Secondaries after heat tape

[etiger2007]

Merry Christmas , I have a question for you , how do you think these secondaries look after I used heat tape on about 25% of the hole on my primary air plate. I am seeing some white smoke at times out the chimney but that may be because of how cold it is. This is with the air pushed in about half way . The biggest difference I see is the wood is not engulfed in flames like it used to be . Stove top at 600 three splits in at 11am , will post how long this load last .

 

[begreen]

That still looks robust. How far can you close off the air now? What happens now if it is closed off 75% or 100%?

 

[KaptJaq]

I am seeing some white smoke at times

Is it white smoke or steam? White smoke dissipates slowly, steam disappears quickly. When it is really cold you will see some steam even with wood that is less than 20%.

When I close the air all the way I get some small, lazy flames on the splits and some pretty robust secondary ignition.

KaptJaq

 

[etiger2007]

This is about 75% closed nothing coming from chimney, cruising at 600 sorry they are sideways

 

[begreen]

That looks better. Is these still lazy flame if the air is closed all the way?

Take the pictures with the cell phone vertical to avoid rotation issues.

 

[etiger2007]

With the air down all the way the flames / secondaries will get lazier or go out completely, two hrs in the three splits are reduced to coal logs and stove top is 450

 

[begreen]

That sounds about right. With a full, packed load I think you can cut down the air more aggressively and possibly all the way 20-30 min. into the burn. That should help extend burn times.

 

[Bones]

I used heat tape on about 25% of the hole on my primary air plate.

Did you put the tape on the rectangle tube in the center of the stove under the firebox....¿

I have to leave my air cracked open just a tad to keep a small flame especially toward the end of a log burn.

 

[mepellet]

Merry Christmas , I have a question for you , how do you think these secondaries look after I used heat tape on about 25% of the hole on my primary air plate. I am seeing some white smoke at times out the chimney but that may be because of how cold it is. This is with the air pushed in about half way . The biggest difference I see is the wood is not engulfed in flames like it used to be . Stove top at 600 three splits in at 11am , will post how long this load last .

That's what mine looks like after loading the stove up with more than 4 small splits even with the damper closed off all the way very soon after the splits have caught. I fear loading the stove up because I don't feel like I can keep the temps down. They shoot up to 800 measured with a probe thermometer 18" above stove top in double wall pipe.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Looks good to me, enjoy them...

 

[begreen]

That's what mine looks like after loading the stove up with more than 4 small splits even with the damper closed off all the way very soon after the splits have caught. I fear loading the stove up because I don't feel like I can keep the temps down. They shoot up to 800 measured with a probe thermometer 18" above stove top in double wall pipe.

That can happen before the secondaries kick in. Start lowering the air supply aggressively via the air control and the flue temps should decline.

 

[mepellet]

In my search for a new stove for next season I've been looking carefully at the number of bends I'll have to use in the stovepipe in order to adapt to my chimney. My chimney has clay flue tile and has a 45° bend in it and exits downward. Someone basically built it similar to a fire place, but never used it that way, I don't think they ever intended to, and an insert wouldn't fill up the arch (leaving an ugly hole). So basically, it was set up pretty dumb and the draft is no good with my current stove (which has an oval top vent so it requires two 90° bends in the stovepipe to attach to the chimney)

I've been looking at stoves, trying to decide how I'll plumb the stove pipe up to the chimney. I could get a top venting stove and put two 45° bends in it, a rear venting stove with one 90° or two 45° bends in it, or I see that the Avalon Raineer is available with a 45° exit vent. Some stoves are capable of being either a top or a rear vent depending on how it is setup. Would one of these venting options be considered a 90° bend and thus rob the chimney of some of it's draft?

On reloads I open the damper completely until flue temps start going up (just start). I typically reload around 300 degrees on the flue probe thermometer which is in the creosote range. If I started closing the damper any quicker on reloads, it would smoke for quite a few minutes before the splits catch fire.

