# putting too much wood in stove



## wood burning cop (Dec 29, 2012)

when i only put 3 or 4 small splits in the stove i can get the stovetop temp up to 700 or 750 degrees with the air only open a small amount.  at this point i am affraid to put in a good size load for overnight burning.  in my belief more wood equals higher btu's and a higher stovetop temp and overfiring.  i use an ir thermometer ( the dial kind reads about 50 degrees cooler).  is there a way to keep the temp lower when using more wood in the stove.  any help or comments would be appreciated.


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## BrowningBAR (Dec 29, 2012)

wood burning cop said:


> when i only put 3 or 4 small splits in the stove i can get the stovetop temp up to 700 or 750 degrees with the air only open a small amount. at this point i am affraid to put in a good size load for overnight burning.* in my belief more wood equals higher btu's and a higher stovetop temp and overfiring.* i use an ir thermometer ( the dial kind reads about 50 degrees cooler). is there a way to keep the temp lower when using more wood in the stove. any help or comments would be appreciated.


Stop believing that.


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## begreen (Dec 29, 2012)

Try 3-4 large splits and pack it in with smaller splits filling the gaps. Large splits burn slower.


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## corey21 (Dec 29, 2012)

A packed load will burn different then 3 loosely placed splits.


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## wood burning cop (Dec 29, 2012)

ok,  thanks i will try a larger load and see how it goes.  i guess it makes sense that not all of it will be buring and that some of it will be compressed and will burn as the outside burns down.  thanks for the input


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## corey21 (Dec 29, 2012)

Raking the coals forward will help when you do that larger load.


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## Backwoods Savage (Dec 29, 2012)

For sure you need to do some experimenting during the daytime so you can see what actually happens. And like others stated, try putting in a couple of larger splits or rounds when you fill it.

fwiw, many times on our stove we too can get the stove top pretty high, that is, between 600-700 (700 is the recommended high for our stove) and this with only 3 splits. Yet we never hesitate to fill the stove for a long burn and the stove top will still get as high but not higher.

One other thing I might suggest is to turn the draft down sooner. Rather than leaving the draft open until the stove gets hot, start dialing the draft down. It will take longer to get to that high temperature but will probably stay there longer which results in you getting more heat per burn. Experiment a little.


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## Slow1 (Dec 29, 2012)

While more wood makes for a hotter firebox to a point my experience is that it crests around 1/2 full - if your stove is in proper working order you should be able to control the burn when full and manage it to control the burn with a full box.  "Too much" wood in the box is when you try to stuff that last piece and it doesn't fit such that the door won't shut.


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## wood burning cop (Dec 29, 2012)

i always try to rake the coals forward and will throw a small piece on them if i need to burn them down between reloads.  it is amazing to see how much heat just the coals put off.  get that large chunk of steel up to temp and it stays hot for a long time.  i love having a wood burning stove.  in my other house i had a multi fuel stove that i used a mix of corn and wood pellets in.  it was ok, but this stove is soooo much beter.  i know all of the new burners go thru this paranoid stage and worry about a lot of stuff that should just be normal.  i will do some experimenting when my days off are and see what i can get this stove to do.  looking forward to cooking on the top of it also.  thanks again


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## 31 bertram (Dec 29, 2012)

My stove started doing this recently and I found it to be getting too much air, I found that the window gaskets needed to be replaced.


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## ohlongarm (Dec 29, 2012)

wood burning cop said:


> when i only put 3 or 4 small splits in the stove i can get the stovetop temp up to 700 or 750 degrees with the air only open a small amount. at this point i am affraid to put in a good size load for overnight burning. in my belief more wood equals higher btu's and a higher stovetop temp and overfiring. i use an ir thermometer ( the dial kind reads about 50 degrees cooler). is there a way to keep the temp lower when using more wood in the stove. any help or comments would be appreciated.


 Pack that thing don't be afraid be adventurous ,the stovetop manufacturer has factored in the fact that some will push the stove to the limits,but it would be hard to do in most cases.


