Smaller Fire Possible in VC Dauntless?

[DanielP]

Hey there Hearth.com community. I am brand new around here and we're only on day two since our Dauntless Flexburn was installed (w/o catalytic kit)! We've made our "break-in" fires, which went fine. Last evening I made the first fire where I loaded the firebox about 3/4 full. It got good and hot but threw off a terrible smell (and a little smoke of some kind), which I am reading is normal, so I won't be panic-posting on that just yet...

My question is about making smaller fires. At about 3/4 full of seasoned hardwoods it burned _very_ warm, sending the temp of our great room up to almost 80°. Since I am brand new at this, naturally I bought thermometers for both the stove top as well as the flue pipe (about 12 inches up from stovetop), and during that first burn, things were right about in the middle of the sweet-spot.

So, knowing it was a bit warm, and being paranoid about creating any creosote, I'd like to know if it's possible to safely regularly make smaller fires that won't put us in the "creosote zone"?

Any advice is welcome and appreciated. Glad to be here.

 

[bholler]

How tall is your chimney? Is the dauntless one of their stoves that is now fixed burn rate or does it have an air control?

 

[begreen]

It's a new stove so we will be learning from you. In general, I suspect it will be fine burning a half load of wood. Give it a try.

Also, you can blow cooler air from another part of the house into the great room to even out temps. Often this can be done with a box or table fan set on the floor pointing at the stove room.

 

[begreen]

How tall is your chimney? Is the dauntless one of their stoves that is now fixed burn rate or does it have an air control?

It has user setting for the primary air, linked to a thermostatic damper.

Catalytic operation may allow it to run steadily at a lower output. It would be helpful to have verification from another Dauntless owner.

 

[DanielP]

How tall is your chimney? Is the dauntless one of their stoves that is now fixed burn rate or does it have an air control?

Is estimate it’s about 20 ft (inside + outside). It has air control.

It has user setting for the primary air, linked to a thermostatic damper.

Catalytic operation may allow it to run steadily at a lower output. It would be helpful to have verification from another Dauntless owner.

Thanks. We didn’t get the Catalytic kit, but I could add it, I suppose.

 

[begreen]

Give it a try with 3 medium splits and see how that works out, and try the fan trick.

 

[DanielP]

Any concerns about creosote at lower temps? Or is that not a factor? I’m so new it’s embarrassing…

 

[SpaceBus]

The smaller fire isn't for a lower temperature, it's for a faster burn. You still want the chimney and stove to get to full temperature, it just won't be for very long.

 

[DanielP]

Got it. I’ll try it with 3 or so splits. Thanks for the advice!

 

[newguyjoe]

Once you have the coals in the stove 1 or 2 splits will keep it going for a while. just keep moving the hot coals to the back of the stove and lay the new split right on top of it against the rear.

 

[DanielP]

Once you have the coals in the stove 1 or 2 splits will keep it going for a while. just keep moving the hot coals to the back of the stove and lay the new split right on top of it against the rear.

Thank you!

 

[GrumpyDad]

How did you make out? Im consider either the dauntless or the Jotul F45. Jotul wouldnt be around until July. Dauntless available NOW. I dont really need it, but am watching prices go up up and away, and would like to get something firmed up here really soon.
My biggest concern are the responses Ive seen so far, regarding not being able to lower the heat. I have several friends that have inserts of stoves, and they chuck in a small piece here and there to keep it warm..enough. When alot of people come over and open/close doors during the winter, they toss in 2-3 larger pieces and the units warm up quickly. Then they lower the air intake a bit and the units dont roar so much.
Im reading this across many units that Im researching. Are wood stoves really this bad now?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Hey there Hearth.com community. I am brand new around here and we're only on day two since our Dauntless Flexburn was installed (w/o catalytic kit)! We've made our "break-in" fires, which went fine. Last evening I made the first fire where I loaded the firebox about 3/4 full. It got good and hot but threw off a terrible smell (and a little smoke of some kind), which I am reading is normal, so I won't be panic-posting on that just yet...

