Burning the log burner a little differently

[Coletti]

Hello all, since we had our log burner we have opened and closed the bottom vent to regulate the burn but a few weeks ago my dad was looking at new log burners and found one that used a sort of air injection system from the top so it burnt down instead of up and it stated that by doing this it burnt more of the gasses and ash in the fire with claim of only a pint of ash from a cube of timber. Since reading this we have been burning our wood burner by using just the top vent to see if it makes a differance and to my supprise it does, the amount of ash it's producing I considerably less yet still seems to give off the same heat as usual.

 

Just wondering if anyone else has ever heard of this and weather anyone else uses just the top vent?

[Craig Johnson]

top air draw for wood, bottom for coal/startting

[Stephen Blair]

Judge bet me too it:001_smile:

[growforest]

Like they said.

The other key point to a good hot fire is the size of the gaps between the logs. You'll learn this through experience (I got a much bigger stove thinking I could chuck in vast chunks of roundwood, but it doesn't work like that), but smaller dry logs with the right gaps will save lots of time and keep the house warm.

You'll be so hot you'll have to invest in a stove fan to move all the air to other rooms.

Get some way to check stove temperature too (a cheapo oven thermo is ok if there's somewhere to jam it tight to the pipe, or invest in a magnetic one). Really handy to make sure you're burning efficiently.

[face cord]

Theres is a pricey stove called the xeoos flames go upside down.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIXYMXdVzuE]xeoos twinfire - YouTube[/ame]

 

Think if i won the lottery i'd get one.

[gensetsteve]

Keeping the bottom vent closed also helps the airwash over the glass so it stays cleaner.

[Stereo]

We only use the bottom vent for starting or if it dies down too far. Opening the top vents keeps the glass clean and gives you more heat. If your wood is dry enough, try closing up as many vents as possible. This will give you the longest burn and the most heat output to the room I find. On ours it will blacken the glass unless the wood is bone dry.

[Eagle]

Stoves burn most efficient at full blast; thats why people want to use a back boiler so that they can store the excess heat for use later or directly in radiators, hot water etc. The stove above is a gassification stove.

[County4x4]

Yep - that's how you're supposed to use a woodstove!