running the wood stove

[Warren Lake]

At this point im about half way through the rows around the stove and have been adding some more recent chopped stuff as I go. I'm pretty sure all the wood is silver maple. Im getting good heat but it doesn't stay around long. What is your view on using the damper. When I bought the stove a Waterford Trinity way back I was told not to use the damper as you can overheat the stove. I can see ive put a line on there and at some point did experiment with it and checked stove temps and was fine but I leave it full open as i was told originally. Just wondered your thoughts and how you approach this or dont.

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[Jerome Stanek]

At this point im about half way through the rows around the stove and have been adding some more recent chopped stuff as I go. I'm pretty sure all the wood is silver maple. Im getting good heat but it doesn't stay around long. What is your view on using the damper. When I bought the stove a Waterford Trinity way back I was told not to use the damper as you can overheat the stove. I can see ive put a line on there and at some point did experiment with it and checked stove temps and was fine but I leave it full open as i was told originally. Just wondered your thoughts and how you approach this or dont.

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I wonder why they would put a damper in it if you are not to use it

[Lee Schierer]

I would leave the upper damper open unless the fire is completely out. Control the rate of combustion with the air inlet damper somewhere below the fire. You would want the exhaust temp to be somewhere in the center zone on the heat indicator. The lower the exhaust temp the less wood you will use. However stay away from burning below the 300 Degree F. point on your burn indicator. Control the temp with the lower damper not the one in the flue. Only close the flue damper when the stove is not in use.

[Dave Fritz]

Lee gave some excellent advice. Here's some information regarding various woods and their heat values.https://hearth.com/articles/chimneysweep/howood.htm I have white elm and oak. The difference is remarkable. In the spring and fall I burn box elder which doesn't last long and leaves a lot of ash. It heats up the stove mass (Jotul 400) and will take the chill off. Just something you figure out through the years for your location and available wood. The lower the chimney temp the more chance of creosote build up so keep the temp in the middle no matter what wood you're burning as Lee suggests.

[Warren Lake]

thanks on that and while today cold here tomorrow it goes up. I should push myself to run it on the warmer days as well. This wood perfect for that and working for the cold days as well. I do find I end up with a fair bit of ash and always have no matter what wood is used. maybe the stove or how im running it,. I can expect next day to start I shovel out the ash from the day before and start fresh and open and lots of air space around the wood. This stuff chopped recently and no season to dry so split uip smaller and it burns well I can pass middle heat ranges and get well up into the red too hot zone if wanted but try and run it around the middle. Easy enough to soar past it same time, likelyi the smaller pieces with more air around them then if left larger.