Stove top sometimes gets red

mogasse · Jan 17, 2016

Hi there. I harassed some of you couple of months ago regarding on what stove should I get for my very first home, and I finally went with the Pacific Energy Spectrum, which I got on sale for the price of a Super 27. I'm quite happy with it, looks great, burns pretty good and keeps the house quite comfortable, even if it's located in the basement.

The previous owner of the house had a pretty old and big stove, so some of the wood he left me is a bit big for the Spectrum chamber. Anyways, I usually load it with a large piece and a medium one and it burns quite good. However, the stove top got red around the flue collar about three times in the last week or so. The first time, I did pack it up quite a bit, but the two other times seemed no different than the usual.

I turned down the air intake and oriented a fan towards the stove and it got back to black in a couple minutes.

I don't know the temperatures reached, for I don't have a thermometer (cause I read here that the fire talks better than the thermometer).

I am also aware of the ashpan trap thing and always make sure it is well closed.

So, my questions are, what do I do wrong? Am I really overloading the stove? What harm can that cause?

And, don't know if it's related, but my window gets - I wouldn't say dirty - but kind of shady, from the center to some more around. Usually, it gets dirty from the sides, right? I tried some burns at good temperatures (not the glowing ones) to try to clean it, and nothing happens. Is it possible that the cause is that I used to turn down the air intake too fast? Can't find anything about this on the internet.

Thank you so much for making me a bit less a rookie each time.

bholler · Jan 17, 2016

Well to start we need to know your burning procedure. And yes while you can run a stove just by looking at the fire i would never run one without a thermometer. There is allot less interpretation in it just run it up to temp and then shut it back much simpler. But a glowing stove top is a bad thing if you do it to often you will destroy the stove and it will be due to over firing which will void the warrantee.

jatoxico · Jan 17, 2016

^ Agreed. Do what you have to do to keep the stove from glowing. That's over-firing by any definition and will ruin your nice new stove.

mogasse · Jan 17, 2016

bholler said:
Well to start we need to know your burning procedure.

I always burn in cycles and and don't reload until I get a bed of coals.

bholler · Jan 17, 2016

mogasse said:
I always burn in cycles and and don't reload until I get a bed of coals.

Ok but where are the air controls set at during the burn process. I would ask what temp you start shutting back at but without a thermometer you cant know that.

mogasse · Jan 17, 2016

bholler said:
Ok but where are the air controls set at during the burn process. I would ask what temp you start shutting back at but without a thermometer you cant know that.

I keep the air open until the wood is charred, and then cut back in two or three steps. I never leave it wide open, unless I forget it, which don't happens often.

bholler · Jan 17, 2016

mogasse said:
I keep the air open until the wood is charred, and then cut back in two or three steps. I never leave it wide open, unless I forget it, which don't happens often.

Well you really need a thermometer charred wood is a very subjective way of determining when to shut back. How far do you shut it back each time and how far do you shut it over all. How tall is you chimney? What type of chimney? Have you checked the door window and ash pan gaskets?

Squisher · Jan 17, 2016

Just get a thermometer. I burned all my life without one, running old inefficient stoves. I got a PE Summit this fall and now have three on my stove/pipe and am planning to get one more. Lol.

Why risk your investment? Red is overfiring.

begreen · Jan 17, 2016

mogasse said:
I keep the air open until the wood is charred, and then cut back in two or three steps. I never leave it wide open, unless I forget it, which don't happens often.

The wood does not need to be charred. You can start turning down the air much sooner, especially if the wood is nice and dry. In our PE stove I often am turning down the air before some of the side pieces have even ignited.

I would recommend getting a flue thermometer so that you can judge when to turn down the air by flue temp. Is this double-wall or single-wall stove pipe? Also, how tall is the chimney on this stove?

velvetfoot · Jan 17, 2016

My stove goes out if I turn it down too quickly. I still seem to do that a lot.
Does the door pass the dollar bill test?

begreen · Jan 17, 2016

Try turning it down in increments, the first time so that the flames start getting lazy but not going out. With dry wood the fire should recover in 5-10 minutes and is ready to turn down the air some more.

velvetfoot · Jan 17, 2016

You talking to me, lol? I know that's what I SHOULD and normally do, but sometimes I'm in a hurry.

begreen · Jan 17, 2016

For cold starts adding some dry pine, cedar or fir helps the fire start quicker.

mogasse · Jan 18, 2016

As I said, the stove burns pretty good and only has 2 months of use. This situation only happened a couple of times, with loads that seemed quite reasonable. I did get a flue thermometer, but returned it because it didn't work well. Just have to find another one.

