Do the color of the secondary flames mean anything?

[fishingpol]

I am running the F3 this evening and after the first 40 minutes or so I closed the air down by 1/2, 1/4 and then fully closed. The secondaries started as bright orange shooting out as nice jets from the secondary ports. About 1 1/2 hours later, the secondaries are lazy, less intense but blue with flicks of orange. Can anyone tell me if the blue indicates starving for air or is it just the stage of pyrolisis it is in? The stove top temp has been hovering around 500* pretty much the whole burn cycle with the primary air closed. Anyone notice this with their stove or insert? I am surprised how even the temps are running off this stove. I am using maple uglies and shorts.

 

[raybonz]

I am running the F3 this evening and after the first 40 minutes or so I closed the air down by 1/2, 1/4 and then fully closed. The secondaries started as bright orange shooting out as nice jets from the secondary ports. About 1 1/2 hours later, the secondaries are lazy, less intense but blue with flicks of orange. Can anyone tell me if the blue indicates starving for air or is it just the stage of pyrolisis it is in? The stove top temp has been hovering around 500* pretty much the whole burn cycle with the primary air closed. Anyone notice this with their stove or insert? I am surprised how even the temps are running off this stove. I am using maple uglies and shorts.

Hi FP!
I would think that blue means your fire is burning nice and lean in an oxygen rich environment.. Just think of a cutting torch when you start with acetylene you get the orange sooty flame then you add oxygen and it gets bright blue.. How bout a pic of that stove burning?

Ray

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Sounds like you are doing just fine fishingpol. Blue flames are always good to see.

 

[Loco Gringo]

. Blue flames are always good to see.

Just like those on a gas stove. Blue flames are clean flames.

 

[fishingpol]

Ok, thanks gents. I like the longer burn on the F3, longer stretch on reloads. I will get a pic up in the next few days. Too hot for a re-load in here tonight. Damp, rainy raw night out, perfect for a nice fire.

 

[jimbom]

Stage of pyrolysis, complete mixing of combustion air, ignitable concentrations, and sufficient temperature = beautiful light show.

 

[wkpoor]

I know I've got the primary air set right when its nearly all blue flames and almost no yellow. Like lazy blue clouds whisps dancing around.

 

[Loco Gringo]

I know this looks to be red flames but they are actually short bursts of blue flames coming from the top of my firebrick baffle which last about 3 seconds and occuring about every 10 seconds. They will die down and cease, leaving me with a nice long lasting bed of coals. My current temp is in the 500 degree range and will last till I retire in about an hour of so. The colder it gets outside, the easier it gets.

 

[Slow1]

A while back someone posted a list of what was likely burning for each color flame and the temperature ranges. It was quite interesting and sounded authoritative enough to be believed. I kept a copy of that for a while then lost it... perhaps someone else recalls that and will post a link...

 

[spirilis]

From the Woodburner's encyclopedia- blue flames generally refer to chemical combustion--of the various compounds found in smoke, and therefore represent a true clean burn.

Yellow flames result from incandescence of carbon soot particles, think a Candle flame... and does not necessitate a clean burn is happening as you could put a piece of firebrick in the path of the yellow flame and find carbon soot deposited on it (although it's cleaner than a dark smoldering fire). Often yellow & blue flames happen at the same time, just the yellow is vastly brighter and so you don't see the blue flames. Predominantly blue flames would be a sign of fantastically clean burning IMO.

 

[Bub381]

Great!! Now explain my purple 1's.Seriously! Maybe it's the color through a dirty door? Oh i clean it often and am getting better at the hotter burns but as stove goes out it turns the glass amber almost everytime.Some wipes right off,some doesn't.Though it looks amber on the glass it's black when ya wipe it off.

 

[spirilis]

Yeah I've seen purple too, the color may differ depending on the particular chemical/compound burning. And I've never seen a wood fire truly clean enough to avoid soot on the glass. But then I don't have that fancy airwash you guys have...

 

[pen]

Great!! Now explain my purple 1's.Seriously! Maybe it's the color through a dirty door? Oh i clean it often and am getting better at the hotter burns but as stove goes out it turns the glass amber almost everytime.Some wipes right off,some doesn't.Though it looks amber on the glass it's black when ya wipe it off.

If I have my air control turned down a little too far, I'll have the glass haze amber. I know I have it set right if I still get the 8-10 hour burn time I was looking for and the glass is clear. I will get some white build-up on the glass that I wipe off every few weeks.

pen

 

[Backwoods Savage]

We had some black on the glass when doing the initial burn-in fires. On the 4th fire we got the stove up over 500 and the black disappeared and we've had none since that time.

 

[Bub381]

On my 1st break in fire the whole inside of the stove turned black,i thought great,now what am i doing wrong.Well when we got this thing up to 400 or better and the stove cleaned up like it was new.The 2nd's turned back to silver and the firebricks turned back to yellow.Now that was a surprise.lol That heat cleaned her right up.So now i also use this as a sure sign of too low a heat and also i have kept my wood rack filled and kept the wood super dry.I'm still learning the air settings and i'm closing in on as close as i'll ever get to burn perfection. %-P

 

[raybonz]

Great!! Now explain my purple 1's.Seriously! Maybe it's the color through a dirty door? Oh i clean it often and am getting better at the hotter burns but as stove goes out it turns the glass amber almost everytime.Some wipes right off,some doesn't.Though it looks amber on the glass it's black when ya wipe it off.

You're experiencing Crayola Syndrome..

Ray

 

[Bub381]

That explains the (green) with envy of you guys and gals that have this down pat.

 

[raybonz]

That explains the (green) with envy of you guys and gals that have this down pat.

:sick:

:red:

:ahhh:

Ray

 

[Bub381]

We have too much time on our hands Ray.lol

 

[firefighterjake]

Like the blue flames . . .