Stove doesn't like to burn, tube falls out, short burn times?

[renecoston]

We have a Country Hearth 2000 model wood stove in the center of our daylight basement. The house is a 2,000 square foot ranch (including both floors). The house is 5-years old and quite air-tight.

First problem we are having is the stove just doesn't like to burn. Air flow seems restricted, and we often have to prop the door for a while to get a good burn going.

The second problem is that the stove burns <2-3 hours at night no matter how hot we get it and how good we stuff it. We've tried stacking it up with bigger logs, smaller pieces, and even bio bricks. (Not a fan of the bio bricks at this point!)

Third problem is that there are 3 tubes in the top of the firebox and one of them keeps falling out. Mid-burn, of course, so we have to let the stove die out to put it back. Not fun on -2 degree days) Advice, please? We were warned to go with a "real" stove and not get one at Tractor Supply. Should we have listened?

 

[USMC80]

not sure how the tubes in that stove are held in? Surely you can figure a clever way to make it stay.

2-3 hours isn't right. Need some more info.

Chimney height? Is it fully lined with stainless liner? How long has your wood been split and stacked to season?

 

[renecoston]

not sure how the tubes in that stove are held in? Surely you can figure a clever way to make it stay.

2-3 hours isn't right. Need some more info.

Chimney height? Is it fully lined with stainless liner? How long has your wood been split and stacked to season?

The chimney starts at the ceiling of the basement and goes up through the roof. Its a 1-story ranch with small attic. The wood was purchased late summer. We were "told" it was seasoned...starting to think not. We plan to buy wood this year as soon as the snow melts and stack it to dry. This is our first year ever burning wood, trying not to get discouraged.

 

[fire_man]

What happens after the 2-3 hours, is the wood burned down to a big bed of coals - or does it burn down to ash? Is it throwing lots of heat during this time?

Here is the big question: How long has your wood been split and top covered?

 

[renecoston]

What happens after the 2-3 hours, is the wood burned down to a big bed of coals - or does it burn down to ash? Is it throwing lots of heat during this time?

Here is the big question: How long has your wood been split and top covered?

Haha - top covered...My guess is we covered the wood pile wrong? We tarped it all. From your statement, "top covered" my guess is we were only supposed to cover the top. Could be why there are ice crystals on the wood when we bring it it? Who's greener, us or the wood?

It throws good heat during the 2-3 hours once we get it going. It is hard to get going. It is usually good red coals when it burns down.

So this is starting to sound like green wood, yes?

 

[USMC80]

if you bought it this summer odds are its not seasoned at all. Are you able to close down the primary air most of the way and good secondary action with this stove?

 

[renecoston]

if you bought it this summer odds are its not seasoned at all. Are you able to close down the primary air most of the way and good secondary action with this stove?

I'm so much of a stove newbie that I have no idea what you mean.

 

[USMC80]

no problem. Your stove should have a lever that opens and closes the primary air. Do you turn it down once the fire is up and going?

 

[renecoston]

no problem. Your stove should have a lever that opens and closes the primary air. Do you turn it down once the fire is up and going?

Oh, yes! We do close that down to control the burn so it doesn't all burn up at once.

 

[USMC80]

Do the flames get nice and lazy and can you see the flames burning up at the tubes when you turn it down?

 

[renecoston]

Do the flames get nice and lazy and can you see the flames burning up at the tubes when you turn it down?

Actually, the fire appears to starve a bit, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't "lick" at the tubes at the top, which is what I think you mean?

 

[USMC80]

yup, exactly what I mean. Probably your wood supply. Try buying a bag of actual kiln dried wood and see what results you get

 

[firefighterjake]

Random thoughts . . .

Welcome to the forum fellow Maniac.

It may sound dumb, but have you inspected/swept the chimney recently to insure that it is not partially blocked from creosote? Sometimes folks running a woodstove for the first time in the first year may end up not burning as well once they get a year or two under their belts . . . or folks in that first year use less-than-optimal wood.

Some folks . . . many folks . . . have to leave the firebox door slightly ajar when the fire is first lit. Typically this only takes a few minutes though to get the kindling going.