My question is about making smaller fires. At about 3/4 full of seasoned hardwoods it burned _very_ warm, sending the temp of our great room up to almost 80°. Since I am brand new at this, naturally I bought thermometers for both the stove top as well as the flue pipe (about 12 inches up from stovetop), and during that first burn, things were right about in the middle of the sweet-spot.

So, knowing it was a bit warm, and being paranoid about creating any creosote, I'd like to know if it's possible to safely regularly make smaller fires that won't put us in the "creosote zone"?

Any advice is welcome and appreciated. Glad to be here.

View attachment 289251

Install the cat. The object of the cat is to help burn clean (less creosote) while being able to burn at lower temperatures and have longer burn times. Without the cat, you lose all of the advantages of having a cat stove. I have an encore which is a little bigger than yours. You will be able to put in small splits, turn the air halfway back with the cat in, and burn clean without overheating the space.

 

[DanielP]

Install the cat. The object of the cat is to help burn clean (less creosote) while being able to burn at lower temperatures and have longer burn times. Without the cat, you lose all of the advantages of having a cat stove. I have an encore which is a little bigger than yours. You will be able to put in small splits, turn the air halfway back with the cat in, and burn clean without overheating the space.

Thanks for that review, @Woodsplitter67. We were actually caught off guard after buying the stove – thinking it had the cat by default – but we were a bit surprised to learn it was an optional upgrade. We're leaning toward adding it, for sure. Thanks again for the testimonial.

 

[DanielP]

How did you make out? Im consider either the dauntless or the Jotul F45. Jotul wouldnt be around until July. Dauntless available NOW. I dont really need it, but am watching prices go up up and away, and would like to get something firmed up here really soon.
My biggest concern are the responses Ive seen so far, regarding not being able to lower the heat. I have several friends that have inserts of stoves, and they chuck in a small piece here and there to keep it warm..enough. When alot of people come over and open/close doors during the winter, they toss in 2-3 larger pieces and the units warm up quickly. Then they lower the air intake a bit and the units dont roar so much.
Im reading this across many units that Im researching. Are wood stoves really this bad now?

@GrumpyDad – things have been ok, so far. After learning the stove, the controls and even how it behaved with different types of hardwoods, etc. I think we've got the hang of it. Like @Woodsplitter67 mentions above, we'll likely add the catalytic element for lower / slower, more efficient burns, but we've gotten pretty good at getting a fire going with a 2-3 splits and warming the stove and chimney up to temp and closing the damper / trimming the air flow back and things stay pretty nice. I don't find many things to complain about with the Dauntless (yet), with one exception being how easy it can be to overheat it. Every once in a while the temp shoots up if we load it up, and no amount of cutting the airflow can keep it from cranking. Again, I think that the catalytic element can help with that....

 

[NewGuy132]

@GrumpyDad – things have been ok, so far. After learning the stove, the controls and even how it behaved with different types of hardwoods, etc. I think we've got the hang of it. Like @Woodsplitter67 mentions above, we'll likely add the catalytic element for lower / slower, more efficient burns, but we've gotten pretty good at getting a fire going with a 2-3 splits and warming the stove and chimney up to temp and closing the damper / trimming the air flow back and things stay pretty nice. I don't find many things to complain about with the Dauntless (yet), with one exception being how easy it can be to overheat it. Every once in a while the temp shoots up if we load it up, and no amount of cutting the airflow can keep it from cranking. Again, I think that the catalytic element can help with that....

I out curiosity, what do you consider overheating the stove? I have a 2021 Intrepid (same stove just a little smaller) and haven't had any issues overheating. Although it could be because it is a smaller stove.

 

[DanielP]

I out curiosity, what do you consider overheating the stove? I have a 2021 Intrepid (same stove just a little smaller) and haven't had any issues overheating. Although it could be because it is a smaller stove.

