How hot have you had your stove surface?

[BrotherBart]

Marty S. is just always P.O.ed when the magnetic thermometers keep falling off of his masonry heater.

 

[colsmith]

Having the particular soapstone stove we do means our stovetop temps don't get so hot. We don't have a thermometer on all the time, but did lots of measuring in the first month or so after we got it. Highest temps were about 330 or 350 F, don't recall exactly but in the mid 300s. Hubby might have more specific notes. Our manual says it should not be over 500 F ever. I guess between the design and the soapstone we get a more moderate temperature on the top. I imagine our wood burns as hot as anybody's?!? Don't know how we would measure the temp. inside the firebox. Besides the firebricks, our stove came with a flat hunk of thermoceramic insulation and some kind of insulation looking insulation on top of that, above the secondary burn tubes, that is supposed to keep the heat in the stove and not all going up the chimney. Unless you are right in front of the stove, it isn't too hot.

 

[Martin Strand III]

In "Cat" stoves, how hot does it get inside there anyway - inside those catalytic converters before they blow out their jewels or the metal stove starts sagging somewhere?

Aye,
Marty

Grandpa used to remark, "Your mind is a precious thing. Don't fill it with junk."

 

[ozarkjeep]

I got distracted today, and left the cat engaged and the air flow 100% open for almost an hour today, stove top went to 940, I quickly shut it down, and it settled back and is burning fine.

I have to assume though, the CAT temp was 1400+ right below that 940 degree stovetop.

it appears no harm done, manual states its ok to run the stove at ANY air setting.

In "Cat" stoves, how hot does it get inside there anyway - inside those catalytic converters before they blow out their jewels or the metal stove starts sagging somewhere?

Aye,
Marty

Grandpa used to remark, "Your mind is a precious thing. Don't fill it with junk."

 

[Martin Strand III]

No harm, no foul. However, ...

By "burning fine", do you mean, essentially, dialing down your appliance so that in your firebox combustion of wood occurs at a temperature underwhich is optimal where the less than completely burned fuel puts out more smoke, more small particles, has more creosote formation, and more carbon monoxide and other toxic gases are released to our atmosphere?

Why not decrease your fuel load, lett'er rip and burn clean?

Aye,
Marty

 

[ozarkjeep]

IM not equipped to measure the those things that you mentioned, other than by visual cues at the chimney, and by "burning fine", I mean the output is clear ( no smoke), and the stove top stays warm enough to heat the room)

No harm, no foul. However, ...

By "burning fine", do you mean, essentially, dialing down your appliance so that in your firebox combustion of wood occurs at a temperature underwhich is optimal where the less than completely burned fuel puts out more smoke, more small particles, has more creosote formation, and more carbon monoxide and other toxic gases are released to our atmosphere?

Why not decrease your fuel load, lett'er rip and burn clean?

Aye,
Marty

 

[DavidV]

I have one small spot of single wall on the front just in front of the Cat chamber. I like it to be about 500. That's where I get a really good burn with clouds of blue fire. This morning I had trouble getting my fire up. I think the boys pulled from the wrong stack or pulled some wood that got rained on recently just not as hot as it usually is. Temps were in the upper 30's so draft wasn't the issue. Sometimes it gets up to 650-700. I will reduce the air when I see it go above 600.