Frontier Stove issues???

[countfreddie]

Hi all.

I am new to the site.

I have spent my first summer mucking about in a bell tent which I furnished with a frontier stove. I have come up against some issues from the start and tried to iron them out myself but with 2 more colder weather trips planned this year I have had to admit defeat and ask here... I have grown up with wood burners at home and know the basic running of them and how to close down over night etc. so not a complete rookie...

So my 2 main issues which drive me round the bend are:

1) The stove does not seem to draw properly and smokes us out.
2) Leading on from this (I think), the stove often chokes itself and barely burns unless constantly attended.

My issues have always been present sinse I bought the stove new. I am aware of the issue with the narrow flue needing to be kept clear of soot so have tried to keep on top of this. But from the word go as soon as you open the door to the stove to tend the fire it billows smoke out, the smoke pools at the top of the stove when the door is closed (on first latch for regular burning).

Once I have got the stove up to temperature I generally try to use split logs form the same source as those used at home (form a local farm and well seasoned). Sometimes I give it a boot up the **** with a bit of pine offcuts. However as soon as I turn my back with the door left on the latch the flame goes out and it builds up smoke. This happens 99% of the time. Then to get in there to sort it out you have to release all that smoke in to the tent, ruining the experience again... I have experienced the flames suddenly burst in to life as soon as the door is opened again, showing a lack of oxygen. I have found that unless I build the fire right at the back of the chamber I have no hope of maintaining a fire at all.

So where am I going wrong? Don't be shy, I need an idiot proof solution because with every failed attempt my manliness diminishes a little!!!

Many thanks for your time!

 

[Paul Webster]

Do you use the optional spark arrestor?

 

[colly]

firstly welcome.

not used the frontier stove but the symptoms sound like either blocked air inlet or misplaced baffle.
how long is the flue?

 

[Leigh Robinson]

I use the frontier stove on a regular basis and can add my thoughts. Here is my setup.

Untitled by Arborvita Online, on Flickr

I have used wood burners many times before and various types. The frontier is trickiest by far and it took quite a few outings and smoked out tents to get it right!

When you open the door smoke billows out - There is no 'draw'. Smoke is just building up inside the stove. The solution is to never close the door fully. You can have it on the last latch or even resting nearly shut. I have found that as soon as it is fully shut it always chokes out, every time. It's a design error basically. If you notice, many stoves have a twisty turning vent in the door so you can micro manage the flow. The frontier doesn't. So the door always has to be a little open to allow 'draw'.

If it's on first latch and blowing smoke back - You may have stacked in too much wood so the air can't flow through. Over-stacking will suffocate the stove, push Carbon Monoxide into the tent and you will get a smokey chimney which shows it's not burning efficient. Not burning efficient = smoke. There is also an adjuster on the flue. I can't remember the name. That has to be fully open or no more than 1/8th shut.

If you aren't over-stacking the wood - The stove likes a good warm up and a bed of embers. I always start with small sticks to warm up and get some embers going. Sometimes I have to physically blow air into the stove to rev things up.

Don't build at the back of the chamber. All the heat will just shoot up the flue. Its not efficient. I burn as far forward as I can. Plus the air would get to it easier.

I suggest having a few small stick fires in there. Start pencil lead and build up to thumb thickness. They will burn hot, fast and there will be less smoke. Be mindful of wood. Pine burns hot and fast. Stay away from elder and other poisonous ones. I mainly use willow which I find a good all rounder.

We have a meetup the back end of september in March, Cambridgeshire. You are welcome to come along and play with the stove. I can have a look if you like.

 

[Dave]

Simple fact is it was never designed to be used in a tent. They were made for disaster zones, like haiti, to be used outside.
I got one in Feb 2010, for £70, then they became popular and the price shot up.
Flue is ridiculosly wobbly...A fair few people do like em though, each to their own....

 

[Clouston98]

Mines always served me well, never had any problems with it. Maybe yours is in some way a bit dicky?

 

[countfreddie]

Hi Thanks for the responses all. I know they were designed for outdoor use but I don't see why having the stove in a tent would cause issues. Indeed I know plenty of people use them in tents. 3/4 of the flue is out the tent. I have the spark arrestor with guy rope holes so wobble isn't an issue...

Also I did wonder if mine has an issue but it's so simple and I have had a good look over it. Nothing seems out of place. So decided I was just blaming my kit.

Thanks for your thoughts Leigh... I think I will fire the stove up in the garden where smoke isn't an issue and I will experiment a bit over the weekend...

 

[ozzy1977]

I know it sounds daft but is the butterfly valve in the chimney open?

