Stove loading pics?

[begreen]

I'm on the same page

E/W = logs parallel to the glass and back of the stove. N/S = logs parallel to the sides.
Stoves that have a shallow firebox are usually E/W loaders. Stoves with a deep firebox are typically N/S loaders.
Stoves with deeper, squarish fireboxes can load either way.

 

[Egghead]

I load E/W in my Kozy z42. At most I've only ever put 4 decent sized splits (oak) and was quite nervous for a while. I usually put 2/3 splits in at a time for fear if the stove taking off. When I had the 4 splits in my IR thermo read appx 480 just above the doors

 

[Grimlock13]

Would like to see some good pack E/W

 

[axeman628]

Would like to see some good pack E/W

Found the following video, seems like a good explanation.

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[Triple]

Wow! I have never gotten more than 3 or 4 logs in my stove at a time...and typically only 2. That being said, those few will burn for hours and throw off plenty of heat. Even at night it will burn for 7+ hours.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

So, literally up to the baffles. I definitely need to put more wood in the stove. Home tonight so I can experiment and keep an eye on it. I've been putting on average 4 medium splits and getting about 4 hours give or take. The f400 firebox isn't as big as the ones in these pics but I could easily fit 2 more and probably stretch it to 5.5 or 6.

ETA: since the f400's firebox is relatively shallow, any problems with cutting my splits shorter so I can get a N/S load instead of E/W. One of the things that has held me back from really packing it is my concern that once things shift that something will fall forward and hit the glass.

I also have an f400 and have found no safe way of filling the stove. Things shift and logs will roll. I have found this stove not to be that effective for overnight burns, this being one of the reasons. To 'fill' the stove I build up a really good coal bed and then stack three large splits on top. I make sure they are as far back as they go against the back, two on the bottom, and one on the top, in between the bottom two.

I find a good night's sleep, not worrying about a log falling and hitting the glass is worth way more than a few extra degrees of heat or a few more hours of burn time.

 

[iron]

would a log hitting the glass really do anything? i mean, it's not high impact and the heat's going to be the same if it's touching or 1" away.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

would a log hitting the glass really do anything? i mean, it's not high impact and the heat's going to be the same if it's touching or 1" away.

Yes. The manufacturer makes it clear that you are not to let anything contact the glass. I don't want to find out, but my assumption is that under high heat, the impact of a heavy piece of burning wood contacting the glass can cause a crack or break.

 

[axeman628]

I also have an f400 and have found no safe way of filling the stove. Things shift and logs will roll. I have found this stove not to be that effective for overnight burns, this being one of the reasons. To 'fill' the stove I build up a really good coal bed and then stack three large splits on top. I make sure they are as far back as they go against the back, two on the bottom, and one on the top, in between the bottom two.

I find a good night's sleep, not worrying about a log falling and hitting the glass is worth way more than a few extra degrees of heat or a few more hours of burn time.

Thanks for that. Makes me more confident in what I am doing. I'll usually do something similar, usually fit a fourth on top when I can keep an eye but play it safe overnight with three.

Been doing pretty good the last few days. Wake up to a stove top temp of about 150 with a few coals. Not enough to just load up and get going but a piece or two of kindling, a small split or two and a piece of fatwood gets me back up to temp and I'm loading up shortly there after.

 

[iluvjazznjava]

Yes. The manufacturer makes it clear that you are not to let anything contact the glass. I don't want to find out, but my assumption is that under high heat, the impact of a heavy piece of burning wood contacting the glass can cause a crack or break.

I'm sure its possible for the glass to break, as many have done it. My local stove top told me that its not heat that will do it, but usually a stress fracture. He said a majority of the glass panels he has replaced are from people who put a split into their stove that's too long when reloading and then trying to close the door and use the glass to force the split in. Even then, he says ceramic glass doesn't shatter, it just cracks and spider webs. Therefore, even if your glass did crack, I don't think you would have to worry about sparks and flames spewing out the front of your stove.

In my case, I like to jam my stove pretty full, so there have been many times I have had a flaming split resting directly on the glass with a raging fire going... so far no problems. They build our Jotuls pretty tough - I don't worry about it.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Thanks for that. Makes me more confident in what I am doing. I'll usually do something similar, usually fit a fourth on top when I can keep an eye but play it safe overnight with three.

Been doing pretty good the last few days. Wake up to a stove top temp of about 150 with a few coals. Not enough to just load up and get going but a piece or two of kindling, a small split or two and a piece of fatwood gets me back up to temp and I'm loading up shortly there after.

Yeah, what I've found with that stove is that it works best when not stuffed full anyway. I like to get coals going and do the three split stack. Two on the bottom and then the top one, placed diagonal across those. This leaves room for some air and fire to move up in between the splits. This configuration gives me a good fire and heat for many hours. When I try to stuff it full, coals and embers last longer but the heat thrown is less.

 

[NoGoodAtScreenNames]

Here's mine. Going from a cold start so the big pieces are N/S. The little pieces on the top go E/W. With a reload I might reverse that. The EW along with the pile on kindling on the front bottom help to spread the fire left to right. Without that the primary air wants to drill a hole through the bottom middle log. Also helps the get the secondaries going.



Light with a fire starter cube on the top and the bottom.



After 1/2 hour I had the air shut down all the way and the IR gun pointed at the flue collar was 650. This should give a nice long burn.

