Stove tops...what about insert top temps?

[burntime]

I own the Hampton HI300 insert. I see people all the time refering to stove top temps...what about inserts? Mine routinely runs from low of 150...yes there is secondary burn...to a high of 275. At the high side I would not want to push any more. Does this sound normal to people with like setups? On the hampton the temp is basically above the air exit channel so these are the exit air temp average.

 

[wg_bent]

Go search for my post on Osburn manual corrections (or somethign like that). Osburn said that stove top temps on what they call the cook surface (cook what? a hot dog? ain't no pot that's gonna fit on that thing, nor would it get hot enough to boil water unless spilled directly on the stove) Should get to 400 or 450 if I remember right.

What they call a cook top on my stove is a metal shroud that directs hot air down a bit in front of the stove. If that is 450 i'm willing to bet the stove is being over fired. I never bought a thermometer because of this lack of clarity from SBI.

The manual is a serious sort coming for this stove, but many aren't a lot better.

 

[burntime]

Thats kind of what I thought. I am getting secondary burn so I assume its goig well. I have been burning since october and the liner is still clean. I will check it after this cold snap and run a bruch thru it but my guess is that it still will be clean...just a little discolored. Thanks.

 

[wg_bent]

Thats kind of what I thought. I am getting secondary burn so I assume its goig well. I have been burning since october and the liner is still clean. I will check it after this cold snap and run a bruch thru it but my guess is that it still will be clean...just a little discolored. Thanks.

If your liner is clean since October with the warm weather we had (read...poor burning conditions...low fires) then I wouldn't waste your time brushing till June.

 

[biggins08]

My harmon insert generaly runs between 400-600. 600 is really cranking...... No temp guidlines by the company...

 

[wg_bent]

The Harman insert is a sweet stove. You're lucky to own one

 

[Shawn]

I try to run my Lopi between 500-550. The manual says over 800 is overfiring.

 

[MrGriz]

We have all been back and forth on this temperature issue and I get more confused every time.

Warren, I have had the thermometer on the 'cook' top of my 2200i at 600* quite a few times and have not had a problem. At those temps, I can't see anything glowing and it just seems to purr right along. It does make me a bit nervous, but it never seems to climb past that point. More routinely, I like to run around 450, give or take a bit.

Even at 600*, it still passes Osburns overfire test, LOL. Yes, I can grab the latch (spring) and it's not too hot to hold.

 

[Highbeam]

I too have a LOPI insert and the manual tells you to place the thermometer on the top of the stove above the door. At this location, 800 is designated as overfiring and/or when anything glows red. I have seen 725 and routinely get above 600 when using it to warm a cold house. After the intial "power burn" I let it settle down to between 400-500 else the room temp will rise too much. The power burn is good to purge the system of residues and the high temps provide much more heat output.

So bottom line is that inserts are just woodtoves with a shroud. The same temperature limits and ranges apply with the only difference being that it is sometimes difficult to measure the temperature due to the sometimes concealed stovetop.

 

[wg_bent]

We have all been back and forth on this temperature issue and I get more confused every time.

Warren, I have had the thermometer on the 'cook' top of my 2200i at 600* quite a few times and have not had a problem. At those temps, I can't see anything glowing and it just seems to purr right along. It does make me a bit nervous, but it never seems to climb past that point. More routinely, I like to run around 450, give or take a bit.

Even at 600*, it still passes Osburns overfire test, LOL. Yes, I can grab the latch (spring) and it's not too hot to hold.

Well, that's good to know. o.k. Time to head down to Heat Revival and get a thermometer.

Yeah, the overfire test has alway's passed according to my stove too. With the blower running I'm not sure it's possible to over fire. The only thing that ever glows is the burn tubes, and not a lot. How hot does the surround get on yours?

 

[MrGriz]

We have all been back and forth on this temperature issue and I get more confused every time.

Warren, I have had the thermometer on the 'cook' top of my 2200i at 600* quite a few times and have not had a problem. At those temps, I can't see anything glowing and it just seems to purr right along. It does make me a bit nervous, but it never seems to climb past that point. More routinely, I like to run around 450, give or take a bit.

Even at 600*, it still passes Osburns overfire test, LOL. Yes, I can grab the latch (spring) and it's not too hot to hold.

Well, that's good to know. o.k. Time to head down to Heat Revival and get a thermometer.

Yeah, the overfire test has alway's passed according to my stove too. With the blower running I'm not sure it's possible to over fire. The only thing that ever glows is the burn tubes, and not a lot. How hot does the surround get on yours?

I've never checked the temp of the surround, but it does get hot to the touch. I almost always run mine with the blower on. Usually it's on its lowest setting but when the temps get up over 500*, I usually turn it up and this seems to keep things in check.

I think I'll do an experiment tomorrow afternoon. I'll get it crusing, check the 'cook top' temp and then remove the top and check the temp under it on the top of the insert. Should be interesting, maybe I won't be so confident over 500 any more.

 

[JMF1]

If this helps at all...........My Avalon 1196 Olympic manual reads that 800 degrees is "high burn". When I first installed this stove I had it up to 900+ on the cooktop, way too hot! I then installed a blower and now she stays around 450-700 with the air almost closed and a good secondary burn going. Then she will settle down to the 500 range for the rest of the load. The blower seems to be the key to controling an overfire. These temps are being measured in the middle of the stovetop, not on the shroud. I think this confuses people sometimes.

 

[firewatcher]

We have all been back and forth on this temperature issue and I get more confused every time.

Warren, I have had the thermometer on the 'cook' top of my 2200i at 600* quite a few times and have not had a problem. At those temps, I can't see anything glowing and it just seems to purr right along. It does make me a bit nervous, but it never seems to climb past that point. More routinely, I like to run around 450, give or take a bit.

