Can I Get Some Help With My Woodstove Please?

[WindyHill]

This is my first full winter with a wood stove. I've mastered lighting it, loading it, etc., but I'm having trouble with the air control. Mine has a knob in the bottom front center that you pull out to close off the air, and push in to open it. I'm not sure when and how to use it.

I thought I read that once the fire is going good, you close it partly so the fire slows and maintains steady. But when I try that, it either seems to change nothing, or stifles the fire out if I pull it out (closing it) too much. The air control stem does not have any markings or notches on it, it's all guesswork.

Can someone please tell me when I should be closing it, how much to close it and why?

At this point I'm just leaving it open mostly and of course burning through wood like crazy.

Thanks for any input.

 

[Wannabefree]

I dont' close mine, it puts the fire out This is my first year with one since I was a kid, so I don't remember every function, but my stove is not the bestest in the world and I just leave the little vent open. The purpose for it is to pull oxygen in to keep the fire going. If we close it it cuts off the oxygen supply, and well fire won't keep burning without air to it. we also leave the flue open, but it can be closed part way to keep more heat in the stove rather than just going up the chimney.

 

[rebecca100]

When the fire gets going good and you have a good bed of coals going then you close it. If you do it too early it will suffocate your fire. The coals are the main thing. You need a REALLY good coal bed. I usually fill my heater the last time before bed when I have a deep coal bed going and wait until I see the wood burning and then I close the draft.(air control) It will make your fire burn slowly through the night. If you are afraid to shut it off all the way then just crack it a little. We have an old Ashley(I think) wood heater and I can fill it at night about 9 pm and still have plenty of heat all night without refilling it. It just takes practice to learn exactly where and when to set the draft.

 

[WindyHill]

Yeah, that's another thing that's bugging me. I have to add wood constantly. It will NOT last through the night, ever. I can go to bed at 2am and wake up in the morning and it's totally out. Everyone tells me that's odd and that theirs goes all night. My stove is brand new, I don't get it.

 

[WindyHill]

By the way, don't know if this matters or not, but there is no flue, or anything in the chimney pipe. Only the air control lever that I described on the stove itself.

 

[dacjohns]

Brand new stove? Owners manual? You should have one. Maybe there is another control you don't know about.

If it is a name brand stove you should be able to find a manual on the internet if you have the one that should have come with it.

Even though wood stoves are basically the same they can differ in how they operate. I need more information before I can give you any better advice.

 

[homesteadmomma]

When the fire gets going good and you have a good bed of coals going then you close it. If you do it too early it will suffocate your fire. The coals are the main thing. You need a REALLY good coal bed. I usually fill my heater the last time before bed when I have a deep coal bed going and wait until I see the wood burning and then I close the draft.(air control) It will make your fire burn slowly through the night. If you are afraid to shut it off all the way then just crack it a little. We have an old Ashley(I think) wood heater and I can fill it at night about 9 pm and still have plenty of heat all night without refilling it. It just takes practice to learn exactly where and when to set the draft.

This is what we do also and with a new stove it should burn all night. When you close it down, it smolders so in the morning we open it back up and allow air in and it starts burning again before we add wood. If we left ours open all night our wood would burn up also. Hope that helps a little!

 

[Wannabefree]

Nice to know. We couldn't get ours to burn all night either...going to try this tonight though

 

[WindyHill]

Brand new stove? Owners manual? You should have one. Maybe there is another control you don't know about.

If it is a name brand stove you should be able to find a manual on the internet if you have the one that should have come with it.

Even though wood stoves are basically the same they can differ in how they operate. I need more information before I can give you any better advice.

I have an owner's manual for it but it doesn't clearly describe how to use the air control. It just says to close it partially to maintain a "slow burn". No other details.

Definitely no other controls I don't know about. It's a very simple stove.

I can get a good coal bed going before bed, load it with wood and in the morning the wood is gone and the coals are out. I MIGHT get a couple of tiny cinders, that's it.

Not sure what other info I should give?

 

[FarmerJamie]

Brand new stove? Owners manual? You should have one. Maybe there is another control you don't know about.

If it is a name brand stove you should be able to find a manual on the internet if you have the one that should have come with it.

Even though wood stoves are basically the same they can differ in how they operate. I need more information before I can give you any better advice.

I have an owner's manual for it but it doesn't clearly describe how to use the air control. It just says to close it partially to maintain a "slow burn". No other details.

Definitely no other controls I don't know about. It's a very simple stove.

I can get a good coal bed going before bed, load it with wood and in the morning the wood is gone and the coals are out. I MIGHT get a couple of tiny cinders, that's it.

Not sure what other info I should give?

would the type of wood and how well it's seasoned have any impact on how long it'll last for you?