Reload question

[Garbanzo62]

So new Stove user.. Did my initial burns a week ago and then it got too warm to use for a few days.. Last night, I got the stove up to temp and then packed the stove for overnight burn. This morning, I spread the coals out a bit and added some kindling and smaller splits to get it going. The kindling was pieces of 2 X 3 scraps (Not Treated) that I had laying around that I cut into pencil thick pieces. I put a handful of the kindling on top of the coal and some very small splits (2 to 3 inch) on top of that. Closed the door but had air control full open. After 5 minutes all I had was a stove full of smoke. Threw a lit piece of news paper in and that got it going.. Is it normal for it to take that long to relight? Am I doing something wrong with the reload.?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

If your box has filled with smoke that is an indication of poor/non established draft. sometimes you may need to crack the door to get it going again. A rule of thumb for my stove.. and each stove setup is different.. if the scrap/kindling doesn't catch right away, crack the door. If the wood catches right away, you can close the door.

 

[ericm979]

Sometimes on a reload I help it a bit with a propane torch, to get past the smoking stage faster. Sometimes all it needs is the door cracked open.

 

[velocity1]

If your box has filled with smoke that is an indication of poor/non established draft. sometimes you may need to crack the door to get it going again. A rule of thumb for my stove.. and each stove setup is different.. if the scrap/kindling doesn't catch right away, crack the door. If the wood catches right away, you can close the door.

I do the same with my stove, just crack the door and leave air control wide open. I have a semi tight house so sometimes I crack a window near the stove as well. Once it gets going i start to slowly close everything down. Works 98% of the time lol

 

[begreen]

I always leave the stove door open about 1/2" for morning startups on last night's coals. Close the door when the fire is burning well enough to sustain itself with the door closed and the air control wide open.

 

[gzecc]

I leave the door cracked on re loads and pull hot coals all forward. I have an old insert.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I always leave the stove door open about 1/2" for morning startups on last night's coals. Close the door when the fire is burning well enough to sustain itself with the door closed and the air control wide open.

I dont do that all the time after an overnight burn because sometimes my stove is plenty hot.. still like 300 or so

 

[kennyp2339]

Becareful of putting many smaller splits into coals only for reloading / reestablishing a fire, sometimes the fuel mixture gets to rich and you will have a quick flash (can cause a bang with smoke seepage into the room) if your firebox becomes smoke ridden because of a method op described on a reload, open the door so more oxygen can get in there, sometimes I open a door and throw a match onto the wood and it lights right off.

 

[begreen]

I dont do that all the time after an overnight burn because sometimes my stove is plenty hot.. still like 300 or so

I generally don't reload with kindling in the morning. Just large splits so I give it a bit of help.

 

[stoveliker]

I'd first open the air all the way for 10 minutes. That produces some heat from the coals, and thus draft. Then open the door a crack, let the air flow establish. Then rake the coals forward. Then add wood. Leave the door cracked until it catches - assuming the smoke goes in the flue rather than out of the door. If the wood is dry enough, it should get going very quickly.

 

[BillBurns]

All of this sounds good, but in reality its a lot of controls for this, and that, air wash, ect....mine sucks but she works.

 

[bholler]

All of this sounds good, but in reality its a lot of controls for this, and that, air wash, ect....mine sucks but she works.

No it isn't allot of controls at all. There is generally one air control. And maybe a bypass