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Hot tips on overnight woodburning needed...


Nickd
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Any old hands at getting a woodburner through the night able to offer any help? Cruella, our contrary stove - yes it's a Deville, just won't make it through the night!

Depending on what settings I try, I just end up with a pile of ash or the remains of a partly burnt log, come the morning.. It snowed here in the Creuse a couple of nights ago, and as fairly new arrivals with a cold winter surely coming, we need to get this stove sorted. It works brilliantly while we're there to add logs, but left to it's own devices...

Any advice gratefully received,

Nick

 

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Are you sure it's definitely dead in the morning? I put a large log or two on before going to bed (11ish), shut it right down and it usually looks out in the morning but I open it right up, put couple of sticks on and smallish logs. It usually picks up really well.

But, we are up by 7.30am and I don't think it would last much later than that. The kitchen (well insulated) stays warm all night.

good luck.......helen

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Coal is a popular option here in 24.

Making sure the fire is damped right down well before you add the logs for the night helps.

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I used to find this a problem too.  Here is the solution that I find works best for me.  Keep the ash pan under the fire about 1/2 full for evening/night.  Before going to bed allow fire to die down to glowing coals without flames.  Flatten the coals then cover with ash from the ash pan.  Close down the air to smallest possible gap.  Put on the biggest , heaviest log you have.  In the morning rake well, throw on thin wood and open up all the air to get a good draw [I call this the blast furnace effect!].  I find that I can keep the fire in for between 8 and 10 hours.  I sort my wood into big logs for winter nights, kindling and the other stuff.  I also keep the different types of wood separate eg fruit wood, oak etc. as they each have different burning characteristics and I can control the fire quite well depending on the climate.  It took me quite a while to figure all this out - I hope it saves you some angst! 

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OHelen, if we emptied our ash pan the fire never worked as well. Husband made me a metal little shovel with a long handle and I would take a couple of scoops of ash out every day and that was all.

For it to slowly burn all night, I used to make sure that the fire was burning well and then put on a big log and close all the air sources up to the maximum. The wood would only last like that if it was dry though.

Took us quite some time to sort all the techniques out though.

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I'm afraid it will be a matter of trial and error for you. Stoves seem to make their own mind up on how they will work (I guess they also discuss this with your chimney). My brother has one which gives a blast furnace effect on a tiny air hole, it really sucks that air in, but if you open it up full, it seems to slow down. However, on mine it only blasts if I open the air hole as much as I can.

 

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The first I did was buy a damper to fit into the chimney pipe itself as the air feed regulator isn't enough to adjust the rate of burning. Now I can load the fire up with logs at about 10PM, open air and damper until it starts to flame then shut down both. In the morning come down to a warm room, open both until it starts to burn up then close damper, leaving air open until the fier is really hot and close down air also. Sounds complicated but it is now almost as adjustable as a gas fire. The dampers are available at Mr Bricolage for about 8 Euros.
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The first I did was buy a damper to fit into the chimney pipe itself as the air feed regulator isn't enough to adjust the rate of burning. Now I can load the fire up with logs at about 10PM, open air and damper until it starts to flame then shut down both. In the morning come down to a warm room, open both until it starts to burn up then close damper, leaving air open until the fier is really hot and close down air also. Sounds complicated but it is now almost as adjustable as a gas fire. The dampers are available at Mr Bricolage for about 8 Euros.
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Nick,

We have two woodburning stoves (soon to be four!) and have no problem keeping them in all night.

Our main stove - Charnwood Country 12, runs each year from end-September to end-March without going out.

The only maintenance required is to clear some ash every 10 days or so.

I have installed many other Charnwood stoves for clients, and they are all able to keep them in overnight.

Looking at some of the other replies my comments would be:

In order to be shut down at night the stove requires efficient rope seals on the doors - many French stoves have poor or non-existant seals.

If you are only burning wood then you should not be using an ashpan - this is designed to be used under a riddling grate burning coal. Wood is meant to be burnt on a fairly thick ashbed.

If the stove is properly designed there is no need for any additional controls in the flue pipe. The controls on the stove should be able to set the air flow.

Other postings re wood are important - only burn well-seasoned hardwood.

Not sure about coal - certainly not used in our area of SW France - but if you do want to burn coal then you will need a grate and an ashpan. With the low cost of wood I cannot understand why you would want to burn coal.

In the UK we had Villager and Coalbrookdale stoves and these kept in all night without any problem.

You did not mention the installation that you have for your flue/register plate, etc. This can also have a bearing on the performance of the stove.

Kind regards,

Bob Clarke
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/grindoux

 

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Thanks to everyone for your ideas & advice.

I've had a bit more success over the last couple of nights. Though I can't claim to have been entirely successful yet, I can see progress! 

Am off to find a new rope seal tomorrow. As you rightly suggest Bob, mine has a very poor seal. I get a lot of smoke escaping around the door when trying to reignite the stove in the morning. So maybe a new seal will solve all my problems - well I can but hope! 

