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Woodstove Brainpicking

Started by tcsmpsi, January 24, 2009, 10:44:10 AM

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Raider Bill

Swamp Donkey,
That's a fancy wood stove!

TCSMPS,
What is a damper bypass and it's reason?
The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

tcsmpsi

Actually, I believe it is a bypass damper.  From what I can tell, it creates a more direct opening to the flue in a 'reburn' system primarily for starting a fire and replenishing wood into the firebox.  I can see where it would be benificial to 'kickstart' a perhaps sluggish fire.

\\\"In the end, it is a moral question as to whether man applies what he has learned or not.\\\" - C. Jung

beenthere

I suspect when opening the stove to load, that you would open the damper so the smoke wouldn't curl out the open door.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

tyb525

We always have our bypass damper closed, haven't seen a difference in opening it.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

Warbird

Opening the bypass when stoking the fire protects the catalyst.  When you put new firewood in, the gases it first generates are much colder than what was going through the catalyst.  The huge temperature differential can damage a catalyst.  this is why they recommend you open the bypass when stoking and leave it opened for a few, until the fresh fuel is burning well.

tcsmpsi

Hmmm...hadn't thought of that, warbird.

I sure I hope I can use the newfangled thing without breaking it.   ;D 
\\\"In the end, it is a moral question as to whether man applies what he has learned or not.\\\" - C. Jung

WDH

Quote from: tcsmpsi on January 29, 2009, 07:28:37 PM
Hmmm...hadn't thought of that, warbird.

I sure I hope I can use the newfangled thing without breaking it.   ;D 

Hmmmm, what is it they say about teaching a new dog old tricks :)?
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

zopi

Quote from: Dan_Shade on January 26, 2009, 06:09:22 AM
which napolean do you have, Zopi?

and what do you mean by "weak refractory"?

I forget the model, but it is a 2000-2200 sq ft insert...it works alright, but the quality of construction sucks.

Weak refractory...they used Kaowool board in the top of the stove where the exhaust gasses recirculate to heat the top of the stove...they are not strong enough to stand up to shoving logs in there...mine lasted a couple weeks from new and collapsed on my wife one morning while I was at work...she was a little freaked out about it and I was a littl..alot steamed...could have burned her badly and cost me my home...I went by the boiler shop at work and picked up a few hard liner blocks
and cut them to fit the stove. (Ironically, hard firebrick would have fit in the same place as the Kaowool boards with out cutting the brick...it looks like they designed the stove to accept good quality materials and skimped on the production.) I will not buy from them again, nor will I ever accept delivery of a stove with a weak roof like that.

I will find older inserts in good shape, and/or repairable...there are several on craigslist every week...failing that I will build my own ceramic heaters with the help (ok..he'll do it, I'll hump brick.) of a friend of mine who is a master mason.
Got Wood?
LT-15G GO chassis added.
WM sharpener and setter
And lots of junk.

Banjo picker

I posted a while back on my Kodiak insert.  If I were looking for an older stove I believe I would go with it again.  It extends about a foot out from the face of the brick and does a pretty good job. 

Logwalker gave me some ideas about putting a secondary burner in.  It already had a shelf up top so when it cooled down the other day I just layed some firebrick on top of that.  When I shut it down in the spring I will try and get the boys to install a pipe for some air to help with a secondary burn.   Tim
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

Warbird

Quote from: tcsmpsi on January 29, 2009, 07:28:37 PM
Hmmm...hadn't thought of that, warbird.

I sure I hope I can use the newfangled thing without breaking it.   ;D 

LOL You'll be fine.  Just read the owner's manual and follow the instructions.  It ain't difficult, at all.  :) 

Trax

What ever you do stay away from the Vogelzang there chineese junk.

tcsmpsi

Wish you hadn't mentioned that.  I don't quite care for most the Vogelzang line of woodburners and shied away from them. 

However, being an ancient, discriminate collecter of the finest of chinese junk, I will now have to reconsider. :)
\\\"In the end, it is a moral question as to whether man applies what he has learned or not.\\\" - C. Jung

eamassey

Wood Stoves?  I use "Ashley" brand stoves.  I have three of them.  One in the main part of the house, one in the basement, and one in my shop.  The primary heater has been in use every winter for 29 years, with no service or parts replaced.  I have spent most of my 62 winters with wood heat.  Why would I possibly want a catalytic unit? 

Also, I always burn green wood, can't think of any reason why I would want dry wood.  (I do keep some fine-split dry wood for fire starting, left over from the previous year--- but in cold weather, there is no fire starting, just continuous fire.) I check the flue about twice per heating season.  The only action I ever take is to clean the (uninsulated) flue cap.  My wood mix is about 70% red oak, 20% white oak, and 10% hikory.  Much of my wood is from blow down trees.  My favorite wood is red oak rounds (not split) that will just barely go in the stove door.  Also, I can't see much reason for a powered wood splitter-- I still use the same "Sotz Monster Maul" that I have had for 30 years.

Wood heat seems simple, easy, and ultra-low cost to me.


Dan_Shade

the newer "secondary" air, or "catalytic" stoves are so much more efficient than the old stoves.

I look at the old style stoves as plain wasteful when I can compare to how well the new stoves suck the heat out of wood.  if it's above 20F outside, I can heat my 1800sf house for 24 hours with a few armfuls of dry firewood.  The green stuff doesn't do too well in the newer stoves, though. 
Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

Warbird

Have you ever tried heating with only dry wood?  Green wood burns longer because the moisture inside has to boil out.  The energy consumed boiling out the moisture so the wood will burn is energy that could have been used to heat your home better.

Raphael

In theory I use dry to get the iron and fire brick up to temperature and then run greener wood on warmer days and overnight (so it'll hold heat as long as possible).  Once the floor is in and we've got our big stove running I suspect I'll have to reevaluate my position on that.
... he was middle aged,
and the truth hit him like a man with no parachute.
--Godley & Creme

Stihl 066, MS 362 C-M & 24+ feet of Logosol M7 mill

Dan_Shade

I keep a lot of kindling around, mainly cutoffs from the woodshop, and more so, strips left over from edgeing on the mill.  I cut them to length, and that will get a fire ripping fast and turns to coals quickly, then you can toss in dried split stuff.

I like it when my chimney is only putting out a vapor.
Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

SwampDonkey

With the temperatures in the 20's a couple 8" rounds of nice dry maple/beech/Y birch lasts for over 8 hours. No the furnace fan isn't on all the time either. I could if I wanted to turn on manual fan, but that's just wasting juice. With this mild weather (versus -25) it's real easy on the wood pile.  Every time I go down to the basement I have a nice bed of coals and could probably wait another 2 hours before reloading. 8) Hmm my 7.5 cords of dry versus the neighbors 30 cord of green. Seems like a big difference to me. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

cheyenne

Burning green & wet wood is just making more work for yourself & dosn't produce near the heat dry wood does. I've been guilty of both, but only when It's been forced upon me..... smiley_chop....Cheyenne
Home of the white buffalo

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