Thanks for the guidance.ddahlgren wrote:Mano and something to control the draft otherwise you are sending all that heat up the chimney. I have a MPD and a Field draft regulator and use them both to keep the heat in the stove and the house. Buy or make a poker with a 90 degree bend at the end around 2 or 3 inches long to slice under the grates should you need to clear ash the shaker can't get out. Above all don't obsess over the one match club in your first year. It is mine and shut down a couple times on purpose to make changes to the installation and once just plain lost the fire from lack of talent on my part. I am still on my training wheels and will be for the better part of this winter. Just passing along what I have figured out so far. If there is one thing I have very clear in my head at this point is after shaking down if you look at the underside of the grates and don't see bright orange all across them break out the poker and slice between them until you do. If a little burning coal falls into the ash pan so be it. Some heavy welding / fireplace gloves a must as well as this stuff is all very hot. Above all empty the ash pan religiously before it is full to the top and be kind to the grates rather than go shopping for new ones.
Got the gloves (welders type with long gauntlets) and have a 90* poker that is very thin and gets through the grate openings. Also got a complete spare door based on another members post in case the glass/ceramic breaks.
On the first shakedown this morning, there was a nice orange glow all the way across the ash pan!
