To carry on from a previous Thread I started, but to focus more on the "high temp" issue:
There are two times in the burn cycle that I see as the highest temps being generated......
1) When re-loading the wood stove during the day time as needed for heat (multiple times per day)
2) When re-loading prior to bedtime (one load that needs to burn thru most of the night.
With regard to the first one, we wouldn't typically let the fire burn down to a smoulder, but keep a constant burn going. The temps WILL by nature jump, when the new splits are added, (typically a couple at a time anyway), and yet in MY particular case, I have found that if I try to achieve a Secondary Burn by closing down the Damper, it cuts out too much of the air and the fire doesn't seem to want to burn well. So I never really shut down the Damper much more than half, at most.
With regard to the second one, I've not mastered this yet, but I assume that I will, this year, since it will be our first 24/7 burning season. I see myself putting about 3 splits on the fire at about 10 PM, and then waking up to take a whiz at about 3 AM, and adding more.
In each case of re-stocking the fire, the temps are naturally gonna spike, and then burn down. Aren't we all really saying that it is understood that a fire temp WILL spike and that can't be avoided, but it's about how long we let the temps stay there? I'd assume that we would simply get into the habit of letting the fire either:
A) burn down to embers and then re-stocking (obviously spiking the heat when re-stocking the firebox)
B) be constantly flaming, adding wood as often as needed so that it is not only "embers." (keeping the temps
at as much of a constant as possible, (preferably apparently at a constant that is say around 650ºF or so),
but recognizing that the temps will spike during the adding of new wood.
The problem with "B" is that "overnight" there is bound to be an "ember" fire only in the morning. (Unless of course, most wood burning people get used to the idea of getting up twice or three times a night).
-Soupy1957
There are two times in the burn cycle that I see as the highest temps being generated......
1) When re-loading the wood stove during the day time as needed for heat (multiple times per day)
2) When re-loading prior to bedtime (one load that needs to burn thru most of the night.
With regard to the first one, we wouldn't typically let the fire burn down to a smoulder, but keep a constant burn going. The temps WILL by nature jump, when the new splits are added, (typically a couple at a time anyway), and yet in MY particular case, I have found that if I try to achieve a Secondary Burn by closing down the Damper, it cuts out too much of the air and the fire doesn't seem to want to burn well. So I never really shut down the Damper much more than half, at most.
With regard to the second one, I've not mastered this yet, but I assume that I will, this year, since it will be our first 24/7 burning season. I see myself putting about 3 splits on the fire at about 10 PM, and then waking up to take a whiz at about 3 AM, and adding more.
In each case of re-stocking the fire, the temps are naturally gonna spike, and then burn down. Aren't we all really saying that it is understood that a fire temp WILL spike and that can't be avoided, but it's about how long we let the temps stay there? I'd assume that we would simply get into the habit of letting the fire either:
A) burn down to embers and then re-stocking (obviously spiking the heat when re-stocking the firebox)
B) be constantly flaming, adding wood as often as needed so that it is not only "embers." (keeping the temps
at as much of a constant as possible, (preferably apparently at a constant that is say around 650ºF or so),
but recognizing that the temps will spike during the adding of new wood.
The problem with "B" is that "overnight" there is bound to be an "ember" fire only in the morning. (Unless of course, most wood burning people get used to the idea of getting up twice or three times a night).
-Soupy1957