 

[scottishpinz]

I treat the Frontier like a camp-fire / stove hybrid. I have to admit to burning non-seasoned wood in it, but small diameter of maybe 5 cm max and mostly pine which does soot up the flue a bit. I have given up trying to get it to slow burn logs over an hour or so and just keep stoking every 10 min with smaller sized wood always leaving the door on the first latch to let air in.

Here is a trick for a really hot fire I discovered. Build a reasonable fire and get a wee bed of ashes then fill with small logs 5 cm max and close right down, flue damper shut, door shut. Now leave for half an hour or more. Then when opening up the damper and putting the door on the latch to let air in after a min or so the stove will rocket into life and if it is dark the flue will glow!

I have added a grate to the bottom of the stove using an old oven grill and it does seem to benefit from the extra air circulation.

 

[slowworm]

I was just going to suggest adding a grate, it's something I'm considering doing on mine. I try to put a few small logs across the bottom, side to side, to create a sort of grate effect when starting.

I tend to find mine smokes a fair bit until I get it going and when there's a good bed of embers it'll stay hot and smoke free for an hour or two.

Putting too much wood in also makes it smoke, and I think using logs/sticks that are too long. I try and keep a bit of a gap at the end of the firebox so air can get in and burn the gasses to prevent smoke.

 

[colly]

the butterfly valves (dampers) on flues are now not recommended.
they cause problems including smoking as do spark arresters. these used to be on all woodburner flues on thatched cottages but are now not to be fitted because of sooting up and causing fires.
if there is no separate air intake then the idea of having latches on the handle to give some small simple air intake control makes sense particularly if they were designed for out door use for people with no history of that type of stove.
try testing in the garden without the spark arrester and see if it makes a difference obviously you won't want to leave it off when using the tent but it could give you an idea of what is causing the problem and then you can work on fixing it.
i have on my wish list a Touareg tent and frontier stove. if it was mine i'd look at taking out the damper but i can't recommend this to any one else.
also have a CO alarm in the tent and if you sleep in there with the stove still alight have another at bed height.

 

[colly]

also some stoves smoke back in warmer weather but work better when it gets cold as the temperature difference helps the draw.

 

[Goatboy]

As others have said it really does sound like it's not drawing. When I first got mine in certain weather conditions it would smoke us out like Arbroath Smokies.
My mate belzeebob had a witches hat fabricated (days before the spark arrester was available) and it cured the problem overnight.

Could also be that your door is unusually tight, it does need to breathe and the addition of a wee grate as has been said would also help. (Been looking for one myself). At the weekend just passed I was using a mix of wood and anthracite nuts for the first time (was a base camp) and it worked a treat as the nuts last for ages in the tent over night.

But the saving grace has been the witches hat, really improved the air flow and made the stove more efficient.

Hope this helps a bit.

GB.

 

[treadlightly]

Make sure the flue damper is always left open and never close the door fully because then you will cut off all oxygen. It smokes a bit while the fire first gets going but I find that the door is all I need to control airflow. I tend to leave it on the latch or just resting against the stove body so there is some airflow. If I want to see flames I open the door wide. It's not perfect but I like mine.

 

[Stingray]

I made an adjustable air intake on the door.I had trouble getting it to draw otherwise.I didn't like leaving the door open a notch as every now and again the smoke would kick back into the shed.It has transformed the operation of the stove,took 10 minutes and cost about 50 pence.I tried a grate,front fire,back fire but this solution sorted it.

 

[Jazz006]

I made an adjustable air intake on the door.I had trouble getting it to draw otherwise.I didn't like leaving the door open a notch as every now and again the smoke would kick back into the shed.It has transformed the operation of the stove,took 10 minutes and cost about 50 pence.I tried a grate,front fire,back fire but this solution sorted it.

Have you any pics on the mod you did, would be interested to see it as I have just got myself a frontier stove.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Stingray]

I'll take a few pictures tomorrow evening.Basically a 20 mm hole cutter,m4 nut and bolt and a conduit box lid.(I like to keep things simple)

 

[Jazz006]

I'll take a few pictures tomorrow evening.Basically a 20 mm hole cutter,m4 nut and bolt and a conduit box lid.(I like to keep things simple)

Oh that sounds like a mod even I could do lol

 

[Stingray]

Managed to fight my way into the bottom shed for a photo.Need to get the stove out for a good wire brush and refurb.
This simple mod made all the difference for me.It sometimes used to smoke the shed out before.Once everything has warmed up I can completely shut the door and not suffer from smoke build up.As stated in another post,don't load it up too much and try and keep the fire to the front.

 

[colly]

great mod.
one thing to consider for anyone contemplating doing similar.
wood burns best with air from the top, coal wants air from below.
have a look at a wood burner stove for houses they have an air intake at the top and no grate while multifuels have top and bottom air intakes and a grate.
this is most efficient for wood burners and burning wood on a multifuel is a compromise and loses some efficiency.