Update: DS Anthra Max burning wood

Hi everyone -

I wanted to update the post/question I put out there last year about the DS Athramax burning wood in the shoulder seasons.

I have able to successfully get my A-Max 14 and 15 to burn wood well - as well and clean as my old Comfort Max.

To do this I had to do the following -

1) Order a plate to cover the grates to moderate the under fire air. DS makes plates that fit the Athra-Max - just call and ask.

2) Take out the hopper and the reburn boxes and put in DS's Front Loading Baffle. This allows plenty of room for wood, protects the hopper door, and provides secondary re-burn of the gasses. It is very easy to swap these set ups out - takes less than 10 minutes.

3) Put a paper clip on the air flap on the thermostatic control so it can't snuff the wood fire out completely and cause a puff back.

That's it really and then you have a wood burner if wanted/needed and a hopper fed stove for coal during the winter. The only other thing I'll add that has been helpful is to build up the wood fire slowly. I start with three splits on top of kindling and let that burn down to coals before adding more.

I'll work on posting some pictures if people seem interested in this.

Pete

Yes, please post some pics.

Don’t the anthramax have a little screw in the top of the regulator to hold the flap open for them slow coal burns ? My energymax does have that . How many hours are you getting out of it . I just purchased mine this year and I was originally leaning towards the anthramax but ended up going with the 160 energy
Max because of wood burning capability.

Z193, post a picture of what you’re talking about and please.

Panto,
Try a top down fire for building up the fire slowly. You’ll get far less smoke. Great for a cold chimney too.

Big wood on the bottom, slightly smaller wood in 2nd layer, smaller with each layer to kindling on top, and shavings on top of the kindling. Light the shavings. Leaves some slight gaps between pieces of wood, just enough to allow some burning hot coals to fall between and light the layers below.

I’ve found that keeping a good sharp hand plane near the stove makes for some nice curly-Q shavings in a hurry. Perfect for light.

Hoytman wrote: ↑

Sun. Oct. 16, 2022 11:15 am

Z193, post a picture of what you’re talking about and please.

Panto,
Try a top down fire for building up the fire slowly. You’ll get far less smoke. Great for a cold chimney too.

Big wood on the bottom, slightly smaller wood in 2nd layer, smaller with each layer to kindling on top, and shavings on top of the kindling. Light the shavings. Leaves some slight gaps between pieces of wood, just enough to allow some burning hot coals to fall between and light the layers below.

I’ve found that keeping a good sharp hand plane near the stove makes for some nice curly-Q shavings in a hurry. Perfect for light.

I



Not sure if you can actually tell but to the right of the chain is a 10-32 screw . It’s function is to keep the flap just slightly open for long slow burns , however with wood I have not set in at all . I let it close and run the air wash higher so my door is easier to clean . I could see the benefits when burning coal

No - the A-Max doesn't have that screw. To accomplish what I need I put a paperclip on the flap so it can't shut completely when burning wood and snuff out the fire making smoke and a puff back possible. With coal the paperclip is not needed, and in fact you need the flap to close completely to really maximize the slow burn you are talking about.

I am working on pictures, but technology is not my strong suite and my wife has the camera phone so stand by for these.

Pete

This is my first time with a stove , I never burnt coal inside or wood . It’s a learning process . It was a really hard choice between the a-max and e-max .I’m learning so much from all of you guys

Here are a couple of photos of the unit while running. The front loading baffle plate is full of small holes that are fed by the airwash/overfire air and cause the smoke to reburn as it rolls up and over the baffle. On top of the baffle is insulation. It is two pieces and very easy to install/take out and switch with the coal hopper and reburn tubes.

I can get some shots of the wood plate and the baffle cold and out of the stove if people are interested in this.

I have my regulator set to 3 and half - that seems to let in enough air long enough to get things really heated up and burning cleanly and then it shuts down and the paperclip lets in enough air for a slow and clean burn.

I can get 2-3 hours on a load of wood (3 to 4 splits) - which is about the same as I got with my Comfortmax.

I have to say, especially now with what has happened with prices on coal, I am pleased that I have got this dialed in for wood so I can conserve my coal for when it most needed and I can burn it most efficiently.

pantosketcham wrote: ↑

Thu. Oct. 20, 2022 5:27 am

I have to say, especially now with what has happened with prices on coal, I am pleased that I have got this dialed in for wood so I can conserve my coal for when it most needed and I can burn it most efficiently.

YEP

pantosketcham wrote: ↑

Thu. Oct. 20, 2022 5:27 am

Here are a couple of photos of the unit while running. The front loading baffle plate is full of small holes that are fed by the airwash/overfire air and cause the smoke to reburn as it rolls up and over the baffle. On top of the baffle is insulation. It is two pieces and very easy to install/take out and switch with the coal hopper and reburn tubes.

I can get some shots of the wood plate and the baffle cold and out of the stove if people are interested in this.

I have my regulator set to 3 and half - that seems to let in enough air long enough to get things really heated up and burning cleanly and then it shuts down and the paperclip lets in enough air for a slow and clean burn.

I can get 2-3 hours on a load of wood (3 to 4 splits) - which is about the same as I got with my Comfortmax.

