Hi - we have a Jotul Castine, a medium size cast iron stove, that we have been using as our primary heat source since last Sept. Generally, we are pleased with it but I have a few questions. I have developed a technique for getting the temp up quickly which is to open the ash door a bit along with the flue all the way as I start the fire. I only do this when I am in the same room as the stove and close the ash door if I go out. Is this a good idea, bad idea? Doing this I can usually get the temp up into the 350-400 degree range pretty easily. Once it is there I close the ash door but often find that the temp often drops back down to around 300 - is this normal? Also, I have been using a creosote burning log once a month. Out of the five cords of wood we have used one was not properly seasoned ( I kind got snowed) although the moisture content wasn't too bad (around 22-24% generally). Could this have created a significant problem? Thanks.
Question about how stove is operatiing
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There is a reason that section 5.4 of your owner's manual says:
- The ash pan door on the stove must always be securely closed when the stove is in operation.
- Burning the stove with the Ash Door open will over-fire the stove and cause interior damage.
The ash grate and the interior burn plates get a lot hotter than that stove top and the rapid blast of heat can crack'em.
- The ash pan door on the stove must always be securely closed when the stove is in operation.
- Burning the stove with the Ash Door open will over-fire the stove and cause interior damage.
The ash grate and the interior burn plates get a lot hotter than that stove top and the rapid blast of heat can crack'em.
If BroB hasn't convinced you.....wait till you try that and you get a flash back from oxygen coming down the flue. I am pretty sure that the KA-BOOM that follows will convince you its a bad idea.
Thanks for the replies - guess reading the manual from time to time is a good idea. I doubt I have damaged the stove although I'll check when the fire burns out. I assume the same idea applies to keeping the front door cracked open a bit as the fire starts - correct? I think the reason I started doing these things is that it seems hard to get the stove up to heat.
Cracking the front door is not near as dangerous as the ash pan. It has to do with how/where the oxygen is being introduced to the fire. Think campfire compared to a forge.
If your talking about cracking the ash pan for just a few minutes to get the fire and draft started, then closing it, I don't see a problem in that. I think the manual is stating not to burn that way for long periods. Don't forget to close it or you will overfire! You could also try cracking the door some. Where are you taking those temp readings?
Thanks again. Just so I understand, is it a reasonable strategy to crack the front door in order to get the stove up to temp? Also, in checking for damage to the stove I assume I should look for cracks in the fire grate and walls and doors.
rgsccr said:
Yes, yes and yes.
Edit: The real truth is...if you have good seasoned wood, a proper draft and good fire building techniques, you shouldn't really have to crack the door at all. But it happens some times.
It is reasonable to crack the door, attended, to get the flue warmed up and a draft established. Leaving it open to get the stove up to temp is counter productive. All that colder air rushing in through the door cools the stove. Get the draft started, close the door and let the stove heat up. If it won't heat up with the primary air open alone, you have a draft or a wood problem.
It's also OK (in this case, "OK" is to be read to mean "a really really good idea") to excercise a bit of patience in terms of how quickly you try to heat that whole stove up from cold. Cast iron isn't particularly keen on rapid temperature changes. Lots of stresses in the castings, the thing needs "soak time" to heat evenly throughout. Rick
The best laid plans can be flawed. If it is to be that cracking the door in order to induce draft, becomes the norm,,,then there will always be the chance of being distracted(cell phone, water boiling over) If beyond arms length,,door closed...period. I can hear the words right now, in this house,,,"daddy does it,,,Your father does it)
Your Castine likes a good draft and dry wood. I don't think anyone would be trying the ash door thing unless one of the aforementioned was an issue. I would address those and not play with the ash pan door to start the fire.
Is your Castine just jumped into a masonry chimney or is it piped/lined. How high and what size??
Is your Castine just jumped into a masonry chimney or is it piped/lined. How high and what size??
I think my problems started with a bad cord of wood. Being a neophyte I accepted what the seller told me about it being seasoned when it wasn't. So we struggled with using this wood and somewhere in the month I must have forgotten about the importance of keeping the ash door closed (yes, I read the manual), tried starting the fire with it open and was amazed at how well it burned. Anyway, I've inspected the stove and am pretty sure that no damage has been done. The stove was professionally installed by an installer recommended by the wood stove dealer. It is piped through my living room ceiling - about six feet of double walled pipe - through the next floor and out the roof. Thanks for all the advice - my fires are starting fine now. Of course, the weather is getting warmer and I won't need them much longer. Rich
Good to hear that everything is all right. It happens way too often Rich. Get good wood now and set it up for the fall.
You might want to have somebody check the standby draft - just to make sure it isn't periodically or continuously negative. A sweep might be able to do this for you the next time the chimney gets cleaned. I think 300 degrees is just above the dew point for creosote. So for sure at rooftop level the venting is probably on the cool side. This temperature is too low if it's about what you get through most of the burn cycle. Opening the loading door to get the fire started is - I don't want to say normal - not unheard of.
You know, I think the stove is working normally. The temp today went over 400 degrees with all the doors closed the whole time. Thanks for all the advice.
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