This is my second season burning wood with a wood stove and I have come to one conclusion.
Every time my stove does something it should not do, it is because I did something to cause it.
I think 99.9% of what happens to cause "bad" behavior out of my stove is my fault.
I will list some mistakes I made, and what usually happens as a direct result of my mistakes, and some easy fixes for me... (thank goodness no mistakes have been really bad).
1. Fire starting: not loading enough kindling to start with, and having to add more, most of the time causing some smoke to come out.
Fix: I load plenty of good dry kindling, and have dry wood ready to add to the kindling after it burns down, usually to a good coal bed before adding splits, this ensures a good draft is in progress when door is opened to add splits..
2. Not heating the pipe enough so draft will be strong "before" lighting fire. I was in a hurry and did not let my ceramic heater heat the pipe enough. Causing excessive amount of smoke to spill out into my living room after being lit.
Fix: heat pipe well, or get a good draft with fat wood, papers etc.
3. A new mistake I just learned, though actually knew already, did not use my knowledge............the other night it was late, but not late enough to load for an all night burn, I thought I would just load one split and it would hold the coals until bedtime, bad mistake, bed time came and my bed of coals were half what they were one hour before because I let them die down by just adding one split.
Fix: Load it full if it's late....ish, you can always top it off with a single if you need to before bed, other wise you'll end up with a less than desirable coal bed for your over night burn.
4. Not loading stove soon enough when it's colder outside, therefore causing a larger time gap/heat output between your stoves maximum output and the cold air penetration into your home. This is a mistake I made early on, but have since corrected, and it can even be helped by not turning your blower off until you actually get ready to load wood. And don't leave your house door open while you carry wood in, this will suck cold air into your home fast, every little thing you can do to "keep the heat flowing in" really makes a difference when it's cold I have found.
Fix: if it's colder outside, have some good pre-selected splits ready to load, visually looking into your stove before hand as it nears time to load so you'll know about what you'll need. (don't let coals die down, catch them when they are still large and hot, this will ensure a quick start (fast heat) when you load your new splits).
5. Stove “puffing” smoke after loading wood and dampering. Wet or dry wood, it does not seem to matter. The reason for this I have learned are the gases coming from the wood as it is burning needs to be burned, if you damper and choke your stove, or starve your stove of oxygen, then when it does get enough oxygen, the result will be a mini explosion, a small fireball within your stove is the result. This fireball or mini explosion results in expansion within the stove, which causes the “puff” of smoke to exit your stove..........usually in the weakest place it can find to release pressure (pipe, stove seams etc.).
Fix: After loading your stove with wood, always let it “char” or burn wood for at least 15 minutes, maybe even longer, and do not damper your stove all the way closed, this will enable your stove to get enough oxygen to burn a little, this will keep gases from biulding up. As a general rule, I always make sure I can see a steady small “flame” somewhere in my stove before I leave it for bed or whatever. If there is a flame, then most likely you will not biuld up any gases because this flame is burning the gases.
Can you list more mistakes and fixes ?
Anything that has caused you trouble, but you were able to correct and make it easier would be helpful to all of us I think.
Robbie ;-)
Every time my stove does something it should not do, it is because I did something to cause it.
I think 99.9% of what happens to cause "bad" behavior out of my stove is my fault.
I will list some mistakes I made, and what usually happens as a direct result of my mistakes, and some easy fixes for me... (thank goodness no mistakes have been really bad).
1. Fire starting: not loading enough kindling to start with, and having to add more, most of the time causing some smoke to come out.
Fix: I load plenty of good dry kindling, and have dry wood ready to add to the kindling after it burns down, usually to a good coal bed before adding splits, this ensures a good draft is in progress when door is opened to add splits..
2. Not heating the pipe enough so draft will be strong "before" lighting fire. I was in a hurry and did not let my ceramic heater heat the pipe enough. Causing excessive amount of smoke to spill out into my living room after being lit.
Fix: heat pipe well, or get a good draft with fat wood, papers etc.
3. A new mistake I just learned, though actually knew already, did not use my knowledge............the other night it was late, but not late enough to load for an all night burn, I thought I would just load one split and it would hold the coals until bedtime, bad mistake, bed time came and my bed of coals were half what they were one hour before because I let them die down by just adding one split.
Fix: Load it full if it's late....ish, you can always top it off with a single if you need to before bed, other wise you'll end up with a less than desirable coal bed for your over night burn.
4. Not loading stove soon enough when it's colder outside, therefore causing a larger time gap/heat output between your stoves maximum output and the cold air penetration into your home. This is a mistake I made early on, but have since corrected, and it can even be helped by not turning your blower off until you actually get ready to load wood. And don't leave your house door open while you carry wood in, this will suck cold air into your home fast, every little thing you can do to "keep the heat flowing in" really makes a difference when it's cold I have found.
Fix: if it's colder outside, have some good pre-selected splits ready to load, visually looking into your stove before hand as it nears time to load so you'll know about what you'll need. (don't let coals die down, catch them when they are still large and hot, this will ensure a quick start (fast heat) when you load your new splits).
5. Stove “puffing” smoke after loading wood and dampering. Wet or dry wood, it does not seem to matter. The reason for this I have learned are the gases coming from the wood as it is burning needs to be burned, if you damper and choke your stove, or starve your stove of oxygen, then when it does get enough oxygen, the result will be a mini explosion, a small fireball within your stove is the result. This fireball or mini explosion results in expansion within the stove, which causes the “puff” of smoke to exit your stove..........usually in the weakest place it can find to release pressure (pipe, stove seams etc.).
Fix: After loading your stove with wood, always let it “char” or burn wood for at least 15 minutes, maybe even longer, and do not damper your stove all the way closed, this will enable your stove to get enough oxygen to burn a little, this will keep gases from biulding up. As a general rule, I always make sure I can see a steady small “flame” somewhere in my stove before I leave it for bed or whatever. If there is a flame, then most likely you will not biuld up any gases because this flame is burning the gases.
Can you list more mistakes and fixes ?
Anything that has caused you trouble, but you were able to correct and make it easier would be helpful to all of us I think.
Robbie ;-)
! Don't try this at home folks! 
