Trouble with new stove

[Del_]

Fully agree with Husky455rancher... the secondary burn stoves need to have a good supply of combustible gasses being 'cooked' out of the wood and combusting with superheated air from the secondary tubes. When all these factors are in place the secondary flames from the tubes act as 'broilers' onto the fuel pile to sustain the reaction. Also make sure that you are trying to start with a fairly full load of wood in the stove...maybe within an inch of the secondary air tubes. My Enviro Kodiak needs about a 20 minute burn on lighting before anything really starts happening.

Do you use the 'Top down' method of starting a fire?

 

[Bill G]

When wood is bought by the cord of course the more dense woods are going to weigh more, so they are worth more per cord. A cord is a given volume, 125 cubic feet.

A common misconception is that some woods contain a lot more BTU's per pound, when actually all wood is quite close in BTU's per pound. But there is some variance.

All firewood dried to the same moisture content contains approximately the same heating value per pound—about 8,000 to 9,500 BTU per bone-dry pound and about 6,500 to 7,500 BTU per pound for air-seasoned wood with about 20 percent moisture content.

What really is a game changer is how much water is in the wood.

All water is boiled away in a wood stove and it takes a lot of energy to burn wood.

So planning ahead and having seasoned wood is a good idea because the energy content is going up as the water evaporates away.

We burn all kinds of wood excepted for treated, stained, varnished or painted wood.

The lighter woods we leave in larger splits. Most of what we burn has been in pit wood shed for 3 years.

The problem is there is no way to accurately test for moisture in firewood.

 

[MudgeHollowBeaver]

Do you use the 'Top down' method of starting a fire?

No...I rarely have to start the stove from cold once the heating season starts here in Canada. Burns 24/7 (with a very careful ash removal )

 

[Del_]

The problem is there is no way to accurately test for moisture in firewood.

That's not a problem for us. I've never tested wood for moisture content.

All we do is keep it covered or in a wood shed for two+ years.

Seasoning wood is like money in the bank.

 

[Bill G]

That's not a problem for us. I've never tested wood for moisture content.

All we do is keep it covered or in a wood shed for two+ years.

Seasoning wood is like money in the bank.

I do not disagree with that I disagree with companies selling moisture testers and claiming they can accurately test firewood.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Firewood is wood, and woods moisture can be measured accurately enough for burning purposes.

 

[dboyd351]

https://www.environmentalchimneyservice.com/firewood-burns-hottest/

missed persimmon too
it's right up there with dogwood

 

[mijdirtyjeep]

I was looking at your pics again and your insert is a lot like mine. I have a bigger firebox so it sticks out further though. Are you running the fan on it? If so that’s always been mines issue if I can’t keep a good hot fire going. The fresh air intake is right between the two blower fans. The suck all the incoming air away from the stove. If running the fan, try a couple loads without it.

 

[mijdirtyjeep]

Also is the area behind the insert insulated? I put Rookwool behind of mine and all around the top to plug the chimney and smoke shelf closed. This helped a lot on mine as I have an exterior brick chimney with a 6” insulated SS liner.

You said your flue pipe is 8”? That seems big on an insert that size

 

[pdqdl]

missed persimmon too
it's right up there with dogwood

In my experience, persimmon doesn't often get big enough to keep the firewood guys interested.

As far as that goes, I don't really understand why they are not more prevalent in the forests and landscape. They prolifically throw fruit that the opossums and squirrels love to eat. I would expect those seeds to get transplanted like crazy.

 

[Bill G]

Here are a few Hedge left that I cut 15 years ago. I had several hundred but the piles are getting low.

 

[Bill G]

In my experience, persimmon doesn't often get big enough to keep the firewood guys interested.

As far as that goes, I don't really understand why they are not more prevalent in the forests and landscape. They prolifically throw fruit that the opossums and squirrels love to eat. I would expect those seeds to get transplanted like crazy.

Funny my boiler and wood piles never complain about the size nor species. I see no reason in wasting wood unless it is complete brush, then it meets a tire

 

[samaritan]

You don’t really need to buy a meter. Simple way to tell of wood is dry, is to split the wood. Then grab the split and place the fresh cut side to your cheek. If it feels wet, it’s probably wet.

Cold means wet usually

 

[samaritan]

Funny my boiler and wood piles never complain about the size nor species. I see no reason in wasting wood unless it is complete brush, then it meets a tire View attachment 1047380View attachment 1047381View attachment 1047382

 

[samaritan]

Wood ****, lol

 

[F8Green]

When wood is bought by the cord of course the more dense woods are going to weigh more, so they are worth more per cord. A cord is a given volume, 125 cubic feet.

A common misconception is that some woods contain a lot more BTU's per pound, when actually all wood is quite close in BTU's per pound. But there is some variance.

All firewood dried to the same moisture content contains approximately the same heating value per pound—about 8,000 to 9,500 BTU per bone-dry pound and about 6,500 to 7,500 BTU per pound for air-seasoned wood with about 20 percent moisture content.

What really is a game changer is how much water is in the wood.

All water is boiled away in a wood stove and it takes a lot of energy to burn wood.

So planning ahead and having seasoned wood is a good idea because the energy content is going up as the water evaporates away.

We burn all kinds of wood excepted for treated, stained, varnished or painted wood.

The lighter woods we leave in larger splits. Most of what we burn has been in pit wood shed for 3 years.

*128 cubic feet

 

[Del_]

*128 cubic feet

Thanks!

It's a typo.

 

[vtfireman85]

I would not expect any amount of dryness rom a 10 year old log laying on the ground, to me dry wood is 2 years split, indoors. I don’t always keep up and have that done, but that is the goal. The difference is massive, i heat 2400 square feet with a VT castings Vigilant, burn beach, maple, hickory, black birch etc. good dry wood i burn 4 cord, this year’s split from last year’s log I burn 6

 

[tomalophicon]

Have you installed a block off plate to stop some of the heat going up the chimney? Most guys recomment steel with insulation above it, oor you can use some kind of fireproof FC.
I'm getting rid of my insert and replacing with a freenstanding stove for the same reason that you're posting here. I have a high efficiency, expensive insert that doesn't do the job I need it to.

 

[farmer steve]

I do not disagree with that I disagree with companies selling moisture testers and claiming they can accurately test firewood.

Not sure about accuracy but the cheap meters put you in the ballpark. For me it's a good selling point when I can show the customer 15% firewood.