Stove Temperature. (Too Hot? Too Cool?)

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Mercury220

Member
May 27, 2010
72
Wilmington, DE
Hey all! It's that time of year again (my favorite!)

This is my second season with my Pleasant Hearth 1800 stove. I had a question about stove temperature. I use a infrared laser thermometer gun to check the temps of my stove. I normally load 3 pieces of wood in for a burn and the top of my stove stays around 450°F. My double wall black pipe has a surface temp of around 140°F. Now this gives off a decent amount of heat but never really thrills me or my house for a nice cozy temp... My house will be around 67°F if its in the high 30's outside.

Now the other evening I was bored and having a beer in front of the fire as my kindling was turning into a coal bed. I decided to put 5 pieces of wood in. This got the top of the stove to a surface temp of 650°F and my double wall pipe to 180°F. Now this brought my house temp to a very comfortable 72°F

So to make a long post short, is 650°F too hot for my stove? I couldn't find anything in my manual about temperatures.
 
650 Does not sound too hot.

Can you add your stove to your signature.

Edit.Sorry just saw what type stove you have just now.
 
If you want to know how high you can go I would contact the company if that is possible. From my experience here all stoves seem to be ok up to 700 F and occasionally higher. Most people want to get theirs running between 500 and 600 F for more heat, better efficiency and less creosote. I have the feeling you are not running your stove that well. Once you have a good bed of coals established load it up with as many splits as you can fit in leaving only maybe 2 to 3 inches to the baffle. Wait until the wood is solidly engulfed in flames and the stove has about 350 to 400 F. Stepwise close the air over the next 15 to 20 minutes. At the end your stove should cruise at about 550 to 600 F with the secondaries fully engaged. Enjoy the heat!
 
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500-650 is a fine cruising temp if you are measuring it on the stove top. But just load it to the top of the firebrick. The space above it is for combustion of the gases coming off of the wood.
 
Good to hear! This season will be even warmer. I wish I kept using the forms last season.

I think I'll make a video and post it up of my hot burn. I mean why not? Who doesn't like a video.
 
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I didn't want to start a new thread, but I have been monitoring my stoves temp by where the curved top meets the flue. In the picture below I put a red dot where I aim. This seems to display the hottest temps. Is this ok or should I be using my infrared temp gun somewhere else to check temp?
question.jpg
 
I'm not completely familiar with your stove, but I measure mine about 2" or so forward of your dot (middle of the top). We have a sort of step top design where the blower pushes the air out of two vent areas on both sides across the top so I try to keep the thermo back just far enough that the blower isn't blowing on it that much and effecting the reading. Our stove likes to cruise around 600-650 and will hit 750 at times on a reload (Lopis seem to liek to run hot anyway from what I've read).
 
I'm in and around the same with most of the responses here. I can cruise at around 500 with my air lever positioned at about 1/3. At half I'll get to 550-575. Fully open gets me to 650-700.
Temps outside in the mid 20's, we will run at half "throttle" and indoor temps will be around 70-72. I'd say that about normal for us when we burn 24/7. Right now we are running the stove slow, night temps
in the low 30's, house temps at 72...gotta love the shorts, punks and uglies. I haven't touched 1 full size log yet. :)
 
I typically aim for 600 or thereabouts on my stovetop, and 250-300 on a hot spot (1"x1") of my doublewall (it's hot there due to the telescoping design of the pipe). Your numbers sound pretty good to me.
 
Most of the step top stoves have a flame impingement plate in front of the flue collar so temps where the gases slam into it makes the front of the step bend the hottest point on the stove. On mine I have the thermo flat on the lower step in front of that step bend. When I had it on the front of the step bend it kept making me crazy.
 
So to make a long post short, is 650°F too hot for my stove?
No, but I don't like it to get any hotter than that. That's my personal max and it's usually less. Most owner manuals do not discuss maximum temps.

Your experience sounds quite normal.
 
The PE cruises @ 700F on the upper right hand of the door. The 13 cruises @ 600 on the stove top.

Both have been higher, once to scare the crap out of me.
 
Most of the step top stoves have a flame impingement plate in front of the flue collar so temps where the gases slam into it makes the front of the step bend the hottest point on the stove. On mine I have the thermo flat on the lower step in front of that step bend. When I had it on the front of the step bend it kept making me crazy.

So I should probably check the temperature on the lower step?
 
That is where I do it.
 
No reason to be nervous until you're pushing 800+ degrees on a steel stove.
 
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