How do you guys get "runaway" stoves? Max heat NOT at max air?

[Renovation]

I think I am noticing with my Jotul Oslo that max stove top temps do NOT occur when the air is opened all of the way. Is this normal?

I seem to be able to hit a max temp with the damper all of the way open, and then if I knock it closed about 1/4 of the way temps will usually rise another ~50 degrees at the stove top.

ac

You would be correct . . . with the air control open all the way you will get lots of flames, but the majority of the heat is being sent up your stack . . . what you want to do is bring the stove up to temp and then start cutting back on the air which you are doing . . . this will result in a secondary burn and the stove will start to warm up. This is how you want to run your stove . . . since the goal is to heat your house . . . not the outdoors.

Many newbies have a common misconception that more air = more heat and less air = less heat . . . however running a woodstove is not like driving a car in the way you want to go faster you "open up" the throttle . . . it's actually just the opposite . . . the key however is to get things warmed up and brought up to temp first and then start slowly dialing things down.

Sounds like you're doing things right . . . secondary burns will almost always result in more heat in the stove and in the home . . . in my own case with good wood and my chimney . . . I can dial things down to the quarter mark . . . and even all the way "closed."

+1 There ya go.

 

[Renovation]

And some elven magic.

You baking Keebler cookies in the thing?

You haven't see Adios' weenie roaster?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xezw6p8Qcsw&feature=player

Nice, did not know he's a potter. He should put a link in his sig. Oh, he did, nevermind.

 

[firefighterjake]

Should I be adjusting by flue temp or stove top temp? Maybe THAT is part of my procedure that needs to change. I have been only monitoring stove top temp because that is what the manual said.

Should I be adjusting the air to keep the flue temp in a "sweet zone"? What zone would that be? 300-500?
ac

I think you can go either way . . . I know I tend to rely more on my flue temp more (with the probe thermometer for my double wall pipe) . . . I tend to start dialing back the air by using the temps I get from that thermometer . . . but I also check the stove top thermometer to see how warm the stove is getting as well . . . and to be sure the stove is in the 400-600 degree F temp zone.