Wood burning too slowly

[michoujordan76]

Hi all,

I recently got an older Vermont Castings Intrepid I (non cat). It seems to be burning too slowly and it doesn't heat up very well. Yesterday, I was over at a neighbour's place. She's 85 years old and uses a Jotul F100 to heat her small house and it was very hot! I could barely stand it in there. I think the wood is good and dry -- maple, ash, birch. The pieces are quite big unfortunately, but they do fit in the stove. Even with the air control flapper on the back all the way open it really doesn't burn hot. If I open the doors or the griddle, the fire will pick up a bit. Last night, I put a large piece on the fire and closed the damper on the left of the stove but left the flap open a little. This morning the piece was only half burned and was smoldering. The house is 1850s so there are drafts; I considered that there might be an air pressure problem (???). I don't have a lot of experience with wood heating. My previous stove was an older steel Drolet and it heated OK but used too much wood. This VC Intrepid is in the same spot using the same stove pipe. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance.

 

[DAKSY]

Ok, my questions to you are:
How are you building your fire?
Do you start with dried kindling the size of your fingers?
Do you use small splits - no bigger than your forearm?
Do you let those smaller splits get fully involved before you put LARGE pieces on?
Have you physically checked the wood with amoisture meter?

 

[Fsappo]

Aside from what Daksy asked, what griddle temp are you shutting the primary damper down at?

 

[michoujordan76]

Thanks very much for your advice. I don't have a stove thermometer yet, I will pick one up soon. I usually use one of those firestarter cube things and place smaller pieces of wood around it (like the directions say), but not small kindling. Last night, I took the stove apart and cleaned out all of the ash, thinking some may have blocked the air flow which was not the case. I built a fire as Daksy suggested and I used smaller splits. It worked much better. I think I will have to split the larger pieces in half (which is most of the wood I bought) into 4-5" splits. I don't have a moisture meter but I noticed the wood hisses a bit at first. The wood supplier said that due to the rain of the last few weeks, it would be a bit wet. He doesn't keep his wood under cover. Though it does seem to make a clunking sound when tapped together, like bowling pins. Does that not mean it is dry? All of the dry wood in my area was sold, so I ended up having to buy it from the most expensive place around. The price is typically 80-90$ a face cord (that's how it is sold here). I paid 110$... I hope it will dry out for use this year. I have a few face cords of elm from fallen trees on my property that has been seasoning for several years, it just needs splitting. I figure I will use that first.

 

[gzecc]

Thanks very much for your advice. I don't have a stove thermometer yet, I will pick one up soon. I usually use one of those firestarter cube things and place smaller pieces of wood around it (like the directions say), but not small kindling. Last night, I took the stove apart and cleaned out all of the ash, thinking some may have blocked the air flow which was not the case. I built a fire as Daksy suggested and I used smaller splits. It worked much better. I think I will have to split the larger pieces in half (which is most of the wood I bought) into 4-5" splits. I don't have a moisture meter but I noticed the wood hisses a bit at first. The wood supplier said that due to the rain of the last few weeks, it would be a bit wet. He doesn't keep his wood under cover. Though it does seem to make a clunking sound when tapped together, like bowling pins. Does that not mean it is dry? All of the dry wood in my area was sold, so I ended up having to buy it from the most expensive place around. The price is typically 80-90$ a face cord (that's how it is sold here). I paid 110$... I hope it will dry out for use this year. I have a few face cords of elm from fallen trees on my property that has been seasoning for several years, it just needs splitting. I figure I will use that first.

Your wood is not seasoned.
Wood doesn't get unseasoned from getting rained on. (It wasn't seasoned when it rained).
Wood doesn't season in the round. It needs to be split open for real seasoning to begin.
The smaller its split the faster it seasons.
Minimum one full year of seasoning for hardwoods other than oak. Split, single rows off the ground. Oak two years minimum.

 

[Kenster]

I do not agree with your fire building method. I strongly suggest that you use the top down method. Put two large splits on the bottom. 2-3 mediums on top of that and several small kindling twigs, chunks and scraps on top of that. Tightly Wad up about 10 wads of newspaper and lay them on top of the wood this well is mix them in the smaller pieces. You can add some of those fire starters, too. Light the newspaper. This will give you an instant draft. The smaller pieces will light very quickly and burn down and catch the next size and then the larger ones. It is a much more efficient way of starting a fire.
But your biggest problem is burning green wood. Set aside that expensive wood you just purchased and save it for another year or two. Split it two or three times into smaller pieces and stack it where it will catch the most sun and wind. Scrounge up all the Dry wood you can get. Those pieces you cut down over the last year or two will still be reasonably green. They should have been split and stacked when you cut the wood.I don't mean to sound harsh but you're wasting your time trying to burn green wood.
Do what you have to do to get through this winter. Wood pallets make good firewood. Just do not burn pressure-treated wood. Start putting away wood for the next two or three years now.

 

[Fsappo]

Its always the wood or the installation. The top down method is nifty, but I have never owned or installed a stove that wouldn't burn properly due to lighting a fire the traditional way. If it need a top down start to burn correctly, better start digging for the real issue.

 

[Kenster]

I like Top Down because it's easy and convenient. You don't have to sit there and keep feeding progressively larger sticks and splits. I lay the wood out, light the newspaper wads, and walk away. Done.
I also disagree that using Top Down is an indication of the stove being out of whack. My Vig will handle any sort of loading preference. I just find top down easier, more convenient, more efficient with the added plus that I get heat much quicker.

 

[michoujordan76]

I like Top Down because it's easy and convenient. You don't have to sit there and keep feeding progressively larger sticks and splits. I lay the wood out, light the newspaper wads, and walk away. Done.
I also disagree that using Top Down is an indication of the stove being out of whack. My Vig will handle any sort of loading preference. I just find top down easier, more convenient, more efficient with the added plus that I get heat much quicker.

I tried the top-down method this morning before leaving for work. Every bit of wood was gone when I got home, with a few hot coals left. I did it again this evening and within 15 minutes the fire had taken quite well. I went to clean the snow, yes snow already, off of the other car that had been sitting and I smelled no smoke. I love this method! Thanks for the excellent advice.

 

[Kenster]

Glad it worked for you. I'm a top down convert and won't ever go back. My wife loves it because she doesn't have to nurse the fire along to get it going.

I tried the top-down method this morning before leaving for work. Every bit of wood was gone when I got home, with a few hot coals left. I did it again this evening and within 15 minutes the fire had taken quite well. I went to clean the snow, yes snow already, off of the other car that had been sitting and I smelled no smoke. I love this method! Thanks for the excellent advice.