My Log Burner Not Getting Hot.

crphillips

Are you able to post a photo of your wood?

What is your location in the world? What is the stove connected to? Old chimney? flexi liner? clay lined flue? Does it have a sealed regsiter/closure plate?

What species of wood is it? Do you get plenty of flames? Is there a noticable change in amount of flames when youn open and close the air controls?

Grz.26

So I bought a bag if "Big K" seasoned hardwood (mixed source) from homebase and have tried that. I can get the fire going no problem but there still seems to be not alot if heat generated. I have a registery board vermiculate, flue, rain cap etc. Hmmmm

Grz.26

Oh I'm in Kent

AGBAGB

Grz.26 wrote: »

..and when i placed another log in, opened primary and secondary controls, waited till it ignited, closed the primary contol and 3/4 closed the secondary small flicker of a flame. not sure it was getting hotter though. I think it was.

Just noticed you said" placed another log". Just the one?

Try filling it with as much as will fit. Leave the vents open, if on a bed of embers it should start flaming quickley if the wood is dry. Let it start roaring and keep it burning hard until the logs first blacken then start whitening with a layer of ash. Only then start closing the vents off a bit at a time and watch the effect. You should keep good but slower flames going for a while. The stove should be hot by now. Close the vents further in stages, check the smoke out of your chimney. Aim for virtually nothing visable, open it up again if you have too much smoke. If the stove is hot enough and the wood at the right stage of burning, very little smoke will be visable, the wood will be glowing the vents almost fully closed and you'll get a long hot burn for 1,2 or 3hrs.

If this works you can then start tinkering with the technique as you learn to get along with you particular stove, installation and logs.

crphillips

If the stove is installed on a liner how you say then i can only assume your not running it correctly......is it not worth paying your fitter £30 and getting them to come and give you a demo on how to light it and run it..........will save you a lot of time agrief in the end.

I can't understand how it isn't getting really hot......it should do.

Are you running it really fierce to start with for 20 mins or so and then adding more fuel, closing the bottom vent completely and then approx half closing the top vent?

Grz.26

Yes just 1 maybe 2..

...sounds like a plan. I shall try it.

PennyForThem_2

I noticed a LOT of difference between properly kiln dried logs and supermarket stuff.

navig8r

You could try an experiment to test how dry your wood is:
Weigh a few logs,then stack then close to the fire or even on top while your in,does not sound like there is much chance of them causing a fire,:)then weigh them again in a week to see how much weight they have lost.
g8r

ClootiesMum

We have a rotation to dry out the logs - from garage to basket - basket to fire surround and then to top of stove to then in stove.
We also have found that chopping the logs down helps them dry quicker.

I know you guys that have had burners for years will be laughing at this - but it was getting into a comfortable routine for us while still keeping house tidy (ish) that meant we experimented.

crphillips

does the wood hiss when you burn it?