 

[Bones]

That's what mine looks like after loading the stove up with more than 4 small splits even with the damper closed off all the way very soon after the splits have caught. I fear loading the stove up because I don't feel like I can keep the temps down. They shoot up to 800 measured with a probe thermometer 18" above stove top in double wall pipe.

On a bed of coals I put in 3 rather "large" ( not small) splits, then 2 on top, then after 5 minutes or so cut air back 50%, then keep easing the air back a little at a time till about 5% open....done...let it ride....

 

[etiger2007]

On a bed of coals I put in 3 rather "large" ( not small) splits, then 2 on top, then after 5 minutes or so cut air back 50%, then keep easing the air back a little at a time till about 5% open....done...let it ride....

How long is your stove kicking out useful heat on a load like that ( 400 and above stove top ) if you pull your blower off above the air channel for the blower is where your primary air plate is , in the center of that is a hole about the size of a dime , that's the hole I covered about 25%

 

[Bones]

How long is your stove kicking out useful heat on a load like that ( 400 and above stove top ) if you pull your blower off above the air channel for the blower is where your primary air plate is , in the center of that is a hole about the size of a dime , that's the hole I covered about 25%

I'll have to take a look at that...thanks.

I'm still getting use to the new stove. I've found out that with less ashes, I have longer burn times ¿ (Maybe less depth of ashes...)

I burn mostly red & white oak. 3 logs E/W ( prefer to have round in the rear) 2 large splits on top between the bottom 3 within an inch or so from secondary's.
If they are short, I'll stuff some N/S on a side. Magnetic thermometer ( top left corner) will go up to around 550-600*, then when it's down to ~ 300* is around
5 hours more or less. I can have a nice coal bed after a total of 7 - 9 hours for a restart which is ~200*

 

[etiger2007]

On a bed of coals I put in 3 rather "large" ( not small) splits, then 2 on top, then after 5 minutes or so cut air back 50%, then keep easing the air back a little at a time till about 5% open....done...let it ride....

I loaded up my stove just like you do at 630 pm , round ash log in back with a ash split on that , red oak split in middle with a maple split on that with a black locust split in front she ran at 600-700 till 830 and its now 10pm and shes cruising at 400 she will stay there for awhile longer. Im thinking Ill load her up at 1230am so I can get a full 6 hrs out of that load. Good to have somebody with same unit to compare to. I have to ask why are you checking the top left corner of your stove top? I have mine in the center of the stove top per the manual

 

[Bones]

I loaded up my stove just like you do at 630 pm , round ash log in back with a ash split on that , red oak split in middle with a maple split on that with a black locust split in front she ran at 600-700 till 830 and its now 10pm and shes cruising at 400 she will stay there for awhile longer. Im thinking Ill load her up at 1230am so I can get a full 6 hrs out of that load. Good to have somebody with same unit to compare too.

I have a feeling you are getting more air draft than I am...

 

[brenndatomu]

Thanks for spurring me on etiger!
I bought a lil ole Vogelzang Defender 1.2 CF stove back in the fall. I was fairly happy with it other than the short burn times (4 hrs) but I figured that is the nature of the beast on a baby stove, and that's all I really need anyways, just a lil something to take the chill off in the spring and fall.
Well, over time I noticed that even when I cut the primary air back all the way, the fire was still kicking pretty good! Not the lazy rolling secondary flames that everybody talks about, it was more like a midnight run across a desert highway than a leisurely vacation drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway that most people seem to get once in cruise mode. So I checked for leaks, nada.
I had been thinking 'bout this... there seems to be alot of air available to this stove, for a small firebox anyways. There a (2) 1" x 3/4" holes for the secondary air, there is (1) 1/4" hole for the "doghouse" air at the bottom, (2) 3/8" holes and (1) 1" hole that are the always open primary "air wash" supply holes. That is at the minimum, opening the slide control exposes more openings! Like I said, seemed like a lot.
So I had been kicking around the idea of cuttin some of the air back a bit. After reading about your experiment, I decided to try it. Took me a bit to get to it cause we heat with our Yukon multifuel furnace most of the time, so the lil stove is often cold. Well I fired up the stove this morning, got 'er going good, turned 'er down after the firebox came up to temp. The stovetop temp settled in about 525*, a pretty typical "cruise" temp on this stove.
I was sitting there watching the flames wrap around the front of the baffle, I decided, that's it, now's the time! So I took the cover off the air control slide, and put a piece of high temp foil tape over the bottom half of the 1" hole in the center. SHAZAM! I mean freaking SHAZAM! Almost instantly the flames slowed down down to that lazy roll, and over a 10 minute period or so, the stovetop temp went up to 675*! I sat there for at least an hour watching, and I am here to tell you, this lil ole mod TRANSFORMED this little stove! I used to get 4 hrs out of a load before the stovetop temp was down to 200*, today it went 5 hrs. before 200* and then it held the coals much longer to boot.
That is another thing that I didn't like from before, this thing did not hold coals, at all! But it seems a lot better now, at least a couple hours more of hot coals anyways. Heck, the stovetop is still 100* or better right now, 8 hrs later, she'd a been stone cold at 8 hrs before. I'm just completely amazed...

