Wood burning to fast in my inset.

[tinman100863]

When I load up with as much as possible ,I'm only getting a 3 hour burn time ?from the start of the light to no more heat given at the coaling stage. This is my third season burning with my Osburn 1800 insert. The firebox size is 1.78 All of my hard wood(oak,locust, mulberry ) is seasoned for sure using my moisture meter with freshly split wood. I have ranges of12%-20%. , I have loaded ns, ew loading and very little difference. I have taken notice that there is a difference when the air control is fully open compared to fully closed. Do you think this what I should expect ? If you have any recommendations I'm willing to listen.
Ty

 

[Squire]

Sounds like you are getting too much air. Did this just start this year? Has it gradually gotten worse? Have you checked the gaskets ? I'll bet your stove gets really hot when it is burning. More information would be helpful.

 

[tinman100863]

Sounds like you are getting too much air. Did this just start this year? Has it gradually gotten worse? Have you checked the gaskets ? I'll bet your stove gets really hot when it is burning. More information would be helpful.

It's been like this from the start 3 years ago. Gasket was replaced last year , with a inferred I get temps in the firebox at prime like 575-600degrees & this is with the air control closed. DO YOU THINK RUNNING THE INSERT FAN TO EARLY (I put the insert fan on when it gets 400 degrees ) WOULD CAUSE A FAST BURN ?

 

[claydogg84]

I'm not familiar with you stove, but 3 hours of active flame is probably right about where it should be.

 

[tinman100863]

1 to 1-1/2 of active flames the rest is coaling stages.

 

[Corey]

The big test for me would be to start a burn with the air control open a bit. Once things get established, you should close the air control a bit and see the firebox temp rise. Close it a bit more, firebox temp rise a bit more...etc. At some point, you should close the air control a bit more and see the firebox temp drop some. This is the point at which you actually have 'control' of the fire. Closing the air a bit more will then lower the temp to the level you need. (Obviously this is all done within a period when the wood is in relatively stable combustion...closing the air control as the fire is dying out naturally doesn't count as 'under control'. You would probably need to choose one exact spot, distance and angle to measure with your IR gun, take the measurement, adjust air, see what the stove does over the next 1-3 minutes by measuring the exact same spot/distance/angle, make another air adjustment, etc.) So if you don't get to this balance point, or the temp doesn't get to the lower level you want, then the stove might be leaking too much air.

Another key would be what type of flue you have this attached to? Sometimes very tall / straight and/or insulated flues will draft too hard for older stoves. Some report issues beginning around 25 feet of flue length, and they had to install a damper to help reduce some of the natural draft from the tall flue.