F55 break in fires

[Creekheat]

I know follow the manufactures directions but they are pretty basic.
Any advice for the three first time break in fires?

 

[Fsappo]

What I have done on every cast iron stove I have broken in. About 20 or 30 over the years:
1 small kindling fire, just enough to get most of the stove WARM to the touch, let cool down to room temp
2 fires with kindling and 2 or 3 small splits enough to get the stove hot to the touch, but not too hot to hold your hand on for a few seconds. Maybe 150-200 degrees. Let the stove cool to room temp between the 2nd and 3rd fire.
3. A little larger fire, bringing the top temp to about 350 degrees, back to room temp
4. to 500ish, back to room temp...and done

These were all done in a showroom, so I could do them at my leisure. No rush because I had other things to burn for heat.

Never cracked a cast iron stove or had a stove prematurely fail.

I know you will probably get more specifics with exact minutes, temp curves, diminishing returns, heat sensors, snap disks, radar sonar, etc. But what I outlined above just works fine.

 

[begreen]

Good advice for a cast iron stove. This is a steel stove at heart. The cast iron is just a jacket and doesn't get that hot. A small fire with just kindling and a couple 2" sticks will dry out the firebrick. After that you can have a medium sized fire and start baking in the paint.

 

[Fsappo]

So you the outer skin of that stove doesn't get hot enough to warrant a break in? I thought you wanted to break in any cast iron that could ever get hotter than 500 degrees. Could be urban legend!

 

[begreen]

Right, no cast iron break in needed. On these modern cast iron jacketed stoves the skin doesn't get very hot. I can touch my hand to the sides of the Alderlea. I just checked with an IR reading. The stove top is 550F. The sides are 143F and the trivet top is 230F. Stove's been going for an hour now so it will warm up a bit more.

 

[Fsappo]

Right, no cast iron break in needed. On these modern cast iron jacketed stoves the skin doesn't get very hot. I can touch my hand to the sides of the Alderlea. I just checked with an IR reading. The stove top is 550F. The sides are 143F and the trivet top is 230F.

I have been learned again! Thanks BG

 

[begreen]

One nice benefit is the paint never dulls. Our stove is 7 yrs old and still looks great. Normally a true cast iron stove needs a paint job every few years to keep looking sharp.

 

[jatoxico]

Good advice for a cast iron stove. This is a steel stove at heart. A small fire with just kindling and a couple 2" sticks will dry out the firebrick. After that you can have a medium sized fire and start baking in the paint.

Recently I noticed one of the manufacturers mentioning that removing water in the firebrick was a major reason for break-in fires. Presumably that would be the case each year when the burning season starts. Mostly my shoulder season burns have been pretty small but wasn't intentionally doing break-ins like I did when I first got the stove. Are the bricks prone to cracking or spalling (if that's the right term) if you don't get do a break-in or two each season?

 

[begreen]

I haven't done any tests but always do a small break in fire in any stove that I haven't run for months. Something must be working. The T6 is still on its original firebrick and it looks like it will be for more seasons to come.

Cast iron break in is different. Many true cast iron stoves have no firebrick in them.

 

[iluvjazznjava]

I broke in my F55 just like it says in the instructions and so far I have had no issues. The only thing I may have done differently is to burn each of the fires a bit longer than the hour it specifies, but I kept the temperatures in the recommended range. If you don't have a stove top thermometer or IR temp gun, make sure you get one.

 

[Creekside]

I just followed the manual. It took a few real fires though before the stove stopped off gassing and stinking up the house. It also set off the fire alarm a couple times so make sure you have good ventilation.