I know, I know, y'all prolly don't wanna here it, kinda like someone coming on a Corvette forum, braggin 'bout his hotrod Pinto, but hey, after Menards givin these things away a couple months back, I'm pretty sure there are plenty of these lil stoves around. Maybe I'll start a thread 'bout it, just for visibility for anybody who comes lookin...
Thanks again e, hope yours is working well for you too! Stay warm

 

[Bones]

I have to ask why are you checking the top left corner of your stove top? I have mine in the center of the stove top per the manual

Missed part of the question....duh.

Magnetic will only fit on the front top left or right. This way I can see what's going on. It is reading cooler than the top by around 100* after it's settled down.

Plus the blower air wipes across the top and that will give you a false reading....

 

[Bones]

Thanks for spurring me on etiger!
I bought a lil ole Vogelzang Defender 1.2 CF stove back in the fall. I was fairly happy with it other than the short burn times (4 hrs) but I figured that is the nature of the beast on a baby stove, and that's all I really need anyways, just a lil something to take the chill off in the spring and fall.
Well, over time I noticed that even when I cut the primary air back all the way, the fire was still kicking pretty good! Not the lazy rolling secondary flames that everybody talks about, it was more like a midnight run across a desert highway than a leisurely vacation drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway that most people seem to get once in cruise mode. So I checked for leaks, nada.
I had been thinking 'bout this... there seems to be alot of air available to this stove, for a small firebox anyways. There a (2) 1" x 3/4" holes for the secondary air, there is (1) 1/4" hole for the "doghouse" air at the bottom, (2) 3/8" holes and (1) 1" hole that are the always open primary "air wash" supply holes. That is at the minimum, opening the slide control exposes more openings! Like I said, seemed like a lot.
So I had been kicking around the idea of cuttin some of the air back a bit. After reading about your experiment, I decided to try it. Took me a bit to get to it cause we heat with our Yukon multifuel furnace most of the time, so the lil stove is often cold. Well I fired up the stove this morning, got 'er going good, turned 'er down after the firebox came up to temp. The stovetop temp settled in about 525*, a pretty typical "cruise" temp on this stove.
I was sitting there watching the flames wrap around the front of the baffle, I decided, that's it, now's the time! So I took the cover off the air control slide, and put a piece of high temp foil tape over the bottom half of the 1" hole in the center. SHAZAM! I mean freaking SHAZAM! Almost instantly the flames slowed down down to that lazy roll, and over a 10 minute period or so, the stovetop temp went up to 675*! I sat there for at least an hour watching, and I am here to tell you, this lil ole mod TRANSFORMED this little stove! I used to get 4 hrs out of a load before the stovetop temp was down to 200*, today it went 5 hrs. before 200* and then it held the coals much longer to boot.
That is another thing that I didn't like from before, this thing did not hold coals, at all! But it seems a lot better now, at least a couple hours more of hot coals anyways. Heck, the stovetop is still 100* or better right now, 8 hrs later, she'd a been stone cold at 8 hrs before. I'm just completely amazed...