Lots of coals, hard to get going = sounds like it could be a case of burning with only partially seasoned wood. One tip folks in the past have suggested to try to determine if this is the case is to go to Home Depot or Lowes and pick up one of those overly-expensive cellophane wrapped bundles of kiln dried wood to burn in the stove . . . and see if that makes any difference. Also, if you don't have any kindling see if you can pick up some scrap dimensional lumber for use as kindling.

You say the stove is putting out some heat . . . it would be more useful if you could tell us what temps you are seeing on the stove thermometer and/or flue thermometer. Incidentally, a lot of flames does not necessarily equal lots of heat. As one poster alluded to . . . he/she wanted to make sure that you were turning down the air control at some point since doing so is what results in a secondary burn which in turn equals more heat and longer burns.

Be aware that you don't always need active flames for heat . . . coals will provide heat for some time as well.

The secondary burner tube falling out is a cause for concern. Is this stove still under warranty? Have you contacted the manufacturer? If you cannot return the stove, is it posible to rig up a permanent fix? As you say, when it's Negative Freezing Cold . . . you don't want to wait for the stove to cool down to replace the secondary burn tube.

This is a basement insulation, right? Is the basement insulated or uninsulated? It doesn't make a real difference to answer your questions, but folks around here generally say basement installations often require over-sized stoves and/or insulated basements to keep more heat in the house vs. letting the heat be sucked up by the concrete.

If possible . . . buy the firewood sooner rather than later. Spring is better than Fall. Now is better than Spring. Last Fall is better than now. The longer you have your wood cut, split and stacked the happier you and your stove will be. Many sellers I believe honestly don't realize that modern stoves need wood cut, split and stacked for a year or longer to truly burn well . . . and many sellers may believe that seasoning begins when the tree is cut down . . . even if it is left in tree length before it is bucked up and split.

 

[firefighterjake]

Actually, the fire appears to starve a bit, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't "lick" at the tubes at the top, which is what I think you mean?

When you cut down on the air, generally it is best to do this a little bit at a time. Reduce it 3/4 then wait 5 minutes and see if the fire is able to keep burning . . . then reduce it to halfway and wait . . . see if the fire changes at all . . . most folks (depending on the wood and draft) can close the air to the quarter mark or all the way.

The secondary burn may present itself in many ways . . . it may look like a propane BBQ grill with jets of flame coming out of the secondary burner while there are slow, lazy moving flames (or no flames) on the wood below . . . there may be few, slow or no flames on the wood, but an occasional silent burst of flame in the upper third of the firebox like some demented fire breather blowing out puffs of flames . . . or you may have little to no flames on the wood, but the upper third of the firebox looks like someone has opened a portal to Hell with hellfire rushing out, scaring you into thinking the end of the world is here . . . or that your woodstove will surely melt.

 

[jatoxico]

Oh, yes! We do close that down to control the burn so it doesn't all burn up at once.

Hi renecoston and welcome. One thing about the primary air control, it's not an on and off switch. It should be closed in stages a little at a time as the fire intensifies and usually not shut completely especially if your wood isn't the best. Always give the fire enough air to keep the fire burning brightly.

For marginal wood re-split some wood smaller to help things along.

Edit Jake beat me to it! Slow on the draw until I finish my coffee.

 

[mellow]

Most of the manufacturers will put cotter pins in the secondary air tubes to hold it in, here is a link to buy them: https://www.usstove.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=306_36_315&product_id=715

You might be able to find a stainless steel one at a local tractor supply.

 

[renecoston]

Random thoughts . . .

Welcome to the forum fellow Maniac.

It may sound dumb, but have you inspected/swept the chimney recently to insure that it is not partially blocked from creosote? Sometimes folks running a woodstove for the first time in the first year may end up not burning as well once they get a year or two under their belts . . . or folks in that first year use less-than-optimal wood.

Some folks . . . many folks . . . have to leave the firebox door slightly ajar when the fire is first lit. Typically this only takes a few minutes though to get the kindling going.

