New Lopi Freedom

[ponyexpress976]

A couple weeks back I had my new Freedom installed and man does that thing throw off the heat. My question is Im getting a lot of coal building up on the bottom...to the point i need to shovel it out to get it loaded really good for an overnight burn. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong? My thinking is that Im not letting in enough air causing the incomplete burn.

 

[WVwoodsman]

How are you running your stove, with the damper closed? That would cause a buildup of creosote that you are seeing. Are you burning seasoned wood? If not, that could also be contributing to the creosote problem. How is the chimeny, is it internal (running up through the center of the house) or external (outside)? The chimeny may not be getting hot enough thus allowing the creosote to build up.

 

[Richard_]

get the box nice and hot (between *400-*600), close it down and let it cruise , I had the same problem till I learned how to use my insert , I used to have to clean it out every 2-3 days , now it hasn't been cleaned since I started burning back in October

 

[itn]

also make sure you are stoking up the coals so they have a chance to burn. give them an opportunity to burn some before you add more wood.

 

[Dok]

Also, rake the coals towards the front where they will get more air. They will burn down to ash. Coals in the back of the box may never get enough air to completely burn.
Dok

 

[ponyexpress976]

Not really getting the creosote build up, just the coals. I've been running it the last few days with the air control wide open but the damper closed down most of the way if not totally.to keep the heat in the house...not Maine/North Dakota cold here but cold enough.

 

[woodguy105]

Not really getting the creosote build up, just the coals. I've been running it the last few days with the air control wide open but the damper closed down most of the way if not totally.to keep the heat in the house...not Maine/North Dakota cold here but cold enough.

I've got a Lopi Answer, I get the coal build up when my wood has abit to much moisture. Even though it looks like a nice hot fire closing down the air vent ends up producing in essence charcoal, from a low and slow fire. You'll need to let a little more air flow and maybe shut the damper 1/2 way or 3/4's til you get it burning steady hot.

Has your window stayed clean?

That's a sweet stove and it must crank!

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I was under the impression that you don't restrict the exhaust with a damper at all with a modern airtight stove. You leave the flue totally open and unrestricted and control the burn with the intake air only. If that is indeed the correct way, opening the intake and restricting the flue is just opposite of how you're supposed to run it.

I don't know... I won't own a stove for another 6-8 weeks.

Ian

 

[woodguy105]

I was under the impression that you don't restrict the exhaust with a damper at all with a modern airtight stove. You leave the flue totally open and unrestricted and control the burn with the intake air only. If that is indeed the correct way, opening the intake and restricting the flue is just opposite of how you're supposed to run it.

I don't know... I won't own a stove for another 6-8 weeks.

Ian

When I first got my stove I did not have a damper in the stove pipe and ran it only using the air intake. When I moved I put in a damper and it seems to help control the burn in a number of ways, if the wood is not as seasoned as it should be , I can leave air intake wide open and close off damper a bit to slow it down. Or if I have a screaming hot fire I can close it off even more using the damper along with the air intake. I have much better draft now (interior stove pipe straight up to the roof) than I did in the other house. Don't know if that makes a difference or not?

I don't know if it's the right way per say but it works for me!

 

[outdoorlivin247]

The type of wood I burn in my Quadrafire makes a big difference...If I am home all day and can tend the stove Oak is my choice b/c it burns strait to ash and little of it...For weekdays and overnight burns I like Ash, Hard Maple, Black Locust or Walnut b/c I want the deep bed of coals to stir and rekindle the stove...Good luck and you will get it figured out...

 

[atvdave]

The solution is to push the coals up in a row along the front of the glass....about one to two inches from the glass......and place a single split on top of the row. The split will burn fast and some of the coals will go with it.

What TreeCo said is what I found to work the best to burn down the coal build up in my Lopi Freedom insert.

I rake the coal chucks to the middle and shovel out the ashes at the sides. Then I rack the coal chucks to the front like TreeCo said and place a small split on top of the coals and they burn down great. For the over night burn I spread the coals around the fire box, and stack the box full.

Next morning, you do it all over again.

congrats on the insert...

 

[yukiginger]

Ash buildup

get the box nice and hot (between *400-*600), close it down and let it cruise , I had the same problem till I learned how to use my insert , I used to have to clean it out every 2-3 days , now it hasn't been cleaned since I started burning back in October

Richard, seriously? I empty my ashes every five days, as by then it's a few inches deep in my insert. That's probably 2/3 of a face cord worth of wood burning, though. You have been burning for months without emptying ashes??

MarkG

 

[Richard_]

Richard, seriously? I empty my ashes every five days, as by then it's a few inches deep in my insert. That's probably 2/3 of a face cord worth of wood burning, though. You have been burning for months without emptying ashes??

MarkG

seriously , I'm still baffled by it

 

[Jredsjeep]

seriously , I'm still baffled by it

me to when i get to much coal build up i just crack the door open for about a half hour when i am around while stirring them every few minutes or so. that keeps the coals exposed to air instead of them getting chocked back off with ashes as they burn. i hate pulling out good coals to make room for wood.

that usually takes the pile down for me.

 

[Ske-bum]

It's normal for the new high efficiency stoves to build up a large bed of coals. Yes, it can be a pain.

The solution is to push the coals up in a row along the front of the glass....about one to two inches from the glass......and place a single split on top of the row. The split will burn fast and some of the coals will go with it.

Like TreeCo, said rake them into a pile then throw a little piece of wood on top and poof, problem solved.

I find that I get a lot of coal build up in mine when the ash gets too deep. I then rake the coad into the middle and shovel a little of the ash out, into a fire proof bucket of course.

There is a learning curve with every new fireplace/wood insert, each one burns a little different.

 

[yukiginger]

Ash production

seriously , I'm still baffled by it

Okay, then, Richard, please post the brand and model of your insert so we can all have another piece of information when we're choosing our next (or first) woodburning appliance. Really, it would make a significant difference to me to know that one burner will reduce the wood to ashes much better than another. I empty every five or six days, about 3 gallons worth, and I'm not displeased with the performance of my insert, but if I could go for two months without shoveling ashes????

Thanks.

MarkG

 

[woodguy105]

Okay, then, Richard, please post the brand and model of your insert so we can all have another piece of information when we're choosing our next (or first) woodburning appliance. Really, it would make a significant difference to me to know that one burner will reduce the wood to ashes much better than another. I empty every five or six days, about 3 gallons worth, and I'm not displeased with the performance of my insert, but if I could go for two months without shoveling ashes????

Thanks.

MarkG

If I burn really..really well seasoned oak & run the stove hot the ashes are white as snow & very fine. Then it takes a while to have to clean out the ashes. Still end up cleaning em out at least every week.

Too many coals and or lots of chunks or packed gray ash when I clean out usually means i've got wood that wasn't/isn't seasoned enough and I restricted too much of the air flow instead of giving what she needs.

 

[Richard_]

Okay, then, Richard, please post the brand and model of your insert so we can all have another piece of information when we're choosing our next (or first) woodburning appliance. Really, it would make a significant difference to me to know that one burner will reduce the wood to ashes much better than another. I empty every five or six days, about 3 gallons worth, and I'm not displeased with the performance of my insert, but if I could go for two months without shoveling ashes????

Thanks.

MarkG

it's a Pacific Energy insert "Pacific" model