What to do about warm days and cold nights?

[garth_2022]

My daytime temps right now are in the low 50s and night time in the upper 30's. I am not running my Regency Hi500/Ci2700 because I remember being told do not run it above 50 degrees and I will not get the draft for it to run properly (or maybe just efficiently?). Will I cause harm or form more creosote if I do run the fireplace insert above 50 degrees? I'd rather not use my heat at all and just generate it from the insert, but don't want to cause harm or worse, danger with a chimney fire if I am fast tracking creosote.
Is it bad if a few days it goes over 50 degrees?

 

[stoveliker]

Draft increases with cooler outside temps. If the chimney drafts well, there should be no issue with creosote regardless of outside temps.
But if you have issues with smoke roll-out etc. then the draft may be insufficient for your insert at these temps.

Folks burn small fires, nice and hot. Heat pulse and glide slowly down afterwards.
So if you can burn small hot fires without smoke issues, have at it.

 

[garth_2022]

Draft increases with cooler outside temps. If the chimney drafts well, there should be no issue with creosote regardless of outside temps.
But if you have issues with smoke roll-out etc. then the draft may be insufficient for your insert at these temps.

Folks burn small fires, nice and hot. Heat pulse and glide slowly down afterwards.
So if you can burn small hot fires without smoke issues, have at it.

What do you mean by "smoke roll-out?"

 

[stoveliker]

If you open the door to reload and smoke rolls out into the room.
Or if you start the fire and the smoke does not go up the flue but (partially) into your room. (When starting the fire this could be mitigated often by using a propane torch aimed at the flue to get the draft started).

Basically I'm saying that if the draft sucks the exhaust up the flue, you should be fine regardless of the weather.

 

[NickW]

Creosote forms at lower temperatures, so that's why small hot fires. Get the temperature up then down. Once off gassing is done and you're down to coals creosote shouldn't form.

 

[garth_2022]

Basically I'm saying that if the draft sucks the exhaust up the flue, you should be fine regardless of the weather.

Gotcha, then I am good. I do not have that problem. Thanks for info. It helps a lot.

 

[stoveliker]

That^^ (Nick)

I think the recommendation you got ("don't burn when it's warm as it'll lead to creosote") has a kernel of truth: if the warm weather decreases the draft such that you end up with a smoldering fire, then you will run into creosote trouble.
But you'll have other issues (smoke roll out) warning you of that.

As NIck said, as long as you burn hot enough --> clean enough, it's all good.

 

[begreen]

We're in this situation this Novmber and it looks like it will continue into early December. We've only had a few fires, relying on the heat pump when the low temp is above 45 and the day time time is around 50. I'm burning night time fires on the colder nights, but still have not loaded the stove full. It's the warmest November by far and the first time in 30 yrs that we haven't been steady burning by this time. The best solution is to burn smaller fires and put on a couple of logs every few hours to maintain the heat or let the fire go out if it's going to be sunny and that warms up the house.

 

[Crab]

in one more day you won't have to worry about burning in the 50s for awhile.

 

[begreen]

in one more day you won't have to worry about burning in the 50s for awhile.

Yes we are going to get a string for about 4-5 days in the mid-40s and the high 30s at night. But then in a week it looks like we go back to 47=49º for a daytime high.

 

[Crab]

My last comment was aimed at the OP in NY. If Accu is right after Wednesday a big cool down comes in over here in the east. Starting Saturday for 9 days they are guessing/forecasting high temps less than 40. That is 12 to 13 degF lower than average.

 

[begreen]

That cold weather is going to be all the way down to Georgia later in the week.

 

[30WCF]

Yep. I’m supposed to see 18 here in NC next week. Looks like we will be rounding a corner this weekend and someone flipped on the A/C outside for most of Dec right up to Christmas if my forecast holds true.

 

[BillBurns]

I burn small fires often, but I clean my flue every month. Its overboard, but safer. 4 years and still going strong.