# Lennox Country Woodstove Overfire



## Blizzard (Apr 1, 2011)

Hey, just wondering if anyone is familiar with country woodstoves made by lennox. Put 3 splits into our insert tonight, damp down, and the stove got up to 750! Don't know why it did that but now I'm really concerned that I overfired and damaged it. Anyone that has one of these stoves or has valuable information about them please chime in.


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## BrotherBart (Apr 1, 2011)

It sounds like you put the three splits on top of a good hot coal bed in a hot stove. That'll do it every time. Don't worry about that Country, it can take it. Built like a bomb shelter. When you reload do it when the stove is down to around three hundred so the initial offgassing of the new splits happens as the stove comes up to operating temp and is over by the time you get to cruising temp.


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## Jags (Apr 1, 2011)

Yep, park that under the "learned a lesson" column.  Do a quicky inspection if it will make you rest easier, but I doubt that you will find anything out of place.  My stove will hit 750F and I don't even bat an eye (I just make sure I slow things down).


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## Wood Heat Stoves (Apr 1, 2011)

Country (Lennox) stoves are heavy duty steel stoves and 750 degrees shouldn't be a problem. The temperature can go up like that temporarily with a fresh load of wood but you should be able to control it with the air control. The real test of that would be being able to damp it down and hold a fire overnight. If you can't, then check the gasketing to see if it's hard or frayed. Lock the door down on a dollar bill several spots around the door and see if you can pull it out. If you can, then replace the gasketing or adjust the door latch.


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## pen (Apr 1, 2011)

Again, 750 is nothing to be afraid of.

Sounds like you have some good fuel there.

pen


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## Blizzard (Apr 2, 2011)

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> It sounds like you put the three splits on top of a good hot coal bed in a hot stove. That'll do it every time. Don't worry about that Country, it can take it. Built like a bomb shelter. When you reload do it when the stove is down to around three hundred so the initial offgassing of the new splits happens as the stove comes up to operating temp and is over by the time you get to cruising temp.



Thanks for the response, I appreciate your information. I actually normally reload in the 200-275 range so maybe this was just some very high btu firewood. We don't keep our wood sorted by type so I'm not sure what it was. Some sort of good hardwood though. I had really no idea country was such  a sturdy stove. I knew it was built well, but not anything more than that. Would you care to elaborate on why it is "built like a bombshelter." You've really perked my interest!


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## BrotherBart (Apr 2, 2011)

Good heavy gauge steel and really nice welding on the Country stoves.


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## Jack Bass (Oct 7, 2013)

Country builds their stove from high quality steel instead of iron as stoves are traditionally made from.  This gives the County stoves a huge advantage in terms of heat load and heat retention.  Perhaps you have noticed that your Country takes a while to start putting put heat compared to an old iron stove. This is due to the higher density of the steel.  More energy is required to start the conduction process and move the heat from the inside of the firebox to the air.  Be reminded that most of your Navy ships are build of steel in all the areas that are most likely to be hit by shells and missiles.  Temps much higher than 750 are sustained in those moments and the steel survives it.  The second advantage of steel is that it holds the heat longer for the exact same reason that it takes a while to heat.  Your Country is often still putting off significant heat even after the fire is either cinders or even out.  So. unless you subject it to serious physical abuse or bad environmental like salt water or other corrosives it's going to last longer that you will.  Keep it clean, freshen paint on any rusty or uncovered areas and you'll enjoy this investment for the rest of your life (and beyond) .


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## Highbeam (Oct 7, 2013)

Jack Bass said:


> Country builds their stove from high quality steel instead of iron as stoves are traditionally made from.  This gives the County stoves a huge advantage in terms of heat load and heat retention.  Perhaps you have noticed that your Country takes a while to start putting put heat compared to an old iron stove. This is due to the higher density of the steel.  More energy is required to start the conduction process and move the heat from the inside of the firebox to the air.  Be reminded that most of your Navy ships are build of steel in all the areas that are most likely to be hit by shells and missiles.  Temps much higher than 750 are sustained in those moments and the steel survives it.  The second advantage of steel is that it holds the heat longer for the exact same reason that it takes a while to heat.  Your Country is often still putting off significant heat even after the fire is either cinders or even out.  So. unless you subject it to serious physical abuse or bad environmental like salt water or other corrosives it's going to last longer that you will.  Keep it clean, freshen paint on any rusty or uncovered areas and you'll enjoy this investment for the rest of your life (and beyond) .


 
Huh? Stoves have been traditionally made from plate steel for many decades. Are you comparing plate steel stoves to cast iron? If so, you would find that cast iron stoves actually have the advantage with regard to thermal mass and storage. Plate steel stoves are the thinnest and lightest common way to build stoves. Rapid heat up and cool down.

Country stoves were made by a local company for a long time before being bought by lennox a few years back. They were a well built stove that is a local favorite. I knew the head welder. If lennox still makes them the same then that stove is certainly capable of 750 and 800 is even within "normal". If no parts glowed red then you're fine.


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## firefighterjake (Oct 8, 2013)

Jack Bass said:


> Country builds their stove from high quality steel instead of iron as stoves are traditionally made from.  This gives the County stoves a huge advantage in terms of heat load and heat retention.  Perhaps you have noticed that your Country takes a while to start putting put heat compared to an old iron stove. This is due to the higher density of the steel.  More energy is required to start the conduction process and move the heat from the inside of the firebox to the air.  Be reminded that most of your Navy ships are build of steel in all the areas that are most likely to be hit by shells and missiles.  Temps much higher than 750 are sustained in those moments and the steel survives it.  The second advantage of steel is that it holds the heat longer for the exact same reason that it takes a while to heat.  Your Country is often still putting off significant heat even after the fire is either cinders or even out.  So. unless you subject it to serious physical abuse or bad environmental like salt water or other corrosives it's going to last longer that you will.  Keep it clean, freshen paint on any rusty or uncovered areas and you'll enjoy this investment for the rest of your life (and beyond) .


