That is, I'm heating my house for the first time with my new Tarm. My wood, though seasoned, has some surface moisture and we struggled mightily at first to close the bypass damper without getting all kinds of smoke in the house. Finally, my plumber asked for a little fiberglass insulation to augment the gasket in the spot where the leakage was occurring, and we were able to close the damper, get the stack temp up a bit, and get the water to 160 or so, which is heating the house as I type. I've lived with wood heat partially or totally since 1969, but this is a whole new deal.
We're off, or on, or whatever
- Thread starter Rory
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Hi Rory,
Welcome to the forum. I've been heating with wood for twenty straight years and switching to the EKO was a change more or less like what you are experiencing. Knowing I don't have to get up every few hours to supply the wood stove or sleep in and pay the oil/gas man is great. It almost makes the work we go through seem like a luxury. There is minor draw back though....you'll never want to go back....but that's not so bad is it? I hope you many happy years with your tarm I'm going on #3 with my EKO.
Welcome to the forum. I've been heating with wood for twenty straight years and switching to the EKO was a change more or less like what you are experiencing. Knowing I don't have to get up every few hours to supply the wood stove or sleep in and pay the oil/gas man is great. It almost makes the work we go through seem like a luxury. There is minor draw back though....you'll never want to go back....but that's not so bad is it? I hope you many happy years with your tarm I'm going on #3 with my EKO.
Congratulations! Dry, well-seasoned wood, makes for an easy burn. Don't shortcut on seasoning your wood and if possible keeping it out of the weather.
Your statement is a little confusing. I assume the fiberglass was not place on the bypass damper, as my bypass damper is metal on metal, no gasket. It seems like you had trouble getting a good draft going and when you closed the bypass damper you got back pressure on your chimney, causing smoke to exit from around the firebox door gasket or the secondary chamber door gasket. Right?
If so, and until you get the hang of it, start your fire with dry wood, very small splits/kindling, and after the kindling is going well, fill the firebox about 1/4 full, loosely spaced, of small dry splits. Leave the bypass damper open the whole time until the flue probe thermometer reads at least 300 (400 is better). Then close the bypass damper and the fire should start roaring into the secondary chamber immediately, with good gasification going almost at once. Give it a few minutes more, then add your wood load. I never pack my load too tight. Smaller, driest pieces on the bottom, and larger (with some less dry) pieces on top. You should then be good for several hours.
A key is to have a good bed of coals before you add a full wood load.
When you get the hang of it, you can modify your fire start procedure to fit your wood, but this is what I have done regularly. It is a no-problem ever fire start procedure. Does not take more than 5-10 minutes.
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" Then close the bypass damper and the fire should start roaring into the secondary chamber immediately, with good gasification going almost at once. Give it a few minutes more, then add your wood load. "
Just curious Jim, when you add your wood load after you have good gasification going, do you open the damper or add the wood with the fan on and the damper in.
" Then close the bypass damper and the fire should start roaring into the secondary chamber immediately, with good gasification going almost at once. Give it a few minutes more, then add your wood load. "
Just curious Jim, when you add your wood load after you have good gasification going, do you open the damper or add the wood with the fan on and the damper in.
Shut off the draft fan and open the damper (or vice versa), wait a few seconds, open the firebox door a crack and wait a few seconds (to let in some air and allow escape of volatile gases through the bypass and up the chimney), then open door slowly (to prevent a flashback-not likely but could happen), then fill firebox, close door, shut damper, restart draft fan.
If you leave the fan on while loading the firebox, you likely will get smoke out of the firebox and into your boiler room.
My wood is well-seasoned, but due to the rainy summer, it sat on the ground in the woods for a long time before I was able to bring it in. I'm sure moisture is giving me trouble, but we tried running with the bypass open for a long time before the fiberglass solution on the main door finally allowed us to close it.
Congratulations
!! There is a learning curve but once you get past that you are going to love your Tarm. Plus that you have tons of support on this site
!! There is a learning curve but once you get past that you are going to love your Tarm. Plus that you have tons of support on this siteCongrats!
Here are a few spots that I turn when the burn procedure is not working. I had smoke issues until I followed the jebatty and nofossil start up procedures and there have been no issues since.
Start up tips from jebatty
Start up tips from nofossil
Once that wood is dry it is fairly straight forward.
Here are a few spots that I turn when the burn procedure is not working. I had smoke issues until I followed the jebatty and nofossil start up procedures and there have been no issues since.
Start up tips from jebatty
Start up tips from nofossil
Once that wood is dry it is fairly straight forward.
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