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## wood burning cop (Dec 29, 2012)

i try to dial back the air when the stovetop gets to about 350  then again when it gets to about 500.  then try to let it cruise and have the air open just a little when it is at 600.  goes up to about 700 and then fluxuates back and forth to about 600 to 700 most of the time.  just when the secondaries go crazy does it get up above 700.  do those temps and settings sound about right or should i have less air sooner.


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## begreen (Dec 29, 2012)

Instead of going by stove top temp, go by eyeball and start turning the stove down in incremental reductions once the wood is starting to burn fully. Repeat as the fire picks up steam again every 10 minutes or so. I've been doing this lately with good success. Loading E/W instead of N/S can also help slow down the fire.


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## Backwoods Savage (Dec 29, 2012)

wood burning cop said:


> i* always try to rake the coals forward* and will throw a small piece on them if i need to burn them down between reloads. it is amazing to see how much heat just the coals put off. get that large chunk of steel up to temp and it stays hot for a long time. i love having a wood burning stove. in my other house i had a multi fuel stove that i used a mix of corn and wood pellets in. it was ok, but this stove is soooo much beter. i know all of the new burners go thru this paranoid stage and worry about a lot of stuff that should just be normal. i will do some experimenting when my days off are and see what i can get this stove to do. looking forward to cooking on the top of it also. thanks again


 
It is not always necessary to rake the coals forward. During the daytime we never do that but rake the coals forward only when building for the night burn. During the daytime we simply level out the coals. This will actually get the new load burning much quicker.

If you are getting excessive coaling, start opening the draft to full open just about or a little before the fire is down to all coals. This will maintain the stove temperature while burning down the coals. Also be aware that excessive coaling can be a sign that the wood is not as dry as it could be.


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## jeff_t (Dec 29, 2012)

corey21 said:


> A packed load will burn different then 3 loosely placed splits.



I put this together a little while ago, and I'm actually having trouble getting it to take off. There are no gaps between the splits to let air up and out. It'll go, but it's taking awhile.


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## rdust (Dec 29, 2012)

jeff_t said:


> I put this together a little while ago, and I'm actually having trouble getting it to take off. There are no gaps between the splits to let air up and out. It'll go, but it's taking awhile.


 
I've actually started mixing in a couple small cherry splits on the bottom on those types of loads.  I find they take off a lot faster for me.


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## rdust (Dec 29, 2012)

Backwoods Savage said:


> It is not always necessary to rake the coals forward.


 
It may not always be necessary but with a non cat stove I feel you have better results with them raked forward.  Now that I have a cat stove(ie a stove with good control) I have no issue spreading out the coal bed if I'm loading on a large coal bed.  With my non cat if I loaded on a spread out coal bed it was off to the races more times than not.


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## corey21 (Dec 29, 2012)

jeff_t said:


> I put this together a little while ago, and I'm actually having trouble getting it to take off. There are no gaps between the splits to let air up and out. It'll go, but it's taking awhile.
> 
> View attachment 86921


That is some big splits.


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## etiger2007 (Dec 29, 2012)

I agree with Begreen and Savage, go more by flames than temps.  I have been having my draft all but closed at the 400 degree mark and my wood has been burning clean and long.  Ive been getting 6-8 hours off three medium ash splits.  I also have been pushing the air control 100% closed midway through the burn this seems to extend the burn as well.  My stove top stays between 500-600 and this tells me im not wasting wood by hitting the 700 mark.


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## DTrain (Dec 29, 2012)

begreen said:


> Instead of going by stove top temp, go by eyeball and start turning the stove down in incremental reductions once the wood is starting to burn fully. Repeat as the fire picks up steam again every 10 minutes or so. I've been doing this lately with good success. Loading E/W instead of N/S can also help slow down the fire.


 
Me too,  I have been getting the stove temp up higher and longer burns this way.  I was burning to fast going by temps alone.


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## remkel (Dec 29, 2012)

Less splits = more air in the firebox leading to a hotter fire in my opinion. Load 'er up, let 'er rip. control the burn with your air controls.

