fire up my stack

[jrthe3]

I have a 3x8 evap. with a force draft blower when i get it going and go to add wood to fire when i close the door i will have a 4 foot flame out of my stack with the blower off it will stay there for 15 to 20 min after fireing the only way air can get to the fire is through the blower fan there is no draft door or ash door it is all sealed off what can i do to keep the fire in the arch

[mountainvan]

That's one heck of a fire/ draft. Try putting a damper in the stack, I use the top cap on mine as a damper. I only open it an inch or two.

[softmaple]

maybe your using too much wood. when too much wood is used there sometimes is not enough combustion till it reaches the top of your stack and it glows plasma like. is there fire or does it glow?

[lpakiz]

I too have a dull red glow out the stack starting about 3 minutes after I fire and lasting about 5 minutes. I can't see it during the day, but was boiling in the dark a few nights ago. Comes out the top about a foot, then tapers back to a few inches before disappearing. I am splitting hard maple slabs a foot long to a size about no bigger than a softball bat and cramming the firebox full each firing.. Still have a heck of a boil after it disappears, so I think I am wasting heat. That was the last time I boiled this year so next year I will not split so small and see if the firing will last longer and be more consistant.
Larry

[Brent]

It sounds to me like both of you are adding too much wood and too long between additions.

Try getting your firings down to every 6 minutes or so and add less. This will give more even hotter temperatures.

More details about the wood type, condition, splitting size etc may reveal more.

[jrthe3]

I use all hard wood maple oak cherry some ash and this year a little beach because ran out of the other i try to keep it as big as possibil around 4x8 inch or so but we all have spilt wood and know how it turns out in the end

[gmcooper]

Really sounds like what you all are seeing is flue gasses burning when they reach fresh air at top of stack. Not really flame all the way up but just at the top of stack and above it. We've had a few passers by stop in when I am boiling at night thinking we are on fire. Usually it takes the right combination of wood and air currents to have it happen. If the fire box is starved for fresh air that will contribute to it.