Madison runs hot.

Silenced38 · Nov 21, 2014

My Madison is often burning above 600*. It ran to 750* once but i loaded it wrong. But it likes to run around 650 or a little more. With only what i would call a half a load.
The manual says not to go over 600*. Im thinking anything less than 700* is nothing to worry about.
Or how do i keep it below 600*?
Been loading it E/W but it would hardly burn. So switched to N/S. Loading about half what i could stuff in. All oak and hickory. Is it ok or am im i screwing up? Thanks

Woody Stover · Nov 21, 2014

Pull the coals forward some, make a trench in the middle of them to allow an E/W load to burn better, getting air through the trench.

mellow · Nov 21, 2014

I find N/S will burn hotter and E/W will burn longer in the stoves I have had. As Woody mentioned getting a trench to the back is key, burn front to back.

RopeS · Nov 21, 2014

FWIW, I'm having the same experience with my Madison, so I'll be watching this thread too. Actually the manual says not to burn over 600 for an extended period, and over 650 is overfire. It does like to cruise at 650ish though, that is for sure. Doesn't matter on mine if I load E/W or N/S, but I usually load N/S to fit more in. I rake the coals forward and pack the splits as tight as I can, but doesn't seem to have much affect. Other than it running hot and my issue with getting a fire going without leaving the door open for what I think is too long, I like the stove. Burn times are amazing. I've tried contacting Englander regarding the temp issue and peeling paint, but only get busy signal when I call and it's been a week since I emailed them with no response. It is their busy season for sure so I understand that part.

Fsappo · Nov 21, 2014

where do you have the air control set at?

RopeS · Nov 21, 2014

Not sure about 38, but I start shutting it down to half open around 400-425, and can usually close it off completely at 500 and it still gets to 650ish pretty easy. Have tried closing it sooner, but then the fire tends to die out. If I let the AAS do it's thing and close air at 550, I have a feeling things would really get hot. I've been too nervous to try it out too many times..

Sorry to hijack the thread 38, just have a feeling we are doing similar things with the same stove.

Silenced38 · Nov 21, 2014

Fsappo said:
where do you have the air control set at?

I start pulling it out around 350ish and full out by 425 to 450. And it stays full out ( which is all the way dampened) for the rest of the burn.
Ive tried raking the coals fwd. ive trued just spreading them out. Im thinking of raking them all to one side tonite. Mabe it will burn a cross the box slower.

Silenced38 · Nov 21, 2014

RopeS said:
Not sure about 38, but I start shutting it down to half open around 400-425, and can usually close it off completely at 500 and it still gets to 650ish pretty easy. Have tried closing it sooner, but then the fire tends to die out. If I let the AAS do it's thing and close air at 550, I have a feeling things would really get hot. I've been too nervous to try it out too many times..

Sorry to hijack the thread 38, just have a feeling we are doing similar things with the same stove.

Thats ok. We are sharing the same problem.

Fsappo · Nov 21, 2014

I wonder what would happen if you closed the air sooner? Never used the stove your talking about.

begreen · Nov 21, 2014

600F seems silly conservative. This is a steel stove for Pete's sake. I have not owned an EPA stove that didn't like to cruise in the 650F range with a full load of fuel.

Calling ESW to the front desk for a clarification.

BrotherBart · Nov 21, 2014

The manual dictates those temps with the thermo placed on the left or right front over the door. I am quite sure the temp in the center top of the stove is higher than at those points.

begreen · Nov 21, 2014

Odd location for a freestanding stove thermometer. I've only seen that for inserts. Silenced, where is your thermometer located?

Silenced38 · Nov 21, 2014

BrotherBart said:
The manual dictates those temps with the thermo placed on the left or right front over the door. I am quite sure the temp in the center top of the stove is higher than at those points.

I felt with my hand for the warmest spot, while it was heating up. And thats where i put the thermo.