I have been shutting my air down at 420 or so and watching the flames. If the secondaries die out, I reopen the air to the point where I first see the flames going well, then I shut her down again. Been leading to longer, more efficient burns.


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## etiger2007 (Dec 29, 2012)

remkel said:


> Less splits = more air in the firebox leading to a hotter fire in my opinion. Load 'er up, let 'er rip. control the burn with your air controls.
> 
> I have been shutting my air down at 420 or so and watching the flames. If the secondaries die out, I reopen the air to the point where I first see the flames going well, then I shut her down again. Been leading to longer, more efficient burns.


 
right on


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## wood burning cop (Jan 4, 2013)

loaded up the stove last night for the first overnight burn.  All went good and still had red coals and plenty to start the fire back up today at 8am.  put about 4 big splits it in and it just seemed to cruise about 550-600 and was still about 200 this morning.  thanks for the help


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## Freeheat (Jan 4, 2013)

I have never tried a loaded fire box , best I do is 2 large splits. Is anyone loading like this with a non-cat stove?


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## etiger2007 (Jan 4, 2013)

es332 said:


> I have never tried a loaded fire box , best I do is 2 large splits. Is anyone loading like this with a non-cat stove?


 
I will throw two splits in every now and again, lots of flames in the upper firebox


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## wood burning cop (Jan 4, 2013)

i used to just put in a couple of splits in every three hours or so.  I will still do that during the day and then burn down the coals now and again.  Have to load it up at night so it keeps going and has some left to start up again in the morning.  seems to burn ok loaded up and never got about 600-650.  When i just had a couple of small splits it can get up to 700 even with the air turned down.  seems to do a better job when it is loaded and goes thru the cycle.


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## swagler85 (Jan 4, 2013)

I have a non cat and load it full, no problems. Just pay attention to the air


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## ozzy73 (Jan 4, 2013)

I would not load your stove N/S full. Use bigger splits and pack it E/W with the largest in the back.

Make sure got some good coals. Rake them forward.
Load biggest splits in back and pack it tightly with a few smaller ones on the coal bed.
Watch the fire and adjust the damper accordingly.

It takes a little practice, if you dont feel comfy with a big load just work up to it, start with a 1/4 to see how the stove behaves.

It is a PITA to walk up to the stove every hour to toss a few more logs in....once you get the hang of it you will burn in cycles and only load the stove 2 or 3 times day.


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## remkel (Jan 4, 2013)

es332 said:


> I have never tried a loaded fire box , best I do is 2 large splits. Is anyone loading like this with a non-cat stove?


If I am home all day sometimes I will run like this, but for the most part I look to fill every void in the stove.


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## MnDave (Jan 4, 2013)

wood burning cop said:


> when i only put 3 or 4 small splits in the stove i can get the stovetop temp up to 700 or 750 degrees with the air only open a small amount. at this point i am affraid to put in a good size load for overnight burning. in my belief more wood equals higher btu's and a higher stovetop temp and overfiring. i use an ir thermometer ( the dial kind reads about 50 degrees cooler). is there a way to keep the temp lower when using more wood in the stove. any help or comments would be appreciated.


 
It is ok to be cautious with a new stove. None of us are going to be there if something goes wrong.

As far as more wood, more BTU's, higher temps... Your right... but up to a limit. Usually either the wood gasses or the air will reach a point which limits the BTU output rate and hense the stovetop temps.

If you are having trouble controlling your stove temps then you may have an air leak or need a damper.

MnDave


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## MnDave (Jan 4, 2013)

wood burning cop said:


> i try to dial back the air when the stovetop gets to about 350 then again when it gets to about 500. then try to let it cruise and have the air open just a little when it is at 600. goes up to about 700 and then fluxuates back and forth to about 600 to 700 most of the time. just when the secondaries go crazy does it get up above 700. do those temps and settings sound about right or should i have less air sooner.


