Stoves Burning Off Center

[Burner]

I am a new poster; been reading many of the threads here on hearth.com and have learned quite a bit. I have a strange problem. The issue is this: I currently have two stoves that both burn on the right more than the left-basically off center. These are a VC Defiant 1945 and a VC Encore 2550. Now I would just toss this up to be a VC issue with the cat or refractory or a gasket leak or god forbid a crack somewhere (seam, pane). But the kicker is that this also happened with a Jotul Firelight 12. With that stove I suspected the refractory since it was in bad shape. But I replaced it and had the same problem. I made sure all of the firebacks had new gaskets to prevent uneven draws. My setup is this: two chimneys about 20', one lined, the other just tiled masonry (I'm at sea-level). Both seem to have decent drafts. I really have no clue why this is happening especially with three different stoves. If anyone has any ideas please let me know. I won't be surprised if I don't get any responses. Thanks.

 

[Grisu]

Did you actual check for gasket leaks? It would sound weird to have a leak on different stoves at the same side but not impossible. Otherwise, how do you load the stove? Are you preferring one side to the other? Are you maybe loading the right side with wood from the top of your pile first and it is marginally drier? Or maybe you are adding more kindling there. Does the same happen when someone else loads the stoves?

 

[clemsonfor]

Maybe the chimney is swirling and it forms a higher velocity on that side of stove e

 

[The Maine Stove Guy]

You might use an incense stick to check for air leaks on the stove(s). If the smoke gets sucked into a particular spot (say around a door), gasket is a good bet.

Now there are degrees to everything....but most stoves have an area where the wood burns first in the firebox, it's pretty common actually. On the Lopi stoves you are always raking the coals forward for example. The locations where the primary air for the fire comes into the firebox is usually the spot that burns the fuel first.

Burning wood has so many variables, more of an art form than a science really. I wouldn't be too concerned over it unless it's to the degree that you have un-burned wood on one side after the fire goes out.

Warm Reagards

 

[Burner]

I actually used the match test to check for leaks on all three stoves. I even went so far as to replace the glass gaskets on each. With the Firelight 12 there would be wood un-burned on the left side but with the defiant and the encore most of the wood is burnt. I do open the door to start the fire, as most of us do, and that causes the right side to start sooner than the left. Not sure if that has anything to do with it. I thought about the swirling and drag effect as we do get westerlies here most often. I am not too concerned as the main guy said since most of the wood burns down. It's just that the right side of the stove is about 50 - 75 degrees hotter during most burns. It seems more prevalent when doing a slow burn. Not sure if that's a clue. Thanks for the responses.

 

[Wood Heat Stoves]

I actually thought the Coriolis effect might have something to do with it, but the effect on small areas such as the air inside a stove probably isn't valid. It's normal for wood to burn unevenly due to many factors. I'm not sure I pay enough attention to it, though, to know if mine consistently does it on one side. Guess that's something I can check out when burning season starts again.

 

[stovelark]

Hi burner, I'm thinking has to be some quirk or something, but for two stoves? Kinda unusual. That's a head scratcher, but if all the wood eventually burns down, guess it works. That's weird about the temp difference- you actually are saying two thermometers on each side, one is 50 or 75 deg cooler?? I've never tried two thermometers before, so can't say. Got my curiosity though, if you figure it out, I'd like to know. Good luck.

 

[begreen]

Random thoughts here. Try reversing the thermometers, two rarely agree. Check the level of the stove area.
I would take the stoves outside, remove the cat, vacuum completely, then take a compressed airgun and blow out all of the ports thoroughly (wear a mask and goggles, this will be dusty.)

 

[Woody Stover]

I do open the door to start the fire, as most of us do, and that causes the right side to start sooner than the left.

I would think that if the right side of the load gets burning more fully and hotter at the beginning, that's going to continue, especially if the wood isn't real dry. I would try starting the fire with the door closed, using just the primary air control, and see what happens.

 

[jharkin]

FWIW, my encore does the exact same thing.