Lots of coals, hard to get going = sounds like it could be a case of burning with only partially seasoned wood. One tip folks in the past have suggested to try to determine if this is the case is to go to Home Depot or Lowes and pick up one of those overly-expensive cellophane wrapped bundles of kiln dried wood to burn in the stove . . . and see if that makes any difference. Also, if you don't have any kindling see if you can pick up some scrap dimensional lumber for use as kindling.

You say the stove is putting out some heat . . . it would be more useful if you could tell us what temps you are seeing on the stove thermometer and/or flue thermometer. Incidentally, a lot of flames does not necessarily equal lots of heat. As one poster alluded to . . . he/she wanted to make sure that you were turning down the air control at some point since doing so is what results in a secondary burn which in turn equals more heat and longer burns.

Be aware that you don't always need active flames for heat . . . coals will provide heat for some time as well.

The secondary burner tube falling out is a cause for concern. Is this stove still under warranty? Have you contacted the manufacturer? If you cannot return the stove, is it posible to rig up a permanent fix? As you say, when it's Negative Freezing Cold . . . you don't want to wait for the stove to cool down to replace the secondary burn tube.

This is a basement insulation, right? Is the basement insulated or uninsulated? It doesn't make a real difference to answer your questions, but folks around here generally say basement installations often require over-sized stoves and/or insulated basements to keep more heat in the house vs. letting the heat be sucked up by the concrete.

If possible . . . buy the firewood sooner rather than later. Spring is better than Fall. Now is better than Spring. Last Fall is better than now. The longer you have your wood cut, split and stacked the happier you and your stove will be. Many sellers I believe honestly don't realize that modern stoves need wood cut, split and stacked for a year or longer to truly burn well . . . and many sellers may believe that seasoning begins when the tree is cut down . . . even if it is left in tree length before it is bucked up and split.

Hi there! This is a basement installation, yes. Do you think we should go bigger? Before you answer, we plan to completely finish off the basement this summer, so there will not be any exposed concrete at that point. We went with this size because our house is so well wrapped that boiling water raises the upstairs temperature!

What part of Maine are you in? I was wondering if you could recommend a place to get some firewood. We are in Oxford County.

I will pick up some kiln dried and give it an experimental try!

EDIT - We didn't clean the chimney because it has never been used before. We just installed this stove. New house.

 

[renecoston]

When you cut down on the air, generally it is best to do this a little bit at a time. Reduce it 3/4 then wait 5 minutes and see if the fire is able to keep burning . . . then reduce it to halfway and wait . . . see if the fire changes at all . . . most folks (depending on the wood and draft) can close the air to the quarter mark or all the way.

The secondary burn may present itself in many ways . . . it may look like a propane BBQ grill with jets of flame coming out of the secondary burner while there are slow, lazy moving flames (or no flames) on the wood below . . . there may be few, slow or no flames on the wood, but an occasional silent burst of flame in the upper third of the firebox like some demented fire breather blowing out puffs of flames . . . or you may have little to no flames on the wood, but the upper third of the firebox looks like someone has opened a portal to Hell with hellfire rushing out, scaring you into thinking the end of the world is here . . . or that your woodstove will surely melt.

Haha! My only fear of the woodstove melting is when our stupid smoke alarms go off...not from smoke but from the heat! LOL! (We moved the smoke detector...heat was channeling into the unfinished rafter above and making the area super-hot.)

 

[firefighterjake]

Hi there! This is a basement installation, yes. Do you think we should go bigger? Before you answer, we plan to completely finish off the basement this summer, so there will not be any exposed concrete at that point. We went with this size because our house is so well wrapped that boiling water raises the upstairs temperature!

What part of Maine are you in? I was wondering if you could recommend a place to get some firewood. We are in Oxford County.

I will pick up some kiln dried and give it an experimental try!

EDIT - We didn't clean the chimney because it has never been used before. We just installed this stove. New house.

Honestly, I'm not familiar with that sized woodstove to make a recommendation . . . but finishing off the basement this Summer should make a difference for you in terms of keeping more heat in the home . . . although that did not seem to be a problem . . . at least it wasn't asked.

