wood stove insert
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clemsonfor
Super Member
I don't use a grate and it says recomend not use a grate. You will get longer burn times without it as you will lessen the oxygen to the areas of the wood. If your getting unburnt coals you are not getting a good enough draft. How tall is your chimney? Are you running this as a slammer install?
Grates in modern stoves are really for folks that burn for pretty fires and not heat.
Grates in modern stoves are really for folks that burn for pretty fires and not heat.
Egon
Epic Contributor
Are you cutting back combustion air?
Getting a good hot fire going should burn up all the carbonized coals and reduce the ash load significantly.
Getting a good hot fire going should burn up all the carbonized coals and reduce the ash load significantly.
dmccarty
Super Star Member
We have an Osburn wood stove and we don't use a grate. I clean out the ashes every day when the fires burn out or down and I leave as many of the coals behind as possible. The only time I have too many coals is when I burn the wood too quickly. Our stove will burn a full load of good wood in about four hours. At the end of four hours, the wood stove temp will have dropped into the creosote creation zone, and I add wood. Too many coals happens when I put in wood at hour three instead of hour four. Except during fire start up or if we have some wet wood, we put the draft at its most closed position. A fully open draft will burn the wood faster and likely lead to more coals.
The best thing we bought to help run the stove was a stove thermometer from TSC. The thermometer has a magnet so it should work with an insert. The thermometer allows us to control the draft to maximize heat and burn time while minimizing wood usage.
Later,
Dan
The best thing we bought to help run the stove was a stove thermometer from TSC. The thermometer has a magnet so it should work with an insert. The thermometer allows us to control the draft to maximize heat and burn time while minimizing wood usage.
Later,
Dan
Capt Dan
Silver Member
I've had my LOPI insert for over 25 years. It said to not use a grate and that it works best with at least 1 inch of ashes. I've never had a buildup of unburnt coals and can't figure out why yours would. Are you letting it get a good bed of ashes or keeping it shoved out?
Also wonder about the flue. How high above roof? Any other buildings that my change air flow over the roof?
Dan
Also wonder about the flue. How high above roof? Any other buildings that my change air flow over the roof?
Dan
I have a 25' chimney with a 6" stainless liner. The stove has very good draft so I dont think the problem is there. When I put the stove in 3 years ago it would go about a week before it needed cleaning . Now it's like 2 or 3 days. I tried the grate and the wood burns to a fine ash now. I have to keep it dampered down or it burns too hot. I am going to get a thermometer so I can keep track of the temp. The temp in the house is in the high 70s low 80s most of the time. I will try the grate for a week and see how it works. thanks for the advice I will keep you posted as to my results. Thanks again Andy
Egon
Epic Contributor
radioman
Super Member
No matter what the fireplace or woodstove I use, I use a stoker and play with ashes every time I start a new fire to expose the leftover coals or unburnt wood and move it into a pile and use that to start a a new fire with. Nothing like a homemade "charcoal" to start a new fire with. It always burned for me.
DennisArrow
Platinum Member
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Your problem is for sure that you are NOT running a hot enough fire for the type of wood that you are burning. That is all the grate will do is allow more oxygen to reach the bottom of the coals rather than just burn from the top. It really DOES NOT matter about the heat of the house......IT'S THE HEAT OF THE FIRE that indicates a proper burn. DO get a pipe thermometer from TSC and use that to judge the heat of your burn.........I have to open windows even on very cold nights or I get run out of the upstairs bedroom. Yes, I keep those doors closed all day and night........God bless.......Dennis
Id agree with the rest either starving it for air or maybe draft is low but you say it drafts good so maybe just starving the fire? I only clean my wood burners out when I cant get any more wood in the bigger ones anyway once a week or so. No grates in any of them takes up space and makes more work in clean out jmho. Now my fireplace insert needs cleaned more often. I leave all the coals in all them I can burnt and unburnt. my .002
