Woodburner question..

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Woodburner question..

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sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed Oct 12, 05 1:06 pm Post subject: Woodburner question..
Why does a woodburner/fire work better when there's a bed of ash? I've just lit mine for the first time this year and it took ages to get going compared with when it's in regular use.

Alchemist

Joined: 02 Mar 2005
Posts: 123
Location: Aberdeenshire

Posted: Wed Oct 12, 05 1:38 pm Post subject:
Dunno, but that's basically the difference between coal-burning and woodburning stoves by all accounts. Woodburners have flat bases to the cavity because the wood benefits from the ash, and coal-fired stoves have grates to allow the ash to fall through because they get smothered otherwise. Haven't quite worked that one out myself yet.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 05 7:14 pm Post subject:
Don't know, but ours does too. when we clean it out, we always leave some in now, to stop it being such a nightmare after. The wind has been odd recntly too, affecting the draw.

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Fri Oct 14, 05 8:38 am Post subject:
In short, yes. If we are burning wood we clean out once a week, if using coal then once a day.

Millymollymandy

Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 187
Location: Brittany, France

Posted: Sat Oct 15, 05 6:04 am Post subject:
Our woodburner has a grate for the ash to fall through. We clean it out every day and it lights without any problem at all!

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 05 9:37 am Post subject:

Millymollymandy wrote:

Our woodburner has a grate for the ash to fall through. We clean it out every day and it lights without any problem at all!

I probably will, but your wood will be burning too fast as well.

Millymollymandy

Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 187
Location: Brittany, France

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 05 12:07 pm Post subject:
Why would that be? It's our first year with one. Any tips gratefully received!

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 05 12:14 pm Post subject:

Millymollymandy wrote:

Why would that be? It's our first year with one. Any tips gratefully received!

It burns quicker with a clear grate as the air-flow is increased, alowing more oxygen through.

Millymollymandy

Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 187
Location: Brittany, France

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 05 12:44 pm Post subject:
With mine, the air doesn't come up from under the grate. It is above it so wouldn't make any difference whether there was ash there or not.

Will

Joined: 30 Jun 2005
Posts: 571
Location: Grenoside, Sheffield

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 05 1:18 pm Post subject:

As I understand it even in a stove without a secondary airflow opening under the grate, the effect of convection (warm air rising up the chimney, cold air being drawn down to replace it) will cause air to be pulled up from below the grate through the fire.

My stove has two air controls - one above and one below the fire. When burning wood, I usually keep the bottom one closed and the top one open with a layer of ash on the grate. Smokeless fuel needs the bottom one open, the top one partially closed and a clear grate.

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