Help with burning wood in glenwood Base Heater

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drmalik
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Post by drmalik » Wed. Aug. 30, 2017 2:07 pm

I have a Glenwood 8 Base Heater and I like to burn wood in the shoulder seasons and am wondering if anybody had any tips for wood burning- trying to get the max time possible. So far I have the front vent open, the base vents closed, and both dampers wide open (not in baseburner mode), but i'm definitely not getting 8-10 hour burn times. I also have the vent on the back of the base burner wide open (this stays shut when burning coal) Any help would be much appreciated.
Last edited by Richard S. on Thu. Aug. 31, 2017 9:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Moved to Antiques, Baseburners, Kitchen Stoves, Restorations and Modern Reproductions

 
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dlj
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Post by dlj » Wed. Aug. 30, 2017 10:51 pm

When I burned wood in my #6, I would fill it completely with wood once a fire was going well. Also, I would run in base burner mode instead of wide open as you are. You need good draft for this. By filling it completely, I'd take the top plate off the top and stuff wood down into the body making sure it was as full as I could get it with as little space left between the pieces of wood as possible. It would be stuffed from the grates to the top plate on the top of the stove. That being said, 10 hours is a long burn with wood. Depends upon what you're using for wood. What kind of wood are you burning? My favorite back then for long burns was locust. Do you measure humidity in the wood? Do you have a humidity meter? There's a lot of details when burning wood that you should take into account, especially if you are looking to get long burns times. So start with what kind of wood are you burning and what is the humidity level of the wood?

dj

 
coalnewbie
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Post by coalnewbie » Thu. Aug. 31, 2017 1:48 am

For me it's just to much work to burn wood in these stoves even in the shoulder season. However, I realize things are different in VT. Coal is more expensive and wood is plentiful. So David, it is clear to me now that I need to be an engineer to take this on. Another thing, chimney sweeps around here are crooks.

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Thu. Aug. 31, 2017 6:10 am

8-10 hours on wood is not going to happen unless you really choke it down...which produces creosote. Short & hot fires are the way to go if you want to keep things clean.


 
drmalik
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Post by drmalik » Thu. Aug. 31, 2017 10:12 am

Thanks for the input. I came across a glenwood base heater ad from the early 1900s and it talks about how it can hold a wood fire for 8-10 hours easily. I'm lucky to get 3-4 hours with wood.

 
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Canaan coal man
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Post by Canaan coal man » Thu. Aug. 31, 2017 11:13 am

An advertisement is a advertisement. Remember back then there were dozens of stove company's competing for your bushiness.

 
franco b
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Post by franco b » Thu. Aug. 31, 2017 11:22 am

drmalik wrote:Thanks for the input. I came across a glenwood base heater ad from the early 1900s and it talks about how it can hold a wood fire for 8-10 hours easily. I'm lucky to get 3-4 hours with wood.
The stove is not the problem. The fuel is.
As Rob pointed out, when using wood and air is restricted for a long burn, excess creosote and smoke result.

When wood is heated it releases gas which accounts for half its heat value. If sufficient air and heat are provided, it burns fairly clean but not for a long time. Your Glenwood has a secondary air ring which should help to burn the gas with corresponding high stack temperatures unless the base heater configuration is utilized.

To cope with the burning characteristics of wood efficiently, the large masonry heaters were developed. A good size fire with plenty of air and enough heat absorbing surface to keep stack temp. low. Burn time is short, but enough BTU is stored in the masonry to last many hours.

to get that 8 to 10 hours you want, the stove has to be stuffed full and you will have to settle for a very inefficient burn.

 
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dlj
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Post by dlj » Thu. Aug. 31, 2017 9:08 pm

drmalik wrote:Thanks for the input. I came across a glenwood base heater ad from the early 1900s and it talks about how it can hold a wood fire for 8-10 hours easily. I'm lucky to get 3-4 hours with wood.
I wouldn't call holding a wood fire for 8 to 10 hours an easy thing to do with these stoves, but you should easily get 6 hours. I would routinely get 9 hours - sometimes more, but the stove was banked down for that. Also, up at the end of the time frame, I was happy to not have to restart the fire, just put kindling in and get it going again. At 10 hours, the stove was not putting out a lot of heat. I got really good at starting fires...

With good dry wood, you can bank it down and not get creosote much... But you have to have your wood quite dry. An old timer I used to work with had converted an old barn into his house. In the lower part of the barn where they used to milk the cows, he had his wood storage. He had 5 years of wood stored inside. So he was always burning wood that had been dried for at least 4 years indoors.

If you want to get good long burns with wood - get a modern wood stove. Get a modern wood stove if you are going to seriously heat with wood. There is no antique stove that even comes close to the efficiency of a modern wood stove.

If you are going to heat your house with an antique stove - burn coal.

dj


 
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wsherrick
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Post by wsherrick » Thu. Aug. 31, 2017 9:34 pm

I have the answer to your conundrum.
Please listen to me. (I'm not trying to be a smart alack.) The solution to your problem is to forget about wood in that stove. You have a highly superior stove to burn coal in; so burn coal in it and you and the Glenwood will live happily ever after. Even during the Fall and Spring. :idea:

 
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Hambden Bob
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Post by Hambden Bob » Fri. Sep. 01, 2017 6:08 am

Thankfully,the "Sherrick Of Anthracite" Has Chimed In On This One !

Not to smirch the other Fine Respondents to this Topic,but it's always Good to see the "William" drop in ! A tool,especially a Purpose Built Tool,works at it's finest when used for it's Optimum Mission. One of the Best things about burning the Hard Black Rocks was the absence of any Chimney Fire Enthusiast's Fuel Of Choice-Creosote..... While I realize that getting a Coaler going for spot heating in the Shoulder Months is a little more work,it becomes like most things in Life : Do-able if the Will and Passion are in place to succeed. You've got one Helluva Good Unit,try the Coal Route and see what You can garner for this Early Burn Season....

Good Luck,and Good Heating !

 
franco b
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Post by franco b » Fri. Sep. 01, 2017 1:13 pm

You might try a wood fire, and when going well add a few scoops of coal to extend the burn. You should have a clean wood fire and the coal to make it last.

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