putting too much wood in stove

[begreen]

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.

 

[wood burning cop]

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.

 

[begreen]

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

 

[wood burning cop]

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.

 

[Hearth Mistress]

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?

 

[Paulywalnut]

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.

 

[ohlongarm]

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.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

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.

 

[chadihman]

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.