Even at 600*, it still passes Osburns overfire test, LOL. Yes, I can grab the latch (spring) and it's not too hot to hold.

Ive got a 2200 Bay also but I never can get mine above 400 to 450 with the blower on. What are you burning? Rocket fuel...

 

[MrGriz]

We have all been back and forth on this temperature issue and I get more confused every time.

Warren, I have had the thermometer on the 'cook' top of my 2200i at 600* quite a few times and have not had a problem. At those temps, I can't see anything glowing and it just seems to purr right along. It does make me a bit nervous, but it never seems to climb past that point. More routinely, I like to run around 450, give or take a bit.

Even at 600*, it still passes Osburns overfire test, LOL. Yes, I can grab the latch (spring) and it's not too hot to hold.

Ive got a 2200 Bay also but I never can get mine above 400 to 450 with the blower on. What are you burning? Rocket fuel...

No, I would never burn rocket fuel...now a sip or two here and there....

I get the best temps out of very well seasoned oak. I also find that the way I load the stove makes a big difference. When I take care to cross stack and keep good air flow channels open, I have no problem getting good hot temps. It's cooking along right now at just under 500*, blower on just under 1/2 speed and headed toward coals.

 

[ozarkjeep]

Mine has seen 950 degrees, 2 times in the last couple of months ( me forgetting the air control is wide open with the CAT engaged)

No harm done, just alot of heat out of it.

600-700 seems to be the best heat output.

I dont think about reloading until 350-400 though, depending on how cold it is outside.
( it still makes heat there)

on mine at 150 stove top temps, hell im cleaning the ashes out, and dont even need gloves.

 

[firewatcher]

We have all been back and forth on this temperature issue and I get more confused every time.

Warren, I have had the thermometer on the 'cook' top of my 2200i at 600* quite a few times and have not had a problem. At those temps, I can't see anything glowing and it just seems to purr right along. It does make me a bit nervous, but it never seems to climb past that point. More routinely, I like to run around 450, give or take a bit.

Even at 600*, it still passes Osburns overfire test, LOL. Yes, I can grab the latch (spring) and it's not too hot to hold.

Ive got a 2200 Bay also but I never can get mine above 400 to 450 with the blower on. What are you burning? Rocket fuel...

No, I would never burn rocket fuel...now a sip or two here and there....

I get the best temps out of very well seasoned oak. I also find that the way I load the stove makes a big difference. When I take care to cross stack and keep good air flow channels open, I have no problem getting good hot temps. It's cooking along right now at just under 500*, blower on just under 1/2 speed and headed toward coals.

when yoy stack the wood in the insert, do you put 2 in at a time parallel then 2 more on top parallel the opposite way? And keep that going the whole time? I am just trying to get the hottest burn out of my wood

 

[DavidV]

Watching TV tonight, the wife pointed at the stove and aksed me if it was too hot. it was around 600. I put the magnetic "stack temp" thermometer right in front, up near the top on about the only single wall part of the stove I could find. I said no. She said that the thermometer said that was overfiring the stove. I smiled and said it was ok. She reminded me that I have said the tru temp is probably higher than the thermometer shows. I told her it would be ok. She's gotten very attatched to the stove this winter. doesn't like for the furnace to come on.....says that it makes her skin feel dry. Nice to know she's noticing where the temps should be with it. I'd say if the flue is clean and it's giving you the heat you want, it's probably ok.

 

[wg_bent]

We have all been back and forth on this temperature issue and I get more confused every time.

Warren, I have had the thermometer on the 'cook' top of my 2200i at 600* quite a few times and have not had a problem. At those temps, I can't see anything glowing and it just seems to purr right along. It does make me a bit nervous, but it never seems to climb past that point. More routinely, I like to run around 450, give or take a bit.

Even at 600*, it still passes Osburns overfire test, LOL. Yes, I can grab the latch (spring) and it's not too hot to hold.

Ive got a 2200 Bay also but I never can get mine above 400 to 450 with the blower on. What are you burning? Rocket fuel...

No, I would never burn rocket fuel...now a sip or two here and there....

I get the best temps out of very well seasoned oak. I also find that the way I load the stove makes a big difference. When I take care to cross stack and keep good air flow channels open, I have no problem getting good hot temps. It's cooking along right now at just under 500*, blower on just under 1/2 speed and headed toward coals.

when yoy stack the wood in the insert, do you put 2 in at a time parallel then 2 more on top parallel the opposite way? And keep that going the whole time? I am just trying to get the hottest burn out of my wood

I can get an extremely hot burn no matter how the wood goes in. Doing what you suggest get's there a little faster. When I load for the night I load front to back and it takes a few minutes to get thing ripping away, but after 20 minutes...it's a very hot burn, even with the air all the way down.

 

[MrGriz]

when yoy stack the wood in the insert, do you put 2 in at a time parallel then 2 more on top parallel the opposite way? And keep that going the whole time? I am just trying to get the hottest burn out of my wood

When I first light the fire, I cross stack a handfull of kindling on top of a bit of cardboard or some balled up newspaer (not too much). I then place 3 splits front to back and 3 splits side to side on top of those. That will get a good, quick, hot fire going. When I add wood the next one or two times, I will continue to cross stack. Once I have a good bed of coals going it's not as critical to cross stack.

I can get an extremely hot burn no matter how the wood goes in. Doing what you suggest get's there a little faster. When I load for the night I load front to back and it takes a few minutes to get thing ripping away, but after 20 minutes...it's a very hot burn, even with the air all the way down.

When I load for the night, i do basically the same thing. I pack it full, usually front to back, leave the door latch and the air open until it gets going. Once it's flaming well, I close the door latch and wait a few minutes for it to settle in. Then I can shut the air all the way down and maintain a good hot fire.