How do I keep my wood buring stove going 24/7?

[mrcharly]

Welcome to boat life, young lady.

I lived on a narrowboat, then a dutch barge for years.

First of all, for safety's sake, you *must* have adequate ventilation. Your boat must have a BSS and this will list the ventilation. Don't ever be tempted to block up a vent, no matter how chilly the draft.

The key is learning how to bank your fire. Your stove has a large firebox - I'd suggest building up ash in it and only raking out the central section, say an area twice the size of a tin of baked beans. Any decent stove shouldn't allow you to shut off the flue entirely - check that the flue is drawing in any conditions; different wind directions, combinations of the lower vent being open, shut, etc.

With practice you'll be able to keep a bed of coals in overnight, even using just wood. Keep some very dry kindling to hand, so in the morning you can throw in a handful first thing.

Living on a boat can be bloody cold - you'll need to adapt a bit. Ugg boots are a great idea, as it is often very chilly at floor height even it is warm at head height.

PM me or post here if you have any questions about boat living.

 

[filcon]

A couple of options to consider,
Open a top vent slightly, you need ventilation if you are sleeping in close proximity.
Burn hard wood like oak, if split turn the bark side into the middle.
Burn coal briquettes as they produce more ash, helps restrict air flow.
I mix my sawdust with the briquettes and coal dust, allow it to get wet and put in on last.
Once the fire has been topped up sprinkle some ashes over the top.
Trial and error till you work out your amounts of fuel and ventilation.
Safety first, keep a window also slightly open near where you sleep and have a carbon monoxide detector fitted.

phil

 

[Quill]

Man I haven't used coal since back in the early 70s. I burn wood all winter. The drier the wood the better on an air tight stove. I prefer the less efficient because it will burn wetter wood. No matter what, I refill every 5 hours when the temp gets from +15 to -20F.

Oh yeah and I clan my chimney regularly or use a creosote treatment once a week. More if I burn pine.

 

[Native Nathan]

When i was a kid we had an open coal fire (not sure how similar it is)

But to keep the fire going all night we banked it up with coal then sprinkled it heavily with ash, it damped it down but it was still light in the morning and the livingroom was always lovely and warm, hope this helps.

I'm not really sure if this is applicable or practicable but is your boat insulated, i mean your inside a metal can surrounded by freezing water (Similar to a fridge) just thought it may help to keep some heat in so it won't be as cold when you get up

 

[Water Gypsy]

Thanks to everyone who has commented, Im glad to report im nice and toasty on the boat, thanks to everyones help and advice

Cheers guys x

 

[Maxip]

Not on a boat, but we used to keep the house fire light overnight using wettened slack (very small pieces and dust from coal). Mix in a bucket with water (practice) and bank up the fire - this kept the fire burning over night and just needed raked in the morning to get it going again.

 

[mousey]

I remember reading on your introduction you do some work at an animal sanctury type place?

I have a few animals which require hay/straw/sawdust. When I clean them out I keep that and chuck a load in my aga at night. not sure how eco friendly it is as it does create a bit of smoke but the straw/sawdust burns down to create a good layer over the coals, which keeps it burning not too hot and not too cold over night, so in the morning there are still plenty of red coals and the house is still toasty enough not to have to get dressed in a hurry.

 

[Water Gypsy]

I remember reading on your introduction you do some work at an animal sanctury type place?

I have a few animals which require hay/straw/sawdust. When I clean them out I keep that and chuck a load in my aga at night. not sure how eco friendly it is as it does create a bit of smoke but the straw/sawdust burns down to create a good layer over the coals, which keeps it burning not too hot and not too cold over night, so in the morning there are still plenty of red coals and the house is still toasty enough not to have to get dressed in a hurry.

ahhhhh! Brilliant idea!! Never thought of that!! I cant use the stuff from work but.... I have a doormouse (has been put into retirement from work!!) come to live on the boat with me. Was wondering how to get rid of his mess properly, so thats a perfect idea!! Thank youuuu x

 

[Water Gypsy]

Not on a boat, but we used to keep the house fire light overnight using wettened slack (very small pieces and dust from coal). Mix in a bucket with water (practice) and bank up the fire - this kept the fire burning over night and just needed raked in the morning to get it going again.

