This is a post-script to my fire-starter topic. Well, I've learned to make fire and just need to understand a few more pyrotechnic facts and moreso to troubleshoot my main problem.

Facts:
Moreso Squirrel
Top circular turning vent
Glass door
Bottom opening door with vent and removable ashpan

Problem:

Keeping fire alight all night

Current practice:

Get fire going really well and have settled for Taybrite being that I cannot find a wood source that burns well.

Although I can get the taybrite burning brilliantly, requiring the removal of my clothing by 9pm, I cannot keep it going all night!

If I close my bottom door the coals basically die even though I have the bottom circular vent open. I've tried it with the top vent open/closed/slightly open/nearly closed. Nothing I do keeps the coals alight. I empty the ashpan very very regularly to ensure airflow (akin to peering into a volcano on occasions), and also rotate the grate to also ensure airflow under the coals.

Could it be my chimney?

If I close my bottom door the coals basically die even though I have the bottom circular vent .
There should be no circumstances where you leave the bottom door (ash pan) open with the glass fire door closed. The resulting draught could be enough to cause a serious fire. Morso in fact modified the stoves a few years ago by adding a small plate to the glass door that prevented you opening the ash pan door if the glass door was shut. I would have expected, when burning taybrite or similar to have the top vent shut and the lower vent shut or open a very small ammount to keep the stove burning overnight.
As I have said previously the chimneys are a problem, it shouldnt be difficult to rig up a temprary extension, but as a permanent fitting the external sections should be double skinned to allow the flue to retain heat.

It could possibly be your chimney, and I would definately recommend checking it out and giving it a good clean. You can buy special chimney sweeping brushes, but I've always used a bit of spare chain on the end of a spare length of rope. I 'knot' the chain into a ball, but becareful you don't make the knot too big so it gets trapped in the stove!

Also do you know if you have a back boiler? My parents have a Squirrel on their boat with a back boiler and every now and again you have to stick your arm up to the top of the stove, and then down, towards the back. Depending on how long your arms are, you may be able to reach the bottom of a sort of dip. I'd suggest trying to clear that out as much as possible, even with the help of a hoover if you have one.

Apart from that I would just suggest playing with how much air you let in, but as you already appear to be experimenting with no luck, how much fuel are you putting on each night? I regularly literally fill my parents stove, obviously making sure there's still enough space for it to burn and for the smoke and fumes to go up the chimney. It doesn't burn hotter, it just lasts longer.

Chris, I definitely close the bottom door before going to bed... I do not want to burn alive nor have my home burnt to the bottom of the canal so it's only open when I'm literally in eyes view.

Liam, yes, I have thoroughly cleaned the chimney with a bristle chimney brush and also crooked my arm up and beyond the space. I have a back boiler and the amount of crap I scraped out with my hands is none of your business LOL.

I looked like a chimney sweep! In fact, I resemble a chimney sweep most days haha

I thought about a longer chimney as there is one in our marina but all the others have the short one like I have. Not that I know if there's burns all night. Although my direct neighbour says his does and his chimney is the same length as mine.

Mind you, am I looking for 24/7 central heating here? Maybe the overnight burning isn't so important now I think of it. It's probably because I'm on a mission and right here, right now, I want to turn it off as I'm sweating and uncomfortably overheated

Is the fire going out or burning out? It should be able to tick over night and day. We make up our fire once in the morning and again before going to bed. Is your fire getting too much attention? I don't understand why the bottom door needs to be open, it should be controlled on the two vents.
Sue

Have to aggree with Sue, apart from using the ash pan door when lighting, and then only occasionally, we never have it open. whether your fire is going out or burning out is very relevant

Hi Karen.

The basics are as follows:
Your fire is a sealed unit. It requires the fire door and the lower ash door to be sealed. When you light your fire , I assume you get it going quite well without difficulty? The problem you mention is keeping it going!
If the lower door panel is left open , you get a rush of air coming up into the coals and thus...Chernobyl! (Sue's right about that )
If you shut the ash door, then your lower vent will control the amount of air 'rushing' through. If however, you have the top vent open too far,you lose the air from under the coal bed because you are now 'sucking' air from above the coals thus allowing the coals below to 'cool down' and eventually go out.It is a 'fine art' to master the 'cleansing tehnique' of the glass with 'down wash' and keep your fire in at the same time!!
I know you are 'pulling your hair out' with this, but 'percy verence' will conquer in time!
Back to 'square one ' sweets. Get it going and shut the top vent down .
Open it again by one full turn. Open the lower vent now to control the air flow until there is a sufficient 'glow' coming through the coals without 'cooking' you! Possibly half a turn at a time until you are satisfied. Leave alone and enjoy.
Kindest regards Paul Mr prickles

My top vent was closed (I remembered reading wood from above and coals from below) but I have trialled various positions on the top vent too

And in answer to your questions, it goes out, not burns out.

Is there some sort of blockage in the lower vent?

I don't think so... it's a fairly simple contraption... you turn the knob which unscrews the vent away from the surface and screw it the other way to close it up. I can see through it when it's open.

Anyway, I'm not going to let it upset me. It keeps me warm through the evenings and when I'm in bed I'm under my big duvet so it's not a big problem.

We used to have a chimney about 12 inches long, and the performance of our Puffin stove was average,being tricky to keep in. We bought a 24 inch chimney and it made a significant difference, making the stove more controllable. Size does matter.

I'll buy a bigger chimney pot then