Wood burner fireplaces - how to make my logs last longer?

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turtleattacks

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#320198 17-Jul-2025 11:35

Kia ora team,

My new wood burner is working really well, I have no issues starting a hot hot fire.

However, is there anyway to make the wood last longer?

I have the air turned right down but now it's still roaring.

Would jamming more logs in it to lower the air levels help?

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#3394791 17-Jul-2025 11:45

Would have thought turning the air down was a complete answer.

If the wood is very dry and light or split up like kindling it will be hard to slow it down though.

gbwelly

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#3394793 17-Jul-2025 12:01

More logs will just make it worse. If you have the damper down as far as it will go your only real option is to look at slower burning wood like blue gum for example. Gum will burn slower but still be very hot so if overheating the room is the issue then that won't solve it.

Rikkitic

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#3394797 17-Jul-2025 12:07

I have the same issue. More logs definitely doesn't help. Bigger but fewer logs might help a little. Less exposed surface area takes longer to burn. But I don't know how much real difference this might make. You just have to try things and see what happens.

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Bung

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#3394798 17-Jul-2025 12:13

Is the door sealing properly? Newer urban fires have a a higher minimum air setting to reduce pollution. An air leak around the door will make the minimum air setting even higher.

turtleattacks

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#3394800 17-Jul-2025 12:15

Bung:

Is the door sealing properly? Newer urban fires have a a higher minimum air setting to reduce pollution. An air leak around the door will make the minimum air setting even higher.

Yip, seal is clean and tight. It's a new fireplace.

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duckDecoy

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#3394804 17-Jul-2025 12:30

turtleattacks:

Bung:

Is the door sealing properly? Newer urban fires have a a higher minimum air setting to reduce pollution. An air leak around the door will make the minimum air setting even higher.

Yip, seal is clean and tight. It's a new fireplace.

New clean air regulations mean modern fireplaces are not able to be dampened down any where near what the older fireplaces were able to do. The unfortunate side effect is the wood burns faster.

As someone mentioned some gums can burn considerably slower than other woods, but they can be hard to keep alight.

Bung

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#3394808 17-Jul-2025 12:42

Even though it is new I'd still check that a strip of paper is trapped between the door seal and firebox on all 4 sides. You should still see a difference between air open fully and closed down on urban fires.

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turtleattacks

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#3394809 17-Jul-2025 12:44

Bung:

Even though it is new I'd still check that a strip of paper is trapped between the door seal and firebox on all 4 sides. You should still see a difference between air open fully and closed down on urban fires.

Ok, another silly question.... with the damper on high or low, where does it suck in the air from?

Chimney?

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k1w1k1d

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#3394813 17-Jul-2025 12:51

Air can be drawn from the room or down the chimney depending on the model.

What model is your fire?

turtleattacks

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#3394815 17-Jul-2025 12:52

k1w1k1d:

Air can be drawn from the room or down the chimney depending on the model.

What model is your fire?

https://www.woodsman.co.nz/fires/coleridge

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jim69

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#3394820 17-Jul-2025 13:14

I had the same problem with my Massport, but a little low tech hacking solved it.

The adjustment handle opens an air intake flap under the door - the more air entering, the more of a blaze you get. But even with the lever closed as you said I got way too much air incoming. The flap on mine is about a handspan wide, with 3 big holes in it, and its hinged on the bottom, so it opens along the top edge, clearly the idea is that opening the flap allows more air in, but with those holes you dont have any control - the holes are always open, and when the fire is hot and drawing well those holes allow too much air in. They're probably intended to allow a minimum airflow without blocking it completely, but they're way too big for a useful minimum.

My solution was to layer tin foil across the top of the flap to block off those holes. Since the flap opens at the top edge I dont need the foil to stick, it just hangs there. Even so I dont get a perfect seal, that flap isnt a perfect flap, even with the flap closed theres still plenty of minimum airflow. But now with the holes blocked any volume of air can only enter when the flap is opened, now I have actual control of the air intake, and once the fire is truly hot I can close the flap and if the wood is hardwood it will burn down all night with the flap closed.

farcus

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#3394821 17-Jul-2025 13:16

turtleattacks:

https://www.woodsman.co.nz/fires/coleridge

"Ultra Low Emission Burner"

This is why you can't dampen it down very much.

k1w1k1d

1526 posts

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#3394822 17-Jul-2025 13:17

Looks like air comes from in the room. Might pay to ring the manufacturer (WH Harris 0800 366 1796) to confirm.

turtleattacks

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#3394823 17-Jul-2025 13:17

farcus:

turtleattacks:

https://www.woodsman.co.nz/fires/coleridge

"Ultra Low Emission Burner"

This is why you can't dampen it down very much.

Can you please explain more?

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farcus

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#3394824 17-Jul-2025 13:21

turtleattacks:

Can you please explain more?

The more you dampen a fire the more smoke it produces.
Some regions, log burner installations are very tightly controlled by regional councils. To be allowed to be installed / used they must meet minimum pollution requirements. This is achieved by preventing the fires being dampened down too much (in addition to some other factors).
The fire you haven't isn't just a low emission burner - it is an Ultra low emission burner

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