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[Bud Man]

I have 6 cords of wood cut 14 to 16 inches long and split small to fit the woodstove I had. It has been cut,split and stacked from 2 to 4 years so it is plenty dry. Started the 2840 with this stuff and was getting only 8 hour burns with it. When this weather turned cold I wasn't getting burn times that I needed. Started loading hard wood cut 24 to 30 inches long that has been drying for 12 to 16 months and split big. I mix both and I'm getting good burn times up to 14 hours. The small stuff ignites easy and the big stuff is lasting a long time. I'm keeping my wife warm and happy! Happy Wife- Happy Life!

[sceptre74]

Same thing here. I have about 2 cords of the small stuff left from last year that I was burning in my old indoor forced air wood furnace. It doesn't  last very long, but it hasn't been very cold here so it has been working fine. I used some of the wood I prepared for the owb a few times and the same amount compared to the small stuff would last 24 hours no problem.

[Maxnchej]

Good information to have as I'm new, only have my bl2840 for one week.

How much do you burn per filling?

I have been using about one heaping wheel barrow full of wood and it last around 12 hours, usually there is nothing left by the time I fill. I have been filling at about 5:30 am/pm each day. It was a little hard to get up that early on a Saturday morning, but having a nice hot house is worth it.

Are you loading the wood past the brick line? I have been trying to keep my at the brick line level but usually have a few that are above it.

I'm also must wondering if I should have bought the bigger unit since I don't think I get much more then a 12 hour burn unless I stacked it really high and I have heard this is something you don't want to do.

[Bud Man]

 The logs were 10 to 16 inches across and cut 25 inches long. Split once and I put in 4 pieces plus several small pieces. I don't go any higher than the brick. This has been lasting 12 hours. I load at 5am and 5pm.

[Pinehouse4]

I am going with the same growing pains as any first time user. Always took a bit of time to get the feel of a new wood stove, and I have had many over the years, so this is just the same. 

I also keep the wood away from the steel, but stack it higher in the middle. To my mind there should be no ashes against the steel so hopefully no corrosion should they get wet from condensation. Could be mistaken.

Today I grabbed some beech that had broken about 15 feet up, cut some of the 8 to 10 inch limbs into 36 or so inches. Tossed about 8 of these onto some regular dry split wood, about 10 pieces and had a good roaring fire going just now.

Bob

[Maxnchej]

I am going with the same growing pains as any first time user. Always took a bit of time to get the feel of a new wood stove, and I have had many over the years, so this is just the same. 

I also keep the wood away from the steel, but stack it higher in the middle. To my mind there should be no ashes against the steel so hopefully no corrosion should they get wet from condensation. Could be mistaken.

Today I grabbed some beech that had broken about 15 feet up, cut some of the 8 to 10 inch limbs into 36 or so inches. Tossed about 8 of these onto some regular dry split wood, about 10 pieces and had a good roaring fire going just now.

Bob

I like the thought of keeping the wood more in the center and away from the sides, makes a lot of sense. I have also read others do not stack by the front or back since they don't notice a increase in burn times.Are others doing that?

[oaky]

Same here, stack mine in the center away from the side water-jacket walls, seems to have the best air circulation this way.

[Bud Man]

I do fill mine front to back and higher in the center. I put in some small stuff to cover the bottom. Then put in the big stuff to bring it up to brick line. Then I use small stuff to fill in the gaps.
Started doing it this way when this weather got really cold, lows 5-10 and highs 15-25. It's working great.
Went 13 hours today before I got back home and was out of wood, water temp was 173, I'm set at 180, house and shed were still at set temps.

[Maxnchej]

What kind of wood are you burning, I'm not getting the long of burn usually after twelve hours I have nothing in fire box and temp ares low, 160 t0 125 with my set point at 190.

[oaky]

With my old owb, Aqua-Therm, I would fill it up to the max whenever we would get wind chills 20-50F below zero, leaving a couple of inches of air space from the walls. I'll do the same with my BL-2840 when the time comes of needing to do so. For now, while the temps are at 5-15F at night, I only need to stack it up in the center about 10 inches above the refractory cement, keeping an air space from the water-jacket walls, using mostly dry oak & a little hard maple, on @180/off @190. I get about 16 hours of burn time. This is what has been working for me, before & now. My heat load is only my 1100 sq ft main floor, (1100 sq ft basement that I heat) ranch house, average insulation, decent windows, a draft here & there, house located on a hill top with plenty of winds.

If you need more burn time, keep adding more wood each time until you get your desired burn time, but stay away from the water jacket walls. You may have to shove some wood farther back & fill the front.

[Maxnchej]

Thanks for the information. I think the big difference is the type of wood. I'm not burning hard wood so that is why I'm having to stack higher and only getting around 12 hours. I add a few more pieces of wood last night around 10 and I got a burn all night and water temp was 175 in the morning.  I had no wood left but I expected that. I didn't want to get into burning the little bit of hard wood that I have until it gets really cold out. Right now we are around 15.

[oaky]

I haven't played around with my adjustable air cover on the draft blower, I always kept it wide open. If we get high winds, which is often, my boiler water temperature sometimes creeps up, because of a strong updraft & a little too much small wood in the firebox, so I shut the draft blower off and close the air adjuster cover. I have an indoor water temp display that monitors the supply & return. I only do this during the daytime while I'm home. At night, if this creeping occurs, I let my high temp limit switch take over, this high limit switch will turn on my gas furnace blower if boiler water temperature exceeds 200F.

I can understand your situation about the size and type of wood you have available. I tend to load up with all bigger pieces at night on real cold nights, minus 15 to minus 25 degrees or wind chills at 15-50 below zero.

Maxnchej, You may want to get a good supply of seasoned hardwood to extend your burn times, especially on those coldest nights , even if you have to pay for it. It's going to be another long cold winter.

[Maxnchej]

Thanks oaky, I do have some hardwood, but having been saving. Plan to start cutting this weekend for next year and will be going after more hardwood. I'm trying not to pay for any wood to keep down cost since I just put the unit in and spent a lot of $$ this year. I'm hoping not to have any wood cost for the next several years. I'll guess we will see. Worst case I run out of wood and buy some at the end of season!!!

[Bud Man]

I'm burning only hardwood. Red oak, hard maple, mulberry, walnut, ash and locust. If the weather warms up some I will burn some pine when I'm home to save some of the hardwood.