Firing after winter in the east

[barney4069]

I have had this oven now since the fall. Been a great oven,, This will be the first time to fire since it was dry .... What should I do...Should I just build a small fire and let it burn.. or burn several fires over time.. Water is my main concern...... moist here in the east.. .lost of rain and snow this winter.

Thanks

Mike

[HeidiL2011]

Hi Mike,

Two things:

First, you need to take a good look and see if water got into the oven anywhere. If there are any signs of moisture, you should work out how it got in, and stop it from happening in the future.

If there are any signs of water, you should re-start the oven very slowly. Two 8 hour days with a small fire (300-400F day one, followed by 500F on day two) should slowly bake out any water. If you light a fully hot fire (700F+) and the floor or dome are still wet, you run the risk of damaging the oven, or seriously shortening the life of the floor.

Second, If the oven is just damp from a damp winter, you should still fire the oven for 8 hours at a low temperature (300-400F) before bringing it up to high heat.

Heidi

[barney4069]

thanks Heidi for you response.. have been out of town

Mike

[HeidiL2011]

No problem glad I was able to help.

[Neil2]

If you think you have moisture inside (and you certainly will have some after not using through the winter), re-cure it. Err on the side of doing it slowly - small long duration fires for the first 3 or 4 firings, try not to get it over about 300 F.

[BeanAnimal]

Originally Posted by HeidiL2011

Second, If the oven is just damp from a damp winter, you should still fire the oven for 8 hours at a low temperature (300-400F) before bringing it up to high heat.

Heidi

Contrary to what one would conclude based on conventional wisdom, winter is the dryest season of the year with regard to air. Barring any physical leaks in the oven that allow rain or melt water in, the oven should be dryer in the winter than it is in the summer. Cold air simply can not hold as much moisture as warm air. For that same reason, tools in our sheds rust in the summer, not the winter and we run humidifers in the winter and dehumidifers in the summer

I can see where accumulated snow melt in the landing area could be a problem and will be fabricating a rain/snow cover for my oven landing/opening.

[Les]

I fired mine up yesterday after a pretty nasty winter (even more snow later this week). I was going to take it slow but decided to go for it. I didn’t hear anything blow out so I think I am good.

[Neil2]

Moisture in the insulation is a double whammy. First, it takes a lot of Btu's to dry it out. Second, until it is dry its insulation value is much lower so it take a lot more BTU's to bring it up to temperature and it will not hold the heat.

If you have an igloo style, you can check by feeling the outside after firing. If it has moisture in the insulation layer it will, paradoxically, feel warmer than it would normally. This is caused by steam in the insulation layer. I have a small vent at the top that communicates thru the stucco to the vermicrete. During late winter/spring firing, it is typical to see steam coming out of the vent.