I have to say, especially now with what has happened with prices on coal, I am pleased that I have got this dialed in for wood so I can conserve my coal for when it most needed and I can burn it most efficiently.

I’m assuming that there must be different regulators for most of the line up of their stoves . Assuming most are proportionate to the size of the fire box , btu output. It seems like you have it dialed in very well . Looks like a nice clean burn . I can’t notice in your pictures , are you running air wash low or high ? . That’s awesome you have a hopper stove for coal and can burn a few splits of wood . I just wish the e-max 160 wasn’t so hungry for wood ! I’m at the point where I struggle between clean burns and keeping a fire ! Awesome

That’s a good question.

Do Hitzer and DS use different bi-metallic regulators for each model stove???? I’d love to know…

Seems you have e the same problem with your E-max160 as I do with my Hitzer 354, the struggle between clean burns and keeping a fire…and I don’t have any re-burn tubes…yet. LOL!

Hoytman wrote: ↑

Sat. Oct. 22, 2022 4:14 pm

That’s a good question.

Do Hitzer and DS use different bi-metallic regulators for each model stove???? I’d love to know…

Seems you have e the same problem with your E-max160 as I do with my Hitzer 354, the struggle between clean burns and keeping a fire…and I don’t have any re-burn tubes…yet. LOL!

I contacted DS Friday morning about adjusting the ball chains on their regulator . They had told me to cool the stove down , set it on low measure the gap cold should be around 1/8-1/4 a room temp . I checked it and was at 1/4 inch gap . I also think as far as hearing the A-max story and about the comfort max in another thread . That they are only using about 3-4 splits of wood . Also to given the E-max’s fire box is more than double the fire box of both of those stoves . I noticed it will burn cleaner in cooler temperatures. Being that you can run the regulator around 2 or 1.5 , the air wash set to 1/3 towards low . If I can keep the internal temperature up inside the stove it will re-burn and kill a lot of the dirty smoke . Now being when it’s colder it does work more effectively. The glass took no more than a wipe with newspaper . I was also loading around 8-10 splits of wood at night . When I come home from work in the morning it was all ashes . I did also notice that different species of hardwoods being oak is way better than any of the others, the next being cherry . Unfortunately on the farm I have way more bad bottom maples than anything .

So the next time I burn when it’s colder being under 35 . Im going to try to get it hot internally and run the regulator around 1.5 only loading 6-8 pieces more towards the 6 peices. I do notice that the Re-burn will actually run the stove idle along while the bi metal dampener is closed (cracked a little with the set screw). At any point though I haven’t had the inside glazed . Most of my cleanliness issues were either extremely dirty glass that took a razor blade to get off , and soot at the top of the chimney. Being my chimney is only 22 feet I don’t worry very much about it getting cold . I have always had a good draft even in the 60 degree weather . I have not measured it with a mono meter yet .


In conclusion I think the stove is capable of doing what i need I just don’t think the operator is yet ! If you let that beast on high you can’t stand next to it at all

Stove temps can go up to 550 if you let it . I usually run it 350-400 so I can get a load to last overnite . My flue temps usually run 200-250 on the magnet . Once every couple days I was really getting it hot for a short period of time maybe 30 minutes . Also using some rutland creosote remover mineral as a piece of mind .

Leaving it on high, even medium, you’re right…you can’t stand next to it.

I already know that 350-400 in the fire box isn’t high enough without running it on high first, 500-600, charring the wood real good, and then turning it down to 350-400. Even doing that I know 200-250 on the pipe magnet isn’t enough to keep creosote from forming.

Now I used your numbers, but they happen to fit for me burning wood in my 354.

The conclusion I have come to, since my stove is so big for my house is this:

1. I need a smaller stove for the house.

2. Me and you are going about this wrong…and I just thought of it yesterday.

Rather than trying to burn wood right now in this shoulder season, we need to just fire up the coal. It’ll cruise with no issues at the temps we need right now.

From there we have two choices that I see.

A. We can continue to burn coal through the season if conserving coal isn’t an issue.

B. We can conserve coal by burning the wood when conditions are much better for it. That is, wait until the temps really drop in mid-to-late winter and burn the wood when it will perform the best and when we need the stove run at higher temperatures, conserving coal and wood. Then in the spring go back to coal.

I think with these big stoves, especially in my situation, I need to be burning the fuels in reverse…coal now, then when it’s really cold out and the stove can be turned down for re-burn and still maintain the 325+ temps we need to keep the stove pipe and chimney clean (300 is bare minimum and cutting it too close in my mind).

I think that makes more since because even dry wood will smoke badly if the fire is choked down too much. I’m talking even wood at 12% and dryer. Heck, I just had eco bricks glaze my stove and they’re likely in single digits moisture content.

That's not wrong. In fact, it may save you a lot of aggravation.

waytomany?s wrote: ↑

Mon. Oct. 24, 2022 1:49 pm

That's not wrong. In fact, it may save you a lot of aggravation.

I’m thinking it will save a lot of aggravation as well.

I have no idea why I didn’t think of it before yesterday. I guess because it’s just easier to keep letting the wood season in the stack and let the coal cruise on easy street.