Brilliant, cheers, I'll try it

 

[Water Gypsy]

I'm not really sure if this is applicable or practicable but is your boat insulated, i mean your inside a metal can surrounded by freezing water (Similar to a fridge) just thought it may help to keep some heat in so it won't be as cold when you get up

Dont think it is insulated, if it is..then its not working!! Im trying to convince my dad to let me have some sort of double glazing (dont know if its possible ) but I think this would make a big difference! Thanks for your advice on the fire, will try it out

 

[tiger stacker]

Double glazing should be possible, after all portholes are still windows. Have you managed to source lots of sawdust it helps.

 

[rik_uk3]

My mom used coke (as in coal not South American marching powder) last thing at night in a Rayburn we had and that 'stayed in' all night. If I wanted mine going 24 hours I'd do the same.

 

[Davidn]

You could also try an ECOFAN, its a small fan powered by the heat of the stove that pushes the warm air into the room rather than it just rising to the ceiling. They sell them on Ebay.
I have one on my woodburner and it works a treat!

 

[nickliv]

We've got a woodburner in the house, and I find, if you let it bed down to embers just before bed (Takes practice this,) and then put on unsplit logs, about 3/4 full, and close the dampers down, there's some decent embers in there, which when guddled together in the morning, relight by themselves.

 

[Native Nathan]

Dont think it is insulated, if it is..then its not working!! Im trying to convince my dad to let me have some sort of double glazing (dont know if its possible ) but I think this would make a big difference! Thanks for your advice on the fire, will try it out

Anytime, hope it helps

 

[mrcharly]

An ecofan is well worth the money.

Boat windows are expensive - you can't just use domestic units. Narrowboat windows are usually curved at the corners, and must accommodate some flexing of the hull plus impacts from objects while negotiating locks etc. Perspex or tempered glass is the way to go.

I'd be really surprised if you don't have any insulation behind the (presumably wooden) lining. If you don't this is a major priority. Tempting as it is, Rockwool isn't the best solution. I've had good results with the silver-bubble-wrap type insulation - remove the lining, tack insulation in place, replace lining.

Be very careful with using sawdust. You don't want a smouldering fire; this won't draw well and will give off a lot of CO (you DO have CO detectors, don't you?). A boat is a very small enclosed space and it is very easy for CO to build up.

 

[chris667]

I live on a boat too! Where are you moored up?

It's a magic life, and in many respects winter is nicer than summer. After eight years, unless something bad happens I can't see myself in a house anymore. Here's a few things to think about. Sorry for the list, I am not this pompous in real life!

1. Not all multifuel stoves can stay in overnight.
2. The most popular smokeless fuel for boats that can use it is Homebrite, followed by Bargenuts.
3. Heavy curtains are a must.
4. If you're in a marina with mains hookup, these are the best thing EVER. Mine draws 30w, and I'm never cold in bed. Leave it on for half an hour after you get up, it will keep your bed dry.
5. The real advantage of a stove in a boat is its ability to provide dry heat. Dehumidifiers won't heat the boat much, but they will dry things out, and that makes a huge difference, especially if your insulation is below par.
6. If you're looking to do extra insulation on the cheap, bubble wrap is as good as anything other than sprayfoam, and can be scrounged. Sprayfoam makes such a terrible mess it's not really sensible to install in anything other than an empty shell.
7. Never block up your vents and sleep with your windows open. Despite the scare stories, carbon monoxide still kills a couple of boaters every year. Plus, if the air can't circulate around the boat, your stuff will go mouldy.
8. Double glazed windows would be the way to go, but you're looking at thousands of pounds for a boatsworth. You could make your own if you knew an amenable carpenter (I know of one boat on the K&A that has homemade windows) but they're a lot of messing about to keep going. Curtains are good, and you can make acceptable (but ugly - watch no-one complains!) secondary glazing with perspex.

That's a few things to be getting on with!