I know, I know, y'all prolly don't wanna here it, kinda like someone coming on a Corvette forum, braggin 'bout his hotrod Pinto, but hey, after Menards givin these things away a couple months back, I'm pretty sure there are plenty of these lil stoves around. Maybe I'll start a thread 'bout it, just for visibility for anybody who comes lookin...
Thanks again e, hope yours is working well for you too! Stay warm

Brenn....you sound like a kid in candy store...LOL. Great that you are getting more heat and a longer burn time...

 

[etiger2007]

Thanks for spurring me on etiger!
I bought a lil ole Vogelzang Defender 1.2 CF stove back in the fall. I was fairly happy with it other than the short burn times (4 hrs) but I figured that is the nature of the beast on a baby stove, and that's all I really need anyways, just a lil something to take the chill off in the spring and fall.
Well, over time I noticed that even when I cut the primary air back all the way, the fire was still kicking pretty good! Not the lazy rolling secondary flames that everybody talks about, it was more like a midnight run across a desert highway than a leisurely vacation drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway that most people seem to get once in cruise mode. So I checked for leaks, nada.
I had been thinking 'bout this... there seems to be alot of air available to this stove, for a small firebox anyways. There a (2) 1" x 3/4" holes for the secondary air, there is (1) 1/4" hole for the "doghouse" air at the bottom, (2) 3/8" holes and (1) 1" hole that are the always open primary "air wash" supply holes. That is at the minimum, opening the slide control exposes more openings! Like I said, seemed like a lot.
So I had been kicking around the idea of cuttin some of the air back a bit. After reading about your experiment, I decided to try it. Took me a bit to get to it cause we heat with our Yukon multifuel furnace most of the time, so the lil stove is often cold. Well I fired up the stove this morning, got 'er going good, turned 'er down after the firebox came up to temp. The stovetop temp settled in about 525*, a pretty typical "cruise" temp on this stove.
I was sitting there watching the flames wrap around the front of the baffle, I decided, that's it, now's the time! So I took the cover off the air control slide, and put a piece of high temp foil tape over the bottom half of the 1" hole in the center. SHAZAM! I mean freaking SHAZAM! Almost instantly the flames slowed down down to that lazy roll, and over a 10 minute period or so, the stovetop temp went up to 675*! I sat there for at least an hour watching, and I am here to tell you, this lil ole mod TRANSFORMED this little stove! I used to get 4 hrs out of a load before the stovetop temp was down to 200*, today it went 5 hrs. before 200* and then it held the coals much longer to boot.
That is another thing that I didn't like from before, this thing did not hold coals, at all! But it seems a lot better now, at least a couple hours more of hot coals anyways. Heck, the stovetop is still 100* or better right now, 8 hrs later, she'd a been stone cold at 8 hrs before. I'm just completely amazed...

I know, I know, y'all prolly don't wanna here it, kinda like someone coming on a Corvette forum, braggin 'bout his hotrod Pinto, but hey, after Menards givin these things away a couple months back, I'm pretty sure there are plenty of these lil stoves around. Maybe I'll start a thread 'bout it, just for visibility for anybody who comes lookin...
Thanks again e, hope yours is working well for you too! Stay warm

Sounds great, I ended up taking my tape off after a couple weeks. I noticed my stove burned dirtier , and I couldn't dial the air back like I used to. I also got reading on the Osburn web site and they claim to keep the stove hot you'll have to load every three to four hours which is exactly how my stove runs with out the tape. So in my case it is what it is . I'm glad this thread helped you out .

 

[begreen]

Every installation brings its own unique combinations of draft, flue, stove, wood, locale, house tightness, etc. to the table. One size definitely doesn't fit all here. A fellow with a 30ft flue in MA is going to have a whole different experience from someone with a 14 ft flue in GA with the same stove.

 

[etiger2007]

Trial and error , I've been burning for three years and had a new stove every year , but I think I'm understanding this stove and like I said earlier it is what it is .

 

[begreen]

Exactly right Ed. Each stove and stove installation has its own personality.