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Author Topic: Any tips/hints/tricks for a new user?  (Read 1958 times)

BenGrove

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Any tips/hints/tricks for a new user?
« on: November 12, 2014, 09:54:30 PM »

Hey Friends, I'm loving my new Heatmaster MF3000 but as a newbie I need some help. 
My first few weeks burning the temp wasn't too cold and filling up the furnace would last about 20 or so hours before I'd put more wood in.
Since the temps have dropped pretty low it's been different.  Yesterday morning (after filling the stove around 9 at night) I went out at 630 in the morning and my water temp was at 110 with just coals burning.

Does anyone have any tips to not burning through lots of wood so quick? I have my water temp set at 170 and the blower kicks on at 160.  My damper is at 50% and I usually keep the house around 72 to 75.  I'm heating a 2000 sq ft home and a 50 gallon water heater.  Now, I'm not sure on what type of wood I'm burning, but I do know it's not as seasoned as so people say, it's pretty green.
Anything would be helpful, thanks!
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free heat

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Re: Any tips/hints/tricks for a new user?
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2014, 10:32:43 PM »

I'd say you must be burning soft wood. Softwood is OK you just won't see the same burn times out of like an oak tree. That's got to be what's happening, I can assure you it isn't your stove.
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Lineman

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Re: Any tips/hints/tricks for a new user?
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2014, 02:44:49 AM »

I tend to agree with free heat about your wood your using I have a MF 5000 heating 3200 sf & dwh using seasoned oak ash & cherry set at 180 with 10 degree dif no issues at all load @6:00 am and 7:00 @ night stove is about 1/3 full of wood in evening just starting to get cold in mi. I would try to get some dry wood see what kind of differents it makes just my opinion my damper is also set at 50 %
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tulenutn2o

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Re: Any tips/hints/tricks for a new user?
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2014, 06:58:56 AM »

First, don't let the fire go out! ;D ;D ;D. Biggest loser is burning green wood, lots of energy being used to dry the wood before you gain any heat. Seasoned wood will improve your burn times. But, if all you have available this year is green, burn it. I got my boiler off for the year due to surgery, so my wood will be seasoned  a year ahead, finally. It was tough pill to swallow when I had to pay the L.P. supplier,though.  :(
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GCTerpfan

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Re: Any tips/hints/tricks for a new user?
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2014, 07:04:40 AM »

How big is your wood split?

I have been burning all soft wood simply because I had to get rid of about 45 pine trees in my front yard last year.  It took me a little getting used to but I have been getting 24 hour burn times the last week and outside temps have been around 30 at night and 45 during the day.  I have been putting smaller rounds and split stuff down first, on top of the coals and then I put either one big round or two large split pieces.  When I say large I mean as big as I can fit through the 24" door on my CB. Then I put smaller splits or smaller rounds the whole way around the large pieces.  My theory is the smaller stuff keeps the larger piece from going out, it seems to be working well so far.

Just keep playing with the way you load it you will figure it out, when I first started burning mine I went back and forth between using wood that was too big and my fire going out and wood that wasn't big enough and it burning up too quickly.
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