I just purchased a hunting cabin with 17.8 acres of woodland in Vermont. The cabin came with a Locke Warm Morning model 120 stove. The stove uses wood as its fuel source. This is my first experience with using a wood burning stove to heat a home. I am interested in hearing your advice on the Warm Morning stove.
If I am using nomenclature that is incorrect, please feel free to correct me. The stove pipe has two dampers, I don't know why it has this arrangement. Additionally, the stove pipe bends and angles are not appropriate. Come spring I want to relocate the stove and chimney to reduce the stove pipe angles and horizontal sections. The heat shields on the wall and floor will be replaced in the spring. I need to make it through this winter and thrive next winter by reconfiguring the stove, pipework and heat shields.
Here are my challenges with the stove:
- How much wood should I charge the stove with? Should I fill the entire compartment with wood or fill it partially?
- The hot coals from the wood fall through the grating and end up filling the ash box. Is this normal? When I place more wood in the stove, I sometimes need to rekindle it because the coals are in the ash box.
- Any suggestions on how much I need to keep the draft open? I am calling the draft the small door in the door that leads to the ash box.
- The shaker fell out of the stove when I was emptying the ash bin. I cannot seem to get it to stay in the brackets under the grating. Any suggestions on what seems to be the problem? Currently I have the shake sitting on top of the grating to prevent all the coals from falling into the ash pan.
- Does anyone has an owner's manual I could read?
Bob "Vermont Noob" M.