Right now . . . I'm in Penobscot County at my job . . . in the big ol' city of Bangor. I live in Waldo County . . . Unity specifically.

If you've been burning for a number of weeks or months it wouldn't hurt things to at least do a visual inspection of the chimney to make sure it isn't gunked up. Generally, a build up of creosote of 1/4 inch or more calls for a cleaning.

 

[firefighterjake]

Haha! My only fear of the woodstove melting is when our stupid smoke alarms go off...not from smoke but from the heat! LOL! (We moved the smoke detector...heat was channeling into the unfinished rafter above and making the area super-hot.)

Actually, this is a misconception. Heat doesn't set off smoke detectors . . . but it does play a part. Oftentimes the smoke molecules or dust molecules set off the smoke detector when they rise on the heated air.

As you have discovered, oftentimes simply moving the smoke detector a few feet will make a big difference in reducing false alarms.

 

[renecoston]

Actually, this is a misconception. Heat doesn't set off smoke detectors . . . but it does play a part. Oftentimes the smoke molecules or dust molecules set off the smoke detector when they rise on the heated air.

As you have discovered, oftentimes simply moving the smoke detector a few feet will make a big difference in reducing false alarms.

That's an interesting fact! Yes, moving it has helped a lot. Ours seem very sensitive. Of course, we do have a CO2 detector about 8 feet from the stove.

I will see about inspecting the chimney, try some kiln-dried wood, and see about getting some new firewood delivered soon! Thankful we have a furnace for the time of our learning!

 

[CenterTree]

This thread is a PRIME example of why I think this FORUM is one of the BEST on the web for accurate, real, experienced, down-home information. Lots of GREAT advice found right here.


OP: > Please post back after you try the kiln-dried wood.

 

[tarzan]

For what it's worth, I have a country brand stove (different model than yours though) that is in use at the moment but looking through the window it appears the burn tubes are held in by what I call hose clamps. I think i have also heard them called worm gear clamps.

Sorry, just noticed you have a country "hearth". Different brand.

 

[fire_man]

Definitely don't cover the entire pile. ONLY the top should be covered, otherwise you trap moisture and it's worse than no cover at all.

 

[Kosmik]

If possible . . . buy the firewood sooner rather than later. Spring is better than Fall. Now is better than Spring. Last Fall is better than now. The longer you have your wood cut, split and stacked the happier you and your stove will be. Many sellers I believe honestly don't realize that modern stoves need wood cut, split and stacked for a year or longer to truly burn well . . . and many sellers may believe that seasoning begins when the tree is cut down . . . even if it is left in tree length before it is bucked up and split.

Well, after a few weeks of operation I'm learning that my 'seasoned' wood is the woodcutter's version of seasoned, not the definition on this site. Said some was from last year, other half split this spring...But it also came with some ice chunks on it, and he talked about how he let it just sit out in his woodyard. Then I had this current cord sitting on the ground for a week, with intermittent cover with clear plastic, all over to protect from snow, but didn't get to opening it some days till noon...Got it a proper home, after a week. So I made some mistakes there. Some wood did feel a bit heavy and more thunk than tink.

It's my first year, and I didn't get ordered until November...So beggers can't be choosers. Nobody had wood, so given the situation, I happy, working through it.
Biggest problem with it is it is rare I get all seasoned pieces in to get a good burn. Usually find myself leaving it half open, or 33% open to keep the secondary burn.
Seems to work better when I can get it really hot, but another week till I have thermometers, so I'm erring low right now and just planning on making more use of my new chimney brush.
People have said to let burn open longer to help drive out the moisture, which may be why some of my bigger/earlier burns where I left it wide open longer seemed to work better, but I think I have wood from two different splittings. And if that other half is over a year old like he said, that may explain that one time I had a real nice one going, the stars aligned.

But after hearing the year plus stacking from enough people here, I am going to tell my buddy I'm putting a woodshed on his property (I currently rent).

A really big one, or a couple smaller ones