Always Remember to shut your stove door!!

All i gotta say is, thank God for smoke detectors. A little while ago I lit a fire in the stove (in my basement) and i usually leave the door cracked for 5-10 minutes (depending on the wood) to get it roaring. The door has a latch on it that allows it to stay 3/4" open while gettin the fire goin. Well i made the stupid mistake of getting sidetracked and ended up sittin down on the couch.

Needless to say i forgot about the stove door until the smoke alarm at the top of the stairs started blairing. I rushed downstairs to find the elbow on top of the stove glowing and smoking! The temp on the pipe was 700+ deg so i shut all air off to the stove and opened the outside doors to the basement to clear the smoke. Thankfully the temp dropped slowly and i managed to get it under control. Sure got my heart goin and i think i need to check my pants now.

My dad always told me to use something to remind you if you leave the door open for any reason. A rubberband on the wrist or chew on a toothpic, etc. Just something to remind you. I guess i shoud've listen'd a little better.

Better still don't leave the stove with the door open, period.

Sounds like you could have a draft problem if you have to leave the door cracked to get the fire going?

I don't leave the door open, but on a new load of wood I open the primary and the startup air control full open. There is a warning tag on the Quad stove startup air control that 15 min is maximum time open. Stove is in the basement, so I always set the timer on the kitchen stove on main floor to remind me.

I will get busy doing something and forget to turn the air supply down so I started using an egg timer.

Fortunately for me, my stove has a thermostatic control so if I forget to turn it down, it self-regulates to prevent over-firing.

Sometimes I hold it open for a few minutes, but if I have to walk away, the door gets closed.

My rule is do not leave the stove door open if your hand is not loading wood or grasping the handle.

Vic has the true rule! Never, never, never leave that stove until all is under control....and that includes that primary air full open. It just is not worth taking chances.

Thanks for posting your story. We all can become too complacent with our stoves.

I never forgot to close the door, or air, or whatever. Nope. Didn't happen. If someone said it did- you know they are a liar.

Exactly why i posted it. We're not all perfect and sometimes make stupid mistakes. This one could've turned out bad but thankfully i had a working smoke detector that got my attention.

I just set the timer on the Kitchen stove for appx 5 minutes when lighting...works good.....I say, whos cookin something.....ah, it was me

i never need to leave the door cracked but i do leave the primary air wide open at the beginning of course which will certainly overfire eventually.
i use the timer on my microwave to remind me. 5 minute clips usually.

Well here is something better than a rubber band on the wrist. Here is what I have done. I have put together a stove temperature monitor/ alarm. There is a thermocouple probe in the flue connected to a controller, the alarm will sound when the internal flue gas temperature exceeds the set point.

I think you would be surprised just how fast the flue temp can rise. Tonight I when I started up my stove ( it was cold) the flue temp went from 60* to 500* in about 3 1/2 min, this was with the door slightly open and some pallet wood kindling. After I shut the door the flue temp was up to around 700* in 10 min.

Here are some pics and a link to a video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXMpyJ6c150

I have decided to offer a limited number of these units for sale to forum members.
PM me if you want more info.

Don't forget to put on your pants before you go to work...

Seriously, sage advice... if opening ash doors and loading doors to "liven a fire", stand or kneel right there with your hand on the door. No way to forget it. Never mind the dog, the wife, the kids, nothing else matters except closing that stupid door. Your life and home depend on it.

I have a nice little foot stool I sit on while letting the stove come up to temp. Something about fire that is so relaxing

I have a stool like that too. Call it my Yep Stool.

Yep.

And make sure that the pants you put on aren't backwards . . . I've gone on more than one ambulance call with my windpants on backwards.

On a serious note . . . x1 to what Leon says . . . when the door is open to get the fire going my keister is parked right there in front of the stove so I don't forget to close it up and shut 'er down before leaving the area.

Jake, That makes it a little tough when you finally get to the ER with your patient. (from another firefighter/EMT) Labrador

Do you plan to pee on him?

Well they were windpants so I could walk around them fine . . . but they didn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence with the patient . . . I mean would you trust your health care to a guy wearing his pants on backwards?

Nah . . . we only pee on the woodstove doors to clean them. Where is Adios Pantalones when you need him to chime in here . . . this is a perfect thread for him.