On Fri, 27 Dec 2013 10:27:21 -0600, "Snag" wrote:





The flue is clean all the way to the top . The used pipe was thoroughly
cleaned before I installed it .

Good, that eliminates one part of the potential problem.


Your observation that the fire isn't as hot
as it should be may have merit , however . I do know the stove is capable of
massive output , my neighbor up the hill has an identical stove and it heats
his whole house nicely .
Maybe my solution is to feed it less and more often ? I know that Patrick
neighbor loads his up and turns the control all the way to "cool" and has
no problems like the one I'm having - and night before last I did just that
and we were toasty-warm all night . Last night I did the same and it was way
cooler than I wanted this morning . Mama wasn't happy ...
And my wood is stacked about 3 feet from the stove , for just the reason
you suggested that . I just hope I get this thing under control before the
wife strangles me !

Getting a good fire going is important. If this is your first
experience, it will take some time to get things right. Start out
with about 1/4 to 1/3 full and get the fire going well. Once heated,
add a bit more wood to fill it to no more than 1/2 to 2/3 full. The
fire will use some of its energy to get the new wood dried and heated,
ready to burn. Then you can finally fill it up for the night.

Since the wood is near the stove, over time it will dry more and be
easier to burn, but that can take a couple of weeks. Never try to
burn one big log. If you watch two logs, they sort of feed off of
each other for a good burn.