe through any house wall is not to code and needs to be chimney pipe extending 3 inches into the home. I also was reading the code where it says that it only needs to be stainless connector pipe if it goes through a wall. I'll put up a picture of what I am talking about.
As for the wall bands I have them but I have to make the brackets that mount it to the wall.
I believe the height above the roof is good but I haven't measured it, i've been up on the roof once and it is pretty scary.

 

[Enplater]

I had also thought about the radon system, next time I start a fire I'll unplug it and see if it changes anything

 

[bholler]

View attachment 235619 It's 6" stainlessingle wall going through the foundation, if I were to do it again I would drill the hole bigger for chimney pipe instead of single wall. But I can get some upward angle with the single wall. Anyways I was under the impression that single wall stove pipe through any house wall is not to code and needs to be chimney pipe extending 3 inches into the home. I also was reading the code where it says that it only needs to be stainless connector pipe if it goes through a wall. I'll put up a picture of what I am talking about.
As for the wall bands I have them but I have to make the brackets that mount it to the wall.
I believe the height above the roof is good but I haven't measured it, i've been up on the roof once and it is pretty scary.

You need to follow the instructions for the chimney system to be to code. I am pretty sure they don't allow you to run single wall through the wall.

 

[Hogwildz]

I had also thought about the radon system, next time I start a fire I'll unplug it and see if it changes anything

What are the other pipes with the elbows? Are they make up air piping?