At those temps you are not going to get an efficient burn. Most of the heat will go up the chimney. You need to get your stovetop temps down more, like 400-450, as long as you like the temp in the house.
MnDave


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## Hearth Mistress (Jan 4, 2013)

I was terrified of loading my stove up when I first started, a few pieces on the coals got me a few hours but not knowing how my stove would react I was hesitant to load up and go to bed. It took me a few times of loading it almost full during the day before I felt confident enough to do it overnight. Now once I load it up and cut back the air a little at a time, the fire settles and I get a steady burn, I just damper down and go to bed, without worry. 

My neighbor was harassing me when we first got it, he finally told me "It's a big chunk of metal designed to burn wood for god's sake, just shove it in and let it burn, you can't hurt it and as long as your not stupid about it, you won't burn your house down either" So I did and learned the quirks of my stove as I'm sure most people here did.

Every once in awhile, I get over zealous, the fire gets cranking and I begin to panic as my flue temps hit 1000. then, I run out to check the chimney for sparks, flames, whatever, knowing that by the time I get back inside, it's already settled to a much more comfortable temperature - just the cycle of the fire.

Practice makes perfect, well as close to perfect as we can get!


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## Seasoned Oak (Jan 4, 2013)

MnDave said:


> At those temps you are not going to get an efficient burn. Most of the heat will go up the chimney. You need to get your stovetop temps down more.
> MnDave


My stove burns more efficiently at the higher temps. my secondaries go out below 350 stovetop. at 500-600 stovetop the whole ceramic reburn chamber is cherry red.


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## MnDave (Jan 4, 2013)

Seasoned Oak said:


> My stove burns more efficiently at the higher temps. my secondaries go out below 350 stovetop. at 500-600 stovetop the whole ceramic reburn chamber is cherry red.


Keep in mind that I was quoting his 600-700 temps from an earlier post. I see that he got it down some.
I need to read all the posts before commenting. My bad.

MnDave


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## Wood Duck (Jan 4, 2013)

I find it hard to believe that your stovetop is really 750 degrees with only three small splits. Maybe your thermometer is off. I have a cheap magnetic stovetop thermometer and I am convinced it is off - it reads 200 degrees when the stove is cool, so is it always 200 degrees too high? Who knows.

You could try a second thermometer to see if they are similar. If not, then you'll have to decide which one to trust.


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## MnDave (Jan 4, 2013)

Hearth Mistress said:


> My neighbor was harassing me when we first got it, he finally told me "It's a big chunk of metal designed to burn wood for god's sake, just shove it in and let it burn, you can't hurt it and as long as your not stupid about it, you won't burn your house down either" So I did and learned the quirks of my stove as I'm sure most people here did.


 
One never knows if the installation was done right, if the stove is defect free or a crack has developed, or a gasket has failed.

It is easy for someone to harass about your fear when they have no skin in the game. They are not going to be there if things go to hell in a handbag. It can happen very quickly with wood burning and life and property are at stake. I know from experience.

MnDave


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## Hearth Mistress (Jan 5, 2013)

MnDave said:


> One never knows if the installation was done right, if the stove is defect free or a crack has developed, or a gasket has failed.
> 
> It is easy for someone to harass about your fear when they have no skin in the game. They are not going to be there if things go to hell in a handbag. It can happen very quickly with wood burning and life and property are at stake. I know from experience.
> 
> MnDave


Yes, I know but I was more paranoid than I needed to be, just fearful of the fire itself. I knew my stove was mint, the install was perfect, even the inspected by the township. I was making myself (and my hubby) nuts, metering every piece of wood, writing it on the splits with a sharpie and keeping a "burn diary" really, I did this for months so afraid I was going to over fire the stove. I had old hearths and fireplaces as a kid/young adult growing up but these new EPA stoves are way different. Now that I've learned the proper way to use my stove, thanks to the folks here, I'm confident, safe AND warm  .


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## MnDave (Jan 5, 2013)

Hearth Mistress said:


> Every once in awhile, I get over zealous, the fire gets cranking and I begin to panic as my flue temps hit 1000. then, I run out to check the chimney for sparks, flames, whatever, knowing that by the time I get back inside, it's already settled to a much more comfortable temperature - just the cycle of the fire.