Seanm · Jan 18, 2016

mogasse said:
As I said, the stove burns pretty good and only has 2 months of use. This situation only happened a couple of times, with loads that seemed quite reasonable. I did get a flue thermometer, but returned it because it didn't work well. Just have to find another one.

Im on year 4 (with this stove) and havent had the stove red once. Pick up an IR thermometer and you will quickly learn how your stove/stove pipe reacts under different situations. Lots of good pointers above. I would say you should be turning your stove down sooner and also be mindful that packed wood in your stove will go nuclear alot less than loosely packed splits in your stove. You should be able to fill it to the gills (tightly packed) without over firing the stove. Glad to hear you're enjoying the new stove!

brad wilton · Jan 18, 2016

It takes a while to learn the new stoves.when you had the over fires was it cold out or very windy that might have increased your draft.you did say it only happened a couple of times.and as everyone has said a thermometer will help quite a bit ,i have an ir to check temps wife doesn't like the magnetic ones to ugly lol.

Jags · Jan 18, 2016

You can drive a car without a fuel gauge and speedometer too....
Get a thermo. I have been doing this for many years and I still can't audibly or visually tell the difference between 600 or 700 F stove top temps. Red stove tops are a thing of concern. Without a doubt and according to virtually every manual your are over firing your stove.

mogasse · Jan 18, 2016

Ok, thanks everybody, I'll get a thermo and see what happens (While we're at it, are there some to avoid?)
And does anybody have an idea why the glass stays shady?

Babaganoosh · Jan 18, 2016

I got a ryobi at home depot and it maxes outat 600. So make sure you check it's range. I didn't and now I'm regretting it.

jatoxico · Jan 18, 2016

mogasse said:
Ok, thanks everybody, I'll get a thermo and see what happens (While we're at it, are there some to avoid?)
And does anybody have an idea why the glass stays shady?

Many people like the Condar stove top thermometer. No recommendation for an IR. Glass getting "shady" may just be ash. Usually can be wiped away.

Jags · Jan 18, 2016

Be aware that some are designed as stove top and some are designed as stove pipe surface thermos. The major difference is the temp range between the two. Acceptable temps on a stove top are NOT the same as acceptable for stove pipe surface readings.

mogasse · Jan 18, 2016

Jags said:
Be aware that some are designed as stove top and some are designed as stove pipe surface thermos. The major difference is the temp range between the two. Acceptable temps on a stove top are NOT the same as acceptable for stove pipe surface readings.

Oh, good to know.
But, having the Spectrum, which comes in a porcelain enamel, the stove top is not a good choice, I suppose.

Jags · Jan 18, 2016

mogasse said:
Oh, good to know.
But, having the Spectrum, which comes in a porcelain enamel, the stove top is not a good choice, I suppose.

Hmmmm...don't think its gonna matter much. The porcelain will be very representative of the steel underneath. Its not like a soap stone (mass) that has comparatively wacky thermo properties.

Seanm · Jan 18, 2016

mogasse said:
And does anybody have an idea why the glass stays shady?

Second that @jatoxico. Mogasse, these stove have an air wash system that helps keep the glass cleaner from buildup but will develop a bit of a grey film after a number of burns. When my stove goes cold I will take a folded over paper towel that is slightly dampened and give it a whipe. It will come right off without much fuss. I wouldn't do this when the glass is hot as some have mentioned it may discolor it over time. Not sure if this is true but Im careful around the heat. If you know your wood is free of grit and your stove is to warm to try this just use a dry paper towel with a bit of ash on it. That doesn't work as well but it will get you through.

tcassavaugh · Jan 18, 2016

just one thing to remember when looking at the thermometers (magnetic) they are not precise and are general temps and they can range between manufacturers. i have both the magnetic and an IR thermometer. the mag is about 15 degrees cooler than the IR thermometer. IR thermometers are relatively cheap now and can be gotten at home depot or amazon. plus they can be used for doing an audit of your heat/air conditioning loss around your windows and doors. its a useful gadget to play with.

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