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[MarkP]

With this being my first year with my OWB, I'm still learning.  One thing I'm finding is that the wood isn't burning completely.  Anytime I try to take ashes out, I find that there are very few ashes, and lots of small chunks of charred wood, charcoal, etc.  As I check the stove morning and night, I typically find about 8 inches of hot coals, and the charred wood under that.  I usually just throw more wood in on top of it all and keep the cycle going.  Eventually,, I have to take out coals, wood pieces, ashes, etc. to make room for more wood. 

My brother has a CB 5036, and was telling me he had the same problem at first.  He called the CB representative, and was told he was loading it too full, and too often.  He wasn't allowing the chips and coals to burn up completely. 

The past couple days, I've been trying to stir the ashes, and let the coals alone until they are down drastically.  It's just with working, I can't always leave the stove without wood until it burns more.

Ideas and opinions anyone???

[ckbetz]

I would use an ash rake and make sure you give it a good stir once a day.  You'll notice the ash in the bottom will be so fine it almost looks like a liquid.  Then you might see chunks of wood there but while you're gone they burn more completely and you may see the wood you put in replace the chunks that burn down to dust. 

Remember smaller particles will always settle down to the bottom.

[willieG]

Mark, like you i also don't have time with working off the farm to stir the ashes...I find that if it is not "ball freezing" cold on the weekend and i am working around the farm or in the shed i can get by with no wood, just stirring the weeks  worth of coals every hour or so, and if needed  i leave the door slightly ajar to promote  more air being drawn over the coals

with the door slightly open i guess i am waisting some heat but the coals burn down to take up less space in the wheel barrow

then at supper i may take some ash out or  just fill er up for the night

[MarkP]

Thanks guys,,,,,,,,,,,,, I did alot of stirring the ashes and coals yesterday and today, and only put in 3 pieces of wood each day, and banked it light at night.  I have more ashes now, and less chunks, and a good bit more room in the stove now.  I'm not sure what an "ash rake" is, but I plan on welding up something that looks a bit like a pitch fork, that I can stir from the bottom to the top, to bring up all the wood chunks.  We had temps here today in the lower 30s, and the 3 pieces of wood kept about the same fire as the 8 I usually put in it.  I do notice that the draft fan has run more with less wood in it, but the temp is staying up pretty good anyways. 

Same temperature and less wood???  Sounds good to me,,,,,,,,

[ckbetz]

An ash rake is the exact thing you are going to make.  If you go to Central Boiler's website you can see one in the parts catalog.  I had a homeade one that lasted for several years but the handle was solid round stock and small.  It was heavy and hard to grip compared to the one they make.  Anyway, I do think it's an important step to get all the burn you can out of the stove.

Less wood, same heat.  I'd say that's not too bad.

[John D]

Only thing Ill say is be careful not to rake too much.I kind of like leaving some coals,in case i cant get to the furnace or the wood i throw in is wet,theres something to burn,the coals just sit there,in my case I dont let them build up to the point that they are obstucting the size of the firebox,but they are my safety system.The Shavers forced draft will light them and burn them completely ,giving me a few more hours of burn time.I found out monday morning,when I went out to the furnace cooled off to 165,and the only thing left was a huge round I threw in,I was cleaning up,and threw it in,it must have been on the ground,and was so wet it didnt even start to burn,but all the coals were gone,and kept the house warm all night,165 wasnt too bad,I had temps back up to 180 in an hr.