 
1000F ? You hit it out of the ballpark. Was that a probe temp? If not then you may have damaged your chimney. Seriously. You may want to have an inspection.

That is not the safe cycle of a woodstove fire. What other dumb things has your neighbor told you?

MnDave


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## MnDave (Jan 5, 2013)

Hearth Mistress said:


> but these new EPA stoves are way different.


 
The EPA stoves limit the minimum air so that you cannot smoke your stove. This is good so that you do not build up creosote as easily but it is bad in the event you forget to close the air soon enough and the stove overfires. 1000F tells me that your stove can draft at a very high rate. What is the lowest temp, with a full load of wood that you can control down to?

MnDave


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## Hearth Mistress (Jan 5, 2013)

It's a pretty small stove, 1.7 firebox so I get it down to about 300 totally closed down if I do it too quick, drops from 700-800 in minutes, really. It took me a long time to figure out how to keep it coasting around 600 or so. It can easily jump though, I know that. I live In a bank barn on a vertical acre of slate. My installers were afraid I'd have drafting problems because of the valley of the ridge we live on. Even with gusty winds, 50 mph, I don't have trouble or experience a down draft. Our pipe right out of the stove, single wall to a slight elbow 18" above the stove but then its double wall to the ceiling, triple wall through the floor and roof and single wall stainless above the roofline. Because it's pretty much a straight shoot up, It drafts well, too well sometimes


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## ethanhudson (Jan 5, 2013)

MnDave said:


> 1000F ? You hit it out of the ballpark. You may have damaged your chimney. Seriously. You may want to have an inspection.
> 
> That is not the safe cycle of a woodstove fire. What other dumb things has your neighbor told you?
> 
> MnDave


Certainly Hearth Mistress isn't the only one who has gotten their flue to 1K.  I know I have (900 or 950 at least).  Do I do it on a regular and intentional basis? No.  Have I started a fire and left the door cracked to go make coffee and forgot about the fire, only to come back to a probe thermo at 900-1000 and a hot metal smell? Yes. Have I forgotten to close the bypass on my stove? Yes.  Do I make a very conscious effort to ensure that those things don't happen again? Yes, but my flue is rated for 1K degrees on a regular basis (insulated stainless liner with double wall Selkirk stove pipe.)  From the installation manual for the stove pipe: _"Your Chimney Connector is intended to connect a gas, liquid, or __solid fuel appliance normally producing flue gases of 650°C/1200°F (Canada), 540°C/1000°F (US - to the Temperature requirements of UL103HT)"  _

I don't want to underestimate the caution with which individuals must treat their stove, I'm just trying to point out that a properly installed and maintained flue is more than capable of handling 1,000 degrees for "normal" amounts of time.

Oh, and for what it's worth, I pack my stove as absolutely full as possible anytime I want a prolonged burn...

Stay Safe and Happy Burning!


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## Seasoned Oak (Jan 5, 2013)

Wood Duck said:


> I find it hard to believe that your stovetop is really 750 degrees with only three small splits. Maybe your thermometer is off. I have a cheap magnetic stovetop thermometer and I am convinced it is off - it reads 200 degrees when the stove is cool, so is it always 200 degrees too high? Who knows.
> 
> You could try a second thermometer to see if they are similar. If not, then you'll have to decide which one to trust.


I can get very high temps(for relatively short duration) with a few small pieces of wood in my country hearth 2000. Its a small stove with a 2.0 CF firebox and thin walls.
about 650-700 . I could not do the same with the same wood in my larger stoves.


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## ethanhudson (Jan 5, 2013)

jeff_t said:


> I put this together a little while ago, and I'm actually having trouble getting it to take off. There are no gaps between the splits to let air up and out. It'll go, but it's taking awhile.
> 
> View attachment 86921


This one is ready to roll for the next 10-12 hours...




Same load, secondaries only (primary 100% closed), ready for bed...


