Starting Nc30 - EPA stove

[Louis]

Im curious, others who own and burn with a 30NC wood stove. Are you starting a small fire to warm the stove and pipe, waiting for that fire to get to red embers then starting your main burn from there.? Seems this is working best for me and how I have been doing since the end of last season and start of this season. It does suck having to do a kindling/small split burn and have about an hour give or take down time before the real burn begins. Wondering if others use the same method or if you guys just start a top down fire filling the box from the start.? Seems when i attempted to start anything more then a quick burn for coals/embers the fire doesnt like to take off and i baby sit it much more then needed.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Top down will work well, or you can put a charge of newspaper in. Itll light off fast and then go out, charging the flue.

 

[Highbeam]

Neither top down or the small fire prior to a big fire dance. Just lay two logs down in the empty stove, one on each side, then about three rows of kindling stacked criss cross between those logs and right on the ash, then load to the roof with full sized logs. Then ignite the kindling with a torch. Super easy and fast.

What are you trying to accomplish by futzing with a warm up fire? Maybe your fuel quality is poor?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

For my setup, I occasionally had a tough time getting the flue drafting. It was all my setup. I had a long horizontal run.

 

[Louis]

Neither top down or the small fire prior to a big fire dance. Just lay two logs down in the empty stove, one on each side, then about three rows of kindling stacked criss cross between those logs and right on the ash, then load to the roof with full sized logs. Then ignite the kindling with a torch. Super easy and fast.

What are you trying to accomplish by futzing with a warm up fire? Maybe your fuel quality is poor?

I do believe my wood is better then last year, but isn’t quite great yet. I’m finding difficulty in starting a larger fire on a cold stove.. so my process has been starting a smaller one with very small splits and kindling, getting that to hot coals and reloading on that and the stove takes off nicely. When I do that, I’m up to 6-650+ very easily And cruise there for a little before dropping. Air control is just at or just tucked under ash lip 15-25% open air. Afraid of snuffing the fire out of I go any lower. At times in the burn I sometimes get temp spikes, so assuming that’s when the wood completely dries out and ignites better, more btu.. more heat, higher temp

 

[MAD MARK]

This year so far, I've been doing top down fires. 2 big splits creating a "chamber" down the doghouse. Then large on top of that etc....

I've enjoyed the results so far.

Cruise at 750+ for 2 hours, down to ~550 for 3 hours then down to 400 for 4 hours or more.

 

[Louis]

This is after I got a small bed of coals. Door open to get everything lit up, catching decently. Pops and crackles almost no hissing. But if I were to start on a cold stove with a few larger splits it wouldn’t take off.
I keep the door open til good flames are established. Usually when flue temp hits above 300 I’ll shut door. Cut air 25 % at 425+\-.. ten min later cutting air to 50 % or when stove top is 475 +\- and about 5-525 the air is shut down with knob flush or 1/4 inch under ash lip. Secondaries for couple hours then drops off to 450 for a little while then decreasing from there. Touching 600-700 every burn

 

[Louis]

Secondaries are great.
I will attempt to start the fire differently next time I have a cold stove and see what the outcome is.

 

[MAD MARK]

My thoughts, swap the stove temps around. I trust my Inferno a lot.

2nd, I've never had my door open that much on start up on 13' chimney at 40°F.

3rd, everything looks alright to me.

 

[maddog1016]

Newspaper, top down; both have smoking the house up pretty bad (fireplace insert with exterior chimney). I've resorted to a piece of 1/8" hardboard cut in a square to cover the opening of the insert. Cut a hole in the middle and run a blow dryer to push hot air up through the chimney. I even put window gasket on the face that meets the insert to keep ash from blowing out around where the hardboard meets the insert. That is the only way I have found a 100% smoke free warm chimney.

After the chimney is warmed I do a top down without any problems.