How can I keep my stove from hitting 700?

[albertj03]

First season with PE Super 27 and I've found that on a full load the stove will hit 700 and even 750 for probably an hour or so pretty consistantly. I've tried getting the stove up to temp slower than I had been thinking that maybe I was heating the stove too fast causing the temps to climb to high but the stove would eventually get right up there, it just took longer. This is with the primary air closed all the way once the secondaries kick in. The wood I'm burning is 2 year old red oak mixed with standing dead cherry, maple, red oak and white oak that my MC tests have measured between 17% and 22%. Somtimes on a cold start the stove will max out at 650 which is much better but on a reload it will spike up into the 700 range. The chimney goes right up through the middle of the house and is 42 feet high with the stove in the basement. It's a masonary chimney lined with clay tiles that are 11"x7". Is it the hight and flue size that is causing the stove to run hot?

 

[raiderfan]

what stove top temp are you reloading at? If you reload at a temp over 300, that might contribute to this.

I'm still learning mine, as well. Sometimes I end up with higher temps with burning just 4 splits as a opposed to burning 7!! Have no idea why, the burning procedure is the same (shutting air down in stages), but it happens. Right now, I have 3 splits in and the air shut down and the top temp says 650. So it may just take time to get to know what and why things are happening.

 

[HotCoals]

It could be that you have a real strong draft.
What are your stack temps?
A damper in the pipe closed slightly might help.
Door sealing good?

 

[golfandwoodnut]

Why is 700 a bad thing? My Jotul criuses between 500 and 650, so I expect it to hit 700 even 800 on occassion, even shut the whole way down.

 

[oldspark]

At what stove top temp do you start to reduce your air? It has been said many times 700 is not a problem on a PE.

 

[precaud]

By design, 700-800 is quite normal for a Super 27, with occasional excursions up toward 900. That's why it has that beefy top plate - it's a very efficient heat exchanger. Don't worry - be happy.

 

[albertj03]

Thanks for the replies. Temps are taken with magnet thermometers as well as with a laser IR thermometer. Surprisingly the magnet themo's and IR thermo are not far off from each other at all. I have one thermo in the middle of the stove top and one 18" up on the single wall stove pipe. Stove pipe temps are usually around 400 - 450 when the stove is running hot which I'm not sure if that's too hot but at least I know it's not a creosote factory. Door seal is nice and tight, passed dollar bill test no problem. I always make sure the ash dump door in the bottom of the fireboox is closed tight and packed with ashes. I usually don't reload until the stove is down to around 250 but sometimes I don't have time to wait but it still seems to run hot either way.

 

[HotCoals]

Sure seems that you guys with tubes have some high flue temps.
Guess that's ok but is that not a lot of heat going up the chimney?

Here are some temps with a hotter fire 2 hours in.
I took a pic maybe 8 inches up on the stack that did not come out.
It was 275 there.

 

[albertj03]

By design, 700-800 is quite normal for a Super 27, with occasional excursions up toward 900. That's why it has that beefy top plate - it's a very efficient heat exchanger. Don't worry - be happy.

Thanks for the info. I think I knew this but wanted to be sure that it wasn't running too hot. The stove has performed great, it really throws the heat and is very consistent.

 

[Battenkiller]

By design, 700-800 is quite normal for a Super 27, with occasional excursions up toward 900. That's why it has that beefy top plate - it's a very efficient heat exchanger. Don't worry - be happy.

Sounds like a stove I could learn to love. ;-)

 

[albertj03]

Sure seems that you guys with tubes have some high flue temps.
Guess that's ok but is that not a lot of heat going up the chimney?

Here are some temps with a hotter fire 2 hours in.
I took a pic maybe 8 inches up on the stack that did not come out.
It was 275 there.

Just checked the stove and the stove top is 600 and stove pipe 325 which doesn't seem bad.

 

[HotCoals]

Sure seems that you guys with tubes have some high flue temps.
Guess that's ok but is that not a lot of heat going up the chimney?

Here are some temps with a hotter fire 2 hours in.
I took a pic maybe 8 inches up on the stack that did not come out.
It was 275 there.

Just checked the stove and the stove top is 600 and stove pipe 325 which doesn't seem bad.

No it's not...I worry some about mine being to cool at times.
I will pull the pipe and check in another week or so.
But taping on the pipe it all sounds good so far.
Usually 4 to 5 hours into a long burn at warm outside temps I'm cursing around 350 stove top and a little under 200 8 inches up on the flue.
Now my old BK without cat was way higher flue temps..they sure have come a long way baby..lol.

 

[precaud]

Sounds like a stove I could learn to love. ;-)

Didn't you buy a BK recently? Or am I imagining this?

 

[begreen]

This stove can willing run up to 800+ if you let it, but you are in control. The most common mistake is to not let the previous burns coal bed burn all the way down before reloading. Put a big load of dry wood on a very hot coal bed and it is going to outgas prolifically. When that gas ignites, it produces a lot of heat.

Francois posted some good observations he learned with his stove that are worth reading:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/60673/P22/#692639

 

[cmonSTART]

As far as I'm concerned, the solution to a stove that hot is to open another cold beer. Sit down on the couch. Put your feet up. Consume beer. If the stove is still hot repeat until it's no longer a concern.

 

[westkywood]

I have Super 27. This is my second year. This year I noticed the same thing you have but realized it was from finally having really good seasoned wood. I've had to learn to cut it back sooner or the temps blast me out of the house. I guess it's a good problem for you to have unless it's not really cold outside. Maybe your draft is too strong. I think the draft on mine is perfect. I dont have to keep the door open to start the fire like I hear a lot of people having to do.
Enjoy that stove and keep us posted........

 

[precaud]

Guys, it's really not a problem. Look up into the secondary chamber while it's burning. You'll see that the flames are licking right against the top plate. How is that plate supposed to have lower temps when it is in constant contact with the flames? That's exactly how it was designed to burn most efficiently, with maximum heat transfer into the top plate. The Quads (and likely others) are designed the same way.

It's a very good problem to have... use it to your advantage. Using larger pieces of wood per load will slow down the burn rate. And make your wood processing job easier. As will burning rounds.

What size splits are you using?

 

[Rich2343]

How long will a load burn at these temps you photographed.?

 

[begreen]

Rich, this is a 4 year old thread. Start a new one with questions about the stove. You'll get a quicker response.

 

[Grisu]

How long will a load burn at these temps you photographed.?

Ancient thread, but HotCoals is still around so you may actually get an answer. I have the PE Super insert and when I stuff it full with dry ash and maple I get a burn time of ~10 hours even with peak temps in the 700 to 750 F range. (10 hour burn time means the blower is still running and the stovetop is between 200 and 250 F with enough hot coals for an easy reload.). My record was about 12 hours but I had turned off the blower before going to bed.