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## MnDave (Jan 5, 2013)

ethanhudson said:


> I don't want to underestimate the caution with which individuals must treat their stove, I'm just trying to point out that a properly installed and maintained flue is more than capable of handling 1,000 degrees for "normal" amounts of time.


 
Keep in mind that I do not know what kind of chimney she has. Do you?

Based on what I have read here. A surface temp of 1000F means that the temp of the gas in the flue got to 2000F.

I know that a Class A chimney is rated for 1700 continuous and 2100 peak. I have read that it should be inspected if it hits a high peak because you do not know what real temps were reached and how much accumulated damage there may be.

MnDave


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## begreen (Jan 5, 2013)

If the flue gases were 1500-2000F with a single wall pipe, I would have expected a couple other visual confirmations. One being the magnetic thermometer sliding right off the flue pipe and two, the pipe glowing bright enough to read by it. Waiting for a confirmation of these visual details.


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## Dakotas Dad (Jan 5, 2013)

I don't use my foot to force the last split in.. anymore.

But a full stove is essential to the overnight burn.

If I leave my air 80% or more open on a three split load of good wood, I can (and have) see my stove top exceed the 600F max recommendation.

I am pretty sure my probe has never made it all the way to 1000F, but I know it's been past 800F.


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## WhitePine (Jan 5, 2013)

Hearth Mistress said:


> Every once in awhile, I get over zealous, the fire gets cranking and I begin to panic as my flue temps hit 1000. then, I run out to check the chimney for sparks, flames, whatever, knowing that by the time I get back inside, it's already settled to a much more comfortable temperature - just the cycle of the fire.
> 
> Practice makes perfect, well as close to perfect as we can get!


 
Is that 1000F  

My flue thermometer doesn't even go that high. What are you measuring with? Is this double walled or single walled? Napoleon says the stove top temperature should not exceed 700F or you risk a warped top. How in the world are you getting 1000F in the flue? That really doesn't sound right.


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## Hearth Mistress (Jan 5, 2013)

Let me clear this up for everyone 

This s a PROBE thermometer, not magnetic, it goes to 1700, it's a Condor Flueguard and yes, It is stuck into the single wall pipe, the first 18" out of the stove. The 1000 is flue gas temp, not stove top temp, my stove top barley gets to 300 as I said, because it's a steel stove with cast iron panels, there is no way to measure the stove top without taking the big heavy piece of cast iron enamel off, which I'm not willing to do everytime I light my stove. I have a stove top thermometer but to me, it's useless. I know if I'm not above 450 flue temp, I'm not producing heat, I coast about 600 most of the time .
Now, to explain my set up, the stovepipe is in my house, all the way to the roof line, weird I know, but when you live in an old house, everything is weird. There is no and has not been any damage, no smell and when the chimney was swept in October, almost a year as a new burner, no creosote, just ash.  I'm confident that while my set up is " non traditional" running through my home with big shrouds around it, those pipes never get warmer than "out of the dryer warm" even when the stove is cranking, no glowing pipes, or stove for that matter and nothing but heat ever coming out of the chimney. So, with that, I have to ascertain that I'm burning safe and efficient. 

For you curious types, Here are some photos of my set up. That wood in the upper left corner of the stove shot,are my steps, rustic wood blocks bolted together, previous owner made them. This is high temp rated stove pipe, $300 per 36", Killed my budget for the install but needed. It is also what is inside the shroud in my second floor. Yes, I know the cap of my pipe is dented, when that 85ft ash came down during Sandy, a branch hit it. The damage is on the other side of the house - hence the blue tarp, and the cap is being replaced when we take the pipe down to fix the roof in the next few weeks.  My installers did not feel it was an emergency repair as the stove hasn't changed behavior since then. Here is the view behind my house, the valley of the ridge we live on. Yes, I see a lot of cutting in my future, that's all from Sandy, 90 mph winds and old trees leave a mess, and we cleared out more than half of it that fell already!

I welcome any comments or concerns with my set up but my township is not the easiest to please and they liked my set up, as do I.

