I've been running a solo 30 since thanksgiving and im having a hard time getting more than a 6 hour burn. Apx. 2000 sq. ft. center chimmney cape, 3 zones usually have upstairs and downstairs turned down so when last load of wood goes in just the main living space is calling for heat. The wood is mostly ash and oak and is dry.Do I need to dampen down the draft fan? I know part of the problem is I call it a night way to early but that can only be adjusted on the weekend. anyone having any better luck on longer burn times?
tarm overnight burn
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Make sure that your primary and secondary air adjustments are set to keep stack temp down. The higher the stack temp the more heat is escaping unused. Other than that just make sure your logs are not too big around and that you top it right off before bed. My house is about the same size as yours and is drafty and old. My solo 30 used to make it most nights when I was running without storage, so I would assume yours can too.
WNO when you say primary adjustment that's the draft fan which I have not touched from the factory, have you tinkered with that?
woodmeister said:
Yes I did adjust the primary. If you take the lid off you will see a black knob that turns a bolt that adjusts the opening for the draft fan. Adjust it once good gasification is going so that the flame turns blue and curls around but does not go too far once it curls. I think there is a picture in the manual of what it should look like.
I have been burning my Solo40 for 3 months so far and have never burned for more than about 5 hours.I do cut my wood 16" long so the firebox is never totaly full.I have a 35'chimney with a 7"ss liner so I have a really strong draft. Stack temps are generally between400* and600* so I think I am getting a good heat exchange.I have never adjusted my primary air.I don't know if this is the norm, but this is how I have been running.
I hear ya NHF it just don't seem right that you have relight the thing every day. My wife thinks im nuts getting up at 3-4 to add wood but if I happen to wake up I'll check the boiler.
I have been collecting old pallets for kindling.I have relighting down to a science,takes about 10/15 min.to get it up and running,not too bad.I crumple up newspapers in advance and I don't bother to feed it in the night unless I am up anyway.I just relight in the morning
sounds like you may want to invest in storage. walk away after kindeling a fire and do not return for sometimes 4 days in moderate temps. when it's cold fire once a day it's so easy! sweetheat :lol:
sweetheat said:
For me, that really was the benefit of storage. I have a lot of flexibility about when to start fires, and I can skip days if it's warm enough or sunny enough.
I guess I won't fool with mine to much after hearing you are restarting everyday. I started saving a bunch of newspapers and made what I thought was a huge kindling pile but started mine for the 1st time over 2 weeks ago and it hasn't gone out yet. Granted I'm only heating a 1800sf ranch, (my basement is staying about 64* from just the pipes running around). I do occasionally when it is low throw in a few pieces of kindling to get it hotter faster. It was just a bed of coals this morning but I slept in, so it was about 8 hours since I checked it. I do go check it if I wake up in the night and may add some but didn't last night. I'm sure it will eat up more wood once I get my DHW hooked up and I have a Modine that I plan to hook up to heat the basement and dry out my wet cloths after outdoor activities.
I brought 1/2 of my saved newspapers to recycling last week since I figured I didn't need them. Loving my tarm and not using oil.
I brought 1/2 of my saved newspapers to recycling last week since I figured I didn't need them. Loving my tarm and not using oil.
I do have 1000 gal storage and I can sometimes go all day or longer without a burn.When it is really cold I do need to light a fire at least twice a day.I am heating a big old drafty farmhouse so that is not working in my favor,however on new years day,windchill of -16 the kitchen was 75*.zero oil since Sept.Life is good.sweetheat said:
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