Looking for some advice on new Alderlea T6

[KG19]

I’m looking for some advice on running my new Alderlea T6. This isn’t my first stove, but my first season with the Alderlea. My issue I’m having is the stove burning too hot (at least I think).

My setup includes a stove pipe with 90 degree bend into a masonry chimney with 6” insulated liner (brand new) going up approximately 25-30’. I know this is a tall chimney so the draft is strong.

The issue I’m having is if I put more than 4 or so splits in, the stove gets very hot. Right now the stovetop maxed out at about 820F on the hottest spot I could find with IR gun with five 4-6” thick splits in there, all loaded N/S with very little air space between them. When I loaded, the stovetop was 300f and I shut down the air about halfway as soon as the wood caught fire, and shut it down all the way within 5 minutes. It was at about 350 when I shut the air all the way down, and continued climbing to over 800 over the course of an hour. It’s also not that cold here yet, it’s currently about 45f outside so I know the draft will be even stronger in midwinter when it’s ok the single digits or below zero.

I’m wondering if it would actually be better to fully load the stove? Would less airflow around the perimeters of the firebox help to keep it from taking off so much? I’m just nervous to try it. Do I maybe need to just shut the air down completely as soon as the logs catch fire? Maybe 800-850 stovetop isn’t terrible? I can’t find a temperature for overfire in the manual. I’ll also add that that temperature is in a very specific spot on the stovetop and the rest of it is reading variously from 700-800. Looking for any feedback. Thanks

 

[begreen]

You're correct. It's too hot. The stove is going to need a stovepipe damper to tame the draft and maybe two of them if the flue height is 30ft instead of 25 ft. 800-850º may be overfiring the stove if the thermometer is accurate.

In the meantime, close down the air much sooner. The stove top is not a good measure of when to do this. It's a lagging indicator. It's possible that flue temps ae exceeding 1000º frequently. If prolonged ,this can be damaging to the liner. Get a good flue thermometer. I've found that a digital thermometer is the best investment for tracking flue temps.

This thread shows how different flue and stovetop temps are on startup and how the flue temp is a better guide for startup temps.

Thread 'Starting a fire and running an EPA stove'

Jan 17, 2020

Questions about starting a fire and avoiding a runaway stove come up so frequently I decided to document starting our stove. This is a Pacific Energy Alderlea T6 with about a 3 cu ft firebox. The stove is connected to a straight-up, 20' interior flue. The outside ambient temperature is 34ºF. The blower was off all the time for these shots. The firewood is douglas fir at about 17% moisture content. This is a N/S loading. An E/W loading start will follow.

NOTE: as testing will show, the older Condar flue thermometer is reading low. It needs recalibration.

There are 3 instruments shown.

1. ...

• begreen
• Replies: 79
• Forum: The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces

• 

 

[KG19]

You're correct. It's too hot. The stove is going to need a stovepipe damper to tame the draft and maybe two of them if the flue height is 30ft instead of 25 ft. 800-850º may be overfiring the stove if the thermometer is accurate.

In the meantime, close down the air much sooner. The stove top is not a good measure of when to do this. It's a lagging indicator. It's possible that flue temps ae exceeding 1000º frequently. If prolonged ,this can be damaging to the liner. Get a good flue thermometer. I've found that a digital thermometer is the best investment for tracking flue temps.

This thread shows how different flue and stovetop temps are on startup and how the flue temp is a better guide for startup temps.

Thread 'Starting a fire and running an EPA stove'

Jan 17, 2020

Questions about starting a fire and avoiding a runaway stove come up so frequently I decided to document starting our stove. This is a Pacific Energy Alderlea T6 with about a 3 cu ft firebox. The stove is connected to a straight-up, 20' interior flue. The outside ambient temperature is 34ºF. The blower was off all the time for these shots. The firewood is douglas fir at about 17% moisture content. This is a N/S loading. An E/W loading start will follow.

NOTE: as testing will show, the older Condar flue thermometer is reading low. It needs recalibration.

There are 3 instruments shown.

1. ...

• begreen
• Replies: 79
• Forum: The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces

• 

Thank you! I’ll reach out to the installer about a damper. It’s something we had discussed prior to installing because of the chimney height but they advised waiting to see if it’s necessary. In the meantime I’ll stick with less fuel and close off the air supply even quicker. I was thinking I was closing it pretty quickly already though

 

[begreen]

A key damper will help. The wood supply may also be extra dry or the splits may be thin for this stove. Thick splits will burn slower. Turn down the air as quickly as possible, in increments, without extinguishing the fire. Lazy flames are ok.

 

[KG19]

A key damper will help. The wood supply may also be extra dry or the splits may be thin for this stove. Thick splits will burn slower. Turn down the air as quickly as possible, in increments, without extinguishing the fire. Lazy flames are ok.

Hey begreen, one other question for you… I’m curious about whether or not you think I might have a leak in the glass gasket on my door? I’ve attached a photo of what my door glass looks like after a couple of fires. I’ve cleaned it a few times already and I keep getting these dark lines around the perimeter of the glass. Just curious if that could actually be the issue? Maybe that’s just normal for this stove but I get it up to at least 600F basically every time I have a fire, and occasionally near or above 800f as I mentioned in my earlier posts, and it still seems to form these lines. In my old stove, that would always burn off if I got a hot fire going. I’ve done the dollar bill test on the door gasket but I don’t know how to test the glass gasket

 

[Todd]

Could be you are reloading on too large a coal bed. It also helps to rake all the coals forward before reloading so it will give you a more front to back burn instead of an all at once off gassing firebox.

 

[begreen]

When the stove is cool, check to make sure that the door gasket is actually adhered to the door frame. It might not be in those locations. If not, it will need some gasket cement or RTV in those location to glue it to the door.

FWIW, I get a little sooting sometimes around the edges but the door gasket is now 4 yrs old.

 

[KG19]

Could be you are reloading on too large a coal bed. It also helps to rake all the coals forward before reloading so it will give you a more front to back burn instead of an all at once off gassing firebox.

I don’t think this is likely the cause, since I’ve been waiting pretty long on reloads due to the mild weather. I’ll sometimes wait 8 or so hours to reload (from a load of only 4 splits) so there isn’t a very big coal bed. I also do rake what coals there are up to the front when reloading. I do think it’s just drafting way too strong. It seems to me like the fire will take off at a normal pace, at least comparing to my old stove it’s about the same. But after I’ve shut the air control all the way down, the STT will just keep rising from 300 all the way to 800 if I have more than 4 splits in there.