 

[twisted firestarter]

I also spent a good few years living on the canal and found like others that it's good to leave a good bed of ashes, if the burner had not been cleaned out when you bought it the ash may be damp and can take ages to dry out. Wood burners and coal burners tend to have different grates which make the airflow act differently, I'd be tempted to try it out with well seasoned logs to see if it burns better, with practice you should be able to get it to stay in all night without coal. The other thing I found with my various boats and burners is that if you use both wood and coal the chimney gets clogged up a lot quicker, also bear in mind that woodburners are designed to operate with a considerably longer flue/chimney than found on a narrowboat so experimenting to see what works best is the only way you'll really find out how to optimise it.

It's an expensive business but if you're planning on living on aboard full time I'd strongly recommend spray foam insulation which is the best you can get, the boat lining will have to be removed and it will cost you the fat end of £1000 but believe me it's worth all the effort and time because you'll be toasty warm and it'll stop the hull rusting from the inside.

Happy boating

 

[Gotte]

Not had time to read all the post, so forgive me if this is repeat, but I find starting a fire is easiest by putting one firelighter broken in half in the stove, and then constructing a jenga type tower of kindling around it a couple of stacks tall (imagine a square 8 looking down on it. Make sure the kindling is stacked so it has gaps (like a log cabin without the notches). This allows lots of air through it. Now light the firelighters and then stack bigger wood (inch or two square) like a roof over the tower, only with gaps. when this is starting to go, place coal around (loosely), and on top (just don't smother it - air is your friend).
As for keeping it going all night - once the coal is going, pile it three quarters high in the stove and shut the vent down to nearly closed. I only occasionally burn wood, as it goes so quickly, and is difficult to source near where we are (the good stuff, anyway). Coal is much slower and will last if you slow it by shutting off the vent.

 

[drliamski]

One Way to Set an Overnight Fire
Taken from http://autonopedia.org/crafts_and_technology/Woodburners/Wood_Stoves_Part1.html
Different stoves require different strategies for setting fires that will last all night. Here is how I hold a fire in my homemade sheet-steel Super Yukon stove:
1. Let the fire die down in the evening so that only coals remain at bedtime.
2. Push the coals to the back of the firebox, and rake ashes forward to seal the draft.
3. Lay a split of half-dry spruce on either side of the coals. If there are too many or too few coals, use a stick of greenish or dry wood, respectively, on one side.
4. Place a smaller split of wood on top of the coals, between the two larger splits. This completes the foundation - the heart of the fire (Figure 7.6, Drawing A). If it behaves as it should, the rest of the fire will take care of itself.
5. Lay paper over the entire foundation, overlapping the various sections generously to make a good seal. Use magazine or glossy catalog paper, five to ten pages thick. Tuck the paper down around the front of the foundation, so that the wood is encased in a chamber which is open only at the rear.
6. Add another round of splits. These may be fairly low-quality, moist wood, since the slow heat of the smoldering foundation in the chamber below will dry them out by morning. If only drier wood is available, lay paper over this round too, so that it won't ignite too soon.
7. Lay a wall of paper against the front of the whole stack of wood, just inside the door.
8. Put a foil closure pad over the door opening, and close the door on it.
9. Close the damper. The fire is now set (Figure 7.6, Drawing B).
Remember, though, that the smell of burning garbage can be a real nuisance. Wet trash is especially offensive, because it smolders for a long time. Burn trash on a good hot fire so the job is done quickly and the smoke is consumed in the flames. Give a thought to the wind direction, too, if you plan to be working outside or if you have near neighbors.
10. In the morning, if all goes as it should, the papers inside the door will be charred but intact, the foundation logs will have been converted in varying degree to glowing charcoal, and the upper logs will be dried out and ready to go. Open the damper, open the door, remove the foil, punch through the papers with the poker, and stir the fire around a bit to break up the paper ash over the foundation. Clear the ashes away from the draft and open it. Shut the door. The fire will now take off.

Figure 7.6 - Two of the stages in setting an overnight fire. In Drawing A the foundation is laid. In Drawing B it is all tucked in and the damper is closed.