Mark lll wont stay running. WTF

Thanks for the tip, captcaper. I have been poking from the bottom, but I tried your method this evening, and it cleared the corners and the front more effectively and much more easily. Now I just need to make a second poker because the one I have has too much bend to use properly from the top -- and it's too short, I could smell the welding gloves cooking a bit.[/quote]

You welcome. The Harman has large grate openings so if we poke it it will fall threw and or drop it to the grates for further shakeing.. Plus I fine getting to the fire to poke is easy via their door and layout.

I put a wood handle on the end of the poker for griping and to keep cool the 3/8" round stock is strong and holds up to the pokeing. I don't use any gloves while pokeing. I wonder now if I bought the 3ft. or 4ft. piece. Probably 3ft. with a handle and 3 1/2 in. bend. I'll check tommorrow.

BillyR1970 wrote:I could have the wife put just a small amount in the stove at mid day.

That'll make your life allot easier...No shaking..no poking...Just open the load door & sprinkle a few shovel across the top. (when you go to shake down you'll have a nice, fresh fire every time!)

Well so far, so good. The stove is running PERFECT...
My temp is staying around 190* and steady. I think i will try
a baro next. I have been poking through the bottom grates to open air
way up, when i can see a nice even orange glow i know it is ready.
Will i always have to use the poker to open the air way?

Thanks everyone for the great advice. Billy

Yes, you will always have to use the poker. Sorry. However, some people open the air inlet to get the fire burning vigorously, do an initial shake down, then poke (not stir) from the TOP rather than the bottom, then do another shake down. They say it clears the corners and edges better and more easily than poking from below. I am trying that method myself for the first time, but the jury is still out and I don't have a verdict yet.

When you say you have a temp of 190, I assume that means on the stove pipe. That's actually not bad. You will find that if you install the baro below your stovepipe thermometer that the temp will drop considerably, because cooler room air will be mixing with the hot stove gases. That's OK, I'm just pointing it out so you won't be worried by the lower temps. My stove pipe temp above the baro is 100 degrees with the stove idling in warm weather; up to about 160 degrees in cold weather when producing lots of heat. Even when fully closed there is enough air leakage through the baro to reduce the pipe temperatures.

Ideally you set the baro with a manometer. I didn't. I just experimented until I found the lowest draft at which the stove burned well and responded reasonably promptly to changes in the air inlet. Make sure you get a good-quality baro -- most people on the forum recommend the Field Controls RC model, which can be had in gray or in black to match the stove pipe.

Thanks for the reply, My Stove pipe goes up through a closet in the second floor hall way and puts out some heat from the
pipe. My wife leaves that little door open so heat will come out of it, she said she likes it to put out warm air off of the
pipe to help with the back bed room. If i use the Baro it might keep the pipe to cool and not help heat that room as much.
(If i knew how to post pics i would post some)

Thanks, Billy