 
As mentioned . . . when comparing cast iron to steel . . . typically steel gets the win for a quicker heat, but cast iron tends to get the win for its heat retention due to the sheer thermal mass.

Truth be told though . . . either will work to heat the home as countless members with cast iron or steel stoves will attest.

As for Navy ships using steel instead of cast iron . . . it isn't just for heat . . . cast iron would be more expensive and tends to be more of a "brittle" when compared to plate steel.


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## rowerwet (Oct 8, 2013)

steel is also better at moving heat than cast Iron, according to the Fisher stove book, Fisher was the first to really get this right, I don't know how accurate that is.


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## Highbeam (Oct 8, 2013)

Steel is much easier to work with. You can weld it vs. cast iron which is almost always a bunch of parts bolted together with gaskets that will eventually leak. You buy sheets of steel and cut out the shapes you want and weld it together. With cast iron you need to cast specific shapes at a foundry.

Cast iron is a much more expensive way to build stoves. Modern steel cutting equipment is awesome. Computer guided water jets quickly pop out shapes from bulk material like cookie cutters. Mig welders stick the parts together like hot glue guns. Cast iron stoves are pretty much built the same way they have been for hundred(s?) of years. Slow.

We build ships with steel for several reasons, a big one is because steel can be bent without breaking. This is great when rolling and bending steel into the shape of a boat or ship. Also pretty nice when you run into something or get shot, a little bendability is way better than a big hole.


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## blades (Oct 8, 2013)

And to put a bit of a twist in the works, Cast steel is also available. Although I do not know of any stove mfg using it.


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## Backwoods Savage (Oct 8, 2013)

Blizzard said:


> Hey, just wondering if anyone is familiar with country woodstoves made by lennox. Put 3 splits into our insert tonight, damp down, and the stove got up to 750! Don't know why it did that but now I'm really concerned that I overfired and damaged it. Anyone that has one of these stoves or has valuable information about them please chime in.



Blizzard, you should be very proud of your stove for reaching 750 with just 3 splits. It would be interesting to know what the wood was and how dry it was.


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## Backwoods Savage (Oct 8, 2013)

Jack Bass said:


> Country builds their stove from high quality steel instead of iron as stoves are traditionally made from.  This gives the County stoves a huge advantage in terms of heat load and heat retention.  Perhaps you have noticed that your Country takes a while to start putting put heat compared to an old iron stove. This is due to the higher density of the steel.  More energy is required to start the conduction process and move the heat from the inside of the firebox to the air.  Be reminded that most of your Navy ships are build of steel in all the areas that are most likely to be hit by shells and missiles.  Temps much higher than 750 are sustained in those moments and the steel survives it.  The second advantage of steel is that it holds the heat longer for the exact same reason that it takes a while to heat.  Your Country is often still putting off significant heat even after the fire is either cinders or even out.  So. unless you subject it to serious physical abuse or bad environmental like salt water or other corrosives it's going to last longer that you will.  Keep it clean, freshen paint on any rusty or uncovered areas and you'll enjoy this investment for the rest of your life (and beyond) .



Welcome to the forum Jack.

You are no doubt a rep for this company and if so, good. It is just that your information on steel vs iron is a bit backwards in some areas. But that still takes nothing away from a stove that is built well. Hope you stay on the forum.


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## webbie (Oct 8, 2013)

Let's not start this again.

Same element. Period.......

Anyway, country stoves are very heavy duty. I think old Sam Sullivan used to work there and then went on to work at Avalon. They were much bigger out west until maybe lately (maybe still are), but that's because the factory was there. Maybe with Lennox they are more spread out now.

Good products....at least for the decades I knew about them.


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## Highbeam (Oct 8, 2013)

webbie said:


> Let's not start this again.
> 
> Same element. Period.......
> 
> ...


 
What do you mean same element? Iron. Well sure iron is in steel as well as cast iron but iron is only one of the ingredients. Like saying all cookies are made of flour. Alloying has a long and complicated history.

I must have missed the long and drawn out debate on steel vs. cast. I wouldn't want a fully cast iron stove, the cracks and failing sealants would be a problem.


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## Sprinter (Oct 8, 2013)

I wonder if the OP is even still around?  This thread is 2-1/2 years old.


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## webbie (Oct 8, 2013)

Highbeam said:


> What do you mean same element? Iron. Well sure iron is in steel as well as cast iron but iron is only one of the ingredients. Like saying all cookies are made of flour. Alloying has a long and complicated history.
> 
> I must have missed the long and drawn out debate on steel vs. cast. I wouldn't want a fully cast iron stove, the cracks and failing sealants would be a problem.



We've had thousands or tens of thousands of words over the years - the engineers and physicists (Jay Shelton, etc.) have ruled on it, etc. etc.......

But we need to simplify it for our use here. In terms of the basics of wood heat, there is little different. It's about surface area at X temperature and many other factors.


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## webbie (Oct 8, 2013)

Sprinter said:


> I wonder if the OP is even still around?  This thread is 2-1/2 years old.


Oh, didn't notice that. 

Bye Bye thread......


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