When to load + load max + overfire scenario

[mcstatz5829]

So these three recent threads I found interesting. So, naturally, I decided to see what damage I could do to my new stove. Okay, not really. I just did something out of inexperience.

I had a real nice bed of coals but didn’t want to wait up for it to burn down for another reload, and was worried a full load would be too much for tonight. So I figured a couple splits on the coals and off to bed. They caught quickly and I got the air control down all the way pretty quick, but maybe not quick enough.

This is with the air all the way down.

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Never seen so much secondary action! I enjoyed it for a few minutes but started to get worried about over fire.

I took out the IR gun and measured the stove top, near the collar where it seems to get hottest. It was 680F! I left the air control shut and cracked the door slightly for just a few seconds. Once shut the secondary action was much, much less and didn’t pick back up. The stove top temps came down very quickly.

Feel like I dodged a bullet on that one!

 

[mcstatz5829]

So in a potential over fire scenario, is it best to open the air control and then the door, or leave the air shut?

I left mine shut on the theory I didn’t want air going through the baffle and feeding secondary combustion - I wanted it to suck heat right up the flue. Seemed to work but wanted to run it by the experts.

 

[bholler]

So these three recent threads I found interesting. So, naturally, I decided to see what damage I could do to my new stove. Okay, not really. I just did something out of inexperience.

I had a real nice bed of coals but didn’t want to wait up for it to burn down for another reload, and was worried a full load would be too much for tonight. So I figured a couple splits on the coals and off to bed. They caught quickly and I got the air control down all the way pretty quick, but maybe not quick enough.

This is with the air all the way down.

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Accept third party cookies

Never seen so much secondary action! I enjoyed it for a few minutes but started to get worried about over fire.

I took out the IR gun and measured the stove top, near the collar where it seems to get hottest. It was 680F! I left the air control shut and cracked the door slightly for just a few seconds. Once shut the secondary action was much, much less and didn’t pick back up. The stove top temps came down very quickly.

Feel like I dodged a bullet on that one!

680 is just fine with my noncat i typically ran with the top at 700 or a little over. As long as i was below 800 i didnt worry.

 

[bholler]

So in a potential over fire scenario, is it best to open the air control and then the door, or leave the air shut?

I left mine shut on the theory I didn’t want air going through the baffle and feeding secondary combustion - I wanted it to suck heat right up the flue. Seemed to work but wanted to run it by the experts.

Yes air closed open the door like you did. It kills the secondaries and introduces tons of dilution air cooling things off quickly.

 

[wooduser]

Another firebug is born ----and he didn't even singe his eyebrows! This time...

 

[mcstatz5829]

680 is just fine with my noncat i typically ran with the top at 700 or a little over. As long as i was below 800 i didnt worry.

I’m not sure it wouldn’t have hit 800 - I’ve never seen my stove run that hard so I didn’t want to tempt fate while I’m figuring it all out.

 

[bholler]

I’m not sure it wouldn’t have hit 800 - I’ve never seen my stove run that hard so I didn’t want to tempt fate while I’m figuring it all out.

You will figure it out. It isnt hard it just takes a little time.

 

[nola mike]

In a real overfire, don't crack the door, open it wide.

 

[begreen]

680 is just fine with my noncat i typically ran with the top at 700 or a little over. As long as i was below 800 i didnt worry.

Likewise. I don't worry about the stove top hitting 700+. No big deal. This is not a potential overfire, just a vigorous fire due to a rapid release of wood gas. The secondary action was doing its job of burning off the bloom of gases.

 

[woodhog73]

I’m not an expert but have a few years burning in a non cat stove. It took me 1 full season to fully understand my stove and my wood condition. Now it’s easy.

Just wanted to say the fire in your video looked ok to me. The secondaries were burning aggressively but the flames at the bottom coming off your splits were smaller. So the secondaries were doing what they were designed for and you looked like you were burning very clean. All the flames were moving at a moderate speed. I didn’t see any inferno going there.

I burn my fire like that especially when it gets cold out to get a real good heat output. If I want longer burn times I turn air down more and my secondaries will look slower and less full than what I saw but they are always burning. That’s how you get the real clean burns when the secondaries light up.

If I turn my air completely off like you described then all of my flames go out including secondaries. My air control set all the way out must get rid of all air because it causes fire to go out almost instantly.

 

[mcstatz5829]

I may be turning my air down too much habitually then

 

[Hogwildz]

I may be turning my air down too much habitually then

You want the air closed as far as you can without smouldering. If you can get it all the way low, then your good to go, there is nothing wrong with that.

 

[nola mike]

You want the air closed as far as you can without smouldering. If you can get it all the way low, then your good to go, there is nothing wrong with that.

That's for the most efficient burn, but not the hottest.

 

[begreen]

If I turn my air completely off like you described then all of my flames go out including secondaries. My air control set all the way out must get rid of all air because it causes fire to go out almost instantly.

I may be turning my air down too much habitually then

The air control setting for one house and stove is not necessarily going to be the same for your stove. You need to pay attention to what is happening in your stove and let it guide you. Don't rush it, there is a learning curve. Burning wood is part science and part art. Every wood load is a little different. Varying outdoor temps are going to vary draft. Watch the fire and how it burns. Let it be your guide aided by the temps on the stove top and in the flue.

 

[begreen]

That's for the most efficient burn, but not the hottest.

Often they are the same, up to the practical and safe limit for the stove. But as noted, every installation is different with lots of variables between.

 

[FPX Dude]

I found that the over fire occurred because of how much wood I put in on an already active coal bed. Like said, it's a little bit of an art to judge the current load and new fuel coming into the box, but eventually you'll get it.

 

[Hogwildz]

That's for the most efficient burn, but not the hottest.

The original post was about overfiring. If he doesn't want to overfire, and control the temps as best as can be, then that would be with the air control, along with size of load, size of splits, when air is cut back etc. Yes anyone can burn hotter, but many choose not to beat the crap out of their stove. No one overrides a limiter switch on a gas or oil fired heater, for good reason, same goes for stoves. The poster is asking questions with concerns of temps & overfiring.

 

[nola mike]

The original post was about overfiring. If he doesn't want to overfire, and control the temps as best as can be, then that would be with the air control, along with size of load, size of splits, when air is cut back etc. Yes anyone can burn hotter, but many choose not to beat the crap out of their stove. No one overrides a limiter switch on a gas or oil fired heater, for good reason, same goes for stoves. The poster is asking questions with concerns of temps & overfiring.

Wasn't talking about intentionally overfiring, only that there isn't a one sized fits all air setting. If I need more heat, keep the air more open. At least on my stoves, definitely less heat with the air all the way closed.