Why doesn't my stove produce enough heat?
Possible causes and solutions :
Your wood is of poor quality or too humid.
Solution : Make sure you use good, seasoned wood. The wood you burn plays an important role in the overall performance of your stove. Your wood should have been properly dried for about one year. Furthermore, it is better to use hardwood, such as oak, maple, beech or ash. Hardwood will burn hotter and cleaner. Softwood (such as spruce and pine), on the other hand, will produce less heat for the same volume and will have a lot of sap, which increases the risk of creosote buildup in your chimney. Storage is also key. Wood that has been cut for one, two or even more years, will not necessarily be dry if it has been stored in poor conditions. Under extreme conditions, it may have rotten instead of drying. Smaller pieces of wood will dry faster. The wood should be stored in a place where the grass is not too long, and where the wind will be able to circulate between the logs. A 24" to 48" gap should be kept between the cords. The wood should be placed in the sunniest area and should be protected from the rain and the snow on top, but not the sides.
The air control mechanism is not open enough.
Solution : Adjust the air control mechanism in order to keep the flue temperature within the comfort zone (between 250 and 475oF) on your chimney thermometer. The air control mechanism must always be closed gradually. You need to obtain a good bed of red embers and the logs must be completely lit up before you can close the air control completely. This can easily take up to one hour. If you do not have a chimney thermometer and would like to get one, please consult our "accessories" section.
The logs that you are using are too big.
Solution : Use smaller pieces of wood and place them to allow proper air circulation between the logs. The same weight of wood cut in many small pieces will produce more heat than fewer, larger logs. Only add big logs when you have a good bed of red embers. Logs with a diameter exceeding 6 inched should always be split. Avoid stacking logs to the top of the stove.
The chimney draft is too weak.
Solution #1 : In many cases, a weak draft is simply due to insufficient heat in the exhaust system. Build a small, intense fire, and leave the door ajar (never leave the stove unattended). Before inserting larger logs, use dry kindling to obtain a good bed of red embers. Gradually increase the size of the logs. Close the stove door when you reach a flue temperature of approximately 475oF on the chimney thermometer. Leave the air intake open for approximately 15 minutes. Then, gradually close the air intake control. Note that there is no danger in letting the temperature inside the flue reach approximately 700oF during start-up. This is even favourable in order to properly start your stove. You must however avoid to maintain excessive temperatures (above the comfort zone on your thermometer) during a long period of time. Your chimney thermometer should be positioned on the exhaust pipe, approximately 18 inches above the stove. If you do not have a chimney thermometer and would like to get one, please consult our accessories section.
Solution #2 : Your stove may not have all the oxygen it needs to allow for a sufficient draft. You first need to insure that the room where the stove is located is sufficiently large and well ventilated. Open the nearest window by approximately 2 inches. If you notice a significant improvement, it is a sign that the stove needs more oxygen. The room may be too insulated or too small. Without an additional source of oxygen, the draft will remain weak.
Solution #3 : The chimney may be too short. In order to obtain a sufficient draft, your chimney must have a minimum height. A minimum height of 12 feet (from the stove to the end of the chimney) will generally provide a sufficient draft. PLEASE NOTE: Longer is not always better. A chimney that is excessively long may be difficult to warm-up and control.
Solution #4 : Your exhaust system may be too tortuous or may lack a sufficiently steep slope. Ideally, your exhaust system should not have more than one 90o elbow. Furthermore, all horizontal sections should be as short as possible and have a minimum slope of ¼" per foot.
Solution #5 : Your exhaust system may be oversized. When your chimney is oversized, the volume of air that needs to be warmed-up is larger. It is therefore difficult to reach temperatures that will allow for a sufficient draft. Most EPA certified stoves have a 6" flue outlet (152mm). If your exhaust system does not have a 6" diameter, you can insert a stainless liner with a 6" diameter inside the exhaust system. Non-EPA stoves often have a flue outlet that varies from 6" to 8". Insert a liner with a diameter equal to the stove's flue outlet.
If you have verified points 1 through 4 and your stove works fine, but still does not heat enough, you may be asking your stove more than what it can realistically give you. Stoves are used for "zone" heating. It is normal that the heat be distributed unevenly inside your home. It will always be colder in the rooms that are distant from the stove. Furthermore, since heat rises, a stove located at the ground floor level will not heat your basement.
Solution: : It is possible to increase heat circulation between the floors by installing floor traps. The location of your stove is also important. Try to install it in a central location. If you want to heat both your basement and the ground floor, install your stove in the basement. The heat will rise to the upper floors. Verify that the area you try to heat is within the capacity of your stove. The heating capacity of your stove is indicated on the printed literature supplied by Drolet, or in the technical data section on our web side. Keep in mind that your stove's heating capacity is calculated under the assumption that the house is in normal conditions. The actual heating capacity of a stove may be too low in situations where a house is poorly insulated, or highly exposed to wind. If you already have a stove with a high heating capacity (such as a Sawman or HT2000) that works normally but does not heat enough, you probably need a central heating system, such as a wood furnace.
REMEMBER : Bigger is not always better. A large stove located in small, airtight room, may not have enough oxygen to operate normally. The advice in this section is provided under the assumption that the stove is located in an open, well ventilated area.
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