BrotherBart · Nov 21, 2014

It is on the stove top over the door BG. Not the face of the stove.

begreen · Nov 21, 2014

Got it, I was being lazy and didn't open the manual. Still it had me wondering how the heck one would put a thermometer on the face of that stove. FWIW I too have always placed the thermometer on the hottest location of the stove top and generally see that as recommended on Jotuls,etc..

Silenced, can you move the thermometer to the recommended location and see how it reads there? Inquiring minds want to know.

Silenced38 · Nov 21, 2014

begreen said:
Got it, I was being lazy and didn't open the manual. Still it had me wondering how the heck one would put a thermometer on the face of that stove. FWIW I too have always placed the thermometer on the hottest location of the stove top and generally see that as recommended on Jotuls,etc..

Silenced, can you move the thermometer to the recommended location and see how it reads there? Inquiring minds want to know.

Ok i will. Im also going to take home a IR this weekend and scan the stove. If its only that spot that is 650 and the rest of it is cooler. Then i wont worry about it.

Silenced38 · Nov 21, 2014

Fsappo said:
I wonder what would happen if you closed the air sooner? Never used the stove your talking about.

If i close it sooner it dies out and just smolders. Never gets above 300.

RopeS · Nov 21, 2014

BrotherBart said:
It is on the stove top over the door BG. Not the face of the stove.

That is correct. Stovetop, left or right over the door. I have an IR temp gun, and the temps are highest at those spots. The thing is that it really depends on where the fire is mostly in the box. I can have 650 on the right side and only 450-500 on the left. So if I only had the thermo on the left side I'd be good. Not so if on the right side.. It is pretty much never consistent left to right, at least for me. Usually at least 100 degrees different.

Fsappo · Nov 21, 2014

With a full load, air shut down as you have done, will it cruise nicely at 600 or so, leaving you with heat in the stove 6-8 hours later?

I'd be terrified to use a stove that couldn't run a full year at 700 degrees.

BrotherBart · Nov 21, 2014

Same with every wood stove I have owned. Especially the re-burn stoves. Whichever side the secondary burn is best at the moment, the hotter that side. From the little Jotuls to the big Englander.

begreen · Nov 21, 2014

It's too warm today for a fire, but I will get the IR gun out the next time I have a full load fire and will check at these points on the T6 top. This is why I usually place the thermometer farther back, nearer to center and the flue collar. I get the most consistent readings there.

RopeS · Nov 21, 2014

I'm very satisfied with burn times. I've had enough hot coals for a reload after 14 hours, and 8 hrs on a partial load is the norm for me. It just seems to me that the max and overfire temps in the manual are low. No way will it stay under 600 if the AAS is allowed to operate the stove, and like it has been said, nearly impossible to keep the temp that low manually shutting air down earlier.

Silenced38 · Nov 21, 2014

RopeS said:
I'm very satisfied with burn times. I've had enough hot coals for a reload after 14 hours, and 8 hrs on a partial load is the norm for me. It just seems to me that the max and overfire temps in the manual are low. No way will it stay under 600 if the AAS is allowed to operate the stove, and like it has been said, nearly impossible to keep the temp that low manually shutting air down earlier.

I second that. I like the stove. I puts out good heat. It does seem that i have to leave the door open for awhile, to get it up to shut down temp. Sometime 45 min to an hour. But that could be my wood. Just cant hardly keep it below 600. Unless burn a partial load.

stoveguy2esw · Nov 21, 2014

i spoke to one of the stove designers who mentioned to me that the "medium" firebox type stove is meant to cruise at 600 but it can get hotter without worry so if its peaking at 700 and dying back to 650 once it settles in then its not somthing we are really worried about as far as the stove overfiring.

last summer i burned several fires in one in my test trailer connected to a class A flue (not a diliution tunnel) and routinely saw temps hit 700-750 right after a hot reload , though the stove was soon settling back to about 650 and cruising there.

begreen · Nov 21, 2014

Is that with the blower running?

Madison runs hot.

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