 

[iluvjazznjava]

Well here is mine ...

The E/W load doesn't look as impressive as a N/S, but I actually have 12 medium sized 18" long splits of fir in my 3 cu ft firebox! Best I could do N/S would be about 8 or 9. Stovetop should be cruising at 600 in no time

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Well here is mine ...
View attachment 171268
The E/W load doesn't look as impressive as a N/S, but I actually have 12 medium sized 18" long splits of fir in my 3 cu ft firebox! Best I could do N/S would be about 8 or 9. Stovetop should be cruising at 600 in no time

Looks like you aren't really concerned about the wood settling and touching the glass. Do you not worry about that?

 

[iron]

i'm a rookie at this, but a split weighs, what, 6lbs? if it rolls into the window, it might have 2lbs of horizontal load. if the glass was this fragile, there'd be a million issues with glass doors.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

i'm a rookie at this, but a split weighs, what, 6lbs? if it rolls into the window, it might have 2lbs of horizontal load. if the glass was this fragile, there'd be a million issues with glass doors.

Interesting take on that and good point.

 

[firefighterjake]

I stack my loads so the wood angles away from the front . . . but as mentioned, these are neoceramic or pyroceramic and are quite tough . . . the occasional split or round that rolls up against the glass and burns away will usually not harm it (as I have seen happen many a time in my Oslo). The worse thing when this happens is that it often interferes with the air wash and you may get some bad sooting where the wood rests against the ceramic. Seems like most folks who have broken "glass" are just what was mentioned earlier -- someone pushing or slamming their door too hard and the wood strikes the ceramic. I suppose it is possible that a really heavy round or split could roll just right (or wrong depending on how you view it) and break the ceramic . . . but I would wager it's a very rare event.

 

[iluvjazznjava]

Looks like you aren't really concerned about the wood settling and touching the glass. Do you not worry about that?

Nope - not worried. I've had splits roll against the glass many times. As others have said, the glass is quite tough and if it were fragile we would all be buying stoves without windows.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

My VC Encore gets stuffed to the max quit often. Once above the andirons I put the wider side of the split facing the glass, so as the load burns the wood falls into the center of the firebox. In theory at least.

 

[4fire]

I cut a bunch of my wood at 12-13" so I can load it NS in my insert and pack it full. The wood takes off better that way and it won't roll into the glass. With longer pieces, I still try to pack it full, but sometimes it will take longer to get rolling. I try to fit longer pieces so they won't fall against the door, but if they do it's not the end of the world.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Nope - not worried. I've had splits roll against the glass many times. As others have said, the glass is quite tough and if it were fragile we would all be buying stoves without windows.

Thanks for that. I've always been so paranoid with this new Jotul and it's good to see that most folks aren't really worried about some glass contact.

 

[OhioBurner©]

ETA: since the f400's firebox is relatively shallow, any problems with cutting my splits shorter so I can get a N/S load instead of E/W. One of the things that has held me back from really packing it is my concern that once things shift that something will fall forward and hit the glass.

My Jotul 550's firebox was also shallow... at first I tried loading E/W and to utilize the wide firebox was cutting 22-24" but it was very awkward and ended up wasting firebox space unless your long splits were perfectly straight (never). I could fit a lot more in with short splits N/S. Unfortunately that meant ~13" long. But I did some experimenting cutting that length, especially with large or gnarly pieces - made it easier to split (all by hand). Hard to stack 13" pieces in very tall of a stack though, but it was so much easier to load and fill. My last big wood cutting I ended up cutting almost half of it (2 or 3 cords) 13". Then before burning any of it I replaced the awkward Jotul with a new stove that could take 18" N/S doh! Now I am just trying to use up all these shorties.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

My Jotul 550's firebox was also shallow... at first I tried loading E/W and to utilize the wide firebox was cutting 22-24" but it was very awkward and ended up wasting firebox space unless your long splits were perfectly straight (never). I could fit a lot more in with short splits N/S. Unfortunately that meant ~13" long. But I did some experimenting cutting that length, especially with large or gnarly pieces - made it easier to split (all by hand). Hard to stack 13" pieces in very tall of a stack though, but it was so much easier to load and fill. My last big wood cutting I ended up cutting almost half of it (2 or 3 cords) 13". Then before burning any of it I replaced the awkward Jotul with a new stove that could take 18" N/S doh! Now I am just trying to use up all these shorties.

It's funny how I started off really loving that F400 but am now over it for the same reason most of us are. It handles awkwardly long splits one way and that's it. Oh well, it still performs great and heats my home well but I do see a more versatile stove in my future.

 

[heavy hammer]

I rarely load north south just for the reason of most of my wood is 18 inches. Plus I almost never use the front door, other than to put a large round that won't fit in the side door. The glass issue with breaking is probably from user error trying to over load the stove. I have been burning some weird block size cuts of wood that you kind of just place in the stove. I do think crossing the splits over them selves north south then east west, helps. The tighter you pack it the longer burn it seems to be, but there are a lot a variables there two. Love the pics, great to see so many other people into burning like myself.

 

[Stinkpickle]

My old smoke dragon is pretty small, so I put in four or five splits however they'll fit. There's usually plenty of air space to get it rolling hot. I don't have glass doors to worry about, though.