Thanks for all the concern


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## wkpoor (Jan 5, 2013)

wood burning cop said:


> when i only put 3 or 4 small splits in the stove i can get the stovetop temp up to 700 or 750 degrees with the air only open a small amount. at this point i am affraid to put in a good size load for overnight burning. in my belief more wood equals higher btu's and a higher stovetop temp and overfiring. i use an ir thermometer ( the dial kind reads about 50 degrees cooler). is there a way to keep the temp lower when using more wood in the stove. any help or comments would be appreciated.


I imagine the 2500 is a close cousin to the Magnolia which I had a few years ago. And yes I had very similar results. It was not controllable with a large load of wood. Maybe you have very god draft like I have. One thing this Hearth crowd doesn't have much experience with is very tall chimneys and how much different any stove will perform on such. The US stoves don't allow you to shut down the primary enough IMO. I routinely had my stove top 750 and above with a damper full closed and had to resort to stuffing the secondary inlet to get it under control.


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## Hearth Mistress (Jan 5, 2013)

This is my " normal " run rate..... Stove is 2/3 full, lots of coals air in almost all the way. That Perkins is the stove top, useless but it amuses me. Now, It's 45 degrees here today, since the hubby is working, I'm goin out to split (not by hand, screw that, I have a little splitter) I look forward to everyone's comments, know I love you guys and appreciate the feedback


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## begreen (Jan 5, 2013)

Yes, you are not going to get an accurate stove top reading that way. It needs to be directly on the steel top.

I'm not sure the probe thermometer will be accurate when used on single wall pipe. Pen and I found the new Condar reading a bit high already at the upper range. With the additional radiant heat from the single-wall pipe I'm wondering if it's really accurate?

This is not exactly a scientific test but could be worth a check. When the flue temps are high, say above 800F, take your stove top thermometer and temporarily put it on the flue pipe about 18" above the stove and let us know what it reads. The flue gas should be roughly 1.5 times this surface reading on the flue pipe. If it is accurate, try hard to avoid those forays above 1000F in the flue pipe. It's wasting fuel and pushing system limits.


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## wood burning cop (Jan 5, 2013)

wkpoor said:


> I imagine the 2500 is a close cousin to the Magnolia which I had a few years ago. And yes I had very similar results. It was not controllable with a large load of wood. Maybe you have very god draft like I have. One thing this Hearth crowd doesn't have much experience with is very tall chimneys and how much different any stove will perform on such. The US stoves don't allow you to shut down the primary enough IMO. I routinely had my stove top 750 and above with a damper full closed and had to resort to stuffing the secondary inlet to get it under control


 
I think the 2500 just has a little bigger firebox.  I also have a stovepipe damper that i can close if i need too.  so far i have not used it and have been able to adjust with the primary air.  I have burned for the last two days straight and it is going good.  so far two overnight burns down and had more than enough coals in the morning to just toss in a couple of splits and watch it take off.  i have turned down the air a little more and a little sooner.  Still seems to cruise around 600 and will get up to about 650 but only for a short time.  then most of it it around 500 or 550.  wood is lasting a good amount of time and i still only throw in a couple of splits at a time during the day to keep the house up to temp.  might let it cruise around 400 or so.  at night my stove does not look like some of the ones pictured (packed full)  i still have room for 2 to 3 more splits, but i am working up to packing it full.  taking it slow at this time. 

i love this stove and it puts our more than enough heat for me.  my goal is not like some of the people on the site, maybe some day, but for now i just want to keep the furnace from kicking on the majority of the time.  If it kicks on at night for a short time then ok.  i just like burning wood and like the look of the fire and like to stand in front of it for a blast of hot air if i want.  My wife likes it also and i already have her trained to load it and watch it while i am at work. 

thanks again to all the great people on this site.


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## begreen (Jan 5, 2013)

Sounds like you are doing fine and learning the stove well. Go at your own chosen speed and enjoy the new stove.


