Chubby Stove temps running high

Keeps
I am interested in burning wood in the cubby. I have sime questions
Do you split your own wood? How do you stack the wood, vertically? I find the inside of the cubby to be so small. Commercial wood sizes are to big. And since wood needs air from above, do you open the MPD all the way?

I cut and split the wood myself. I try to make the lengths no more the 15-16 inches and the splits (wedges) no more than 3 or 4 inches. I feed the wood into the Chubby from the side door or through the top depending.... and make adjustments as I would when burning coal. You probably know that wood responds a lot faster to control adjustments and that it's a lot more forgiving and easier to work with. Obviously gathering and preparing it is more work than coal but I'm always cutting up fallen trees and tree limbs here on the property and have to do something with the wood so it works out. On colder days coal does a lot better though.

keegs wrote: ↑

Wed. Feb. 02, 2022 8:41 am

I didn't read through the thread but after a few years of heating with this Chubby I'll say this: This building's heat loss is relative to the delta between the inside and outside temps. Using coal as a fuel, the Chubby heat controls (regulating combustion air and exhaust) become less responsive at the low and high end of the temp delta. At the very low end (outside air temp in the high +30s to low 40sF) I can open an upstairs window or two to lower the indoor air temp. And at the very high end (mid to high -30sF) I can put on some more clothes.

I find a bit more range in the Chubby output control at the low end by switching to wood fuel. This Chubby seals pretty tightly and with a full load of hardwood fuel like maple or oak, I can shut the controls down and it can run at low output for 6-8 hours.

That is really , really good for a coal stove. The best I can do is 4 hours on my TLC 2000.

Chubby... Plain but fancy.

Vonda wrote: ↑

Wed. Feb. 02, 2022 9:32 am

And since wood needs air from above, do you open the MPD all the way?

Just FYI... It's not the purpose of the MPD to give combustion air from above. It is used to cut the draft down going thru the stove. Gases should only be going one direction at that point, which is up and out the chimney

Over fire air would normally be given at the loading door level.

There are two over air ports on the body of the Chubby ... I think they call them dog ears. If I've got a good wood fire going and I won't be feeding it (ala ... going to bed for the night) I leave the dog ears closed. I have the combustion air opened just a crack and the manual damper closed. Best thing is to try it out for yourself. I imagine your shoulder periods in GA are a lot longer than up here in ME.

One other thing I'll mention. I've been burning wood for many years. I used to live in NJ and collected all my firewood free from listing on Craigslist and from what was left on the side of the road when the power company contractors cleared the trees from around the powerlines.

Vonda wrote: ↑

Wed. Feb. 02, 2022 12:18 am

How do you clear the ash, if you don't shake it down?

I enthusiastically poke it from underneath, I use an old 2 ft long screwdriver with the last 4 inches bent at a 90 degree angle.