Thanks again,

Nick

 

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a word of warning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The first year in france i burnt my wood stove from nov. to march non stop.it was a new Jotul

the second year woke up 7.00. a.m. to find flue just above stove glowing red I threw water over flue and bottom of flue fell off without any injury.

had chimney cleaned proffesionally and by myself'but following year had problems lighting it .Plumber cleaned flue etc. but needed a blow torch to light fire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I  had oil radiators so continued without fire.3 months later tried cleaning flue myself and as plummer heard top of brush apparently banging against top of chimney rain-cover.I TIED A RAG TO TOP OF MY BRUSHES TO SEE IF THEY APPEARED OUTSIDE-LIKE WAVING A SURRENDER FLAG. HOWEVER IT DID NOT APPEAR.SO I REMOVED BRUSH HEAD AND CONTINUED PUSHING RODS ONLY HARD AGAINST THE TOP AND AFTER 30 MINUTES WORK HAD DISLODGED 8 POUNDS OF BISQUE  WHICH IS THE RESULT OF WET TIMBER OR BAD/SLOW COBUSTION OF THE TIMBER.EVENTUALLY DISLODGED A PIECE AS BIG AS A FIST.REPLACED BRUSH AND HEY PRESTO RONNIE CORBETTS WHITE RAG WAS SEEN WAVING OUTSIDE.

ALSO READ THAT SLOW BURNING/DAMP TIMBER CAUSES IN-COMPLETE BURNING AND EVENTUALLY CONDENSATION NEAR TOP OF CHIMNEY FLUE WHICH IS COOLER RESULTS IN TAR RUNNING BACK DOWN CHIMNEY-A POSSIBLE CAUSE OF CHIMNEY FIRES.

FIRE NOW LIGHTS EASILY BUT I HAVE STOPPED BURNING ALL NIGHT-----I DO NOT WANT A FIRE IN THE CHIMNEY NOR A BLOCKAGE AGAIN.

I ALSO WILL NOW CLEAN MY CHIMNEY EVERY 6 WEEKS -IT IS NOT TOO DIRTY A JOB.

ANYONE NEED A CHIMNEY SWEEP????????????????????????????????i    I AM VERY CHEEP!!!!!!!!!.

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a word of warning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The first year in france i burnt my wood stove from nov. to march non stop.it was a new Jotul

the second year woke up 7.00. a.m. to find flue just above stove glowing red I threw water over flue and bottom of flue fell off without any injury.

had chimney cleaned proffesionally and by myself'but following year had problems lighting it .Plumber cleaned flue etc. but needed a blow torch to light fire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I  had oil radiators so continued without fire.3 months later tried cleaning flue myself and as plummer heard top of brush apparently banging against top of chimney rain-cover.I TIED A RAG TO TOP OF MY BRUSHES TO SEE IF THEY APPEARED OUTSIDE-LIKE WAVING A SURRENDER FLAG. HOWEVER IT DID NOT APPEAR.SO I REMOVED BRUSH HEAD AND CONTINUED PUSHING RODS ONLY HARD AGAINST THE TOP AND AFTER 30 MINUTES WORK HAD DISLODGED 8 POUNDS OF BISQUE  WHICH IS THE RESULT OF WET TIMBER OR BAD/SLOW COBUSTION OF THE TIMBER.EVENTUALLY DISLODGED A PIECE AS BIG AS A FIST.REPLACED BRUSH AND HEY PRESTO RONNIE CORBETTS WHITE RAG WAS SEEN WAVING OUTSIDE.

ALSO READ THAT SLOW BURNING/DAMP TIMBER CAUSES IN-COMPLETE BURNING AND EVENTUALLY CONDENSATION NEAR TOP OF CHIMNEY FLUE WHICH IS COOLER RESULTS IN TAR RUNNING BACK DOWN CHIMNEY-A POSSIBLE CAUSE OF CHIMNEY FIRES.

FIRE NOW LIGHTS EASILY BUT I HAVE STOPPED BURNING ALL NIGHT-----I DO NOT WANT A FIRE IN THE CHIMNEY NOR A BLOCKAGE AGAIN.

I ALSO WILL NOW CLEAN MY CHIMNEY EVERY 6 WEEKS -IT IS NOT TOO DIRTY A JOB.

ANYONE NEED A CHIMNEY SWEEP????????????????????????????????i    I AM VERY CHEEP!!!!!!!!!.

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For the rope seal, ask for a "tresse", make sure you get the right size otherwise you may not be able to shut the door! Don't forget the special fire resisting cement to fix it.

My woodburner, an insert of unknown provenance, kept in well if there was a good ash bed, was topped up with the largest most solid log I could find, a few bits of dry wood were essential to rekindle in the morning. Ah, the ash... thank goodness we moved and have now got central heating!

MikeW

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Success at last!

New door seal, big log last thing at night and a few dry sticks in after a bit of rooting about in the ash next morning and away it went! Am going to replace the seal on the ashpan door next - should make it go even better.. Thanks again for all advice,

Nick

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