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## wood burning cop (Jan 5, 2013)

Wood Duck said:


> I find it hard to believe that your stovetop is really 750 degrees with only three small splits. Maybe your thermometer is off. I have a cheap magnetic stovetop thermometer and I am convinced it is off - it reads 200 degrees when the stove is cool, so is it always 200 degrees too high? Who knows.
> 
> You could try a second thermometer to see if they are similar. If not, then you'll have to decide which one to trust.


 
The stovetop thermometer usualy reads about 50 degrees less that the ir thermometer.  I go off of the ir thermometer and i have tested it on several things and find that it is accurate.  and my temps are with some good coals in the firebox.  not on initial startup.  it does read less on the outer edges of the stovetop and i seem to get some really good secondary burns with this stove.  so far i am impressed.


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## Hearth Mistress (Jan 5, 2013)

begreen said:


> I'm not sure the probe thermometer will be accurate when used on single wall pipe. Pen and I found the new Condar reading a bit high already at the upper range. With the additional radiant heat from the single-wall pipe I'm wondering if it's really accurate?
> 
> This is not exactly a scientific test but could be worth a check. When the flue temps are high, say above 800F, take your stove top thermometer and temporarily put it on the flue pipe about 18" above the stove and let us know what it reads. The flue gas should be roughly 1.5 times this surface reading on the flue pipe.



Just checked my install schematic and I am wrong, the first 18" of pipe coming out of my stove IS double wall, which is why a probe was recommended, not a magnetic. Right now my flue temps are about 450 and while I can't do it for more than a few seconds, I can put my hand on the pipe right out of the stove as well as above the elbow (they feel the same temp to me too)

On a totally separate note, I learned my first lesson in wood BTU today!  We had some black walnut and cherry given to us from my hubby's friend (he has 15 cords if wood and is running out of room to stack it). It was css over a year at his place, but he has a fire place (18"-21" splits) so I spent the afternoon cutting and splitting it again to fit in my stove. It seemed really well seasoned and lightweight so I just threw some in the stove out of curiosity. Not only does it smell awesome in here, it is throwing heat like we've NEVER felt (everything we have is ash, ash and more ash) Now I have to find the perfect blend to keep this heat up 

Any comments on the pics of my set up? Does it seem to fall into the specs you guys would consider optimal?


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## Paulywalnut (Jan 5, 2013)

I usually put 3 splits in mine.
I have a fairly small firebox.
i usually have small hot coals
in 6hrs. I don't sleep long.


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## ohlongarm (Jan 5, 2013)

begreen said:


> Yes, you are not going to get an accurate stove top reading that way. It needs to be directly on the steel top.
> 
> I'm not sure the probe thermometer will be accurate when used on single wall pipe. Pen and I found the new Condar reading a bit high already at the upper range. With the additional radiant heat from the single-wall pipe I'm wondering if it's really accurate?
> 
> This is not exactly a scientific test but could be worth a check. When the flue temps are high, say above 800F, take your stove top thermometer and temporarily put it on the flue pipe about 18" above the stove and let us know what it reads. The flue gas should be roughly 1.5 times this surface reading on the flue pipe. If it is accurate, try hard to avoid those forays above 1000F in the flue pipe. It's wasting fuel and pushing system limits.


 How can you put too much wood in a woodstove?I'm glad I have a BBK don't need to worry about it.


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## Seasoned Oak (Jan 6, 2013)

wkpoor said:


> I imagine the 2500 is a close cousin to the Magnolia which I had a few years ago. And yes I had very similar results. It was not controllable with a large load of wood. Maybe you have very god draft like I have. One thing this Hearth crowd doesn't have much experience with is very tall chimneys and how much different any stove will perform on such. The US stoves don't allow you to shut down the primary enough IMO. I routinely had my stove top 750 and above with a damper full closed and had to resort to stuffing the secondary inlet to get it under control.


My country hearth work very good on a weak draft(large diameter flue) I would not be surprised if it over fired on a strong draft cuz it burns strong on a weak one.


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## chadihman (Jan 6, 2013)

corey21 said:


> That is some big splits.


 I like big splits in my quad 5700. Overnight heating is easily done with large splits. Gotta make sure enough time is left for seasoning the really big ones.


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