@NewGuy132 – Mostly I watch the stove-top / chimney thermometers I have. There have been a few times after loading the stove with wood (3-4 splits, maybe) and closing the damper and trimming back the air control all the way, that it still got up to the top end of the "safe zone." (475°F on the chimney / 650°F on the stove-top). And, it was way too hot in the space – nearly 80°F. Honestly, if it wasn't so hot in the space, I would say it would be fine – I know the stove can handle burning at the top end of the "safe" zone, but it was just way too warm in the space.

 

[NewGuy132]

@NewGuy132 – Mostly I watch the stove-top / chimney thermometers I have. There have been a few times after loading the stove with wood (3-4 splits, maybe) and closing the damper and trimming back the air control all the way, that it still got up to the top end of the "safe zone." (475°F on the chimney / 650°F on the stove-top). And, it was way too hot in the space – nearly 80°F. Honestly, if it wasn't so hot in the space, I would say it would be fine – I know the stove can handle burning at the top end of the "safe" zone, but it was just way too warm in the space.

Got it. I was just curious. My manual says that 600-650 is high heat output, so I don't think anything about getting my stove in to the 600's. Then again my stove is smaller and quite honestly too small for the area it is in. I wanted the Dauntless, but it was too tall to fit in my existing fireplace. I had to go with the smaller stove. If it is in the 20's or 30's outside and I run my stove at STT of 600, the surrounding rooms in my house will be around 74 or 75. Yes that's warm, but I haven't been able to heat the house up too hot as long as it is under 40 or so.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Thanks for that review, @Woodsplitter67. We were actually caught off guard after buying the stove – thinking it had the cat by default – but we were a bit surprised to learn it was an optional upgrade. We're leaning toward adding it, for sure. Thanks again for the testimonial.

You can get the cat directly from a company online called ceramictech.. Im using the steel cat from them right now. Its a little different from the ceramic one in behavior.. It lights off extremely fast..

 

[mikey]

I believe that a non cat needs a hot stove body in order to have a good clean burn, I don’t know about a cat as I only owned one that I hated and got rid of, may not be correct about this for all stoves but it’s true for my Jotul f100.

 

[TomRami]

Hey there Hearth.com community. I am brand new around here and we're only on day two since our Dauntless Flexburn was installed (w/o catalytic kit)! We've made our "break-in" fires, which went fine. Last evening I made the first fire where I loaded the firebox about 3/4 full. It got good and hot but threw off a terrible smell (and a little smoke of some kind), which I am reading is normal, so I won't be panic-posting on that just yet...

My question is about making smaller fires. At about 3/4 full of seasoned hardwoods it burned _very_ warm, sending the temp of our great room up to almost 80°. Since I am brand new at this, naturally I bought thermometers for both the stove top as well as the flue pipe (about 12 inches up from stovetop), and during that first burn, things were right about in the middle of the sweet-spot.

So, knowing it was a bit warm, and being paranoid about creating any creosote, I'd like to know if it's possible to safely regularly make smaller fires that won't put us in the "creosote zone"?

Any advice is welcome and appreciated. Glad to be here.

View attachment 289251

Im also a new daunless owner. My first question is how big is the space youre heating? Im running my stove at between 400°-500° and is is heating up my 800sqft first floor nicely. Im keeping the air control at 3rd click from the lowest and that seems to keep my burns consistent with the flue closed.

 

[CincyBurner]

Burn dry, seasoned (2-3 years) wood, with low moisture content (15-18% MC). Test moisture content of the faces multiple fresh split samples that have come up to room temperature.
Bring stove to burning temperature in stages (usually two for my stove) before shutting down primary air.
Don't permit fire to smolder.
Realize that during the coaling stage fire not producing creosote.
Use long-coaling wood such as Osage as part of reload charge on smaller reloads (coals insulated in wood ash last a long time into next reload).
Use smaller pieces of wood (uglies & chunks).
Learn burn cycle duration of your stove with various loads. Small, partial loads = more frequent reloads.
Clean your chimney at regular, more frequent than a normal intervals (every 2 months ?), than typical interval to learn how much creosote your stove is producing with your setup and with your wood.